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.
12
September
Tech Company Accused of 'Religious Discrimination, Censorship'.
A major tech company called MobileCause is now in the spotlight, accused of censoring conservatives by abruptly terminating a contract with the Christian organization the Family Research Council (FRC).
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
Walt Disney Pictures
08
September
Disney Under Fire for Filming ‘Mulan’ in Chinese City with Uyghur Concentration Camps
Disney has drawn a backlash for its indifference to religious freedom and human rights, cozying up to the Chinese Communist Party and filming parts of its new live action blockbuster in a city that incarcerates Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.
Asif Pervaiz (right) with attorney Saiful Malook (center) at prison. (Morning Star News)
08
September
Another Christian Sentenced to Death in Pakistan on Weak Blasphemy Charges
A court in Lahore, Pakistan has sentenced a Christian to death over charges that he allegedly sent “blasphemous” text messages to a Muslim colleague seven years ago, his lawyer said.
Representational image | Photo Credit: S. RAMBABU
06
September
India's Government suspends FCRA clearance of 4 Christian groups
Of the six NGOs whose license under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) was suspended by the Union Home Ministry this year, four are Christian associations.
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.
Asad Noor, outspoken Bangladeshi blogger
24
August
Bangladeshi blogger faces death threats for criticizing Islamic fundamentalism
Rights groups are urging Bangladeshi authorities to withdraw all charges against blogger Asad Noor, restore his passport and end harassment of his family members. Noor fled to India after multiple threats to his life.
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."
15
August
Why SC status for Dalit Christians, Muslims should not be linked to religion
They are denied the Scheduled Caste status because of what is written in the Constitution, and the problem should be addressed with consideration for human rights and based on reality
A petition challenging the Presidential (Scheduled Castes) Order, issued on August 10, 1950, is now pending in the Supreme Court. (Representative image of the Supreme Court in New Delhi)
10
August
70-year wait for Dalit Christians, Muslims on SC verdict over caste status
Five days before India celebrates her 73rd anniversary of Independence, Dalit Christians and Muslims will mark a grimmer anniversary of the date when the Presidential (Scheduled Castes) Order was issued on August 10, 1950.
A monitor displays the words "Commission on Unalienable Rights" behind Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, July 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
17
July
Pompeo says US should limit which human rights it defends
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has argued for a more limited U.S. view of global human rights advocacy based on the principles laid out by America's Founding Fathers, a suggestion critics assumed meant stepping away from more modern concepts.
16
July
Swastikas, ‘Death to Jews’ Written on Graves in France
Some 20 graves in France were vandalized with swastikas and the words “Death to Jews” and “Death to the French,” the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports.
15
July
Can Human Rights Advocacy Resolve the North Korea Nuclear Impasse?
North Korea’s weapons programs and human rights violations derive from the same root causes: the government’s perception of its insecurity and lack of transparency.
President Erdogan declared the building a mosque and said the first prayers would be held there within two weeks [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
14
July
Turkey to cover Hagia Sophia's Christian icons during prayers
Governing party's statement comes days after Ankara turned the iconic monument from a museum into a mosque.
A Hindu temple in Mithi, Pakistan.Credit...Rizwan Tabassum/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
08
July
Islamists Block Construction of First Hindu Temple in Islamabad
A Hindu temple planned for Islamabad, the city’s first, was supposed to be a symbol of tolerance. Instead, violence and controversy have turned it into an emblem of Pakistan’s troubled relationship with its religious minorities.
08
July
The Truro Review
United Kingdom Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (FCO) Support for Persecuted Christians
30
June
New Law in Iran Threatens More Arrests of Christians, Rights Advocates Say
Legislation passed by parliament in Iran could make it easier to arrest and imprison Christians and other religious minorities, rights advocates said.
Rahim Akhundov, 2016 c. Rahim Akhundov [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0]
18
June
AZERBAIJAN: Will fired parliamentary staffer be reinstated?
Former parliamentary staff member Rahim Akhundov, who says he was dismissed from his jobin December 2018 on the orders of the secret police because of his Christian faith, will take his suit for reinstatement to Azerbaijan's Supreme Court.
15
June
Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide?
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief has launched a new report into Nigeria. Members have been alarmed by the dramatic and escalating violence in Nigeria characterised as the farmer-herder conflict.
12
June
1,202 Defenseless Christians Hacked To Death By Jihadists In Six Months (Jan-June 2020)
A special report from Intersociety, Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria.
10
June
Freedom of Religion or Belief in China Today
Repressed, Removed, Re-Educated: The stranglehold on religious life in China
