Persecution

Most of world lacks real religious freedom, UN official says
The AP reports: "Three-quarters of the world’s people live in countries that either restrict the right to religion or belief or have “a high level of social hostility involving religion or belief,” the U.N. special investigator on religious rights said Tuesday. Ahmed Shaheed told the General Assembly’s human rights committee that religious intolerance is prevalent globally — and rising around the world. He said over 70 countries currently have anti-blasphemy laws that can be used to suppress dissenting views, in violation of international human rights standards. Shaheed, a former politician and human rights expert from the Maldives, urged those countries to repeal the blasphemy laws. He also called for the repeal of all laws that undermine the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief — or discriminate against that right."

Comment: Did you know there are no churches in Saudi Arabia? None. If you moved there and decided that you might like to have Sunday services for your particular Christian denomination at a local community center, that would be illegal. You would get into a great deal of trouble. It makes sense though, because Saudi Arabia is officially a Muslim country and was never intended to be an open and pluralist society. It says so on the brochure.