Hundreds die of extreme heat on Muslim pilgrimage, reports say
Riyadh/Mina, Saudi Arabia Reuters Hundreds of visitors have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca amid scorching heat, according to press reports and foreign ministries. At least 550 people have died on haj, diplomats told French outlet Agence France Presse (AFP) on Tuesday. Three hundred and twenty-three of the dead were Egyptians, most of […]
Details revealed about King Charles III’s coronation service; Stone of Scone arrives in London
London, UK AP It will be a coronation of many faiths and many languages. King Charles III, keen to show that he can be a unifying figure for everyone in the United Kingdom, will be crowned in a ceremony that will for the first time include the active participation of faiths other than the Church […]
Essay: Answering the refugee crisis as a matter of faith
In an article first published on Religion News Service, WASEEM AHMAD, ANNE BURGHARDT, and MARK HETFIELD say faith groups are usually the first responders when people are displaced, and the last…
Killed Italian envoy’s widow tearfully tells Pope of husband’s aid work
Vatican City Reuters The Muslim widow of the Italian ambassador killed last year in Democratic Republic of Congo broke into tears on Wednesday as she told Pope Francis of her Catholic husband’s commitment to help African children. Luca Attanasio, his bodyguard Vittorio Iacovacci and their driver Mustapha Milambo were killed during a botched kidnapping on […]
Oberammergau: Centuries-old passion play returns after pandemic break
KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, of Associated Press, reports on the return of Germany’s world-famous Oberammergau Passion Play this month…
Rashad Hussain confirmed as first Muslim US religious freedom ambassador
RNS Rashad Hussain has been confirmed as the US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, making him the first Muslim American in the role. Hussain was confirmed by the US Senate last Thursday by an overwhelming vote of 85 to five. Rashad Hussain on 8th February. PICTURE: Courtesy of US State Dept/US Mission Geneva/Creative Commons The […]
Pakistan police: Mob kills Sri Lankan over alleged blasphemy
Lahore, Pakistan AP A Muslim mob descended on a sports equipment factory in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province on Friday, killing a Sri Lankan man and burning his body publicly over allegations of blasphemy, police said. Armagan Gondal, a police chief in the district of Sialkot, where the killing occurred, said factory workers had accused the […]
India’s DNA data law seen to harm minorities, hurt privacy
London, UK Thomson Reuters Foundation A proposed Indian law on the collection and use of genetic data to tackle crime can violate privacy, and target minorities and marginalised communities disproportionately, according to technology experts and human rights groups. The DNA Technology Regulation Bill allows the profiling of victims, those accused of crimes, and those reported […]
Interfaith relations: In Berlin, a dream of three faiths worshipping in one building meets reality
KEN CHITWOOD, writing for Religion News Service, reports on the House of One project…
Belgium religious faiths want more worshippers at services
AP Representatives of the religious faiths recognised in Belgium have joined forces to urge federal authorities to increase the number of people admitted inside places of worship during the coronavirus pandemic. Under the current COVID-19 rules, such places can accommodate up to 15 people. In a letter to Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, the religious […]