Violent extremists tarnish image of their own faith, cardinal says
ROME – Meeting with a top Muslim leader in Saudi Arabia, the Vatican’s chief interreligious dialogue official called for the equal treatment of people of all religions, saying discrimination and double standards based on religious affiliation only increase Islamophobia and Christianophobia. And, religious leaders “have a duty to keep religions from being at the service […]
Raif Badawi’s Wife Calls on Crown Prince to End Ordeal
The wife of Saudi writer and blogger Raif Badawi, Haider, has called on the newly-appointed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to “write a new history,” release prisoners of conscience and end her husband’s ordeal, in an exclusive interview with Newsweek. Last week marked five years since Saudi Arabia jailed Badawi for advocating greater freedoms […]
Pakistan: Death penalty for blasphemy on Facebook
A Pakistani court has sentenced to death a man who allegedly committed blasphemy on Facebook, a prosecutor said, in a first such case that involves social media. The conviction of Taimoor Raza, 30, came after a high-profile crackdown against blasphemy on social media by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Blasphemy is a highly […]
Religious Intolerance
Religious extremism is prevailing in the world today, especially in the Middle East, and the problem is that it is being associated with Islam because of ignorance and fanaticism. Is there a way out, and what can we do about our situation? What are the reasons behind the widespread ignorance and intolerance in…
A Message to President-Elect Trump About Freedom
President-elect Donald Trump, the American people voted you as the future 45th President of the United States and entrusted you with many missions and responsibilities. As head of a great democracy you will be the defender of what the forefathers of the American nation cherished the most: liberty and freedom of speech for all the […]
Freedom is a blessing of God
Freedom leads to enhanced expressions of creativity and original thought, increased productivity and an overall high quality of life. The word ‘freedom’ has great depth of meaning. Freedom is a great motive which became the cause of Tahreek-e-Pakistan it made the Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to get freedom. The bones of our […]
The missing pillar: freedom of expression
Since the inception of Pakistan, it has been evident with the coming into power of every successive government – whether it was a dictatorship regime or a democratic one – that it bought along with it several new amendments and legislations to be enacted into the constitution of Pakistan. Our constitution grants us freedom of […]
MEDIA – Charlie Hebdo blasted for migrant cartoon – again
Charlie Hebdo has once again caused outrage with a cartoon of Aylan Kurdi, the little Syrian boy whose drowned body washed up in September on a Turkish beach, in the latest indication that its caustic brand of humour is not to everyone’s taste. In the latest issue of the weekly, published on Wednesday, cartoonist and […]