A new global religion survey by Ipsos discovered that 8 out of 10 urban Indians believe in the existence of God and claim to be comfortable around different faiths amidst rising Hindu nationalism and sectarian violence in the country.
A jury convicted a 49-year-old mother in Idaho on May 12th for killing her two children and her current husband’s late wife in a bizarre triple murder case that has perplexed many in the state since 2019.
Lori Vallow Daybell was found guilty of conspiring to murder her two children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Lori Vallow Daybell was also convicted of grand theft, and she will face another trial in Arizona for her involvement in the murder of Charles Vallow, Lori’s fourth husband, a businessman, and a member of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) church.
Human rights activists say Libyan authorities arrested six Libyans last March for converting to Christianity and proselytizing. They said the Libyan Christians were accused of violating laws being used increasingly to stifle human rights organizations and civil societies.
A lawsuit was filed against the State Department of the US government for discriminating against a guard when he was allegedly forced to shave his beard to keep his job at the agency.
The case was filed on May 3rd by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on behalf of security guard Devin Brooks against the US State Department and State Secretary Anthony Blinken. The suit stated that the agency “denied permission to maintain a beard longer than ½ inch,” as required by Brook’s Islamic faith.
A sweeping new report by the UK government’s faith adviser has been published, making it the most comprehensive review of the relationship between the British government and the country’s many religious organizations in more than a generation.
New violence against two ethnic groups sparked in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, reportedly killing 54 people, displacing 23,000 more, and burning at least 25 churches, reigniting tensions that terrorized the state for decades.
A local Muslim religious leader was beaten to death by an angry mob in Pakistan after allegedly making “blasphemous” remarks during an opposition party rally, which came at a time when lynchings due to blasphemy allegations continue to rise in the country.
A Muslim religious leader has been beaten to death in Pakistan for allegedly making ‘blasphemous remarks’ during a speech at a rally for Imran Khan’s opposition PTI party pic.twitter.com/KPi7opmvXt
Iranian authorities announced that two men accused of blasphemy were hanged amidst a rising number of executions since the protests that rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini under police custody in September 2022.
In a rare display of unity amongst India’s major religions, leaders from the country’s Muslim, Christian, Sikh, and Jain communities join hands with Hindu nationalist groups in opposing calls to recognize same-sex marriage in the country.
This move comes as India’s Supreme Court hears petitions filed by various LGBTQIA+ organizations in the country, pleading to legalize same-sex marriage. These petitions were filed around five years after a landmark case in 2018 that decriminalized homosexuality in India.
Minneapolis recently amended its noise ordinance to allow mosques to broadcast adhan or amplified prayer calls for Muslims at any time of the day, making it the first major city in the United States to allow all five daily calls to be broadcast at any time.