30
December
Legal Restrictions to Religious Freedom in Brunei
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has done a series of excellent reports on specific nations and their activities on religious freedom. Here is a recent Spotlight episode on Brunei
19
December
Intolerance in India continues to grow
The failure of government leaders to condemn acts of violence on minorities has contributed to growing fears amongst faith groups.
Government officials in Shanxi’s Taiyuan city destroyed a temple’s religious books and threw them to the trash.
15
December
The Chinese government has turned up the pressure on Christians withing China
After banning anyone under 18 from even entering a church building they are now going after printed material. Books that were previously published are now being used as evidence to sentence printers and authors to long term prison sentence.
14
December
Boko Haram claims attack in Niger that killed dozens
Attacks by Boko Haram in northeastern spread to neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Here is the account of a preChristmas attack in Niger
14
December
Christmas in China’s prison cells
Here is a tribute to so many in China who were paying a price this Christmas for their courage.
09
December
It's Time to Get Concerned About Russia
Russian persecution of religious minorities has continued to accelerate over the last year. While the evidence is abundant, the consequences have been minimal and Russia has only accelerated its persecution in recent years.
09
December
Detention of human rights defender Ramy Kamel
On 27 February 2020, the Criminal Court of Cairo rejected the appeal of human rights defender Ramy Kamel and renewed his detention for an additional 15 days. The human rights defender has been detained since 23 November 2019.
08
December
Extremist Group Arrests Villagers in Syria
Although the Yazidi community had suffered immense persecution at the hands of ISIS, their safety is not assured even as people return to the area in which the once lived as other groups move and continue persecution.
Arzoo Raja, 13-year-old Christian girl in Karachi, and Ali Azhar on far right. (Photo released by Sindh government)
23
November
Parents Denied Custody of Allegedly Kidnapped Daughter
A high court in Pakistan has ruled that a 13-year-old Catholic girl allegedly abducted and forcibly converted and married to a Muslim man must remain in a government shelter home until she reaches age 18.
28
October
UN HRC 45 Side Event: China Bans Faith for All Children
Here is an introduction to a very important event highlighting the incredible pressure China is putting on parents and children as they continue to decimate personal rights, in this case the right to belief.
Professor Naeem Ud Din Khattak was shot dead on his way home from college in a religiously motivated attack. (Photo supplied)
06
October
Ahmadi professor shot dead in Pakistan for his faith
Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistian continues, with more deaths.
03
October
Religious freedom under assault in 'Europe's last dictatorship'
Belarus President Lukashenko makes no secret of his atheism. He has mostly refrained from overt actions against religious groups, but now there are worrying signs that his government is actively undermining the independence of religious groups.
The Snezhkov family at a protest in Gomel on September 27
03
October
Old Believers denounce illegal detention of peaceful family in Belarus
Children taken by Belarus officials after parent express personal beliefs by protesting
Members of the mob damage a home in one of the villages. Credit: CSW
29
September
Christian families from tribal communities in five villages attacked by mob
Christian families belonging to the Scheduled Tribe community located in five villages in Kondagaon District, Chhattisgarh had their homes ransacked and farmland and property destroyed by a large mob in attacks which took place over two days.
28
September
Genocide Should Be Bad For Business
How far Do regimes like China and Mynamar have to go before right minded people and governments make them pay a price for their cruelty?
24
September
China continues to erase the cultures of its own citizens’
The Chinese Government has embarked on a systematic and intentional campaign to rewrite the cultural heritage of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
23
September
China continues to interfere with families and with the fundamental right of children to believe
NGO's demand the U.N. pressure China to take immediate steps to ensure the right to Freedom of Religion and Belief for children in China and cease violence against children from religious faiths.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
22
September
Seeking a Viable Alternative to Indonesia’s Blasphemy Laws
Instead of criminalizing blasphemy, Indonesia should focus on penalizing incitement to discrimination, hostility, and violence.
22
September
Pastor returns to family after years-long imprisonment in Vietnam
asdfasdfasA pastor who says that he was falsely imprisoned, tortured and beaten is coming home.
20
September
Nigeria's Government ignoring growing violence
The increasing conflict in Nigeria is directly related to the present National government’s lack of interest in extending equal protection to all of its citizens.
Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria, inspects a burned church in his diocese in 2015, which has been a target of Boko Haram. COURTESY | AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED
16
September
Christian persecution at all-time high, say experts at Alexandria conference
The Saints Peter and Paul Conference in Alexandria heard from speakers from all around the world,including India, China and Nigeria. They all had one thing in common, they spoke for the persecuted Christians suffering within their homelands.
Representative Image (social media)
12
September
If Dalits can be Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, why can’t they be Christians and Muslims?
Christian and Muslim Dalits have been denied benefits available to SC groups among Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. A petition challenging the discrimination has been pending in Supreme Court for years
03
September
USCIRF Encourages Religious Freedom Progress on Vietnam National Day
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) congratulated the government of Vietnam on its National Day, and encouraged the government to take steps to improve religious freedom conditions in the country.
A child from the Uyghur community living in Turkey participates in a protest in Istanbul on November 6, 2018, against oppression by the Chinese government of Muslim Uyghurs in the far-western Xinjiang province. >Credit: AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis
21
August
China Buys Turkey’s Silence on Uyghur Oppression
A quick explanation of how China uses economic leverage to silence Turkey on the Uyghur issue, coauthored by my colleague and friend, Aykan Erdemir.
17
August
The Ongoing and Intensifying Persecution of Christians in India
According to a new report by the group Persecution Relief, “Hate crimes against Christians in India [rose] by an alarming 40.87 percent” in the first half of 2020, “even despite the nationwide [coronavirus] lockdown in place since March 25."
