“Eritrea hungers for God” Interview: Father Andrzej Halemba – first impressions after his recent trip to Eritrea You have recently been in Eritrea. What is your impression about this country? It was the first time for me, after so many years of trying I got finally the permission to go to Eritrea. Nearly 50% of...
VIETNAM – New law still doesn’t ensure religious freedom Vietnamese politicians have just passed the country’s first ever bill which would appear to enshrine religious freedom. The exact details of the Law on Belief and Religion have not been made public yet but Christian groups fear the right to worship freely is still not assured....
Religious Freedom in the World report 2016 launched in Malta The 13th edition of the Religious Freedom in the World report, produced by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) was launched in Malta on 25 November 2106. To mark the occasion, Portes des Bombes was lit up in red on Friday...
Fr Ziad Hilal S.J. visits parishes in Malta and Gozo Fr Ziad Hilal S.J. who came to Malta as a keynote speaker for the launch of “Religious Freedom in the World” report 2016, also had a full programme of visits to various parishes all over the Maltese islands. Immediately after the launch on Fri...
GERMANY – Hundreds of Christian refugees sexually abused and beaten by Muslims in German camps Hundreds of Christian refugees have been sexually abused and beaten by Muslims in migrant camps across Germany, a shock new report from a coalition of Christian groups reveals. Most of the abuse took place in the deferral states of Berlin,...
SWITZERLAND – Battle for crosses in public spaces reignited A Swiss national petition is calling for Christian symbols to be preserved and replaced in public buildings, schools and public spaces. The petitioners are opposed to the fact that crosses are disappearing from school rooms and public buildings. “We want Christian symbols to be preserved...
SAUDI ARABIA – International schools banned from observing non-Islamic holidays Saudi Arabia has banned international schools from observing non-Islamic occasions such as Christmas and New Year. The ban forbids the schools from providing holidays on such occasions or changing the dates of exams because of them. The education ministry directed all schools to abide...
INDONESIA – Islamists demand removal of Christian Governor Police in Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation are deciding this week on whether to pursue a blasphemy case instigated by hardline Muslims against the Jakarta governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, nicknamed “Ahok”. Now that he has been formally named as a suspect, prosecutors will be able...
IRAQ – “We will kill you all” IS graffiti in German found in a recaptured village Various photos sent by Stephen Rasche, a solicitor of the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil, to the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), document the presence of extremists from European countries among the ISIS fighters. The...
“People will go back when Mosul is liberated” The displaced Christians in Erbil will probably not be able to return to their villages in the Nineveh Plain until summer 2017. While the military operations have broadly secured the area, snipers, mines and pockets of militants remain. Until the final liberation of Mosul it will...
