The celebrations of World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) 2016 concluded at the Modern Islamic Studies Centre (MISC), Islamabad, with concerted efforts to create understanding between different faiths and religions in different parts of the country. A ‘Peace Prayer Day’ gathering was organised at the head office of Modern Islamic Studies Centre, Islamabad, which was attended…
At their recent meeting in Havana, the first in history, Pope Francis and Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia discussed the mutual relations between the Churches, the crucial problems of their faithful, and the outlook for the progress of human civilization. “By meeting far from the longstanding disputes of the “Old World”, we experience with…
A review of Pew Research Society reports reveals international trends about religious affiliations. While the Center’s research says Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group in the world, it also reveals considerable ignorance of the religion, especially in the US. The Centre says: “The growth and regional migration of Muslims, combined with the ongoing impact of the…
SYDNEY, Dec. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Religious leaders gathered at the Church of Scientology of Sydney, to attend an interfaith conference organized by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international interfaith organization. Special guests speaker was Executive Director of HWPL, Mr. Jae-Seob Jee, who visited Australia for the first time for the conference. Mr. Jee urged those attending to…
Yklas Kabduakasov, a Seventh-day Adventist, was recently sentenced to serve two years in a labor camp for “inciting religious hatred.” Kabduakasov was accused of making incendiary comments during lectures with students of the capital university. A charge which Kabduakasov has consistently denied. On December 22, the City Court judge decided to reopen the case and…
A report in the The Economist, based on data from the European Social Survey (ESS), suggests that a third of Europeans who consider themselves Christian say they attend services only once a month. Across Europe some 190m people go to church regularly from a nominal Christian population of 585m (see map). The survey polled 55,000 Europeans across 29…
Interfax Religion reports that about $3.6m has been allotted to Orthodox organizations in Russia in several years. The Russian Orthodox Church is one of the main receivers of presidential grants, the Center for Economic and Political Reforms says in its report posted on its website. According to its information, at least 63 grants were allotted…
Freedom of Religion or Belief: An International Law Commentary is the first commentary to look comprehensively at the international provisions for the protection of freedom of religion or belief, considering how they are interpreted by various United Nations Special Procedures and Treaty Bodies. Structured around the thematic categories of the United Nations Special Rapporteur’s framework for…
In a case brought by the KNB secret police, Seventh-day Adventist Yklas Kabduakasov was today (9 November) sentenced to seven years’ restricted freedom by a court in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. He was found guilty of spreading “religious discord” by discussing his faith with a group of students who invited him to a flat rented by…
The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday rejected claims by a French comedian that his right to speak freely was denied when he was convicted and fined in France for insulting Jews. The court said Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, a provocative performer who has been repeatedly accused of hate speech and anti-Semitism, could not claim…
