Tag: Cuba

Unity among Cuban Christians unprecedented following constitutional vote

February 28, 2019 Cuba Churches, Constitution, Cuba, Religious freedom

Cubans search their names in lists as they prepare to cast their vote on Cuba's new constitution in Havana, against the backdrop of an image of late Revolution leader Fidel Castro. (Photo: Getty Images)

Cuba’s vote for a new Constitution was characterised by an unusual level of opposition as well as an unprecedented unity among churches. Nearly 87% of the voters approved a new Constitution in a referendum held last Sunday (24 February), while about 15 percent stayed at home and more than 700,000 people voted . . . Read More

Cuba’s new leader ‘not a reformer’

April 19, 2018 Cuba Catholics, Churches, Communism, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Human rights, Latin America, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Protestants, Raúl Castro, Religious freedom

Raúl Castro, who replaced his brother Fidel as Cuba’s president in 2006, stepped down from the post this week, ending a decades-long rule by his family. His successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel – who up until now was the country’s first vice-president – takes on an historic leadership role by becoming the . . . Read More

Cuba: Religious-freedom advocate freed after two days’ detention

March 6, 2018 Cuba Churches, Cuba, Human rights, Religious freedom, Santa Clara

A church in Cuba. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A prominent Cuban religious-freedom advocate was released on Friday (2 March) after two days in detention, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). Leonardo Rodríguez Alonso was arrested while on his way home from meetings with human-rights defenders on 28 February, and held without charge in the Provincial Unit for Investigations in the . . . Read More

Pope and Patriarch ‘feared nuclear war could erupt over Syria’

February 27, 2018 Cuba, Dagestan, Greek Orthodox, Jordan, King Abdullah II, Moscow, Patriarch Kirill, Pope Francis, Russia, Syria, Turkey, USA, Vladimir Putin

Flag of Syria is waving as sign of victory over the destroyed heavily damaged city of Aleppo. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

The historic meeting between the heads of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches took place not only out of shared concern for Middle Eastern Christians, but to try to avert confrontation between nuclear powers in Syria, according to the Russian Orthodox Patriarch. When Patriarch Kirill met Pope Francis in 2016 it . . . Read More

Amnesty: ‘Discrimination rife in all regions of the world … with deadly consequences’

February 23, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country Boko Haram, Censorship, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Fulani herdsmen, Gujrat, Human rights, Iran, Lakshan Dias, Marawi, Mardan, Nadeem Masih, Nawaz Sharif, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Religious freedom, Sri Lanka, Sub-Saharan Africa

Buddhist flags are waved during a mass demonstration against Christianity in Sri Lanka, April 2017. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A review of the human-rights situation in 159 countries during 2017, published by Amnesty International yesterday (22 February), shows that religious persecution continues in the form of threats, attacks, extrajudicial killings and even genocide, while harsh sentences continue to be handed out – sometimes even death sentences – for changing . . . Read More

Cuba’s religious freedom violations ‘remain high’

January 25, 2018 Cuba Communism, Cuba, Latin America

The latest figures on religious-rights violations in Cuba show a “general trend of a steady increase”, according to the latest report from advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). In 2017 the group recorded 325 violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). Last year’s figure is lower than 2016 and 2015, when . . . Read More

Cuban Christmas: Silent night – because walls have ears

December 31, 2017 Cuba Christmas, Communism, Cuba

How do Christians under pressure for their faith celebrate Christmas? In the eighth in our series we hear from a Cuban church leader. Christmas in communist Cuba is a quiet affair; you won’t hear carols in the streets or on television, except for during one concert involving the Churches that . . . Read More

Cuba drops criminal charges against religious freedom activist

October 10, 2017 Cuba Cuba, Havana, Religious freedom

Cuba might have dropped criminal charges against a religious freedom activist, it still actively limits, controls and monitors religious practice through detention, demolition and threats, a report says. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Cuba has dropped criminal charges against the religious freedom activist Fếlix Yuniel Llerena López, reports advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide. López, the Central Region Coordinator for the Patmos Institute, an independent civil society organisation that promotes freedom of religion or belief and inter-religious dialogue, was told on 2 October the . . . Read More

More than 80 countries ‘favour’ one religion over others – Pew Research Center

October 5, 2017 Global News -- No Particular Country Apostasy, Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Cambodia, Central Asia, China, Comoros, Converts, Cuba, India, Iran, Islamic extremism, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Maldives, Mauritania, Middle East, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Africa, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Soviet Union, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

Over 80 countries favour a specific religion, either officially as a state religion or tacitly through special treatment, according to a new report by the US-based Pew Research Center. Islam is the most common state religion – 27 countries have it as their official religion, including 16 of the 20 . . . Read More

Cuba: pastor returns to work after arrest for home-schooling

August 18, 2017 Cuba Communism, Cuba, Havana, Ramon Rigal, USA

A Cuban pastor has been told he is permitted to work again as a church leader, six months after he and his wife were arrested for home-schooling their children. The Cuban government had cited Article 315.1 of the country’s Penal Code, which states: “Whoever induces a minor to leave his . . . Read More

Catching Our Eye