Large gaps in education levels persist, but all faiths are making gains – particularly among women, according to a new research released this week by the Pew Research Center. “Jews are more highly educated than any other major religious group around the world, while Muslims and Hindus tend to have the fewest years of formal…
Reports in the Guardian and elsewhere have highlighted concerns over holocaust denial websites that have succeeded in manipulating search results to gain prominence. Typing the partial phrase ‘did the holo’ into Google brings up several suggestions which lead to holocaust denial websites. Previous auto-completes which included the suggestion ‘are jews evil’ for the partial phrase…
The Russian News Agency TASS reports that the vice-chair of the Federation Council’s Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, Elena Mizulina, has called for a package of draft laws aimed at combating destructive public associations and religious sects. “I propose discussing the possibility of creating a working group which would conduct work on improving…
Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia has reported that law enforcement agencies in Petrovpavlovsk-Kamchatsky broke out a window in a building where a Jehovah’s Witnesses worship service was being conducted, interrupted the service, and conducted a search. Two armed operatives in masks smashed a window in a residential building where about 100 persons were…
“Time To Abolish Blasphemy Laws, Uphold Freedom of Expression” says Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State David Saperstein. In a blog post on the US Department of State’s official page, Saperstein writes: “It is shocking to note that almost half of the world’s countries have laws and policies that criminalize…
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the so-called “Yarovaya package” of laws which substantially toughen criminal accountability for a number of crimes and introduce new forms of violations of law, including “failure to report a crime”. The package also forbids unregistered organizations [chiefly religious groups] to engage in missionary activity, while any missionary activity by…
Human Rights Without Frontiers has issued it’s 2015 report on minorities under oppression. The report covers 15 religious or belief minorities, including general information on the minority, their teachings, controversies and analysis of the roots of the political repression. Information about the imprisonment of minority members country by country is detailed. The minorities include: Ahmadis, Atheists, Baha’is, Buddhists, Catholics, Coptic Orthodox, Erfan-e…
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an advisory council to Congress and the US President, has added Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Vietnam to its list of countries where religious freedom is of particular concern. The Commissions new Annual Report says that “religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault” during the past year, and…
Reuters reports that a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Beijing has decided to ditch traditional ways and use technology to attract followers. Longquan temple says it has developed a robot monk that can chant Buddhist mantras, move via voice command, and hold a simple conversation. Named Xian’er, the 60-cm (2-foot) tall robot resembles a cartoon-like…
Should there be limits to freedom of speech? Does freedom of speech include the freedom to express hatred? Should lines be drawn only at the point where speech actively incites violence? Do laws intended to prevent the spread of hatred by limiting freedom speech do more harm than good? Your views are important and we would…
