Freedom of thought ‘regressing on a global scale’

There are many Pakistani Christian women like Aasiya Noreen who live in fear of the Blasphemy law in their country and the (potential of) abuse. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
The 2017 Freedom of Thought Report, presented yesterday (5 December), should be alarming “to all who care about freedom of thought and expression”, as it shows “a pattern of regression on a global scale”, says its editor, Bob Churchill. The report, published by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) . . . Read More

Religious minorities’ struggles the focus of Morocco conference

Square next to the Hassan II Mosque in the city of Casablanca in 2010. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
A conference taking place in Rabat, Morocco, tomorrow (18 November) will focus on the problems religious minorities are facing in the Muslim-majority country. Muslims account for 99 per cent of the population, according to US Department of State figures, and the remaining 1 per cent experience “marginalisation and exclusion”, according . . . Read More

Six Red Cross workers among dozens killed in C. African Republic

?
This week the UN warned of the risk of genocide once again in the Central African Republic, saying the situation has deteriorated in recent months. Last week, dozens lost their lives in clashes between armed groups in the south-eastern town of Gambo, about 75km from Bangassou, where recent violence has . . . Read More

Bishop in C. African Republic wants more effective UN peacekeepers after ‘failure to protect’

Bishop of Bangassou, (CAR), Juan José Aguirre Munoz (World Watch Monitor)
A bishop prevented by escalating violence from returning to his Central African Republic diocese has called for UN peacekeepers there to be replaced with a more effective defence force. Bishop Juan José Aguirre Munoz of Bangassou, who was speaking from the CAR capital, Bangui, also said the Moroccan troops are . . . Read More

Italy takes 1,000 refugees via humanitarian visas

Italian Protestant churches will help settle 1,000 refugees arriving there this month through a “humanitarian corridor” from camps in Lebanon, Morocco and Ethiopia. The refugees, including both Christians and Muslims, will travel under the safety of humanitarian visas so they are not tempted to risk deadly sea crossings to Europe. . . . Read More

Clerics tell Muslims to protect minorities

More than 250 Muslim scholars, from over 120 countries, have called for religious freedom for non-Muslims in majority-Muslim countries. In a declaration signed on 27 January in Marrakesh, Morocco, the clerics said that it is wrong to discriminate against religious minorities in Muslim countries. They paid particular attention to Muhammad’s . . . Read More