Myanmar’s former Religious Affairs Minister in court

The former Religious Affairs Minister in Myanmar was charged in court on July 22 with undermining national security after he allegedly objected to a raid by Government officials from his own department against the Mahasantisukha monastery in Yangon’s Tamwe township which then led to protests by monks. Hsan Sint is being held in Yamethin prison…

Christian persecution heralds end of Arab secularism says historian

Historian and author William Dalrymple says the death of Arab secularism is on the horizon as Christians are persecuted and pushed out of the Middle East with the past decade deemed especially ‘catastrophic’ for believers. Some 12 million Christians in the region face persecution through Islamic fundamentalism, according to the well-known writer in a newspaper…

Article 18 ‘violated universally’ – House of Lords debate

On Thursday 24 July, the House of Lords debated the issue of International Freedom of Religion or Belief, Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Lord Alton, a Vice Chair of this All Party Parliamentary Group, began his opening remarks by saying that not only was Article 18 a universal human right, it was…