Posts in Human Rights
‘Cabrini’ Biopic Visually Stunning (But Largely Boring) Toxic Outrage

(REVIEW) Angel Studios’ latest film “Cabrini” has haunting visuals and solid messages, but can’t seem to care about the real-life people the movie is based on beyond their status of victim or oppressor. The film follows Catholic nun Francesca Cabrini who, after witnessing poverty in the slums of New York, embarks on a daring journey to help hundreds of orphaned children.

Read More
Christian Women Punished For Praying In Nicaraguan Prisons

Christian women wrongfully imprisoned in Nicaragua have been beaten and denied time outdoors for praying aloud with rosaries, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported on March 6.

Read More
Religious Restrictions Increase In Many Parts Of The World, New Study Reveals

Restrictions on religion by government officials across the world reached a new peak in 2021, a new Pew Research Center report released on Tuesday revealed. The report looked at 198 countries and territories around the world. It is the 14th year that Pew released such a report on the global state of religion.

Read More
How Alabama Supreme Court’s Ruling On Life Affects IVF

(EXPLAINER) The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) healthcare system announced that it was pausing all in vitro fertilization (IVF) fertility treatments. This pause is due to the perceived fear of prosecution and lawsuits in light of the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday, Feb. 16, stating that human beings in the embryonic stage have the same legal rights and protections as children who are born.

Read More
Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Found Purpose In Christianity

In 2021, Navalny expressed hope that the Orthodox church in Russia could act as a mediator between the people and the state. He recognized this was unlikely; but if his demise tells us anything, it’s that moral courage in Russia’s mother church isn’t totally dead. On the contrary, we might see a resurrection yet.

Read More
Pope Francis Calls For Immigration Reform By Putting ‘Most Vulnerable At The Center’

Pope Francis led a prayer vigil at the Vatican to recall the plight of migrants and refugees, saying everyone is “called to be neighbors.” The service took place during the Synod on Synodality, a gathering of bishops and laypeople, and comes as large numbers of people have been forced to flee the Global South to places like the U.S. and Europe.

Read More
How International Justice Mission Fights Modern Slavery

According to the International Labor Organization of the United Nations, 27.6 million people worldwide were victims of forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude and involuntary servitude in 2022. One of the largest and most well-known agencies fighting these forms of modern-day slavery in the world is the International Justice Mission, founded in 1997 by human rights lawyer Gary Haugen.

Read More
The Unheard Voices: Men’s Untold Struggles with Post-Abortion Grief

(OPINION) Men who have been affected by abortion are a neglected voice in the abortion debate. It is an oft-repeated mantra that men need therapy — and new research shows that this may be especially true for men experiencing grief after abortion and disenfranchisement of their pain.  

Read More
Watch: Ethnic Clash or Targeted Violence? Questions and Deaths In India’s Manipur State

(VIDEO) A wave of violence started in Manipur state, situated in the northeastern part of India, on May 3, 2023, leading to the death of more than 140 people and the destruction of over 6,000 homes and 400 churches. The conflict has also resulted in a viral video of two women being stripped naked, paraded through a rural area and allegedly gang-raped.

Read More
Following MLK's Example to Persevere

(OPINION) The reason we persevere is because we know God has called us to do what is right. And we know that with God, we can overcome whatever difficulties, injustices or troubles we face. So when confronted with the choice of giving up or pushing through, remember to keep going.

Read More
Still News? Media Silent On Pronouncements From World And National Councils Of Churches

(OPINION) Why do U.S. power-brokers, and journalists themselves, pay little or no heed to ardent pronouncements by the World Council of Churches and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA?

Read More
Tatmadaw Targets Religious And Ethnic Communities In Myanmar Yet Again

(ANALYSIS) A new report suggests that the Tatmadaw continues to target religious and ethnic communities. This comes years after the Tatmadaw specifically targeted the Rohingya for annihilation.

Read More
‘The Hong Konger’: A Candid Look At Jimmy Lai's Struggle Against Chinese Totalitarianism

(REVIEW) Jimmy Lai wasn’t terribly interested in Christianity for most of his life, but his wife was passionate about it, so he went to church for her. Yet, when he embraced it, he found its ability to give comfort and meaning in his fight against the evil in the world to be something he valued.

Read More
Weaponization of Hindu Festivals: A Catalyst For Anti-Muslim Violence In India

The celebration of a Hindu festival, Ram Navami, which marks the birth of Lord Ram, was tarnished by violence in late March across 10 Indian states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Delhi and West Bengal. It’s this kind of religious violence and intolerance that belied the surface of diplomatic talks between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to Washington.

Read More
Hindus for Human Rights Director Questions Modi’s State Visit to the United States

Nikhil Mandalaparthy is the advocacy director with Hindus for Human Rights, a human rights nonprofit that advocates for pluralism and civil and human rights in South Asia and North America. He spoke with Jody Hassett Sanchez in Washington during Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s state visit.

Read More
You Need To Know These 10 Things Before Meeting A Yazidi

The ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq has had a devastating impact on Yazidis. The Islamic State group has specifically targeted Yazidis, resulting in mass killings, sexual slavery and forced displacement. The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis for the community, with more than 250,000 Yazidis living in refugee camps and struggling to rebuild their lives.

Read More
In the Name of Religion: Iran’s Clerics Divided Over Executions Of Protesters

At least 25 Iranian citizens face death sentences since Iranian authorities started dealing with the cases of the 1,401 citizens detained during the 2022 protests that swept the country.

Read More
IRFBA’s Bold Statement Addresses Rising Christian Persecution Worldwide

(ANALYSIS) The International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA) earlier this month released a significant statement on the current worldwide persecution of Christians. It’s essence: Religious freedom is still comparatively neglected as a human right, and the ongoing persecution of Christians is relatively unknown.

Read More
South Africa And The Legacy Of Jackrollers

The gangsterism style of rape dwindled when South Africa gained its freedom on April 27, 1994. Yet, rape is coming to a rise in a different dimension. Many homes are affected by fathers and brothers who are victimizing and raping their own wives, mothers, daughters and sisters. What is now appalling is the reported recurring incidents of rapes that women and children suffer at the hands of some of the clergy. 

Read More
The Broken: ‘Dalit’ Sikhs Fight Back Against Land Discrimination In Punjab

The caste system's historical legacy has prohibited dalits from owning land nationwide, and this pattern remains prominent in India's Sikh-majority state of Punjab, which has a population of about 30 million.

Read More