Pakistan’s Supreme Court hears Asia Bibi’s ‘blasphemy’ appeal but delays ruling
World Watch Monitor Pakistan’s Supreme Court in the capital Islamabad has finally heard the much-delayed appeal of Asia Bibi, the first Christian woman sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy law. It has not announced its decision, saying it will ‘reserve judgment’ for several days or possibly weeks. Aasiya Noreen, a Pakistani Christian woman, has been […]
UN must recognise persecution of Christians in Middle East as genocide, says human rights group
World Watch Monitor The European Centre for Law and Justice is appealing to the United Nations to recognise the persecution of Christians in Iraq and Syria as “genocide”, reports the US-based National Review. The ECLJ, an affiliate of the American Center for Law and Justice, said a “genocide” declaration is necessary to ensure victims are given […]
Religious freedom learning platform launched at UN
World Watch Monitor A new website to help promote understanding of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) was launched yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland, at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. The Sweden-based FoRB Learning Platform provides downloadable resources in 13 different languages, including quick guides to religious rights, movie clips, theological reflections, and links to other […]
Asia Bibi central to trade deals, EU tells Pakistan
World Watch Monitor The EU’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Jan Figeľ, told Pakistani officials during a recent visit that the renewal of their export privileges to Europe depends on the release of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman on death row for blasphemy since 2010. “The EU countries have started believing that […]
Second church in 10 days torn down in Sudan
World Watch Monitor A Sudan Church of Christ (SCOC) building has been demolished in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, 10 days after the destruction of another SCOC building in nearby Soba, 19 kilometres south of the city. Christian charity Middle East Concern (MEC) reports that the second demolition took place on 17th May in Khartoum’s Algadisia district. The Algadisia church […]
EU envoy calls on Sudan to release two convicted of aiding Czech Christian ‘spy’
World Watch Monitor The Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU, Jan Figel, who visited Sudan in mid-March, has called for the pardon of two jailed Sudanese men, one a leader in the Sudan Church of Christ. Both men were sentenced with the now-released Czech aid worker Petr […]
‘We must distinguish between Islam and terrorism’, says EU diplomat
World Watch Monitor Keeping the distinction between Islam and terrorism clear could prevent an ultimate ‘clash of civilisations’, an EU diplomat says. “All this hatred and bloodshed is a misuse of religion,” said Ján Figeľ, the European Commission’s first special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU. Failure to […]