Proselytism is an integral element of traditional religions, in particular Christianity and its sects. Its restrictions arguably run counter to the very notion of human rights, undermining freedom of religion, association and speech as enshrined and protected by the UNDR [1]. At the same time, however, we must recognize that this is only scratching the surface of the debate, that there is a parallel in which aggressive proselytism could at the same time violate the very freedoms of others. So, with this contradiction in mind, is there a way to justify laws that limit proselytism in the very name of religious freedom? What position should the human rights regime take? Historically, Islam and Christianity were spread literally, by the sword. Convert or die. Perhaps the greatest justification why there actually is a need to regulate proselytism would lie in Africa. As elaborated by Makau Mutua in the reference book [2], African religion and way of life were deeply intertwined. During colonialism, conversion to Christianity required to receive healthcare and education amounted to "cultural genocide." Traditional African beliefs were simply trampled upon and a void in the people's identity resulted. Forcibly imposing one's religion on another is fundamentally wrong. As we can see, there are certainly boundaries that proselytism cannot cross and where laws are needed to keep them in check. In today's world there are already guarantees against forced proselytism. Shouldn't we already then achieve an idealistic model of religious freedom slightly balanced with restricted proselytism? This doesn't seem to be the case because there is still a big dispute about where... middle of paper... actually, these non-proselytizing religions will die out. As you can see, there are many other implications to consider with proselytizing than just the laws. In conclusion, proselytism is a very complex issue. It is entirely possible that the laws that limit it are aligned with supporting basic religious freedom, however in reality this seems too difficult because there is always prejudice and discrimination that undermines the noble goals of religious freedom. Works Cited[1] UN. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights [online]. Available: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html#a18[2] H. Steiner and P. Alston, International Human Rights in Context, Law, Politics, Morals. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 569-623.[3] UN. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [online]. Available: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm#art18