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 […]
The State of Our Religious Freedom
Tuesday’s State of the Union address falls on the first anniversary of then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ historic refusal to defend President Donald Trump’s initial executive order barring admission to the U.S. for people from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. “I thought, based on all the evidence I had, that it was […]
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 […]
U.S. Monitoring Europe on Religious Discrimination
The United States is monitoring Western Europe for signs of religious discrimination, particularly against Muslims and Jews, according to the annual report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “The state of affairs for international religious freedom is worsening in both depth and breadth of violations,” according to the USCIFR, a federal government commission.
Report: Russia Among World’s Worst on Religious Freedom
Days after imposing a complete ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses operating in the country, Russia has been labeled a “country of particular concern” by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). It is the first time that Russia has been designated among the highest tier of violators of religious freedom. It joins 15 other […]
Christine Flowers: Travel ban is a Muslim ban, any way you slice it
Religion is very important to me. I’m not unusual. According to a recent Pew report, three-quarters of Americans said that religion was at least “somewhat important” in their lives, and well over half said that it was “very important.” Only 11 percent said that it was “not important.” We are privileged to live in a […]
School bans Muslim pupils from ‘provocative’ praying
A high school in a western German city has banned Muslim pupils from publicly praying, saying that all the religious acts associated with it are “provocative” to other students, sparking a heated debate about freedom of religion in the country. The school in Wuppertal sent a note to staff in February asking them to “identify” […]
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…
Pakistan’s Sindh province outlaws forced conversions
A province in Pakistan has passed a new law, with provision for life sentence, against forced religious conversions following criticism over protection of minorities in the country. The new bill, passed by legislators in Sindh on Thursday, mandates a 21-day period for adults to consider their decision to convert and forbid minors from choosing another […]
Islam and politics: Indonesia’s identity crisis
The blasphemy charges against Jakarta’s governor will put Indonesia’s democracy and national identity to the test. Modern Indonesia is testimony to the ability of transition democracies to construct a constitutional framework that can guarantee equality, security and freedom from discrimination for all citizens. Since 1998’s Reformasi (the period of transition after the fall of Indonesia’s […]