#CHINA: New Laws Restrict Religions To Five Approved Groups

[world politics news]

 

Human rights watchdogs are worried that the Chinese communist regime is ramping up its crackdown on Christians throughout the communist country. 

The new laws, titled the Measures on the Management of Religious Clergy, 

The laws are an attempt to tighten control of China’s five sanctioned religious groups which include the Buddhist Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Islamic Association of China, the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

All other religious activity outside of those bodies will now be banned and is punishable by the state.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#INDIA: Four Arrested For Seeking Christian Converts Under New State Law

[world politics news] 

A Korean Christian and three nationals of India are in jail in Uttar Pradesh state, India, accused of fraudulent conversion attempts while distributing food and other aid to people in need due to COVID-19 lockdown.

Under a new “anti-conversion” law that went into effect in Uttar Pradesh state, India on Nov. 28, police arrested 50-year-old Mi Kyung Lee of Seoul, South Korea and the three others in Greater Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar District, said the aid organizer, Raj Kumar Masih.

The four were arrested and charged with offering money do Hindus if they removed idols of Hindu gods from their homes.

[FULL STORY HERE] 

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world. 

 

#MALAYSIA: Former Prime Minister Says Muslims Have "The Right To Kill Millions Of French" During Mohammed Pic Controversy

[world politics news] 

Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has sparked an uproar by claiming that Muslims have “a right to be angry and kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past."

The comments appeared on the 95-year-old’s blog on Thursday evening as part of Mahathir’s response to calls from Muslim nations to boycott French products. Twitter has since removed one of the elder statesman’s tweets containing his latest remarks after deeming it violated its rules. Earlier, it left the tweet accessible “in the public interest”.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#FRANCE: Outrage Over President's Comments About Islam Grows

[world politics news] 

The backlash over French President Emmanuel Macron’s critique of Islam has intensified after Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan questioned his counterpart’s mental health, while Muslims in several countries are demanding a boycott of France.

The French debate on Islam was deepened after the beheading of a teacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad – previously published by a satirical magazine – in a class on freedom of expression. Muslims believe that any depiction of the Prophet is blasphemous.

Earlier this month, Macron described Islam as a religion “in crisis” worldwide and vowed to present a bill in December to strengthen a law that officially separated church and state in France.

Despite outrage in the Muslim world, Macron has found much support in Europe for his stance in favor of freedom of speech.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#MONTENEGRO: New Law Would Force Churches To Prove Ownership Of Pre-World War One Properties

[world politics news]

The Montenegrin parliament passed the controversial Freedom of Religious Law amid chaotic scenes on Friday, despite fierce objections from the Serbian Orthodox Church, its supporters and pro-Serbian opposition parties.

Under the law, religious communities will have to provide clear evidence of their Pre-World War I ownership in order to retain their properties, a provision that the Serbian Church says is designed to allow the government to strip it of its holdings, since surviving documentation from that era is nearly non-existent.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#TUNISIA: PM Bans Niqab In Gov't Offices After Bombing

[world politics news]

Tunisia has banned the wearing of the niqab in state-run buildings, citing security reasons following the terror attacks last month.

The Muslin-majority country's Prime Minister Youssef Chahed signed a government circular "banning access to public administrations and institutions to anyone with their face covered... for security reasons."

The ban on the face-veil comes following the double suicide bombing that shook Tunis on June 27. The attacks left two people dead and several others injured. Witnesses at the time claimed that one of the bombers was donning niqab, however, Tunisia's Ministry of the Interior has denied this.

The ban has been criticized as restricting freeom, but concerns that the nation's booming tourist trade would br affected by the violence has trumped those concerns.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#INDONESIA: President Seeks Islamist Votes; Meanwhile, Attacks On Christian Burial Sites Rise

[world politics news]

Police are investigating the desecration of 11 Christian tombs that were desecrated at a public cemetery in Giriloyo, in a perceived attack against Christians. The graveyard had wooden crosses removed from burial stones, and burial stones were smashed with a hammer, destroying parts of the burial site.

This is one of several incidents signaling deeper divisions between Indonesian Christians and the country's President, Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election next April against Islamist political parties who have accused him of not being a “good Muslim.” Fears of a worldwide crackdown against Christianity are rising.

 [FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#THENETHERLANDS: Anti-Muslim MP Geert Wilders' Proposal To Ban Islam In Holland Fails To Gain Support

[world politics news]

A proposal from the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party to ban Islam in Holland failed to gain any support in parliament recently. Geert Wilders, an outspoken campaigner against Islam in Europe, spoke passionately on the proposal, which would have banned all forms of Islamic expressions in the Netherlands, including mosques, Islamic clothing, and public prayer. He said Prime Minister Mark Rutte had "lost his mind" by allowing 400,000 "non-western immigrants into the Netherlands." Others noted that the proposal violated religious freedom. The debate included a vulgar exchange, in which Wilders and a Turkish-born member of Parliament reportedly told each other to "F--- off." Wilders told the MP, "your country is Turkey."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#NEPAL: New Law Seeks To Stop Christian Conversions; Protects Against "Hurting Religious Feelings"

[world politics news]

A law criminalizing religious conversions and the "hurting of religious feelings" has gone into effect in Nepal, a year after the bill was passed. Nepal's Christian minority fears the new law will be abused by those seeking to settle scores, as has happened frequently in neighboring India. Nepal’s 2007 interim Constitution declared the country a secular state that maintained neutrality in religious affairs. That language was included in the 2015 Constitution, despite protests from Hindu nationalists, who wanted a return to Hindu statehood and who continue to protest over the word “secular” – a word they say is inappropriately adopted from the West.


