Tag: Europe

Human rights must not ‘go down’ because ‘EU has other priorities’

July 1, 2016 Global News -- No Particular Country Europe, Jan Figel, Religious freedom, UN

The report was launched on 30 June at the European Parliament in Brussels.European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief / Facebook The European Parliament *Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance (FoRB & RT) launched yesterday (30 June) its third annual report on the . . . Read More

‘Refer Eritrea to ICC for crime against humanity of persecution’

June 10, 2016 Eritrea Eritrean Orthodox Church, Europe, International Criminal Court, Migrants, Mussie Zerai, Refugees, UN

In 2015, Eritreans made up 25 per cent of the migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. gettyimages.com A new report from the United Nations says “systematic, gross and widespread crimes against humanity”, including abuses of religious freedom, have been committed in Eritrea and should be investigated by . . . Read More

Large number of Muslim refugees ‘turn to Christ’

June 6, 2016 Austria, Baptism, Berlin, Catholics, Converts, Denmark, Europe, Finland, Germany, Migrants, Netherlands, Refugees, UK

Several churches across Europe have reported an unprecedented number of Muslim refugees seeking Christian baptisms. This comes as Europe has seen mass migrations, easily surpassing the one-million-mark in 2015 alone. The new arrivals have raised fears and challenges across the continent. The congregation of a Berlin suburb has grown from . . . Read More

Freedom of religion or belief ‘undermined’ in corrupt countries

June 2, 2016 Global News -- No Particular Country Afghanistan, Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, Colombia, Corruption, David Cameron, Eastern Europe, Europe, G20, Libya, London, Mexico, Middle East, Nigeria, North Africa, Religious freedom, Somalia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan, Yemen

Corruption is increasingly seen as a factor behind the persecution of minority Christians around the world, and the world leaders who gathered at an Anti-Corruption Summit in London in May showed they are beginning to pay more attention to the effects of corruption on freedom of religion or belief. Evidence . . . Read More

EU alliance with ‘unsavoury’ African leaders

May 18, 2016 Africa, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Europe, Khartoum, Libya, Migrants, Omar al-Bashir, Refugees, Sudan

European politicians, under pressure to reduce the exodus of African refugees, have now begun providing equipment and training to the security forces of Sudan, whose President is wanted for war crimes, says . The magazine says it has seen leaked documents from talks that took place on 23 March between . . . Read More

Religion-driven hostility to Christians follows them to German refugee centres

May 13, 2016 Afghanistan, Chechnya, Europe, Iran, Migrants, Refugees, Sweden, Syria

Mahan, 2, an Iranian Christian refugee who along with his parents is seeking asylum in Germany, peeks from behind a glass partition in the dining room at the Spreehotel refugee centre in January 2015 in Bautzen, Germany. About 200 refugees, many from Syria and Tunisia, but also from Chechnya, the . . . Read More

EU appoints first int’l religious freedom envoy

May 11, 2016 Europe, Jan Figel, Minorities, Pope Francis, Religious freedom

The European Union has appointed its first special envoy for religious freedom with a brief outside of the EU. Jan Figel, former leader of Slovakia’s Christian Democratic Movement and a former EU Education and Culture Commissioner, was appointed as by President Jean-Claude Juncker on 6 May. The President made the . . . Read More

European Parliament debates Nigeria and Boko Haram

May 9, 2016 Nigeria Agatu, Boko Haram, Europe, Islamic extremism, Terrorism

Jan Olbrycht MEP, co-chairman of the European People’s Party Working Group on Inter-religious Dialogue, and Joachim Zeller MEP, at the 3 May event.African Diaspora for Freedom of Religion A conference on religious radicalisation, Boko Haram and terrorism in Nigeria was held by the largest group in the European Parliament . . . Read More

US religious-freedom report urges government to add 7 countries to worst-offenders list

May 2, 2016 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, BJP, Boko Haram, Central African Republic, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Europe, India, Iraq, Middle East, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Taliban, Turkmenistan, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

What is happening? The primary US government agency on global religious freedom issued its annual report 2 May. It says “religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault” during the past year, and says America should add seven countries to its list of worst offenders: Central African Republic . . . Read More

UK Parliament votes that Islamic State commits ‘genocide’

April 21, 2016 Europe, Genocide, Iraq, Islamic State, Syria, UK

The UK Parliament has joined US Secretary of State John Kerry, US House of Representatives, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in describing the actions of Islamic State (or Da’esh) as genocide. A motion, passed on Wed 20 April by 280 votes to 0, . . . Read More

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