The Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC) announced, this Tuesday (21), that 2,472 reports of cases of religious intolerance were registered throughout the country in 2024 by the Human Rights Hotline (Dial 100), coordinated by folder.
The number represents an increase of 66.8% in relation to complaints of this type made in 2023 (1,481). There are almost 1,000 more complaints in 2024, announced the MDHC. If data recorded between 2021 and 2024 are considered, the increase in reports of violations was 323.29%.
The numbers were released on the Day to Combat Religious Intolerance, in memory of the Bahian Iyalorixá, Gildásia dos Santos, known as Mãe Gilda de Ogum, who founded in 1988, the terreiro of the Ketu/Nagô Nation, Ilê Asé Abassá de Ogum, in Itapuã neighborhood, in Salvador.
Data
THE interactive panel data from the National Human Rights Ombudsman reveals the numbers of violations related to religious intolerance.
Throughout 2024, the most frequently raped people belong to the following segments: Umbanda (151), Candomblé (117), Evangelical (88), Catholic (53), Spiritist (36), other declarations of Afro-Brazilian religiosity (21), Islam (6), Judaism (2). In 1,842 complaints, there was no indication of religion.
The majority of victims of religious discrimination are women (1,423). Another 826 rapes were suffered by men. The other records did not have the gender reported or the question does not apply because the complaint refers to a family or a community.
According to the government platform, the federation units with the highest number of complaints are: São Paulo (618), Rio de Janeiro (499), Minas Gerais (205), Bahia (175), Rio Grande do Sul (159) , in addition to the Federal District (100).
In Brasília, during the event “The Role of Religion for the Promotion of Peace: Building Bridges and Mutual Understandings”, this Tuesday, the Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Macaé Evaristo, reinforced that the Brazilian State is secular.
“Reaffirming the secularity of the State is not saying that it doesn’t care about religions. On the contrary, it is to recognize that we have plural ways of relating to the sacred, that we have a religious plurality in our country and the Brazilian State respects, protects and safeguards people’s right to exercise their religion”, highlighted the Minister of Human Rights and of Citizenship, Macaé Evaristo.
Day to Combat Religious Intolerance
The Day to Combat Religious Intolerance was made official by Federal Law No. 11,635/2007to mark the date of death of Mother Gilda de Ogum, with the aim of remembering the guarantee of religious freedom in the country, provided for in article 5, item VI of the 1988 Federal Constitution. “Freedom of conscience and belief is inviolable, the free exercise of religious worship is guaranteed and, in accordance with the law, the protection of places of worship and their liturgies is guaranteed”.
The person honored by federal law, Mãe Gilda de Ogum, had her house and Candomblé temple invaded by a group of another religion. After persecution, physical attacks and defamation, the social activist died of a massive heart attack on January 21, 2000.
This Tuesday, in your social networkthe MDHC minister, Macaé Evaristo, commented that the date marks the fight against religious intolerance and highlighted the country’s religious diversity. “It’s like that in our families. We have a Candomblé mother, a brother who is Catholic, another brother who is evangelical. And we value our coexistence, that each person is respected in their religiosity. We remain firm in the fight against religious intolerance.”
How to report
In Brazil, cases of offensive attitudes against people because of their beliefs, rituals and religious practices can be registered by Dial 100.
The free service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the week, including holidays, and can be accessed by calling 100.
To report incidents of religious intolerance, the MDHC also provides other channels: WhatsApp, at (61) 99611-0100; on Telegram (type “direitoshumanosbrasil” in the application search); node website from the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship for video calls in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras).
The department clarifies that on all platforms, reports are free, anonymous and receive a protocol number so that the complainant can follow the progress of the complaint directly through the protocol number.
Dial 100 does not act in investigating complaints. Its function is to forward it to the competent bodies so that they can assess whether the complaint constitutes a crime or not.
In order for the complaint to be forwarded in the most effective way possible, present as much data as you have and tell everything that happened in detail.
