“It is deeply concerning to witness the unprovoked, targeted and escalating attacks on Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya, particularly but not exclusively in Sirte,” says His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom. He continues “In recent years Coptic Christians in Libya have endured horrific acts of brutality…
Seven years ago, Mohammed Hegazy was the first Egyptian citizen to attempt a legal change of his religious identity from Muslim to Christian. In Egypt, government-issued identity cards include a required notation of the person’s religion. Changing the notation to “Islam” is a simple administrative procedure; asking the government to approve a Muslim’s request to…
The Daily Telegraph has reported that the number of anti-Semitic attacks in the UK in 2014 is set to be the highest recorded in the past three decades. The record number of incidents includes everything from violent assaults to verbal abuse, hate-mail and attacks on social media. The exact figures will not be released until…
On 22 December a Pakistani morning TV show broadcast a discussion which included accusations that the Ahmadi community were responsible for the Peshawar massacre and were the enemy of Pakistan, and the common enemy of Muslims. The TV company have subsequently apologised for this lapse, admitting their code of conduct was broken. On 27 December,…
“Christians will tomorrow affirm their faith that God became flesh at a particular time and place in history. It is a catastrophe and a crime that those who celebrate the birth of Christ are in many parts of the world, most numerously in the region that includes ancient Palestine, suffering ferocious persecution. “The Prince of…
Christmas is an occasion mostly associated with joy and celebration. Sadly, attacks on church services and worshippers in recent years mean that for many it is a time of heightened tension and fear. World Watch Monitor recently reported on the tension for religious minorities in India, stating that “Since the start of the holiday season, India’s minority religious…
Douglas Alexander says a Labour government would appoint a global ambassador for religious freedom to tackle the “evil” persecution of Christians around the world, reports The Sunday Telegraph. The shadow Foreign Secretary said he wanted to set up a new “multi-faith” council inside the Foreign Office to bring a “strong focus” to the government’s campaign against…
BLOOD, TREASURE AND ISLAMIC STATE: WAR, EXTREMISM AND THE LOOTING OF CULTURE This event was presented today by the APPG in partnership with Walk of Truth, an independent non-profit organisation founded by Tasoula Georgiou Hadjitofi. Walk of Truth raises public awareness of threats to cultural heritage from crime and war, and engages ordinary people in…
The third Freedom of Thought report, highlighting global discrimination against atheists, humanists and the non-religious, was published yesterday by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU). The report assesses every independent country around the world, and every country gets a rating. There is also a brand new poster style map. In their preface, Gulalai Ismail and…
The All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG) today published the findings of its Parliamentary Inquiry into persecution in North Korea. The report, Religion and Belief in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, includes witness accounts of the horrific human rights abuses suffered by religious and belief minorities in the country,…