View Post

21Wilberforce Working to Advance Religious Freedom

In the 19th century, British Parliamentarian William Wilberforce identified the slave trade as the single greatest violation of human rights. Over several years he led a successful abolition movement through collaborative partnerships, grassroots empowerment, and policy campaigns. 21Wilberforce is employing this powerful model to train and empower others, facilitate results-based solutions, and work with like-minded partners to advance religious freedom. …

View Post

IRF Leaders Call for Quick Affirmation of Rashad Hussain as Religious Freedom Ambassador

In this hyperpartisan era of American politics, international religious freedom has consistently been one aspect of American public policy that still enjoys strong bipartisan support and cooperation. Hussain has enormous credibility across a broad range of faith groups, built on years of leadership in efforts for religious freedom. His nomination has brought enthusiastic praise from groups ranging from the Southern …

View Post

STAND WITH THE PERSECUTED IN PRAYER: FREE 2021 IDOP RESOURCE KIT

This November, millions of Christians worldwide will gather together for one cause: to unite the global Church for International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the Persecuted 2021. On November 7,  faith communities and churches around the world will pray for those persecuted for their faith. Prepare for IDOP 2021 with a free IDOP Resource Kit. Included are message themes, a bulletin insert, children’s resources, …

View Post

Afghanistan: Fear and Uncertainty for Religious Minorities

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the United States government to include religious minority communities facing severe risk in evacuations to escape persecution from the Taliban. “While the United States government is working around the clock to evacuate American citizens and Afghans with U.S. affiliations, Afghan religious minorities face extreme risk from the Taliban and …

View Post

From one crackdown to another: The life of Xu Na

In China, June is a somber month for those who remember the mass pro-democracy protests across the country and the military’s bloody crackdown in 1989. Remembrance itself is an act of defiance against the suppression and manipulation of history by the Chinese authorities. Each year, events are held worldwide to pay tributes to the victims and their families. What is …

View Post

State Department releases 2020 International Religious Freedom Report

The U.S. State Department has produced the International Religious Freedom Report every year for 23 years. The report offers a comprehensive review of the state of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and territories. The report covers government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world. …

View Post

112 KIDNAPPED NIGERIAN SCHOOLGIRLS STILL MISSING, SEVEN YEARS ON

‘I’m Chibok girl Dad. Bring Back Our Girls Now’ read the white letters on the man’s red T-shirt. The same morning – April 15, seven years ago – he woke to hear his daughter had been abducted from her school dormitory at night. He’s not seen her since, and has no idea if she is alive or dead. But amidst …

View Post

India…Partly Free

On April 6th nearly 100 million people in India voted to elect 475 assembly seats across four states and one Union territory: Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Counting of assembly elections will take place May 2nd. The campaigns leading up to the election have been contentious with a focus on faith and religion issues, along with development …

View Post

What Does the Military Coup in Burma Mean for the Persecuted?

David Eubanks of Free Burma Rangers shares this disturbing story. We walked into a small jungle clearing to see children sitting under the trees reading their lessons. They were intensively focused on their books and learning their subjects. One little boy was reading an English lesson and one girl looked up from her reading and gave us a big smile. …

View Post

Honoring Some Yazidi Genocide Victims with a Proper Burial

Yazidis have a long history of religious persecution. The most recent horrors happened in August of 2014 when the Islamic State (ISIS) began an organized campaign against them that involved ethnic cleansing in the form of mass executions, enslavement, forced conversions and recruitment of child soldiers, and sexual violence. These crimes resulted in the massacre of thousands of Yazidis and the …