Author: Felix Corley

Source: Forum 18

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1096

The Presidential Administration has rejected for now a harsh new Decree which would have brought in sweeping controls on religious activity. But Kanat Murzakhalilov, Deputy Head of the State Agency for Religious Affairs, told Forum 18 News Service that his agency hopes to present a final draft of a controversial new Religion Law to the government...

Author: Thomas Erdbrink and Karin Brulliard

Source: Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022903488.html

For decades the United States has funded an effort intended to help Christians, Zoroastrians and Jews escape persecution in Iran. Now some of their leaders are questioning American motives as sects that have endured here for thousands of years dwindle...

Author: Press Release

Source: Hindu American Foundation

http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/media_press_release_israel.htm

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) was represented in a delegation of Hindu spiritual and lay leaders that visited Israel last week to attend the Second International Hindu-Jewish Summit organized by the World Council of Religious Leaders (WCORL) in conjunction with the American Jewish...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/606

The Iranian Parliament is considering legislation that would institutionalize a series of gross human rights violations, affecting not only Baha'is but many others, even outside of Iran, the Baha'i International Community said today.

Of greatest concern is a section that would mandate the death penalty for anyone who converts from Islam to...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/605

Twenty-five-year-old Andreas Rolle is in his final year of university, studying to become an elementary-school teacher. Like many students, he describes his daily life as "frenzied."

But he has discovered a small island of peace in his schedule: a prayer meeting every two weeks hosted by five Baha'is, also students in Heidelberg, a university...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://news.bahai.org/story/604

A new statement from the Baha'i International Community calls for a coherent, principle-based approach to the eradication of global poverty.

BIC representatives introduced the statement, "Eradicating Poverty: Moving Forward as One," yesterday at a luncheon held at their offices across from the United Nations. About 40 representatives from various non-...

Author: Felix Corley

Source: Forum 18

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1082

The police raid on a Jehovah's Witness meeting in a private home in Barda on 30 January is the latest attempt to suppress religious meetings in private homes, Forum 18 News Service has found. "If this was a religious group, why were they meeting in a private house?" Orhan Mansuzade of the Interior Ministry in Baku told Forum 18. "The Jehovah's...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/602

Accusations by the Iranian government that 54 Baha'is were engaged in anti-regime "propaganda" when they were arrested almost two years ago are patently false, the Baha'i International Community said today.

In November, three of that group were re-arrested and imprisoned for four years. The others have reportedly been given suspended one-year...

Author: Deborah Bulkeley

Source: Desert Morning News

https://www.deseret.com/2008/2/5/20068684/will-utah-help-fund-refugee-services

Elham Makedeh's 1 1/2-year-old son, Parsa Seysan, cheerfully waved fliers as Makedeh's...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: AP

http://www.syracuse.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-42/1201672155266670.xml&storylist=world

Iran on Tuesday said more than 50 followers of the minority Baha'i faith were convicted of distributing propaganda against the country's Islamic regime, state media reported.

Ali Reza Jamshidi, Iran's judiciary spokesman, said three...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://news.bahai.org/story/597

Court hearings on two lawsuits filed by Baha'is over the government's policy on religious affiliation and national identity papers have been continued until 22 January 2008.

The two cases, the first by the father of twin children who is seeking to obtain proper birth certificates for them and the second by a college student who needs a national identity card to...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/593

Television talk shows often use conflict as their formula to win viewers, but a young producer in Finland is making a go of it with a different model.

On his Monday night program, Aram Aflatuni presents a problem, then has a panel of experts try to solve it using consultation and cooperation.

"I don't believe in confrontational journalism...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/588

A committee of the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution today expressing "deep concern" about "ongoing systematic violations of human rights" in Iran.

Put forward by Canada and co-sponsored by 41 other countries, the resolution took note of repression and persecution aimed by the Iranian government at groups ranging from women...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.news.bahai.org/story/587

Egypt should end discriminatory practices that prevent Baha'is and others from listing their true religious beliefs on government documents, said Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights in a major report released this week.

The 98-page report, titled "Prohibited Identities: State Interference with Religious Freedom," focused on...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: TVNZ.Reuters

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1444148

Human rights groups said that Egypt routinely denies converts from Islam and members of unrecognised minority faiths such as Baha'is the right to list their true religious affiliation on key identity documents.

Regulations, rigidly enforced in Egypt, require that official documents show a religious affiliation chosen from three recognised faiths: Islam...