Ekklesia | blasphemy

September 7, 2016

Russian blogger faces jail for playing Pokémon Go in a church

The detention of a Russian blogger from Yekaterinburg who has been sentenced to administrative arrest for two months after posting a video of himself playing Pokémon Go in a church is a farcical attack on freedom of expression, says Amnesty International.
January 23, 2015

A tug-of-war between our religions and our freedoms?

Religious fidelity and free speech can learn the art of coexistence despite the acerbic challenges that have flowed from the terrible Paris shootings and the arguments about Charlie Hebdo magazine, says Ekklesia associate and Middle East analyst Dr Harry Hagopian. The much harder – and harsher – question is whether we as followers of a religion or as advocates of free speech can coexist too?
November 24, 2014

New report reveals a surge in Indonesian convictions for blasphemy

A new briefing from Amnesty says the Indonesian authorities increasingly make use of a range of oppressive blasphemy laws to imprison individuals for their beliefs.
October 30, 2014

WCC expresses concern over latest in Bibi blasphemy case

The World Council of Churches is deeply concerned about the rejection of an appeal against the blasphemy death sentence for Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi.
January 31, 2014

Lawyers appeal Pakistani death sentence for Briton with severe mental health issues

Lawyers acting for Mohammed Asghar, a British man suffering from severe mental illness, have appealed against his death sentence for blasphemy at Pakistan’s High Court.
January 29, 2014

Pakistan death sentence Briton 'urgently' needs mental health treatment

Lawyers for Mohammed Asghar, a British man with severe mental health problems sentenced to death in Pakistan on blasphemy charges, finally gained access to their client yesterday (28 January).
January 26, 2014

Methodists in Britain express dismay at Pakistan blasphemy law reform

The Methodist president and vice-president have expressed grave concern over potential reforms to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law.
January 25, 2014

UK government urged to help Briton facing blasphemy death sentence in Pakistan

The Government must urgently act to protect an elderly, British man with severe mental health problems sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan, says Reprieve.
March 13, 2013

Solidarity expressed with Christians after attacks in Pakistan

The head of the World Council of Churches has strongly condemned attacks on Christians in Badami Bagh, Lahore, on Saturday 10 March.
November 2, 2012

'Muslim rage': re-engagement, not disengagement is needed

Back in September, there were expressions across the world of what was dubbed 'Muslim rage' by the media, following the tawdry trailer for a film entitled 'Innocence of Muslims' ostensibly intended to defame the Muslim prophet Muhammad and insult the ummah of Islam worldwide. But Dr Harry Hagopian paints a much deeper and wider picture of Muslim discontents and provocations experienced throughout the Middle East and North Africa and elsewhere. Challenging simplistic 'clash of civilisations' theses, he says that what we need is not further disengagement between peoples and cultures, but rather further re-engagement.

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