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Religious Test for Public Contracts: Germany’s Use of “Faith-Breaker” Declarations Draws Scrutiny

Brussels – In the decades leading up to and during World War II, several European regimes implemented policies requiring individuals to declare their ideological or religious affiliations as a precondition for employment, professional licenses,...

USCIRF A Beacon of Bipartisanship in the Global Fight for Religious Freedom

In today’s deeply polarized political climate, where partisan divides often seem insurmountable, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stands out as a rare and vital example of sustained bipartisan cooperation. Established by...

No Intesa, No Recognition? Challenges of the State’s Role in Defining Religion in Italy

ROME — In the historic Sala Matteotti of Italy’s Camera dei Deputati, where law and legacy often converge, a quiet but urgent conversation unfolded this week about who gets to be officially recognized —...

Without Intesa: A Quest for Recognition in Italy’s Religious Pluralism”

In a chamber of the Italian Parliament, beneath frescoed ceilings and marble columns, something quietly extraordinary was unfolding. It wasn’t a protest. It wasn’t a sermon. It was a conversation — one that had taken...

The Cult of Secrecy: France’s Anti‑Sect MIVILUDES Under Scrutiny

According to the French religions news site Religactu, which conducted an in‑depth review of hundreds of internal documents and email exchanges, France’s anti‑cult watchdog—the Mission interministérielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les dérives sectaires...

Macron’s Firm Stand: Defending Religious Freedom After Mosque Attack

The early‑morning stabbing of 22‑year‑old Aboubakar Cissé on April 25 inside the Khadija mosque of La Grand‑Combe has forced France to confront a surge in anti‑Muslim violence that many fear is eroding the republic’s secular ideals....

From Refuge to Genocide: New Light on the Cham People’s Fragmented Identity and Forgotten Tragedy

In a world still grappling with the legacies of forced migration and religious persecution, new academic research is revisiting one of Southeast Asia’s lesser-known tragedies — the complex fate of the Cham people of...

Azza Karam: Among the Pilgrims of Peace

“Portraits in Faith” is a section dedicated to highlighting the lives and legacies of individuals who champion interfaith dialogue, religious freedom, and global peace. In the quiet, persistent work of building bridges between the sacred...

Faith Under Fire: How Russia’s War in Ukraine Became a Crusade Against Religious Freedom

In the shattered remains of a once-thriving Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) parish in Crimea, a single icon hangs askew on a cracked wall. Its gold leaf tarnished, the image of Christ stares outward—a...

The Watchdog on Trial: How MIVILUDES Lost Its Credibility

PARIS — On a warm June morning in 2024, the Administrative Court of Paris delivered a verdict that sent ripples through France’s secular institutions. The court ruled that the MIVILUDES — France’s Interministerial Mission...

The Quiet Pursuit of Truth: Jan Figel’s Mission for Religious Freedom

Portrait in Faith - Jan Figel has the demeanor of someone who is neither in a hurry nor easily rattled. He carries with him the quiet assurance of someone who has spent decades working...

The Discriminatory Nature of Germany’s “Sect Filters”: A Legal and Moral Critique

Germany has long been regarded as a bastion of constitutional democracy and a vocal defender of human rights on the international stage. Yet one discriminatory practice has persisted quietly within its borders for decades:...

Global Interfaith Leaders Honored with Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize

On April 22, 2025, Hofstra University in New York awarded the prestigious Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize 2024 to two global leaders in interfaith cooperation: the United Religions Initiative (URI) and its founder the Rt....

IRF Roundtable Congratulates Congressman Mark Walker on Appointment as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable welcomes the announcement—made last night via the platform X—of Congressman Mark Walker’s selection by the Trump administration to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for...

European Union imposes sanctions on Iran’s judiciary over human rights abuses—including the persecution of Bahá’ís

Brussels – The Council of the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions and restrictive measures on a number of courts, judges and prisons in Iran in its decision  2025/774. These sanctions spotlight the role of judicial...

Repeated ill-treatment of Jehovah’s Witness Anna Safronova in a Penal Colony in Russia

Anna Safronova, 59, a Jehovah's Witness, convicted for her faith, is subjected to inhuman treatment in penal colony No. 7 in Zelenokumsk (Stavropol Territory), and she also does not receive proper medical care. The...

When Vigilance Turns into Ideology: MIVILUDES and the Jehovah’s Witnesses

MIVILUDES, the French government agency tasked with monitoring so-called “cultic deviations,” recently released its latest report, covering the years 2021 to 2024. While it claims to protect the public from harmful practices, the report...

European Parliament urges the unconditional release of Baha’i prisoner of conscience Mahvash Sabet

The European Parliament has passed an urgency resolution on Iran, expressing its concern about the worsening human rights situation in the country. The resolution specifically calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Mahvash Sabet. This...

USCIRF 2025 report: Hungary and Russia’s Growing Religious Intolerance Under the Spotlight

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its 2025 annual report, painting a grim picture of religious repression and discrimination worldwide. From state-controlled religious policies in China to the persecution of...

Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan: A State-Sanctioned Crisis

In a chilling escalation of state-endorsed persecution, the Pakistani government has been accused of complicity in fostering extremist narratives that directly threaten the lives and safety of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The...

Deregistration attempt of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway declared invalid by the Court of Appeal

On Friday 14 March, the Borgarting Court of Appeal issued a landmark judgment declaring the loss of registration and denial of state grants for the years 2021-2024 invalid. It unanimously concluded that the practice...

New UK Special Envoy on FoRB David Smith Condemned Torture and Religious Persecution in UN Human Rights Council Statement

Geneva. On March 4th the United Kingdom called for urgent global action to combat torture and protect freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in detention centers, following a stark warning from the UN Special...

Hungary’s Refusal to End Religious Discrimination and the Politicization of Human Rights Debates

The UN’s latest discussions on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) once again revealed two troubling trends: Hungary’s continued refusal to address serious religious discrimination, and the misuse of the FoRB space by multiple states to wage geopolitical battles, rather than...

France: Miviludes Convicted for Having Stigmatized a Kibbutz

In France, Miviludes is a sub-agency of the Ministry of Interior, dedicated to fight against what they call “cults”, which encompasses a large variety of well accepted abroad new religious movements as well as...

Sofia Hosts ‘Magnificent Bridges of Light’ Concert to Mark UN World Interfaith Harmony Week

SOFIA, BULGARIA—In a celebration of unity through diversity, the 'Magnificent Bridges of Light' concert took center stage on February 17th at Sofia’s Military Club. The event, held beneath the grand arches of the venue’s...
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