IARF News Digest

U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer introduced the bipartisan Sikh American Anti-Discrimination Act in December 2025 to address the rising tide of hate crimes against the Sikh community. The bill proposes a Department of Justice task force to define anti-Sikh hate, enhance educational programs, and improve reporting to better protect one of the most-targeted religious groups in the United States.

China is conducting its most significant crackdown on unofficial ‘house churches’ since 2018, leading to the detention of over 100 individuals and several prominent pastors. The report highlights the personal toll on families and the broader political move toward the ‘Sinicization of religions’ as the state seeks to eliminate religious activity outside of official control.

The Church of Norway, Norway’s largest faith community, formally apologized to LGBTQ+ individuals for the “shame, great harm and pain” inflicted through discrimination and unequal treatment, which sometimes led members to lose their faith. Presiding Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit delivered the apology at the London Pub, one of the venues targeted during Oslo’s 2022 Pride shooting. Historically, the evangelical Lutheran church marginalized the community, banning gay pastors and church marriages, and deeming homosexuality a “social danger” in the 1950s. The institution slowly shifted as Norway legalized same-sex partnerships (1993) and marriage (2009). While the apology was welcomed as an “important reparation” by some LGBTQ+ leaders, others noted it arrived too late for those who suffered due to the church’s past condemnation, particularly regarding the AIDS epidemic. This follows apologies from other denominations worldwide, such as the Church of England and the United Church of Canada, although acceptance of same-sex marriage remains varied among religious bodies.

The American Humanist Association and The Humanist Society issued a joint statement condemning Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for his criticisms of the Army Spiritual Fitness Guide. The groups accused Hegseth of attacking religious pluralism and promoting conservative Christian nationalism while calling for equal access to emotional and spiritual care for all service members, including humanists.

Rabbi Seth Farber criticizes a new Israeli bill that criminalizes interference with Orthodox religious practices in public spaces and mandates the installation of mezuzahs in public buildings. Farber argues that legislating faith undermines both democracy and Jewish identity, turning religion into a coercive political instrument that restricts civil liberties and freedom of association.

This long-form article examines the alarming transformation of Buddhism in countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar, where monks have abandoned the central tenet of non-harming (ahimsa) to spearhead violent, nationalist, and anti-minority movements. The author contrasts the Western idealized image of peaceful Buddhism with the political reality, detailing how figures like Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara (Sri Lanka) and Ashin Wirathu (Myanmar) exploit religious authority to incite hatred, particularly against Muslim communities, driven by a quest for dominance and influenced by historical factors like colonialism and economic envy.

The article reports on a legal dispute between Hamburg’s Orthodox-dominated Jewish Community (JGH) and the smaller Liberal Jewish Community (LGH), also known as the Israelite Temple Association. The LGH won an interim victory, with the regional court affirming its right to use the historical name, concluding that claims of legal succession to pre-war Judaism are matters of opinion, not fact. This decision challenges the JGH’s claim to a monopoly on representing Hamburg’s Jewish heritage. The Temple Association seeks official recognition as a public corporation and demands the restitution and restoration of the historic Poolstrasse Synagogue ruin, the birthplace of Reform Judaism.

Following an ecumenical conference in Helsinki (December 2025), the Conference of European Churches (CEC) released a statement titled “Churches Confront the ‘Russian World’ Ideology.” The statement delivers a strong theological critique, labeling the ideology a distortion of the Gospel that denies national identity and self-determination, and condemns the Russian Orthodox Church’s institutional support for the war in Ukraine. It urges European churches to take specific actions, including supporting Ukrainian resistance, safeguarding democracy, promoting theological literacy to recognize misuse of religious language, and fostering truth-and-reconciliation dialogue.

The article critically analyzes “Café Stay,” owned by the controversial Zeal Church, a free church with origins in the International Christian Fellowship (ICF). The author notes the charismatic appeal of such churches to people seeking community amidst crises, but highlights the dangers: leader René Wagner’s aggressive sermons promote conservative views on sex, gender, and family, equating Christianity with specific lifestyle choices. Ex-members report traumatic experiences, including prayers to “heal” their queerness, and ICF events feature advocates of “conversion therapies.” The Zeal Church, while welcoming queer individuals to services, prohibits them from leadership roles and refuses to officiate same-sex weddings, framing their lifestyle as contrary to “God’s plan.” The café’s ostensibly open and unpolitical facade is described as a deliberate strategy to normalize ideologies that would otherwise meet resistance. Physical attacks on the café are interpreted as a reaction against this hidden, restrictive order. The author concludes that the church’s outwardly harmonious presentation conceals an exclusionary agenda, particularly regarding queer identities.