Tag: Human rights

Religious freedom is ‘great cause of our time’

July 7, 2015 Human rights, Islamic extremism, Lord Alton, Religious freedom, UK

With global persecution of Christians rising, a new report concludes that “countries have to make the cause of those who suffer for their religion or belief the great cause of our time”. Written by British politician, Lord Alton, Geopolitics: Persecution of Christians around the globe is rising calls on the . . . Read More

Egyptian convert still in jail having served his time

June 22, 2015 Egypt Apostasy, Converts, Egypt, Human rights, Islamic extremism, Mohammed Hegazy

Having spent most of his adult life either harassed, in hiding, or in jail, former Muslim now Christian Mohamed Hegazy can expect more of the same. Hegazy, who has been in prison since December 2, 2013, is known to be the first Egyptian to openly seek a change from Muslim . . . Read More

Iran jails another 18 converts

May 22, 2015 Iran Ahmed Shaheed, Converts, Hassan Rouhani, House churches, Human rights, Iran

Another 18 Iranian converts to Christianity have been jailed during the past two months for “evangelism and establishing house churches”, reports Mohabat News. Between them, their sentences amount to 23 years and nine months in jail. Mansour Borji, spokesman for rights group Article 18, told Mohabat News that, although the . . . Read More

Vietnam’s Religion Law

May 8, 2015 Vietnam Catholics, Central Highlands, Churches, Communism, Human rights, Minorities, Religion Law, Religious freedom, UN, Vietnam

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is drafting a “Law on Belief and Religion,” for passage in the National Assembly in 2016, and possibly this year. It is almost inevitable the new law will disappoint proponents of universal human rights.1 Diverse religions and religious practices flourish in communist Vietnam. Religious believers far . . . Read More

Vietnam harasses ‘released’ Christian lawyer

March 19, 2015 Vietnam Human rights, Nguyen Van Dai, Vietnam

Vietnamese Christian Nguyen Van Dai says he is regularly intimidated by security officers, despite being recently freed from house arrest. The prominent human rights lawyer was put under house arrest in 2011 after spending four years in prison on a charge of “conducting propaganda against the State”. Recently Dai was . . . Read More

Christmas arrests in Iran: 11 still detained

January 15, 2015 Iran Apostasy, Armenians, Assyrians, Christmas, Converts, Evin Prison, Human rights, Iran, Minorities, Religious freedom, UK, Victor Bet-Tamraz, Zoroastrians

As the US Secretary of State meets his Iranian counterpart in a bid to revive stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, human rights experts are keen that issues of freedom of religion are not overlooked. This week, the UK Foreign Office has said that it’s raised its concern with the . . . Read More

China’s Nobel nominee lawyer released after three years

August 15, 2014 China China, Gao Zhisheng, Heilongjiang, Human rights, Xinjiang, Zhang Kai

Geng He, wife of imprisoned Chinese dissident Gao Zhisheng, speaks at a press conference. ‎January‎ ‎18‎, ‎2011Nina Lincoff/Medill News Service / Flickr / Creative Commons Prominent defender of persecuted Christians, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Gao Zhisheng was released from prison last week after his most recent three-year sentence. . . . Read More

What would Sharia mean for non-Muslims in Brunei?

May 1, 2014 Brunei Brunei, Hijab, Human rights, Sharia, Southeast Asia, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, UN

The Sultan of Brunei has announced a controversial new law based on Islamic criminal punishments criticised by UN human rights officials and other human rights groups. “I place my faith in and am grateful to God the Almighty to announce that Thursday May 1, 2014, will see the enforcement of . . . Read More

UN chief calls for immediate international action to halt ‘deplorable atrocities’

April 4, 2014 Central African Republic African Union, Anti-balaka, Catherine Samba-Panza, Human rights, Islamic extremism, Seleka

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon says that immediate action is needed to stop the killing in the Central African Republic (CAR), citing “grave and deplorable atrocities”, and “to prevent the further separation of communities that have lived together for centuries”. Its Human Rights chief said that, on a recent . . . Read More

3000 Syrian Christians flee Armenian village as Islamist rebels take control

March 27, 2014 Armenian Genocide, Armenians, Human rights, Islamic extremism, Syria, Turkey

An Armenian* Syrian pastor, whose family is from Kessab, close to Syria’s northern border with Turkey, has reported that they have fled the village after Syrian rebel jihadists took control of the area. The fighting in the predominantly Armenian Christian town started Friday March 21st. World Watch Monitor has seen . . . Read More

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