Populism is a growing threat to human rights. They are appropriated, distorted, turned into empty words or even their opposite. The contributors to this volume examine these practices using the example of freedom of religion or belief, a human right that has become a particular target of right-wing populists and extremists worldwide. The contributions not only show the rhetorical patterns of appropriation and distortion, but also demonstrate for various countries which social dynamics favor the appropriation in each case and propose how to strengthen human rights and the culture of debate in democratic societies.

Bernd Hirschberger works as a human rights advisor for the German Commission for Justice and Peace. Before starting a career as practitioner, he graduated with a PhD degree from the University of Munich, examining external communication during asymmetric conflict in social media.