(OPINION) Religious leaders have long involved themselves in the immigration debate, taking a variety of of pro and con positions. So does religiosity make people more welcoming, or more suspicious, of the stranger? A recent Religion News Service story tries to answer the question as it has unfolded in Europe.
Read MoreA church established by medical missionaries in Kashmir Valley in 1896 closed during the 1990s armed insurgency against Indian rule when its local staff of Indian Christians fled the region. But now, under the leadership of the tourism department three decades later, the church is being restored and reopened in time for Christmas.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Of 71 countries that criminalize blasphemy, 32 are majority Muslim. Punishment and enforcement of these laws vary. Blasphemy is punishable by death in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia. Among non-Muslim-majority cases, the harshest laws are in Italy, with penalties up to three years in prison.
Read More(OPINION) On Nov. 30, a court in Frankfurt, Germany, delivered a life sentence to a former Islamic State group fighter for genocide against the Yazidi minority — the first genocide conviction of an Islamic State group fighter in the world.
Read MoreKashmiri Hindus have longed to return and remain in their Himalayan homeland since fleeing violence by separatist militants in the 1990s. The Indian government has repeatedly promised to help them move back to Kashmir. But now thousands are again fleeing India’s only Muslim-majority region after a series of targeted civilian killings.
Read MorePublisher Gökhan Talas used his training as a graphic artist, knowledge he gained from Kurtulus churches in Ankara and training at the Filipus theological school to found Miras Publishing Ministries with his wife in 2011. Miras is the only Turkish-language Christian magazine in an increasingly hostile climate and marks its 10th anniversary this month.
Read More(OPINION) This year the peaceful celebration of Durga Puja that is so cherished by Hindus in Bangladesh was fraught with violence against Hindus and their places of worship.
Read MoreA Crimean court jailed 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness Igor Schmidt for six years on extremism-related charges, to be followed by six years of restrictions, although the prosecution presented no victims of any wrongdoing in court. Schmidt is the fourth Crimean Jehovah's Witness handed a long jail term. At least 12 more face criminal cases.
Read More(OPINION) At the end of October, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute team secured the evacuation of 79 women judges, lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders from Afghanistan to Greece. But states must also wake up to the message sent by the Taliban and consider other ways they can help.
Read MoreDisposing of unwanted dolls and toys in Japan is not so easy. Throughout the year temples across Japan hold a “ningyo kuyo” (人形供養), a funeral ritual for unwanted dolls, especially traditional dolls. Held in both Buddhist and Shinto temples alike, the ceremony is a spiritual send-off to thank dolls for their service and properly put them to rest.
Read More(REVIEW) The horrifyingly addictive Netflix Korean thriller has become the number one television show in more than 90 countries. But beyond the surprising visuals and horrific violence that touch on an array of themes, the show also has something to say about religion — specifically Korean forms of Christianity.
Read More(OPINION) When faced with such crises as seen in Afghanistan over recent months, there is a need for a variety of actors to provide assistance, including businesses. Businesses can do good and as seen in the case of Airbnb.org their assistance can effectively fill the gaps in humanitarian responses.
Read MoreJawahar Singh is one of the more than 160 million people in India once considered “untouchables” due to the caste hierarchy in Hinduism. In this episode of “The Dinner Table” produced by Newsreel Asia in partnership with ReligionUnplugged, the Jatavs explain the layers of discrimination from upper caste Hindus that exist in their village.
Read MoreSeveral recent deadly attacks on Hindu migrant workers in Kashmir — as militants fight to separate the region from India — are prompting many to flee the Muslim-majority Himalayan valley, particularly the migrant workers who have participated in Kashmir's economy for decades as construction workers and street vendors.
Read MoreIn the same rural district that endured India’s worst violence against Christians 13 years ago, Hindu extremists set fire to a Christian home church, displacing five Christian families and triggering local fears of more religion-based violence.
Read More(OPINION) Oct. 11 is the International Day of the Girl Child, a day to empower empower young girls and promise them a better future. In August 2021, all these promises, plans, dreams and hopes came crashing down one by one until there was nothing left. Afghan girls have watched as every piece of the country was taken over by the Taliban.
Read MoreThe killing of at least five civilians, five soldiers and two militants in Kashmir over the past several days has plunged India’s Himalayan territory into grief and anger. The violence reminds Kashmiris of the early 1990s, when militants warring against New Delhi’s rule targeted Kashmiri Hindus, prompting 300,000 Hindus to flee the area.
Read MoreIn Pakistan, religious minorities, including Christians and Ahmadi Muslims, live under constant threat of blasphemy allegations. The laws prohibit making derogatory remarks against Islam, desecrating the Quran and insulting the Prophet Muhammad, which can be subjectively interpreted in courtrooms and impose fines, jail time and even death.
Read More(OPINION) The big question: Where does the Afghanistan story go next, and frankly, will elite American media cover the religion elements of this story? That question was at the heart of a recent Religion Unplugged podcast discussion.
Read MoreYoung Kashmiris are creating and performing new music as therapy to counter the sense of hopelessness, isolation and depression that has gripped their majority-Muslim Himalayan region of North India, which has endured years of conflict, military presence, frequent lockdowns and unpredictable internet bans under a Hindu-first government.
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