In the US, DOGE raids non-profit advocating for peace, religious freedom
United States RNS The US Institute of Peace filed a lawsuit against the Department of Government Efficiency on Tuesday, one day after members of DOGE raided the Washington headquarters of USIP, an independent non-profit created by Congress to engage in peace efforts. The raid came amid the Trump administration’s cuts to US foreign aid programs […]
Nigerian faith leaders appeal to US to pressure their country on religious violence
Nairobi, Kenya RNS Nearly four years ago, the Biden administration removed Nigeria from a list of countries whose threats to religious freedom are of “particular concern”, but continued attacks on Christians and other religious groups by Islamist militias have prompted calls from local faith leaders and members of the US Congress for the designation to […]
Essay: We must not let the Nicaraguan Government evade accountability
ELLIS HEASLEY, of UK-based religious freedom advocacy CSW, says we must “amplify, support and strengthen the voices of those the government has made every effort to silence”…
Essay: Ma Yan and Ma Yanhu – both imprisoned by a regime that does not even respect its own laws
ELLIS HEASLEY, of UK-based religious freedom advocacy CSW, looks at two cases in China…
Essay: Trump isn’t defending religious communities – he’s waging war on them
Rev PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance in the US, says the Trump administration is already the most harmful to religious freedom in modern American history…
Essay: Religious freedom is routinely curbed in Central Asia – but you won’t often see it making international news
ERIC FREEDMAN, in an article first published on The Conversation, says Central Asian nations pursue harsh policies and practices that “frequently curtail freedom of faith”…
Trump tells prayer breakfast he wants to root out “anti-Christian bias” and urges “bring God back”
Washington DC, US AP President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants to root out “anti-Christian bias” in the US, announcing that he was forming a taskforce led by Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the “targeting” of Christians. Speaking at a pair of events in Washington surrounding the the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump said the […]
Amid criticism from religious detractors, US Vice President Vance speaks at religious freedom summit
Washington DC, US RNS Vice President JD Vance addressed a group of religious leaders on Wednesday at the International Religious Freedom Summit, arguing President Donald Trump will prioritise the right to worship freely abroad even as his administration faces lawsuits accusing him of infringing on religious freedom at home and criticism from faith groups whose […]
Report ranks countries where religion faces highest government and social persecution
United States RNS A report by Pew Research Center on international religious freedom named Egypt, Syria, Pakistan and Iraq as the countries where both government restrictions and social hostility most limit the ability of religious minorities to practice their faith. Governmental attacks and social hostility toward various religions usually “go hand in hand”, said the […]
Wow!: New documentary tells America’s story of religious freedom
FIONA ANDRÉ, of Religion News Service, reports on the new documentary, ‘Free Exercise: America’s Story of Religious Liberty’…