LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Religious freedom in Pakistan is facing unprecedented threats as Muslim extremist groups increase their hold on public officials, according to a report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The report, “Streets of Fear: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2024/25,” which documents violations of such freedoms […] The post Islamist Influence Growing in Pakistan, Report Says appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Two years after Islamist attacks on Christians in the Jaranwala area in Punjab Province, Pakistan, hopes for justice are dimming amid the sabotaging of prosecution efforts, advocates said. None of the perpetrators have been convicted after they ransacked and damaged more than 25 church buildings and 85 homes […] The post Justice Elusive 2 Years after Attacks on Christians in Pakistan appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
Efforts to curb abuse of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws suffered a major setback on Thursday (July 24) when judges suspended a prior court order to form a commission to investigate misuse of the harsh laws, sources said.| Morningstar News
In what attorneys in Pakistan termed a “huge ray of hope,” a federal high court on Tuesday (July 15) directed the government to form an inquiry commission within 30 days to investigate blatant abuse of blasphemy laws.| Morningstar News
On 2nd June this year, Hamit Coskun, a Turkish political refugee who is clearly not a fan of Islam, was found guilty of an aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates Court, after burning a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge. Among other opinions, Mr Coskun had expressed the view that Islam was a religion of terror, and that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was making Turkey a base for radical Islamists. Alarmed at what he described ...| Voice for Justice
Church leaders and others in Pakistan lauded the producers and cast of a TV drama for risking their lives to broadcast an unprecedented, national media portrayal of the violent injustice resulting from blasphemy laws.| Morningstar News
Do we already have blasphemy laws? Don Milligan thinks o.| Academics For Academic Freedom
The Guardian (UK) reports: A man who created a Facebook page poking fun at a revered Greek Orthodox monk has been sentenced to 10 months in prison in Greece after being found guilty of blasphemy…. Filippos Loizos, 28, … used a play on words to portray Father Paisios as a traditional pasta-based dish [pastitsio -EV] […]| The Volokh Conspiracy