IARF News Digest

This article features an interview with Rev. Joy Croft reflecting on the 40th anniversary of ‘Growing Together’, a landmark 1985 Unitarian report on feminist theology. It discusses the report’s historical impact on the movement, its focus on gender-inclusive language and structural equality, and the progress of women in the ministry over the decades.

An interview with Jaap Marinus, a minister in the Parkstraat congregation in Arnhem, who discusses his liberal approach to faith and the ministry. He reflects on his journey from evangelicalism to a ‘vrijzinnig’ (liberal) theology where he views God as a ‘comma’ or a hope rather than a direct actor, emphasizing personal freedom, small-scale influence, and the importance of self-reflection in a shrinking church.

On February 28, 2026, the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, visited the Harabati Baba Tekke in Tetovo, North Macedonia. He met with the World Grand Father of the Bektashis to discuss religious rights, property challenges, and the historical significance of the site as a symbol of tolerance and interfaith coexistence. The meeting highlighted legal victories regarding property rights at the European Court of Human Rights. The IARF was assisting Northern Macedonia Bektashis in their struggle for recognition.

The article reflects on the Lenten season through the lens of Beatrice de Graaf’s lecture ‘We Are the Times.’ Drawing on Saint Augustine and Johan Huizinga, it emphasizes personal responsibility in shaping the future during times of crisis. It encourages individuals to be beacons of courage and hope rather than passively waiting for change, relating these values to modern activism and the path toward Easter.

The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case concerning a former Calvin University professor who was terminated for officiating a same-sex wedding, involving a legal dispute over religious institutional freedom versus civil rights law.

The Interfaith Alliance has condemned a ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that allows Louisiana to enforce a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, the organization’s president, stated that the law violates the First Amendment and constitutes government-imposed religious indoctrination. The Alliance, along with 20 other religious organizations, continues to advocate for the separation of church and state.

This article analyzes a new Israeli legislative proposal, the Bill for the Realization of Jewish Identity in Public Space. The bill aims to protect religious practices like wearing tefillin in public and mandates mezuzahs in public buildings. However, it raises significant concerns regarding the balance between freedom of religion and freedom from religion, as critics view it as an attempt to impose Orthodox values on the secular public and alter the long-standing status quo of religious-state relations.

The Niger State Concerned Christian Advocates coalition has rejected Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s plan to establish a Hisbah Commission, a religious enforcement body. The group argues that the move violates Nigeria’s secular constitution, which prohibits a state religion, and threatens religious freedom. They expressed concerns that such a commission would heighten religious tensions, marginalize minorities, and discourage investment in the state, urging the government to adopt inclusive security strategies instead.

Human rights organizations report a sharp increase in the persecution of religious minorities in Iran, with Christian arrests nearly doubling in 2025. Experts suggest the regime is scapegoating Christians, Baha’is, and ethnic minorities to deflect from domestic unrest and recent military humiliations.