Anti-Blasphemy Laws in the Arab Spring
The Emir of Kuwait is faced at this very moment with the decision of approving a law that would impose the death penalty against unrepentant Muslims (and varying prison sentences upon others) who exercise their religious freedom of speech in a way deemed blasphemous. So far, this is the most extreme version of such a law in the region, and it is very surprising that it makes its appearance in enlightened Kuwait.
Azizah al-Hibri, USCIRF Commissioner
Arab world’s Charlie Chaplin sentenced for defaming Islam
Egypt court upholds conviction of top Arab actor
The 71-year-old celebrity, described as the Arab world’s Charlie Chaplin, has a long history of legal tangles with Islamists who regard the actor’s work as blasphemous.
Europe bishops slam Saudi fatwa against Gulf churches
Paris, France – Christian bishops in Germany, Austria and Russia have sharply criticised Saudi Arabia’s top religious official after reports that he issued a fatwa saying all churches on the Arabian Peninsula should be destroyed.
Kolkata unrest over Kali image
In its Monday edition, The Telegraph English language daily carried a morphed picture of a naked woman holding an image of the goddess Kali in front of a cricketer — believed to be a Pakistani — bowing before it.
The newspaper had taken the picture from the Twitter account of a reader.
However, its publication caused an outcry that has sparked tension and violence between the Hindu and Muslim communities in different parts of the city, despite a swift apology from the newspaper.
Hindus and Muslims have been involved in street brawls and pelted passing traffic and members of the public with stones.
Poonam image flares tensions in Kolkata
India on USCIRF watch list again (2012)
India, March 21, 2012: The US government panel that monitors global religious freedom has once again listed India among countries that require close monitoring due to religious freedom violation.
USCIRF Identifies World’s Worst Religious Freedom Violators
Latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
25 March 2012
The 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council has just ended. You can read here a statement made by Heiner Bielefeldt, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, during the interactive dialogue, and also download his latest (2012) Report presented to the Council.
Russia regrets proposed ban of Hindu holy text in Siberia
State prosecutors in Tomsk seek to ban the Russian translation of the Bhagavad Gita, contending it is an extremist religious text that should be on a blacklist that includes Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
http://wwrn.org/articles/36643/
US Conservatives’ Selective Religious Outrage
During the period in which Obama has been in office, we have indeed witnessed an assault on religious freedom unprecedented in recent history.
http://wwrn.org/articles/36976/
Aussie Muslims Forced to Remove Face-veil
Muslim women in Australia’s most populous state will have to remove their face-veils to have their signatures officially witnessed under new stricter identity check laws.
Those who refuse would not have their document authenticated and could also face a fine of $220.
http://wwrn.org/articles/36980/
RIP Dr. Abdelfattah Amor
An article from IRLA on the passing of Professor Amor, who served from 1993 to 2004 as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.