Hundreds march in Brazil for religious freedom amid rising cases of intolerance

Practitioners of different religious traditions marched on Sunday along the iconic Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro to support religious freedom in Brazil, where cases of intolerance have doubled in the past six years.

Hundreds of men, women and children from more than a dozen faiths took part in the event, called the March in Defense of Religious Freedom. Many of those who came are practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions who have recently faced attacks from members of Christian groups. Brazil’s newly appointed human rights minister, Macaé Evaristo, also took part in the march, which was held for the 17th consecutive year.

“The great challenge in our country today is to reduce inequality,” Evaristo told state news agency Agencia Brasil. “So it is very important for me to be present at this march, because people here are also fighting for many things, such as decent work and a life without hunger.”

In the state of Rio de Janeiro, where a quarter of Afro-Brazilian religions live, evangelical Christianity has proliferated, particularly neo-Pentecostal churches founded since 1970 that focus on spreading their faith among non-believers.

Experts say that while most neo-Pentecostal proselytizing is peaceful, the spread of the faith has been accompanied by a rise in intolerance toward traditional African-influenced religions, ranging from verbal abuse and discrimination to the destruction of temples and forced evictions from neighborhoods.

“Everything that comes from black people, everything that comes from people of African origin is looked down upon. If we are not firm in our faith, we will lose strength,” said Vania Vieira, a practitioner of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé. “This march is to show that we are standing, that we will survive.”

Although the Brazilian Constitution protects the free exercise of religion, cases of disrespect and attacks – especially against groups of African origin – are increasingly frequent.

Between 2018 and 2023, the Brazilian government’s reporting service recorded a 140% increase in the number of complaints of religious intolerance in the country.

In Brazil, those who commit crimes of religious intolerance can face sentences of up to five years in prison, plus a fine.

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