August 22
Remembering the Victims, Defending Religious Freedom and Promoting Peace
Every year on August 22, the world observes the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. Established by the United Nations, this important observance remembers people who have been killed, injured, persecuted, displaced, threatened or otherwise harmed because of their religion or belief.
The day is both a day of remembrance and a call to action. It reminds the international community that freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right and that no person should face violence, discrimination or persecution because of what they believe—or because they do not hold a religious belief.
The United Nations emphasizes that people of every faith, as well as people who hold other beliefs or no religious belief, are entitled to dignity, equality and freedom.
What Is the International Day?
The official name of the observance is:
International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
It is observed annually on August 22.
The United Nations General Assembly officially designated August 22 for this purpose through Resolution A/RES/73/296, adopted in 2019. The resolution strongly condemned violence against people because of their religion or belief and recognized the importance of providing victims and their families with appropriate support and assistance.
The first observance took place in 2019. The date comes immediately after August 21, the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, linking the two observances through their shared concern for victims of violence and terrorism.
Why Was This Day Established?
Around the world, individuals and communities have suffered violence because of their religious identity or beliefs. Such violence can take many forms, including:
- Murder and physical attacks
- Terrorist attacks
- Persecution and intimidation
- Destruction of places of worship
- Attacks on religious festivals and gatherings
- Desecration of sacred places
- Destruction of homes and businesses
- Discrimination and exclusion
- Forced displacement
- Hate speech and incitement to violence
- Online harassment and threats
- Attacks against religious and cultural institutions
The UN resolution specifically deplores violence directed against people as well as their homes, businesses, properties, schools, cultural centres and places of worship. It also condemns attacks on religious sites, shrines and other sacred places in violation of international law.
Freedom of Religion or Belief Is a Human Right
At the heart of this observance is the principle of freedom of religion or belief.
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This includes the freedom to have a religion or belief, to change one’s religion or belief, and to manifest it through teaching, practice, worship and observance.
The United Nations also emphasizes that freedom of religion or belief is closely connected with freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and freedom of association. These rights reinforce one another and are essential for societies based on dignity and equality.
Religious freedom therefore means more than simply being allowed to attend a place of worship. It encompasses the freedom to live according to one’s conscience without fear of persecution or violence.
Remembering Victims of Violence
One of the most important purposes of August 22 is remembrance.
Behind every statistic is a human being—a mother, father, child, student, worker, priest, pastor, imam, rabbi, monk, nun, religious leader, community volunteer or ordinary citizen.
Victims may lose:
- Their lives
- Their physical health
- Their homes
- Their livelihoods
- Their communities
- Their places of worship
- Their sense of security
- Their cultural heritage
- Their freedom to practice their faith
Families of victims can also suffer long-term emotional, social and economic consequences.
The UN recognizes the importance of providing victims and their families with appropriate support and assistance, in accordance with applicable law.
Remembering victims is therefore not merely an act of looking at the past. It is a commitment to ensuring that similar suffering is not repeated.
Violence Must Never Be Associated With a Religion
An important principle of this day is that terrorism and violent extremism should never be attributed to an entire religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.
The UN General Assembly has unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and emphasized that such violence cannot and should not be associated with any religion or religious community.
This distinction is extremely important.
A violent individual or organization may attempt to use religious language to justify violence, but the actions of extremists should not be used to condemn millions of peaceful believers.
Blaming an entire religious community for the actions of extremists can itself create discrimination, hatred and further violence.
Religious Minorities and Vulnerable Communities
Religious minorities can be particularly vulnerable to discrimination, persecution and violence.
In some parts of the world, minority communities have experienced:
- Restrictions on religious practice
- Forced displacement
- Attacks on houses of worship
- Destruction of cultural heritage
- Hate campaigns
- Social exclusion
- Physical violence
- Arbitrary detention
- Threats and intimidation
The United Nations has repeatedly stressed the responsibility of governments to protect the human rights of people belonging to religious minorities.
Protecting minorities is not about giving one group special privileges. It is about ensuring that every human being enjoys equal dignity and equal protection under the law.
The Danger of Hate Speech
Hate speech can be a powerful driver of discrimination and violence.
