By Martin Surridge – While the incredible events in Egypt continue to capture the hearts and minds of viewers and listeners around the globe, traditionally progressive and reliably tolerant Canada has been making unexpected headlines this week, unusually deciding to curb the religious rights of some of its citizens. This is Article18-RLTV’s weekly blog specifically…
Category: Current Events
Russia’s Medvedev calls for Egypt to respect religious rights (ChannelNewsAsia)
EXCERPT: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday urged Egypt to hold legitimate elections and respect religious rights following the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. “Russia hopes democratic procedures in Egypt will be fully restored and all legitimate electoral procedures will be used for this,” Medvedev said in a statement published on the Kremlin website….
Step forward for church-state relations in Azerbaijan
8 Feb 2011, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States Bettina Krause/IRLA/ANN Seventh-day Adventists in Azerbaijan hope a recent meeting between church leaders and state officials will ease tensions and help the church gain official recognition for its congregations under Azerbaijani law. The January 31 meeting with representatives of the Azerbaijan State Committee on Religious Associations came…
Article18: Eritrea — Threatened by North African Protests, Government Believed to Be Torturing Thousands of Christian Prisoners
By Martin Surridge — A recent series of deaths, specifically occurring in both detention and torture centers, in the African nation of Eritrea, have a very concerning link to Christianity and the religious practice of the victims. Welcome back to Article18-RLTV’s first weekly blog specifically dedicated to religious liberty issues in other countries around the…
Human Rights Watch to Pakistan: Drop Blasphemy Charges Against Teenager (HWR)
EXCERPT: The Pakistani government should immediately drop blasphemy charges against a 17-year-old student and ensure his safe release from detention, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities arrested Muhammad Samiullah on January 28, 2011, and charged him under Pakistan’s “blasphemy law,” article 295-C of the criminal code, for allegedly including derogatory remarks about the Prophet…
Religious Undertones in Egyptian Protests? – (Liberty Magazine Round Table)
Over the past decade, Egyptian Copts have fallen victim to increasing discrimination and persecution, most recently with the January 1 suicide church bombing that killed at least 21 people and injured dozens more. Do the current anti-government demonstrations in Cairo have religious undertones, and what could this mean for the Egyptian Christian minority? Read some…
The Health-Religion Connection by Joshua Crouch
The struggle between faith-healing and public health services may not be a mainstream topic, yet it continues to rage throughout our nation. Oregon has recently had a string of adolescent deaths tied to extreme Christian conservatism. The Christian Science Church has pushed law makers to allow parents to exempt their children from all medical treatment,…
Article18: Wales – Special Interview with the President of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission in Wales
By Martin Surridge – In the cold, northern reaches of Western Europe there is a small country that doesn’t often make international headlines, but might actually be a useful barometer for understanding the continent’s spiritual diversity and religious future. No, not France, Germany, or even England, but rather the western edge of Celtic Britain, Wales. …
Judge upholds ban on guns in places of worship (Atlanta-Journal Constitution)
EXCERPT: A federal judge has upheld the Georgia law banning weapons in churches, mosques and synagogues, saying gun rights advocates had not shown that carrying a firearm is necessary to practicing any religion. U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal late Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the gun rights organization GeorgiaCarry.org and the minister at the…
Article18: Pakistan — Fallout from Governor’s Assassination Disrupts Efforts to Eliminate Discriminatory Blasphemy Laws
By Martin Surridge – Usually it would be rare for massive crowds to gather and protest against a possible increase in religious liberty. But in Pakistan? Perhaps not that surprising. Welcome back to Article18-RLTV’s first weekly blog specifically dedicated to religious liberty issues in other countries around the world. Each week, we will be focusing…