[FULL STORY HERE]

#QATAR: Rouge Sheikh Tears Into Rulers For Preventing Qataris From Attending Islamic Pilgrimage

[world politics news]

In a tweet, Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, called preventing Qataris  from performing the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in neighboring Saudi Arabia an "injustice," and that the nation's rulers "held accountable for their crimes." The sheikh has urged his nation to "purge" terrorists and sever tries with Iran, ties that led to a diplomatic break with Saudi Arabia last year. The sheikh's assets were frozen by the government last year after he held a gathering of those who wish to overthrow the government, which he says has lost the right to rule.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRIA: Regional Animal Welfare Minister Suggests "Registering Jews" Who Want To Kill Animals For Kosher Food - Gov't Rejects Idea

[world politics news]

A regional politician's plan that would have allowed Jews to buy kosher meat only if they were officially registered and granted a special permit has been quickly shot down by Federal officials. The Minister for Animal Welfare in the state of Lower Austria, Gottfried Waldhausl, said it was an attempt to reduce the amount of animals ritually slaughtered every year. Government spokesman Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal said Austria would "protect the freedoms and fundamental rights of our Jewish fellow citizens." And tweeted, "The Federal Government rejects any form of personal registration in connection with the purchase of kosher meat, such an idea is out of question."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#THEPHILIPPINES: President Challenges Catholics: Will Resign If You Show Me A "Selfie With God"

[world politics news]

The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has offered to resign if anyone can take a selfie with God to prove he exists. His comments came just days after he called God "stupid". "If any one can go to heaven, talk to God, and take a selfie – I will resign." The latest outburst shows Duterte, aged 73, increasingly at odds with the Catholic Church, in which he was raised and to which most Filipinos belong.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#IRELAND: Referendum To Repeal Blasphemy Clause In Constitution Planned For October

[world politics news]

The Cabinet has agreed that a referendum should be held later this year on removing the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan brought a proposal to Tuesday’s meeting seeking approval to proceed with the referendum, which is expected to be held in October.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#NORWAY: Progress Party To Consider Nationwide Ban Of The Muslim Call To Prayer

[world politics news]

Norway’s Progress Party, part of the ruling two-party coalition, is set to vote on banning the Muslim call to prayer in Norway when it meets for its national convention this weekend. The proposal is aimed to counter plans by some mosques in Norway to begin issuing the Islamic call to worship, as has been allowed at two mosques in neighboring Sweden.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#DENMARK: Lawmakers Outlaw Full-Face Veils Worn By Muslim Women; Deny It's A "Burqua Ban"

[world politics news]

Denmark's parliament has voted to ban the niqab and burqa, becoming the fifth European country to pass such a law. Lawmakers voted 75-30 in favor of the legislation which had been put forward by the governing center-right coalition. Politicians insist the law does not target any religion, but it has become known colloquially as the 'burqa ban'.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#ICELAND: Proposal To Ban Circumcision Rite Has Jewish Groups Raising Religious Freedom Concerns

[world politics news]

Jewish groups have strongly criticized a move by five different groups in the Icelandic parliament parliament to ban circumcision. They have warned the proposed ban would make Iceland one of the only countries in the world 'to ban one of the most central, if not the most central rite in the Jewish tradition in modern times.' The proposal to prohibit circumcision  has been put forward by Progressive Party MP Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir and is backed by several other Icelandic politicians.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#EGYPT: Parliament Considers Law Banning Atheism Amid Crackdown On Dissidents

[world politics news]

Egyptian parliament has in recent days discussed a proposed bill to criminalize atheism. The draft law was submitted by Amr Hamroush, the head of parliament’s Committee on Religion, who argues that lack of belief in God is a form of contempt of religion, which is punishable by up to five years in prison under Egyptian law.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#INDONESIA: Top Court Overturns Discriminatory Religious ID Law

[world politics news]

Indonesia's top court has overturned a law that denied recognition and legal rights to followers of indigenous faiths. The Constitutional Court said articles in the 2013 Civil Administration Law were discriminatory and unjust. The law effectively required followers of faiths not among the six recognized by the government to list one of the official religions on their national identity card or be denied basic rights such as marriage registration and land titles.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRIA: Islamic Veil And Other Face-Concealing Items Banned As Of Today

[world politics news]

New restrictions come into force in Austria on Sunday banning the wearing of the full Islamic veil and other items concealing the face in public places and buildings. Exemptions "under certain conditions" include items like clown disguises "at cultural events," work wear such as medical masks, and scarves in cold weather, the government says. The restrictions are aimed at "ensuring the cohesion of society in an open society," it says. Violations will be punished with a fine of up to 150 euros ($177).

[FULL STORY HERE]

#ISRAEL: Lawmakers Move To Name Israel "National Home Of The Jewish People"

[world politics news]

With a 48-41 vote in the 120-seat Knesset, Israeli lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill to redefine Israel as "the national home of the Jewish people." Authors called the bill, which would enshrine Hebrew as Israel's official language, "especially crucial in times like these, when there are those who seek to undermine the Jewish people's right to a national home in their land." The bill revokes the status of Arabic as an official language, even though it is the mother tongue of one in five citizens.

[FULL STORY HERE]