<![CDATA[This article explores the possible conceptual contribution of Amartya Sen’s book “Identity andViolence” (2007) to the discourse on the relationship between individual freedom and Freedom ofReligion or Belief (FoRB). Sen is widely recognized as a pioneer of human-centered and interdisciplinarydevelopment economics that emphasizes freedom as a fundamental prerequisite for development.Although he does not specifically discuss FoRB, Sen has extensively engaged with broader human rightsdiscourse. He critically examines the relationship between freedom, capability, and agency on the onehand, and justice, identity, and social choice on the other. The richness and flexibility of Sen’s frameworkenable human rights in general, and FoRB in particular, to be understood as a process of empowermentthrough capability building. Such an approach allows individuals to develop meaningful choices withintheir immediate social environments, where justice functions both as a prerequisite for and an objectiveof human-centered development. To demonstrate the relevance of Sen’s ideas to the individual dimensionof FoRB, this article concludes by examining the FoRB of tribal and indigenous religious communitiesas a comparative field through which Sen’s conception of individual freedom in “Identity andViolence” can be critically engaged.]]>
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