The seriousness of the recent episode in Aruanda is part of a worrying trend ofThe growth of religious intolerance in Brazil and in Tocantins..
Last Tuesday, the 24thSpiritist Association Warriors of Aruanda, a religious house of African origin in Tocantins, was a victim ofAn attack of religious intolerance occurred at the exact moment when devotees were awaiting spiritual guidance.The scene, besides being shocking, reflects a much larger and deeply worrying phenomenon:The rise in violence motivated by religious prejudice in Brazil.which manifests itself,
above all, against trAfrican-based additions such as Umbanda and Candomblé — expressions of faith that have historically struggled for recognition and respect.
Religions, in their diversity, share a common root: they are paths of acceptance, spiritual seeking, solace for the soul, and the promotion of peace. They do not exist to divide, exclude, or subjugate others—quite the contrary. All traditions worthy of faith teach, in essence, respect for others and the construction of a more harmonious world. The problem is not religion itself, butintolerant stance of some individuals or groups, whose attitudes distance themselves from the most elementary principles of the sacred, whether from the perspective of God, Jesus Christ, spiritual entities, or the Orishas.
To deny, stone, or harass a terreiro (Candomblé temple) is...to violate one's own family history., the forced removal of a person from some country in Africa and forced into enslavement.An offense to our history., a crime against the homeland and national patriotism who should be proud of the peoples who formed this nation, as well as adisrespect towards one's own neighborwhich can turn the neighborhood into a place of insecurity and threat to residents.
African, not only physical attacks, but also attacks ofdefamation within religious cults themselves in Brazilapart, they often see them ascompetition and they even think about disputing the tithes.from the population or community in question, to justify certain statements or attacks on the reputation of ancestral religions that helped shape Brazilian culture. It generates an ideological/cultural debate, where the#ReligiousIntoleranceit begins to give space to#TerrorismoReligioso.Which threatens the very national identity of a nation that respects its own origins and values life.
The latest data confirms what many religious communities have long feared:Religious intolerance is not an isolated case — it's a trend.Between January 2025 and January 2026, the whistleblowing channelHuman Rights Hotline — Dial 100registered2,774 reports of religious intolerance across Brazil, maintaining an upward trajectory observed in recent years. This number represents more cases than in previous years and shows that the problem persists in different regions of the country.
Broader data also shows that, between 2021 and 2025, reports of religious intolerance increased by more than366%, reinforcing a worrying trend of increasing such incidents in the country.base from)
Furthermore, a recent survey, "Respect My Yard," revealed that76% of Afro-Brazilian religious centers in Brazil have suffered some type of violence—physical, verbal, or symbolic—and more than 80% reported that members of their communities have experienced episodes of religious racism.in a recent two-year period.Services and Information from Brazil)
Although Tocantins does not have data as up-to-date as the national data, what exists points to a worrying local reality. Previous surveys indicated thatReports of religious intolerance crimes in the state have increased by more than 23% compared to previous years., according to official police reports. (Closed Gazette)
This growth, although still smaller numerically compared to large urban centers, is no less serious — especially when one considers that many instances of intolerance they are not formally reported to the authorities.
This phenomenon is identified by researchers and activists as religious racism — a specific form of discrimination that combines intolerance towards expressions of faith with racial and cultural prejudice, affecting people because of their identity and origin. But it also forms part of the structure of structural racism .
When observing who the biggest victims of these attacks are, a pattern clearly emerges: Afro-Brazilian traditions suffer a disproportionate impact . Among the most recently registered complaints, Umbanda and Candomblé together lead in the number of attacks motivated by religious intolerance, far exceeding other traditions.
Brazil is a secular state, whose Constitution guarantees freedom of belief and religious worship for all—without privileges or persecution. But statistics revealed in recent years show that these constitutional guarantees are being disregarded with increasing frequency, transforming religious freedom into a field of dispute and violence.
The fear that haunts religious communities, especially those of African origin, is that this escalation of intolerance will bring us closer to forms of religious fundamentalism , such as those observed in regimes and societies of countries shaped by religious fanaticism, where any religious manifestation different from the official or dominant one is criminalized.
Turkey has suffered from Islamic influence, and in cities without a large influx of tourists, fundamentalism prevails as a significant challenge to women's rights, with reports of increased conservative social pressure and gender-based violence.
In extreme cases, armed religious militias are formed and states are created, as the Taliban itself did when it carried out a coup in Afghanistan in 2021.
The Taliban is a Sunni fundamentalist group . They follow an extremely conservative and strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, aiming to implement Sharia (Islamic law) in Afghanistan. The group is known for its radical stance, unlike the Shia majority.
Experts identify the use of neo-Pentecostal discourse to justify drug trafficking and violence as a "spiritual war," reshaping the relationship between crime and faith.
Religious militias, especially neo-Pentecostal narco-militias, have expanded their operations in Brazil, focusing on territorial control, repression of Afro-Brazilian beliefs, and money laundering, with a greater concentration in Rio de Janeiro. Groups like the Third Pure Command (TCP) use religious symbols to legitimize criminal activities.
The BBC has already issued a warning about the situation and the growth of this faction in Brazil: https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/articles/c5yly261j5qo
Combating it requires more than momentary condemnation: it demands public policies, education, social awareness, and effective protection mechanisms. The federal government itself has been holding meetings with religious leaders to discuss combating intolerance, signaling an attempt at an institutional response to the problem.
But isolated actions are not enough. Society as a whole needs to understand that respecting the faith of others is respecting one's own human dignity (and oneself) — and that any attack on a religion, a temple, or a sacred space is an attack on our own democratic coexistence.
Today, at the Aruanda Association, yet another community mourned the pain of violence—not only physical, but symbolic. May this pain serve not only as a denunciation, but as a call for reflection: no religion is an enemy of Brazil; the enemy is human intolerance that ignores the faith of others and transforms God into a justification for hatred.