A missionary Catholic priest serving in Russia says he expects new anti-terror laws will have a much bigger impact on small groups of Evangelicals than on the Catholic Church in Russia. The priest, who has been serving in Russia for 24 years, said since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Catholic Church has followed Read more
Russia’s new religious laws may affect small groups of Evangelicals more than the Catholic Church in Russia. Russia’s new anti-terrorism laws, which include sweeping restrictions on Christian evangelising and teaching the faith, have officially come into force. A Catholic priest, who has been serving in Russia for 24 years, says the Catholic Church follows government Read more
With rising global fervour against Isis, Kiwi Muslims are suffering marginalisation and abuse from fellow New Zealanders. This week has been particularly bad. SIS boss Rebecca Kitteridge on Tuesday revealed a rise in the number of young New Zealand women heading to Iraq and Syria. A 14-year-old girl ignores the taunts from her peers as Read more
Catholic leaders in Indonesia have welcomed an announcement that the government will review religion laws that critics say restricts constitutional protections to religious freedoms. “The most important thing is that freedom of religion and of worship guaranteed in the constitution must not be narrowed with regulations that can create problems,” Father Guido Suprapto, the Indonesian Read more
In Papua, 15 Christian and Muslim leaders have issued a joint apology after an attack by some evangelical Christians on Muslims celebrating Eid al-Fit. Six houses, eleven kiosks, and a mushala (small mosque) were burned, and a man was shot dead. “We regret the burning of mushala and the attack on Muslims in Tolikara, which Read more
A group of Islamic extremists in the area of Besi have attacked a meeting of Catholics in the parish of the Holy Family of Banteng , in an area north of Yogyakarta (island of Java). It has been alleged that dozens of armed people wearing robes assaulted a group while saying the rosary at a Read more
Offensive graffiti appearing on the site of a proposed Muslim school, and negativity circulating about the Muslim education system, has dismayed the Al-Noor Charitable Trust. The former St Patrick’s Primary School site, in South Dunedin, was bought in April this year by the Christchurch-based charity which has plans to spend about $8 million building the Read more
A foreign student had nightmares after a shopper told her to either take off her burqa or leave New Zealand while she was shopping at a Dunedin supermarket, a court has been told. Yuet Rappard, a farm worker, appeared in front of Justices of the Peace in the Dunedin District Court yesterday and was found Read more
A vandalism spree at the Christchurch Islamic Centre is not believed to be racially-motivated. Representatives of the Lincoln Rd centre contacted police today after finding the premises had been entered and damaged. Sergeant Todd Webley of Christchurch Police says there is no indication at this stage that the break-in was racially motivated. “There are no Read more
A report released on Thursday by the US thinktank Pew Research Centre’s Forum on Religion and Public Life notes a sharp rise in religious restrictions worldwide. The report titled “The Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion” shows a six percent increase in restrictions in the four years until 2010. The report cites evidence that paints Read more