The War Over Blasphemy

Lobelog: Two weeks ago, Iceland abolished its 75-year-old blasphemy law. The parliament’s decision was a victory for the unconventional Pirate Party, which made the call to abolish the blasphemy law in Iceland after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in France. Churches in Iceland publically opposed this step, but this didn’t […]

For Ahmadiyah in Indonesia, Persecution Remains Unaddressed

Jakarta Globe: Jakarta. Members of the Ahmadiyah community in Indonesia continue to be discriminated against and religious leaders say a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach is needed to address persecution against the group. “In general, the marginalization and stigmatization of Ahmadiyah groups have evolved into acts of discrimination,” said Yendra Budiana, spokesman for Jemaat Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI). “Our beliefs are now criminalized […]

Putin Is Down With Polygamy

In assenting to coerced, teenage marriages in Chechnya, Russia’s Christian warrior has made a devil’s bargain with an Islamist thug. BY JULIA IOFFE JULY 24, 2015 It’s not news that Vladimir Putin has become a hero for the European right wing. Far-right activists and party leaders from Britain to Hungary […]

Denmark to run anti-refugee advertisements

Integration Minister Inger Støjberg. Photo: Keld Navntoft/Scanpix Denmark to run anti-refugee advertisements Published: 24 Jul 2015 08:45 GMT+02:00 The government plans to launch an information campaign in foreign newspapers to deter refugees in response to human smugglers publishing comparative information on refugee benefits in EU countries. Integration Minister Inger Støjberg […]

Obama in Kenya: ‘Africa is on the move’

Associated Press NAIROBI: President Barack Obama says good-governance and inclusivity for women and minorities are keys to entrepreneurship taking off in Africa. Obama is speaking at a U.S.-sponsored business summit in Nairobi, Kenya. He says to create successful entrepreneurs, governments also must create transparency, rule of law and an environment […]

Humdrum at the Turkish frontier

TULU GÜMÜŞTEKIN@GumustekinTulu Published13 hours ago With the region in chaos on the one hand and the attitude of the Assad regime in Syria leading to a dangerous deadlock on the other, ISIS has become a fully-fledged armed terrorist group challenging an entire region The total disappearance of the Syrian state […]