The cause of Christians striving to practise their faith without fear or pressure often advances and retreats in countries outside those where Christians directly live under the most oppression. In London, New York, Strasbourg, Washington, and other centres of deliberation, important developments happen concerning Christians and religious freedom more broadly. This is the page where we consolidate news with an international scope.
The murder of a French priest has horrified the world. The same thing happens to Christians in lesser-reported places
Rev. Jacques HamelEglise Catholique de Rouen The 26 July killing of a Catholic priest in his church in St. Etienne du Rouvray, France, once again has pushed jihadist violence into the headlines. The so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder, committed by two knife-wielding attackers who were shot and […]
Human rights must not ‘go down’ because ‘EU has other priorities’
The report was launched on 30 June at the European Parliament in Brussels.European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief / Facebook The European Parliament *Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance (FoRB & RT) launched yesterday (30 June) its third annual report on the […]
Pew reports decline in religious restrictions
In its latest report, Pew Research Center says there was an overall decline in religious restrictions and hostilities between 2013 and 2014, despite a continued rise in religion-related terrorism. The US-based “fact tank” ranked 198 countries and territories in the seventh report of its kind, titled “Trends in Global Restrictions […]
Freedom of religion or belief ‘undermined’ in corrupt countries
Corruption is increasingly seen as a factor behind the persecution of minority Christians around the world, and the world leaders who gathered at an Anti-Corruption Summit in London in May showed they are beginning to pay more attention to the effects of corruption on freedom of religion or belief. Evidence […]
Germany recognises Turkish ‘genocide’ of Armenians
The German Parliament has recognised the massacre 100 years ago of up to a million Armenians by the Turkish Ottoman Empire as “genocide”. Early in the 4th Century, the Kingdom of Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion. At the time of the genocide, Germany […]
Most of today’s wars are in Muslim countries
Most wars across the world are taking place in majority-Muslim countries, with Muslims mainly fighting each other, says . In 2012, there were six civil wars worldwide. All took place within Muslim countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Of the nine rebel groups in these conflicts, seven had […]
US religious-freedom report urges government to add 7 countries to worst-offenders list
What is happening? The primary US government agency on global religious freedom issued its annual report 2 May. It says “religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault” during the past year, and says America should add seven countries to its list of worst offenders: Central African Republic […]
Killed for being Christian? Well, no, and yes
In the aftermath of the 19 March assassination of Rev. Vincent Machozi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whether the definition of “martyr” needs to be expanded. Machozi, besides being a priest, ran a website that, in Allen’s words, documented “collusion among political elites, armed factions, and commercial interests […]
Christian women face double vulnerability due to gender and religion
Nicole Ravelo-Hoerson, originally from Madagascar, a speaker at the Marcham Conference, March 2016Release International Women were close witnesses of the violence meted out to Jesus Christ during his Passion and Crucifixion, which Western Christians commemorate this weekend. They were also among the first to face persecution by the Roman […]
Clerics tell Muslims to protect minorities
More than 250 Muslim scholars, from over 120 countries, have called for religious freedom for non-Muslims in majority-Muslim countries. In a declaration signed on 27 January in Marrakesh, Morocco, the clerics said that it is wrong to discriminate against religious minorities in Muslim countries. They paid particular attention to Muhammad’s […]