Violence against Christians in Indonesia continues with a number of new incidents occurring last week. On Thursday, the congregation of the Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) in Taman Sari, Setu district in Bekasi regency, watched the local administration demolish their unfinished church building. The congregation formed a barrier between their church and the idling bulldozer. They Read more
In the midst of the activities surrounding the Papal resignation and speculation on the next choice for the Chair of St Peter, a very important anniversary has gone virtually unnoticed. In February 313 AD, in the reign of Pope St. Melchiades (311-314), the Edict of Milan was promulgated by the Emperor Constantine, a measure that Read more
PNG MP Wera Mori wants parliament to pass a law banning non Christian religions so as to maintain the country’s stand as a Christian nation. “PNG is a Christian country’” he said. “Like other countries, we must be strict and put into our Constitution that we worship the God of Israel,” Opposition MP Tobias Kulang Read more
The Dowse Gallery in Lower Hutt, New Zealand , has banned men from viewing an exhibition containing footage of Muslim women at home without their veils. The Dowse man-ban has created widespread media discussion. One commentator has remarked that anyone glancing at the paper on the news-stand would have been forgiven for thinking this was Read more
The Waikato Inter-faith Council (WIFCO) received a 2012 New Zealand Diversity Award for their outstanding contribution to promoting interfaith relations and religious diversity in New Zealand last month. Presented to WIFCO by the Race Relations Commissioner, Joris de Bres, of the Human Rights Commission, the annual awards commend 12 organisations that have contributed to strengthening Read more
Although the majority of New Zealand newspapers, including New Zealand’s largest circulation paper, declined to republish any of the Danish cartoons, two local newspapers and two television channels did so, despite expressions of concern from the Federation of Islamic Associations and the Government. The publication was followed by strong interfaith and government condemnation, a public Read more
The ongoing protests by a Muslim extremist fringe has led to the closure of three Christian places of worship in the province of Aceh, the only province in Indonesia where Shariah (Islamic law) is enacted. According to the radical movement the churches were illegal and they have demanded – under threat – the intervention of Read more
Children are less likely to know the Our Father but are more likely to say religion is more important to them than children of 40 years ago, a BBC study shows. The survey marked 40 years since Newsround was first broadcast. The programme surveyed over 1,000 children aged 6-12 and 1,000 adults who’d have been Read more
The Federation of Islamic Associations wants to discuss religious holidays as part of the Government’s constitutional review. They are planning to petition the Government to make Christmas and Easter holidays transferable so that they can be taken on Muslim religious festivals Association president Anwar Ghani says at present, Muslims have to take up to four Read more
I do not like labelling people as racist. I do not like the use of the word ‘racists’ at all. I am a Muslim and I attend a Catholic college. I have never been subject to any form of racism during my time in school although I have been subject to what I call a Read more