U.N. Warns About Ethno-Religious Tensions In Sri Lanka

(NEWS ANALYSIS) The U.N.’s appointed expert on freedom of religion or belief gave recommendations for how Sri Lanka should address underlying tensions that predate the April 2019 Easter bombings that killed more than 200 people.

Fear and Confusion Grips India’s Northeast as 1.9 Million People Face Statelessness

The Indian government is building detention camps for those left off the citizenship list, many of whom have lived in India for generations, fueled by suspicions of Bengali Muslims migrating illegally.

Kenyans are debating whether cremation is anti-Christian and un-African

As funeral costs rise, the deaths and cremations of three high-profile Kenyans have sparked a nationwide discussion over the spiritual merits and harms of non-traditional burial methods.

Kashmiri families grieve for missing, arrested young sons

Thousands of Kashmiri youth have been arrested on vague charges under a law that allows detentions up to two years before a trial. We spoke to their families.

Photo essay: 50 injured in Kashmir's worst protest since India's crackdown

After prayers at their mosque, hundreds of Kashmiris shouted slogans for India to leave Kashmir and prevented security forces from entering the area. Security forces responded with tear gas, pellet fire and chili grenades.

Christian activists arrested in Hong Kong ahead of weekend's 'leaderless' protests

The 22-year-old Catholic Agnes Chow and her evangelical colleague Joshua Wong were arrested and released on bail Friday on charges of unlawful assembly. This weekend marks five years since China restricted free elections in Hong Kong and pro-democracy protests dubbed the Umbrella Revolution brought the young activists to fame.

Survivors of terror are key to the fight against it

(OPINION) To strategize effectively against terrorism, we must listen to people directly hurt by it.

Kashmiris worry about their future as Indian government relaxes lockdown

As the Indian government’s communication ban reaches two weeks, it announced that 50,000 landline connections have been restored for calls after crowds surged last week to the few phones available from government offices. Internet and mobile networks remain shut.

Being shunned from the Jehovah’s Witnesses led me to reporting

(REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK) When Joy Notoma attended a workshop for spiritual abuse recovery, she stumbled upon a story bigger than she imagined and left acting for journalism school.

An interfaith 'Jericho Walk' circles ICE headquarters every week

These New York immigration activists are inspired by Joshua of the Bible to destroy “walls of injustice.”

ISIS is getting away with genocide in Syria and Iraq

(OPINION) The lack of swift justice for Yazidis sends the outrageous message that it is possible to get away with genocide.

The Yazidi community five years after Islamic State massacre

We talked to human rights activist Dr. Widad Akreyi about the Yazidi community’s wait for justice on the international stage after the start of a genocide on Aug. 3, 2014. Thousands captured by Islamic State fighters remain missing.

Will the new British Foreign Secretary take religious persecution seriously?

(COMMENTARY) Jeremy Hunt’s resignation puts his plan for an international overhaul of asylum requests, from persecuted Christians especially, in limbo with the UK’s new foreign secretary Dominic Raab.

This Indonesian village tradition has kept peace between Christians and Muslims

(COMMENTARY) In Maluku, two villages — one Christian and one Muslim — follow a unique tradition they say dates back to 1506 to live in harmony without diluting either of their faiths.

The landmark church sitting on a Methodist fault line

The United Methodist Church’s vote to uphold traditional views on marriage and clergy is playing out with particular intensity at an unconventional Methodist church in San Francisco. The denomination has filed a lawsuit that could result in drastic changes for the congregation and its community.

India's plan to resettle Hindus in Muslim-majority Kashmir

The Indian government is reportedly forming a new plan to resettle thousands of Kashmiri Hindus back to the Kashmir Valley, an army-occupied territory disputed with Pakistan. The plan would likely further inflame Hindu-Muslim tensions.

U.S. conference elevates religious freedom globally, grows alliances

The second-annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom has successfully encouraged a growing number of governments to pay attention to the issue and created an alliance on international religious freedom policy. But critics worry how successful those plans and statements can be, and what is motivating the Trump administration.

Religious freedom has never drawn a bigger crowd (from all walks of faith)

(COMMENTARY) The U.S. State Department’s second annual Ministerial on religious freedom drew over 1,000 official invitees and many more for side events.

In Kashmir, pilgrimages diffuse Hindu-Muslim tensions

This month, thousands of Indian Hindu pilgrims are visiting the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir — a region of armed conflict between Kashmiri Muslim militants and Indian security officials — to pray at the Amarnath cave and shrine. Thousands of Kashmiri Muslims are setting up shops and travel businesses to accommodate them.

Ideological fight club as a millennial religion

(COMMENTARY) We often hear discussion about whether religion causes violence or makes the world more violent. But maybe we should discuss if, in the absence of true religion, violence can become a religion?

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