by Marco Respinti — In 1995, the CCP kidnapped the second highest authority in the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism to substitute him with a puppet. European MPs now call for his release. Parliamentarians of different European countries have issued statements calling upon China to immediately release Tibet’s 11^th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and his entire family on the 25^th year of their “disappearance.” 15 Swiss parliamentarians, 4 from Italy, 16 Czech MPs and 16 Czech Senators signed four different requests.

by Vasco Fronzoni — The Italian Muslim communities have faced the challenge of contagion with a pragmatic spirit. As it known, Islam does not recognize universal leaders, and therefore chooses on the basis of the general reference principles, which in the case of epidemics refer to a hadith that prescribes «if you hear of a plague in a land do not enter it; and if it breaks out in the land where you stay, do not leave»

The magazine of ecclesiastical, canonical and confessional rights "Diritto e Religioni" (Law and Religions), co-directed by Prof. Maria d'Arienzo, member of the Scientific Committee of FOB, is presented to those who do not already know it.

Prof. Maria D'Arienzo, a member of the Scientific Committee of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), is Full Professor of Ecclesiastical and Canon Law and Confessional Rights at the Department of Law of the University "Federico II" of Naples, and in charge of Ecclesiastical Law at the University of Calabria.

On march 27, 40 NGOs have signed a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking him to urgently act to support religious freedom in Vietnam.

Religion, from the Latin religio -onis, akin to religare «to bind». A demanding term in times of coronavirus and social distances. In reality, the concept of religare refers to the beliefs, feelings and rites that bind an individual or a human group with what it considers sacred. And it is the link with these sentiments and values common to each creed that, even in these difficult times, guides religions to mobilize to help others.

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its concern over reports that religious minority groups from around the world have faced discrimination because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Religious communities have been harassed and accused of bringing COVID-19 to their countries.

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today (March 16, 2020) released the following new factsheet on the global response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact on religious practice and religious freedom.

Our federated CAP LC organised an event to be held on March 4, 2020, as a sideline of the Human Rights Council, a conference on Human Rights in the People’s Republic of China. On March 3, the HRC Secretariat announced that all side-events were canceled due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Despite the cancellation, conference speakers met at the United Nations to make their voices heard on human rights concerns in the People’s Republic of China.

"We are scholars, human rights activists, reporters. and lawyers, all with a substantial experience in the field of new religious movements (derogatorily called “cults” by their opponents). Some of us have studied the Korean Christian new religious movement known as Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (in short, Shincheonji).