by Massimo Introvigne — When Petr Pavel was inaugurated as the new President of the Czech Republic in March 2023, he vowed to align the country with European Union human rights standards. He also emerged as a staunch critic of the human rights violations in Russia. Some developments with respect to small minority religions were in fact regarded by local human rights activists as hopeful.
France's state grants funded with taxpayers’ money said to be misused by anti-cult groups stigmatizing and inciting hostility against some religious or belief groups and their members. In the framework of its 2023 Call for Projects, MIVILUDES (Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Cultic Deviances) generously allocated a state subsidy of 150,000 EUR to CAFFES (Family Support Center Facing Cultic Control). This represents a considerable, if not completely disproportionate, grant for a small association with 90% of its annual budget funded with public money.
by Bitter Winter — Note: In publishing this appeal, “Bitter Winter” notes the historic importance of Moorish Science to African-American culture. It is one of the religions established by people of color during the Great Migration, and stands as a historic emblem of one stage in the long march to empowerment of Black people. Because it is a Black religion, Moorish Science has always provoked hostilities in the white-majority American population, but we all have a collective social duty to see that religious freedom is not circumscribed by racism.
Washington, DC — The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) applauds the December 19 decision of a court in Bauchi State, Nigeria, to acquit Christian nurse Rhoda Jatau. On May 20, 2022, officials arrested her on allegations of blasphemy after she reportedly shared a message on social media condemning the murder of Christian student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu.
by Massimo Introvigne — When Petr Pavel was inaugurated as the new President of the Czech Republic in March 2023, he vowed to align the country with European Union human rights standards. He also emerged as a staunch critic of the human rights violations in Russia. Some developments with respect to small minority religions were in fact regarded by local human rights activists as hopeful.
France's state grants funded with taxpayers’ money said to be misused by anti-cult groups stigmatizing and inciting hostility against some religious or belief groups and their members. In the framework of its 2023 Call for Projects, MIVILUDES (Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Cultic Deviances) generously allocated a state subsidy of 150,000 EUR to CAFFES (Family Support Center Facing Cultic Control). This represents a considerable, if not completely disproportionate, grant for a small association with 90% of its annual budget funded with public money.
