AFN is saddened by the horrific attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester today thoroughly condemns it and the motivations behind this event. Our thoughts are with the victims and the community and wish them strength to get through this difficult period. Hate crime and violence against any religion or group is despicable yet…
AFN members attended a conference on religious freedom relating to a small minority new religion in the UK. AFN’s Director had done a study of discrimination against the group in Sweden. The movement’s account of the conference is detailed here:
Reprinted from a newsletter by Human Rights Without Frontiers Int’l (www.hrwf.eu) Fifteen months after the European elections, there is still no appointment of an EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Since the mandate of EU Special Envoy was created in 2016, the position has repeatedly been kept vacant for long periods without…
The Spanish government has denounced a new ban in Jumilla that limits religious gatherings in public sports venues, primarily impacting the local Muslim community. The ban has faced backlash for being discriminatory and fostering “institutionalized Islamophobia.” This incident underscores the broader conflicts in Europe over nationalism and multiculturalism.
The media plays a crucial role in fostering stigma against religious minorities by labelling them as “cults” or “sects,” which creates an environment of intolerance and violence. This harmful portrayal, influenced by anti-cult activists and sensationalism, undermines protections under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Cases in the UK and Belgium show…
Speaking at Durbar Court in King Charles Street, London, last week, Lord Collins outlined the UK’s approach to freedom of religion or belief. “We promote human rights, including FoRB, not just because it is in our national interest but also because it is the right thing to do. Human rights, the rule of law and…
A growing number of public tenders in Germany —more than 3,465 since 2014 (and 232 since January 2025)— have been found to require applicants to sign so-called “Faith-Breaker” declarations. These clauses force companies to explicitly renounce any association, direct or indirect, with the Church of Scientology, including connections held by employees or subcontractors. The contracts…
Writing in AlJazeera, Senior researcher with Georgetown University’s The Bridge Initiative Farid Hafez accuses the French Government of State-promoted or condoned Islamaphobia including physical attacks including murder. “There has been a significant spike in Islamophobic acts in France – something the French authorities remain reluctant to publicly comment on. One report showed a 72 percent…
The website Atalayar examines the problems connected with political versus religious Islam in a new article published this week. Over the past few decades, Europe has undergone profound demographic and cultural changes as a result of immigration and multiculturalism, leading to the emergence of Muslim communities that have become an integral part of the European…
The Al Hakam websites reports that on 9 June, the British Parliament is set to discuss a petition that demands an end to slaughter without stunning, challenging the current religious exemptions. The petition, which has garnered over 100,000 signatures, has sparked concern within Jewish and Muslim communities, who argue that such a ban would threaten…
