Islamic militants attempting ‘extermination’ of religious minorities must face international justice, insists a coalition of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh leaders. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian leaders have written to the Daily Telegraph urging David Cameron to use the UK’s seat on the UN Security Council to begin the process of bringing war…
After reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury has backed calls for the UK Government to appoint a Minister for Religious Freedom to compensate for its silence over Christian persecution, Conservative Home has published an article by Paul Goodman headed Cameron should appoint an Ambassador for Religious Freedom. One tweet urged that it should be a post…
Chinese Buddhist leader Wu Zeheng (also known as Shi Xingwu) and approximately 18 of his followers remain in detention after police searched residences at Yinshi Yayuan complex in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, on 29 July, according to Wu’s followers, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Although Mr. Wu has largely refrained from advocating political change since his…
Lord Alton asked in a written question “How many officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are specifically focused on freedom of religion, and for what percentage of their time; and what resources are specifically allocated for the promotion of Article 18 through United Kingdom diplomatic services?” The reply came from Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of…
There has been a dramatic increase in violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief in Cuba. From the beginning of 2014 to mid-July, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports 170 separate religious freedom violations, many of which involved dozens of victims. This followed the record of 180 documented cases in 2013, compared with 120 in 2012 and…
A mob of about 60 people armed with machetes, knives and iron rods raided a Catholic convent and beat up its nuns and priest – the Catholic mission in Rangpur district, 280 kilometres northwest of Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka. The attack was said to be the first attack of this kind in the country, according to…
The ancient Yazidi minority and many Christian communities face destruction, reports Middle East Concern. During the night of 6-7 August, Islamic State (IS) militants attacked towns and villages to the east and north of Mosul with mortars and heavy weapons. The protecting Kurdish Peshmerga forces withdrew, leaving the area to be seized by the IS….
After Christians were forced to leave Mosul and other areas that fell under the control of the Islamic State (IS), Kurdish and Shiite dominated cities opened their doors to receive them. Religious authorities adopted stances supporting Christians, as they called on residents to host and help their brothers in the country. The Imam Al-Khoei Foundation,…
Overnight the Islamic State (IS) group captured a major centre for the Christian minority, Qaraqosh in Nineveh province, after the withdrawal of Kurdish forces. A majority of Nineveh inhabitants left their homes overnight, according to an international Christian organisation based in Paris. As many as 100,000 people are believed to be fleeing toward the autonomous…
The 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square last month has provoked a fresh look at human rights in China, especially religious freedom. Katrina Lantos Swett, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and M. Zuhdi Jasser, a USCIRF Commissioner, write in The Washington Post. “From repressing Muslims to bulldozing churches and tearing down crosses,…