Raphael Cohen-Almagor (University of Hull; Middle East Study Centre; Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars) has posted Freedom From Religion: Multiculturalism and the Rights of Women and Children on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
This chapter examines the limits of state interference in proscribing cultural norms by considering the right of people to leave their community free of penalties and practices that deny education to vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. The discussion opens by providing some basic underpinning premises. It proceeds by reflecting on the discriminatory practices of the Pueblo tribes against people who wish to leave the tribe due to apostasy. The question is whether people who wish to abandon or renounce their religion are entitled to any property rights. Subsequently, the discussion turns to the issue of securing adequate education for all, arguing that the liberal state has a role to play in protecting the basic rights of vulnerable populations.
