The ruling exempts English-speaking schools and effectively allows provincial legislators to wear turbans or head scarves, but it angered civil liberties advocates as discriminatory.
Tag: Freedom of Religion
State Dept. Reverses Trump Policies on Reproductive and Religious Freedoms
Even as Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken similarly condemned abuses and oppression from China to Syria to Venezuela, he overturned aspects of the Trump administration’s human rights agenda.
Indonesia Says Schools Can’t Make Girls Wear Head Scarves
The decree, which applies to public schools in the Muslim-majority country, came after a Christian father confronted an official at his daughter’s school.
An Embattled Public Servant in a Fractured France
Nicolas Cadène sees the failings of France’s secular model even as he upholds it.
France’s Hardening Defense of Cartoons of Muhammad Could Lead to ‘a Trap’
Once denounced by French leaders, the images are now defended across the political spectrum, widening a divide with Muslim nations and leaving many French Muslims alienated.
Vatican Extends Deal With China Over Appointment of Bishops
The agreement calls for China to formally recognize the pope’s authority within the church, while the Vatican in turn recognized the legitimacy of bishops previously appointed by Beijing.
Glimpses of the Isolated Communities Along a Remote Siberian River
Once a vast prison ground for political exiles, the banks of the Ket River are now home to a range of solitary settlements.
American Accused of Blasphemy Is Killed in Pakistan Courtroom
The shooting of Tahir Ahmad Naseem drew strong U.S. condemnation of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which are often used to persecute and intimidate religious minorities.
Muslims Organize Huge Protests Across India, Challenging Modi
As nationwide demonstrations entered their fourth week, India’s Muslims — long a fragmented group — organized into a formidable force against a contentious citizenship law.
Pope Francis, in Christmas Speech, Urges Nations to Tend to Refugees
In his traditional holiday benediction, Francis renewed his call to resolve conflicts and to help those who have fled them.