In Pakistan, a mere accusation of blasphemy can be a death sentence. Even if the accused is eventually acquitted, they may still face persecution and violence. This is because the blasphemy laws are often used as a tool to settle personal scores or to target religious minorities.
The reaction from the Foreign Office of Pakistan on May 25th to the US State Department Report on International Religious Freedom has proven to be interesting.
It’s no secret that one of the major flashpoints between Washington and Beijing is the current status of Taiwan and the potential conflict that may break out. Many thousands of km away from the contested island, the conflict in Ukraine is impacting strategies that involve the defence of the island.
On the morning of February 6th, 2023, Turkey was shaken by two powerful earthquakes that left a trail of destruction in their wake. The first struck 34 km west of the city of Gaziantep at 1:17 UTC, with a magnitude of 7.8, making it one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in modern times. The quake was felt in both Turkey and Syria, causing widespread damage and loss of life. The aftershocks were also very strong, with the strongest registering a magnitude of 6.7. The second earthquake hit the city of Kahramanmaraş just 9 hours later, with a magnitude of 7.5, causing further destruction and adding to the toll of the first quake.
On the 16th of September, a 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini - whose Kurdish name is Jinna - was brutally and tragically killed by Tehran's fundamentalist theocratic regime's so-called 'morality police' for allegedly breaking forced headscarf rules.
Recently, an IRF (International Religious Freedom) Summit took place in Washington, D.C. from June 28th to 30th - with several hotspots as key topics of discussion. One of the countries generating particular concern is Pakistan. The country has been previously designated as a CPC (Country of Particular Concern)…
The surge in communal violence has sparked concern among many in India who fear the country is becoming more polarised than ever along communal lines. For many, the blame should be directed toward the ruling right-wing party Bharatiya Janata Party, led by the prime minister, Narendra Modi.
When USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) released its 2022 report last month, one of the countries that were recommended for the Special Watch List (SWL) was Indonesia.
An event celebrating the International Yoga Day that was being held in a football stadium in Maldives capital turned violent and chaotic after a charged Islamist mob entered the stadium and attacked the participants, which also included many Indians, on Tuesday.