Tag: Religious freedom

South Sudan’s Christians return to Sudan, despite pressures

November 28, 2017 Sudan Apostasy, Blasphemy, Omar al-Bashir, Petr Jašek, Religious freedom, Russia, Sanctions, Sharia, South Sudan, Sudan, USA

Village church in Goli, South Sudan. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Many of the Christians who fled Sudan after the South’s independence in 2011 have returned, even though the authorities continue to close churches and harass Christians there, a Catholic priest told The Economist. Prayer centres that were closed have been reopened, Father Juma Charles of St Matthew’s Catholic Cathedral in . . . Read More

Iran: Christian convert loses appeal against 10-year sentence for ‘missionary activities’

November 24, 2017 Iran Bahram Nasibov, Converts, Eldar Gurbanov, House churches, Iran, Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh, Religious freedom, Tehran, Yusif Farhadov

An Iranian convert to Christianity has had his 10-year prison sentence upheld after losing his appeal. Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh was sentenced in May alongside three Azerbaijanis. All four men were given 10-year sentences for “missionary activities” and “actions against national security” in Iran. However, the three Azerbaijanis – Eldar Gurbanov, . . . Read More

Vietnam’s religion policy and practice – contradictions continue

November 23, 2017 Vietnam Binh Phuoc, Catholics, Central Highlands, Communism, Evangelical Church of Vietnam, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Protestants, Religion Law, Religious freedom, Vietnam

Optimists are hard to find ahead of Vietnam’s impending introduction of its new Law on Belief and Religion, scheduled to come into effect on 1 January, 2018. Vietnam’s Catholic and Evangelical leaders, as well as Buddhists and Caodaists, say the main benefit of the law, two years in the making, . . . Read More

Iraq and Philippines Christians join Red Wednesday religious freedom solidarity display

November 22, 2017 Bashar Warda, Belgium, China, Copts, Egypt, France, IDPs, India, Iraq, Islamic State, London, Manila, Myanmar, Nineveh Plains, Religious freedom, Rohingya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, UN, Uyghurs

Landmarks in the UK, Ireland, Iraq and the Philippines are due to be floodlit in red today (22 November) to highlight the persecution of faith groups for their “peacefully held beliefs”. The “Red Wednesday” initiative is in its second year and has been pioneered by Aid to the Church in . . . Read More

How serious is Saudi Arabia about religious freedom?

November 22, 2017 Saudi Arabia Islamic extremism, King Salman, Mohammad bin Salman, Religious freedom, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, says he wants to move his conservative Muslim country towards a more moderate version of Islam, but how serious is he about religious freedom? Speaking at a conference for investors in Riyadh last month the 32-year-old Crown Prince said the conservative version of . . . Read More

US designating Pakistan a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ would be ‘ineffective’

November 21, 2017 Pakistan Blasphemy, Minorities, Pakistan, Religious freedom

A week after the US State Department missed its legal deadline for designating ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ (CPC) – given to “systematic, ongoing and egregious” violators of religious freedom – a Pakistani journalist has suggested adding her country to the list would be “ineffective” anyway. Pakistan was one of 16 . . . Read More

US tells Sudan to ‘immediately suspend’ church demolitions

November 20, 2017 Sudan Censorship, Churches, Mariam Ibrahim, Minorities, NISS, Pentecostals, Religious freedom, Sanctions, Sudan, Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church, Sudanese Church of Christ, USA

The US Deputy Secretary of State has called on Sudan to “immediately suspend” its demolition of churches and to hold a roundtable discussion with Christian leaders to resolve disputes. John J. Sullivan, speaking at the Al-Neelain Mosque in Omdurman on Friday (17 November), said “the treatment of members of religious . . . Read More

Refugees call for African Union to stop Eritrea’s ‘reign of terror’

November 17, 2017 Eritrea African Union, Eritrea, Human rights, Pentecostals, Religious freedom

Approximately 250 Eritreans took part in a protest in Addis Ababa ear. (Photo: Getty Images)

Eritrean refugees and representatives of the opposition living in Ethiopia staged a protest at the African Union headquarters in the capital, Addis Ababa, earlier this week to call for an end to Eritrea’s “reign of terror”. The approximately 250 protestors handed a petition to the Chairperson of the African Union . . . Read More

Religious minorities’ struggles the focus of Morocco conference

November 17, 2017 Morocco Converts, Greek Orthodox, Islamic extremism, King Mohammed VI, Minorities, Morocco, Rabat, Religious freedom, Sunni

Square next to the Hassan II Mosque in the city of Casablanca in 2010. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A conference taking place in Rabat, Morocco, tomorrow (18 November) will focus on the problems religious minorities are facing in the Muslim-majority country. Muslims account for 99 per cent of the population, according to US Department of State figures, and the remaining 1 per cent experience “marginalisation and exclusion”, according . . . Read More

‘Mutual respect’ needed to combat radicalisation in Indonesia

November 10, 2017 Indonesia Catholics, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Religious freedom, Sumatra

Altar of the Stasi Kinali Catholic Church, West-Sumatra, Indonesia, which was attacked in May 2014. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Religious leaders should be more involved in creating an inclusive and pluralistic Indonesia and “leave the ‘comfort zone’” of their community, Catholic bishops were told at a conference this week. What the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation needs from its religious leaders now “is greater commitment to get involved more . . . Read More

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