Tag: Religious freedom

Religious freedom network should be as ‘outspoken and organised’ as the extremists

September 22, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Brazil, El Salvador, Europe, Germany, Honduras, Iran, Migrants, Netherlands, New York, Norway, Religious freedom, Saeed Abedini, South Sudan, Taiwan, UN, USA

In the face of rising persecution of people on the grounds of faith or belief, more than 100 parliamentarians from almost 50 countries met on 18 September in New York to discuss ways to advance religious freedoms. One hundred and thirty delegates packed into a room that was booked for . . . Read More

UK and US must ‘do God’ together

September 8, 2015 Religious freedom, UK, USA

The UK and US must better respond to a “stubbornly and pervasively religious world”, says a report by the British University of Leeds. ‘Toward Religion-Attentive Foreign Policy’ suggests former Prime Ministerial adviser Alastair Campbell’s quip that “We [Tony Blair’s governing Labour Party] don’t do God” is outdated, now that the . . . Read More

Nepal on verge of curbing religious freedom

August 26, 2015 Nepal Converts, Hindu nationalism, Hindutva, Kathmandu, Maoists, Nepal, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, Religious freedom

The final draft of a new constitution was tabled in Nepal’s Constituent Assembly on 22 August amid protests by Hindu nationalists on the streets. They oppose the idea of secularism, which in the South Asian context simply means pluralism and equal treatment of all religions. It now needs approval by . . . Read More

Vietnam releases Christian activists

August 17, 2015 Vietnam Communism, Human rights, Nguyen Van Oai, Protestants, Religious freedom, Vietnam

Vietnamese authorities have released Catholic blogger Paulus Le Van Son and Protestant activist Nguyen Van Oai, says Asia News. Both served four-year prison terms for ‘trying to overthrow the legitimate government’. The final entries in Van Son’s blog were about prayer vigils, but Reporters Without Borders said at the time . . . Read More

Korea: Still divided 70 years on

August 14, 2015 South Korea Missionaries, North Korea, Pentecostals, Protestants, Pyongyang, Religious freedom, South Korea

On 15 August 1945 the Korean peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel: Russia and Japan to temporarily administer the North, the USA to administer the South. This arbitrary division of Korea exactly 70 years ago has resulted in the very different halves of the peninsula we see today – . . . Read More

Nepali constitution could render Christianity illegal

August 7, 2015 Nepal Constitution, Hindu nationalism, India, Proselytism, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, Religious freedom

In Nepal, 80 per cent of the population is Hindu; Christians comprise between 1.5 and 3 per cent.Courtesy Open Doors International Nepali Christians fear that proposed amendments to Nepal’s new constitution, likely to come into effect on Monday (10 August) after seven years of parliamentary discussions, could eventually render all . . . Read More

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

Indonesia ‘suppressing’ religions

June 9, 2015 Indonesia Churches, Constitution, Indonesia, Proselytism, Religious freedom

A draft law aimed at protecting religious communities fails to uphold religious freedoms in Indonesia, says a human rights group. “The bill upholds that the state can intervene in freedom of religion to maintain stability and security at the expense of minority groups,” said Bonar Tigor Naipospos of the Setara . . . Read More

EU ‘must do more’ to stop religious freedom abuses

June 4, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Brunei, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Religious freedom, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen

Left to right: MEP Dennis de Jong, USCIRF’s Katrina Lantos Swett, EEAS’s Silvio Gonzato, and MEP Peter van Dalen at the report’s launch in Brussels on 3 June.Courtesy European Parliament Intergroup The new European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, said in October 2014 that upholding 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

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