Words can create stereotypes, spread fear and turn neighbours against one another. When hateful messages are repeatedly directed at a religious community, they can contribute to an environment in which discrimination or violence becomes easier to justify.
The problem is particularly serious in the digital age.
Social media and online platforms can spread:
- Religious hatred
- False information
- Conspiracy theories
- Dehumanizing language
- Threats
- Incitement to violence
The UN’s 2026 message for this observance specifically highlighted the need to counter discrimination and hate speech and called upon digital technology companies to design and moderate platforms in ways that protect people from stigma and scapegoating.
The Role of Religious Leaders
Religious leaders have a particularly important responsibility.
Priests, bishops, pastors, imams, rabbis, monks, nuns, Hindu spiritual leaders, Buddhist teachers and leaders of other faith communities can help create cultures of peace.
They can:
- Condemn violence clearly.
- Reject religious hatred.
- Teach respect for human dignity.
- Encourage dialogue.
- Protect vulnerable members of their communities.
- Challenge prejudice.
- Promote forgiveness and reconciliation.
- Cooperate with leaders of other religions.
- Educate young people about peaceful coexistence.
The UN has called on religious leaders to speak out against hatred and violence and to promote dialogue within and across religious communities.
The Role of Governments
Governments have a fundamental responsibility to protect citizens from violence and discrimination.
According to the UN framework surrounding this observance, governments should work to:
1. Protect religious freedom
People should be able to practice their religion or belief freely and peacefully.
2. Protect places of worship
Churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, monasteries, gurdwaras and other religious sites should be protected from violence and vandalism.
3. Prevent discrimination
Laws and public institutions should protect people from discrimination based on religion or belief.
4. Investigate crimes
Violent attacks motivated by religious hatred must be properly investigated.
5. Hold perpetrators accountable
Those responsible for violence should be brought to justice according to law.
6. Support victims
Victims and their families should receive appropriate assistance and protection.
7. Promote education
Education can challenge prejudice and help young people understand religious and cultural diversity.
The UN emphasizes that states have the primary responsibility to promote and protect human rights, including the rights of religious minorities.
The Role of Schools and Education
Education is one of the most powerful long-term tools against religious hatred.
Schools can help students understand that people may have different:
- Religions
- Beliefs
- Traditions
- Cultures
- Languages
- Customs
- Philosophical viewpoints
Yet these differences do not diminish human dignity.
Students can be encouraged to learn about different religions without being pressured to abandon their own beliefs.
Education should teach:
Difference does not have to become division.
When young people learn to listen respectfully to others, stereotypes and prejudice can be reduced.
Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue
Dialogue is another important theme of August 22.
Interreligious dialogue does not require people to abandon their convictions. Instead, it encourages people of different traditions to meet, listen and cooperate.
Dialogue can take place through:
- Interfaith meetings
- Community service
- Peace conferences
- Religious and cultural festivals
- School programmes
- Youth activities
- Academic discussions
- Humanitarian projects
- Joint environmental initiatives
- Assistance to people affected by disasters and poverty
The United Nations identifies interreligious, interfaith and intercultural dialogue as an important means of combating religious hatred, intolerance and violence.
The Importance of Protecting Places of Worship
Places of worship are not simply buildings.
For believers, they may represent:
- Faith
- Identity
- Memory
- Community
- Tradition
- Spirituality
- Cultural heritage
An attack on a place of worship can therefore affect an entire community.
The UN specifically condemns attacks against religious places, sites and shrines and calls for the protection of individuals and communities from violence based on religion or belief.
Protecting religious sites is consequently both a matter of human rights and cultural preservation.
Religion as a Force for Peace
Religion has sometimes been manipulated to justify violence, but religious traditions themselves have also inspired enormous contributions to peace, charity and human dignity.
Across the world’s religions, people have established:
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Orphanages
- Shelters
- Food programmes
- Disaster-relief organizations
- Humanitarian agencies
- Educational institutions
- Peace movements
Faith communities frequently work on behalf of the poor, refugees, victims of war, children and marginalized people.
The challenge is to ensure that religion becomes a force for compassion rather than division.
What Can Ordinary People Do?
The observance is not only for governments or religious leaders. Every individual has a role.
We can:
Respect differences.
We do not have to agree with everyone in order to respect their dignity.
Reject religious hatred.
