An Anglican Communion delegation has demanded the full inclusion of women at all levels of decision-making and leadership in the church. The delegation submitted the issue as an issue for action and requested that the Anglican Church take positive action toward gender equality. Issues of violence against women, climate change, human trafficking and modern slavery…
We present a video review of the recent All Faiths Network forum, held at Church House, Westminster. A full video of the proceedings will be presented shortly. [niceyoutubelite id=”1JPMmxdGRK0″] If you would like to comment on the event or give ideas on the way forward please do not hesitate to write to us.
A United Nations Rapporteur has once again demanded that Myanmar authorities address the human rights situation in their country. Last Wednesday, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, called on state authorities to resolve challenges to the recently implemented democratic process. Lee stated “journalists are still being interrogated and…
We were pleased to host an interfaith forum (17 March) on important issues of governmental and institutional responses to religious extremism. The debate brought together a number of outspoken speakers. It shone light into areas that interfaith dialogue does not often address, though necessarily should for real dialogue to take place. Amongst several issues tackled, the panel suggested that…
Germany’s Constitutional Court has ruled that a complete ban on teachers wearing headscarves is not compatible with religious freedom. This decision overturns an earlier ruling from September last year. A German labour court had ruled in September that church institutions are permitted to ban the wearing of muslim headscarves if they deemed it necessary. Legal…
British Sikhs have launched a first-ever campaign manifesto targeting 50 seats, including three in west London, ahead of the election later in the spring. Hundreds of people from UK Sikh organisations attended a campaign launch in support of a 10-point manifesto at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall at the end of January. The…
A new study published by the Pew Research Society finds that 27{286427c60984e496d8f2e542e7d21c54ddb5734529e6fb3e21d1c17283afa115} of countries had ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels of social hostilities involving religion in 2013 (the latest year covered in the report). The figure represented a fall from 33{286427c60984e496d8f2e542e7d21c54ddb5734529e6fb3e21d1c17283afa115} in 2012. The hostilities range from vandalism of religious property and desecration of sacred texts to…
A new analysis by Brian J. Grim of the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation finds that violent incidents between religious groups are more prevalent in areas where governments restrict religious proselytization. According to Grim’s article in The Weekly Number, hostilities over proselytization are five times more likely in countries with laws restricting such activity. Grim says that conversely, restrictive…
The Austrian parliament has passed a Bill requiring a standardised German translation of the Qur’an, and banning both foreign imams and foreign funding for Islam in the country. The far-right party in Austria wanted the bill, which amends a 1912 Act recognising Islam in the country, to also require sermons to be spoken in German and to…
David Saperstein, formerly director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, has been appointed US ambassador-at-large for religious freedom. Saperstein is the fourth person to hold the post. He has previously been a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and…
