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Christmas arrests in Iran: 11 still detained

Christmas arrests in Iran: 11 still detained
As the US Secretary of State meets his Iranian counterpart in a bid to revive stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, human rights experts are keen that issues of freedom of religion are not overlooked. This week, the UK Foreign Office has said that it’s raised its concern with the . . . Read More

Paris attacks parallel fears over growing jihadist threat in Africa

Paris attacks parallel fears over growing jihadist threat in Africa
Several African leaders, concerned by the rise of Islamism in the continent, attended the Paris anti-terror march, on Sunday, January 11th. Among the 50 foreign leaders who marched there, African heads of state included those from Mali, Niger, Senegal, Benin, Togo, and Gabon. They all expressed their sympathy to France . . . Read More

VIDEO: Amidst hopes of Jokowi, Indonesian Christians remain concerned

VIDEO: Amidst hopes of Jokowi, Indonesian Christians remain concerned
In Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, the number of cases of religious intolerance doubled during 2014 – to 67, according to a recent report from the Southeast Asian nation’s National Commission on Human Rights. About 30 of these cases were about the closure or vandalism of churches, . . . Read More

‘Ethnic cleansing’? No. It’s genocide

‘Ethnic cleansing’? No. It’s genocide
Thousands of people belonging to Christian groups gathered in Berlin on Aug. 17 to protest ongoing violence in Iraq and Syria by ISIS fighters. Carsten Koall / Getty Images ANALYSIS By Yonas Dembele A senior United Nations human-rights official who recently visited Baghdad and Kurdistan has said the actions taken . . . Read More

2014: A year of rising hostility toward Christians

2014: A year of rising hostility toward Christians
While the world’s eyes were riveted to Syria and Iraq in 2014, life for Christians worsened even more profoundly in Africa, according to an annual report on religious freedom. The situation deteriorated most rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa, in countries where Islamic extremism is the main source of pressure upon Christians, . . . Read More

In Malaysia, Christmas decried as ‘ploy’ to lead Muslims astray

In Malaysia, Christmas decried as ‘ploy’ to lead Muslims astray
A billboard in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, appeals to national unity in a February 2014 photo. Rising fundamentalist Islam put increased pressure on minorities in the country’s famously multicultural society during the year.Courtesy Open Doors International   For Malaysian Christians, 2014 has been a year when they had to dig deep . . . Read More

India Hindu leaders turn up ‘reconversion’ rhetoric

India Hindu leaders turn up ‘reconversion’ rhetoric
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in JammuVishal Dutta / Flickr / Creative Commons   Ignoring paralyzing opposition in Parliament and private expressions of exasperation from their own political leader, the top leaders of India’s fundamentalist Hindu movement have mounted a vigorous defense of a campaign to bring Christian converts back to . . . Read More