Do not share hateful messages, stereotypes or unverified accusations.
Protect vulnerable people.
Speak up when someone is targeted because of their religion or belief.
Learn about other traditions.
Knowledge can replace fear and misunderstanding.
Build friendships across communities.
Personal relationships are among the strongest ways to overcome prejudice.
Use social media responsibly.
Think before sharing content that could encourage hatred or violence.
Support victims.
Victims and their families need solidarity, compassion and practical assistance.
Choose dialogue over hostility.
Peace often begins with the willingness to listen.
A Message for the Digital Age
The struggle against religious violence increasingly includes the online world.
A hateful post may appear to be “only words,” but repeated online hatred can normalize prejudice and create real-world consequences.
Therefore, responsible digital citizenship requires us to:
- Verify information before sharing it.
- Avoid inflammatory religious content.
- Report credible threats.
- Refuse to participate in online harassment.
- Avoid stereotyping entire communities.
- Encourage respectful discussion.
- Promote messages of peace and solidarity.
The UN has emphasized that online platforms must take steps to prevent their services from becoming amplifiers of hatred.
2026 United Nations Message
For 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for remembrance of people targeted because of their faith and highlighted continuing attacks on religious festivals and places of worship, as well as hostility faced by religious minorities both online and offline.
He described such acts as assaults on human rights and human dignity and urged governments to bring perpetrators to justice, counter discrimination and hate speech, and protect people from religious hatred.
He also called upon religious leaders to speak out against violence and urged technology companies to take steps against online stigma and scapegoating.
The message concludes with a powerful principle: when one community is persecuted, the safety of all communities is threatened.
How Can August 22 Be Observed?
Individuals, schools, religious communities and organizations can mark the day in meaningful ways.
Suggested activities
- Hold a moment of silence for victims of religious violence.
- Organize an interfaith prayer or reflection service.
- Conduct a school awareness programme.
- Invite religious leaders for a dialogue on peace.
- Discuss religious freedom and human rights.
- Visit or support victims and their families.
- Organize a peace march or human-rights programme.
- Create posters promoting religious tolerance.
- Conduct essay, speech or drawing competitions for students.
- Share verified messages promoting peace on social media.
- Organize a community service project involving people of different faiths.
- Learn about the world’s major religions and belief traditions.
Important Principles to Remember
The International Day can be summarized through several fundamental principles:
Freedom
Every person should have the freedom to follow a religion or belief—or not to follow one.
Equality
No person should be treated as less valuable because of religion or belief.
Dignity
Every human being deserves dignity regardless of religious identity.
Tolerance
Differences should be approached with respect rather than hatred.
Dialogue
Communication can prevent misunderstanding and build trust.
Justice
Violence and persecution must not go unpunished.
Solidarity
Victims and their families should never be forgotten.
Peace
No religious belief can justify hatred and violence against innocent people.
A Day of Remembrance and Hope
August 22 is ultimately not a day devoted only to remembering tragedy.
It is a day of hope.
It asks humanity to remember those who suffered while refusing to accept religious violence as inevitable.
It challenges governments to protect human rights, religious leaders to reject hatred, educators to teach tolerance, technology companies to address online hate, communities to build bridges, and individuals to choose compassion over prejudice.
The United Nations has repeatedly stressed that religious freedom, human rights, tolerance, inclusion and dialogue are essential to preventing violence based on religion or belief.
Conclusion
The International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, observed every year on August 22, is a solemn reminder that faith should never become a reason for persecution, hatred or violence.
The day remembers people who have suffered because of their religion or belief and recognizes the suffering of their families and communities. At the same time, it calls upon the world to defend freedom of religion or belief, protect religious minorities, safeguard places of worship, combat hate speech, promote interreligious dialogue and ensure justice for victims.
The message of the day can be expressed simply:
No one should be attacked because of what they believe.
A peaceful world does not require everyone to believe the same things. It requires people to recognize the equal dignity and humanity of others.
On August 22, let us remember the victims, stand with those who face persecution, reject religious hatred and work together for a world in which every person can believe, worship, live and coexist in peace, safety and dignity.
Closing Message
“Remember the victims. Reject hatred. Defend freedom of belief. Protect every place of worship. Build bridges between communities. Let faith become a source of peace, compassion and service—not violence.”
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