Religion Human Rights and Social Justice

GCSE Religious Studies · Themes

Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice

This theme examines how Christianity and Islam approach equality, prejudice, discrimination, wealth, poverty and human rights.

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all people are entitled — regardless of race, gender, nationality or religion
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948) lists 30 rights including: life, liberty, freedom of religion, education, freedom from torture and slavery
Both Christianity and Islam support human rights because all humans are created by God and have inherent dignity

Imago Dei — all humans are made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), giving everyone equal worth
Galatians 3:28 — "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) — love and compassion should cross all social boundaries
Christian leaders who fought for justice: Martin Luther King Jr (racial equality), William Wilberforce (abolition of slavery), Oscar Romero (standing against oppression in El Salvador)

All humans are created by Allah and are equal in his sight
Surah 49:13 — "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous"
Muhammad's Final Sermon: "All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab... a white person has no superiority over a black person"
The ummah (global Muslim community) emphasises that all believers are brothers and sisters

Prejudice — holding negative views about someone based on their identity (race, gender, religion, sexuality)
Discrimination — acting on prejudice — treating someone unfairly
Both religions condemn prejudice and discrimination:
Christianity: the Good Samaritan; "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:31)
Islam: all are equal before Allah; racism contradicts Tawhid (only God is superior)

Type	Examples
Racism	Treating people differently because of skin colour or ethnicity
Sexism	Treating people differently because of gender
Religious discrimination	Treating people differently because of their faith
Homophobia	Prejudice against people based on sexual orientation

Both religions teach that wealth is not wrong in itself, but it comes with responsibilities:

Christianity:

Jesus warned against greed: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:25)
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) — ignoring the poor has eternal consequences
Christian Aid and CAFOD work to alleviate global poverty
Tithing — some Christians give 10% of income to the church

Islam:

Zakah (2.5% of wealth) is obligatory — it purifies wealth and supports the poor
Sadaqah (voluntary charity) is highly encouraged
Wealth is a trust from Allah — Muslims are stewards, not owners, of their wealth
Surah 2:177 lists caring for the needy as part of true righteousness

Know specific examples of religious individuals who fought for justice (MLK, Tutu, Wilberforce)
Link beliefs to actions — e.g. Imago Dei → all humans deserve equal treatment
For AO2: Should religious leaders speak out on political issues? Is charity enough, or should the system change? Can wealth and faith coexist?
Compare Christian and Islamic responses to poverty — Zakah vs tithing