Religious repression

Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, acquitted of blasphemy charges after spending seven years on death row in Pakistan, have been granted asylum in Europe.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Christian and religious freedom advocacy groups call for the release of two pastors detained by authorities in Cuba July 11 for joining widespread antigovernment demonstrations in the Caribbean nation.

An Islamic scholar has urged the government of Nigeria to take “decisive action” against the activities of the terrorist group Boko Haram.

A July 17 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls for the U.S. government to publicly censure Alexander Dvorkin for ongoing disinformation campaign against religious minorities.

A Syrian-Catholic monk kidnapped and held hostage for nearly five months by Islamic State militants believes he is still alive because of the humanitarian work he did among Muslims displaced during the war in Syria in the years before he was abducted.

Violent unrest has erupted across India over a contentious new citizenship law that offers immunity to undocumented immigrants from half a dozen religious faiths but excludes Muslims.

The release of Asia Bibi on May 8, 2019, has brought hope to the international religious community for greater tolerance of religious minorities in Pakistan.

A special report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom focuses on anti-conversion laws in South Asia.

Some 10,000 men and women belonging to indigenous faiths joined forces April 24 in the town of Gumla in Jharkhand to demand recognition of their traditional religions.