Stories about Religion
How China is trying to turn Xinjiang from concentration camp into tourist paradise
Overall, the accelerated and intensified assimilation program appears to have worked, and the authorities seem to have loosened the reins.
How Turkey’s opposition media empowers Erdoğan
President Erdoğan and his government are not the sole players in helping to consolidate the country’s democratic dismemberment. The danger comes from the very circles who despise his regime the most.
Azerbaijan speaks of peace while cracking down on Islam
Just last month, scores of religious believers were rounded up across the country. According to rights defenders, over 500 believers have been arrested just in the past year and a half.
Another wave of blasphemy in Pakistan
Blasphemy allegations in Pakistan resurfaced, prompting a smear campaign against the Chief. He faced criticism for ordering the release of a minority Ahmadiyya man accused in a blasphemy case.
Turkey's Erdoğan Silences Critics with “FETO” Terrorist Label
To date, tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have been accused of being FETO members, resulting in the loss of their jobs, possessions, livelihoods, and in many cases, their freedom.
Malaysian artists decry ‘Mentega Terbang’ film ban and blasphemy charge as ‘archaic form of content control’
"As a community that champions creative and artistic freedom, we must stand united in condemning any attempts to place undue restrictions on filmmakers or any artists."
Uzbekistan's recent anti-religious measures present a worrisome trend for its Muslims
This is not the first time Muslims in Uzbekistan, who make up 94 percent of the population, face persecution due to their beliefs.
Hong Kong: Annual prophesy says ‘all efforts will be in vain’ this year of the Dragon
Some prophecy interpreters refrained from presenting their readings to the public out of fear that negative comments on Hong Kong may cause trouble.
Overcoming the patriarchy in India's caste system: Minal's story
"I don't believe feminism should strive for matriarchy, which doesn't translate to equality, but for the equal acceptance of everyone as human beings, regardless of gender."
Benin: The National Vodun Festival is now ‘Vodun Days’
Starting in January 2024, Benin will commemorate Vodun religion with a two-day festival now called 'Vodun Days'
Kyrgyzstan’s self-proclaimed ‘new God’ and former presidential candidate found dead in prison
Abdyldaev’s death is another incident of the alarming trend that has been unfolding under the rule of the current president Sadyr Japarov.
In Georgia, controversy over a Stalin icon makes headlines at home and abroad
Georgia was thrown into controversy when worshipers found a painting of Saint Matrona of Moscow, a 20th-century Russian Orthodox Church saint, with a man who appears to be Joseph Stalin.
In Turkey yet another television show finds itself in hot water
In a country deeply divided between secular citizens and pious Muslims, the show hit a nerve. The question remains whether, this time, a show can make a difference in society.
Bethlehem church creates rubble nativity scene this Christmas
A church in Bethlehem has decided to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ differently this year, symbolizing the suffering of children in Gaza amid Israel's ongoing indiscriminate war.
Religious minorities in Iran face cultural violence
Over the last 45 years, the Islamic Republic has weaponized textbooks, religious debates, movies, city walls, and even cemeteries to impose cultural violence, particularly over religious minorities, but it faced resistance.
How climate change is affecting mental health in some of the Caribbean's Indigenous communities
"Climate change events [cause] a disconnection through displacement and loss of our homes, our land, and our ways of doing things. Having to relocate and start over is traumatic."
One year after the Ürümqi fire that kicked off protests across China: Interview with Uyghur activist Rushan Abbas
Global Voices interviewed Uyghur activist Rushan Abbas to assess how the human rights situation of Uyghurs has changed since the Ürümqi fire and talk about the future of Uyghur-Han Chinese relations.
Spontaneous protests in today’s Russia are extremely dangerous, but in Dagestan the practice continues
The slogan “We will not let Israeli refugees into Dagestan” arose from the assumption that the "Mountain Jews" living in Israel would want to send their women, children, and old people to where they lived before.
What to make of the Taliban's increasing engagement with China
The multi billion dollar investment deals created an unprecedented buzz around the future of Chinese presence in Afghanistan.
Jamaicans express disappointment over their country’s ‘no-show’ UN Gaza vote
Jamaica was the only Caribbean nation to not vote on the UN resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza.
Decoding Chinese views on Palestine-Israel: Interview with independent journalist Vivian Wu
Global Voices interviewed US-based Chinese journalist Vivian Wu to explore how Israel's war on Gaza conflict is perceived in the Sinophone world.