01/31/2026
The Parliament of World's Religions
Statement on Interfaith Responsibility in a Time of Rising Authoritarianism
Around the world, communities are witnessing a troubling rise in fear‑based governance, shrinking civic space, and the targeting of vulnerable groups. These developments are not isolated events, nor are they confined to one nation or community. They remind us that injustice grows when silence replaces solidarity.
In the face of systemic cruelty counter to the values fundamental to all religions, and to the democratic ideals to which the United States has long aspired - we will not be silent.
As an interfaith organization committed to the dignity of all people, the Parliament of the World’s Religions affirms that this moment carries a clear moral responsibility. Our responsibility is to protect human dignity, practice compassion, and defend justice through our words and by our actions, in the public arena and in our individual lives. We are responsible to hold accountable those in positions of power, and to support one another in our wholehearted commitment to the values we share.
Across our diverse traditions, we share a conviction that human worth is inherent, compassion is not selective, and justice is not optional. When any group is dehumanized through policy, rhetoric, or violence, the fabric of our shared humanity is torn.
Authoritarian movements depend on division. They seek to turn neighbor against neighbor and to misuse religion as a tool of exclusion. Yet across the globe, people of conscience are choosing another path: standing together across differences, protecting one another’s rights, caring for the Earth, and insisting that no human being is disposable.
Authentic religious freedom cannot exist where one worldview is elevated above all others or where dissent is punished. It thrives only in pluralism, rooted not in mere tolerance, but in mutual responsibility.
We stand at a crossroads. The choices we make now will shape the world future generations inherit. If authoritarianism feeds on isolation, our answer must be connection. If it thrives on despair, our answer must be hope made visible. If it seeks silence, our answer must be courageous presence.
The personal is political because policies touch bodies, families, and future, because people matter everywhere.
Guided by its landmark declaration, "Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration", the Parliament of the World’s Religions calls on all communities to choose courageous presence over silence, dignity over fear, and solidarity over division.
