(ANALYSIS) Stephen Miller’s “might makes right” worldview reflects a broader shift toward prioritizing power over understanding in global affairs. Through the tales of Nasreddin Hoja, the piece argues that curiosity, humility, and engagement with other cultures are essential — and that relying solely on strength risks blinding societies to complexity, difference and their own limitations.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For two decades, Christian television channels produced in the United States and Europe have made their way into Iranian homes. Some of this programming echoes apocalyptic ideas from American figures promoting the war, drawing on scriptural interpretations long present in evangelical teachings.
Read MoreIt was more than a house of worship. Iran’s residents came to the community center for affordable healthcare and to borrow books. It was the heartbeat of a neighborhood in the northwestern Iranian city of Zanjan — and now locals are mourning its loss. As the war rages on, they are looking to rebuild.
Read More(OPINION) Iranians are trapped in a digital iron cage as the state continues to deprive citizens of internet access, largely thanks to Chinese and Russian technology. The Iranian diaspora is turning to Western news outlets — but their coverage of Iran has been problematic, too.
Read MoreThe clash between Trump and Pope Leo highlights the conflict between political power and moral authority amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. The pope condemns violence and rejects religious justification, emphasizing dignity and restraint. Trump counters by politicizing the pope, framing criticism as opposition.
Read MoreWhen journalist Hiba Al-Tabai's husband posted a photo of the newlywed couple on Facebook last year, she never imagined it would upend their lives. Within hours of the seemingly innocuous post, Yemeni member of parliament and Muslim cleric Abdullah Al-Odini, who commands over 150,000 followers, condemned the image as "a violation of Islam and societal values.”
Read MoreBaptists in Lebanon are suffering the escalation of Israel’s war with Hezbollah, as the war zone has expanded to include areas surrounding Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) and the Beirut Baptist School, both founded by Southern Baptists.
Read MoreWedged between a pizzeria and a clothing shop in Houmt Souk, the capital of Tunisia’s island of Djerba, lies an ancient treasure. The El Barounia Library is one of the oldest centers preserving Ibadi heritage in North Africa. Ibadism presents itself as a third path — between the two major branches — within Islam.
Read MorePastor Yuna Sabet of Walnut Creek shares the emotional toll of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran on Iranian Christians. His congregation grieves for family in danger while hoping for regime change and religious freedom. Despite fear, they remain prayerful, seeking strength, connection, and future opportunities for ministry and rebuilding in Iran.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Israel briefly barred Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, citing wartime security and triggering concerns over religious freedom. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reversed the decision, highlighting tensions between security measures and preserving Jerusalem’s sensitive religious status quo.
Read MorePassover plans this April 1 are a tossup for Israel, including the nation’s 20,000 to 30,000 Christians.
Read MoreBefore the war broke out, knowledgeable observers agreed that a vast majority of long-suffering Iranians despised the ruling theocracy’s incompetence and oppression. So a revolution now might seem as likely as in 1979, when such widespread revulsion brought down one dictator, only to be replaced by another one.
Read MoreIn the past three years, Bahrain, a small Middle-Eastern country off the coast of the Arab Peninsula, has been promoting women’s empowerment despite its strict religious laws and criticism from religious clerics.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi by Iran’s tyrannical regime is not just another macabre hanging in the theocracy’s escalating use of capital punishment, but a revealing incident in how the state confronts ongoing dissent.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In theory, many Christians support pacifism or non-violent resistance, but for Iranian Christians, those theories are challenged by the harsh realities of a hellish regime and an ongoing war. This question of ‘just war’ has a long history, going back to the first centuries of the church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The war in the Middle East is rapidly expanding across the Gulf countries, including Iran and Lebanon. The conflict has already targeted the region’s civilians, natural resources, tourist destinations and U.S. military bases. Some Muslim community leaders in the U.S. warn that people far from the conflict could experience backlash.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For millions of Iranians — especially religious minorities — the central political question is no longer simply whether the Islamic Republic can reform itself. After decades of repression, including the criminalization of peaceful religious expression and the systematic restriction of independent faith communities, the deeper question is what kind of political future could realistically secure freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all Iranians.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As the American and Israeli war with Iran unfolds, some American Christians are speaking of the conflict in biblical terms — mapping end-time prophecies on to current events in the Middle East. In a sermon on March 1, for example, John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, described the war as part of a divine plan.
Read MoreAs you approach Iranian houses of worship, you’ll hear it: Locals striking their chests and rhythmically chanting laments to grieve the recent death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death. Each movement carries a dual meaning — expressing both personal grief while signaling loyalty to both a religious leader and a totalitarian state.
Read MoreThe report critiqued other branches of the U.S. government that have undercut protections for religious freedom. It criticized, for example, cuts to USAID programs, since many of those programs were specifically aimed at protecting religious freedom.
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