The dramatic intensification of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that commenced February 24, 2022 (with origins that go back to 2014) constitutes a shameful and horrific injustice. In the context of this ongoing conflict, RFI seeks to increase understanding of the religious dynamics of the region — both the thriving landscape of religious pluralism in Ukraine and the many dimensions of religious freedom that have helped to secure and foster it. The resources below address these themes, and RFI will continue to add to them throughout the crisis.
RFI’s Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team has joined several religious institutions in a friend of the court brief filed in the Supreme Court in support of the religious liberty of Quaker prisoners. The case is Green Haven Preparative Meeting v. New York State Department of Corrections, No. 21-1027.
From February 12-19, RFI’s Vice President for Public Policy, David Trimble, joined Jeremy Barker, Director of RFI’s Middle East Action Team, to lead a series of religious freedom trainings and public events across Iraq.
RFI Excecutive Vice President Eric Patterson recently authored an article published in WORLD titled, “Beijing’s Berlin moment.” In it he draws parallels between the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and asks what should have been done differently in the lead up to the current games, and what should be done now as they begin, to avoid letting “the Olympics overshadow China’s human rights abuses.”
RFI Executive Vice President Eric Patterson recently authored an article for Providence titled, “Populism in France’s Presidential Election” in which he argues:
For those who believe that a rules-based Western liberal order—with limited government, civil liberties, and a basic form of collective security among democracies—is crucial for world peace, France’s populism reminds us of the threats to democracy and Western solidarity.
On March 30, a Finnish court decision brought good news to everyone who loves freedom of speech and religion. Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, who was on trial for hate speech for expressing convictions that arise out of her Christian faith, was acquitted on all counts. Her views cut to the heart of the prevailing view of sexuality today in the West. On Twitter and Facebook, she posted content calling homosexuality "dishonorable," "contrary to nature," and "shameless."
The dramatic intensification of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that commenced February 24, 2022 (with origins that go back to 2014) constitutes a shameful and horrific injustice. In the context of this ongoing conflict, RFI seeks to increase understanding of the religious dynamics of the region — both the thriving landscape of religious pluralism in Ukraine and the many dimensions of religious freedom that have helped to secure and foster it. The resources below address these themes, and RFI will continue to add to them throughout the crisis.
RFI Executive Vice President Eric Patterson this week authored a piece for WORLD magazine titled, “A Threat to Russian Authoritarianism.” In it, Patterson explains how Ukraine’s vibrant religious diversity and religious freedom threatens and provides a clear alternative to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian ways.
Paul Marshall, Director of RFI’s South and Southeast Action Team, recently authored an article for Providence reviewing the latest biography by Lela Gilbert titled, Baroness Cox: Eyewitness to a Broken World. He outlines his personal interactions with Caroline Cox, Baroness of Queensbury, and explains why she is such an important figure in the fight to protect the rights of religious minorities in societies around the world.
Paul Marshall, Director of RFI’s South and Southeast Action Team, this week co-authored an article in the Washington Examiner with Nina Shea, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, titled, “In Finland, expressing religious beliefs is ‘hate speech.’”
Kareem P.A. McDonald, research fellow for RFI’s Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team, authored an article recently published in The International Journal for Religious Freedom. In the article titled, “What’s religion got to do with it?” McDonald explores the religious aspects of harassment cases in Danish asylum centers, as well as frustrations of local religious leaders with center managers and their faulty understanding of religious freedom.
Co-authored by FORIS scholars Paul Marshall of Baylor University, Timothy Shah of the University of Dallas, Stanley Carlson-Thies of the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, and Kathleen Brady of Emory University, it sets forth a framework for policymakers—primarily in the United States, Canada, and other Western countries—to protect institutional religious freedom. Mark Rienzi, also a FORIS scholar (and President of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty), contributed to the development of key themes and provided comments on the report.
Last June, a Russian court sentenced Jehovah’s Witness, Andrew Stupnikov, to six years in prison. He previously spent nearly eight months in detention and four months under house arrest. The same day of Stupnikov’s sentencing, another Russian court sentenced four other Jehovah’s Witnesses to 3-5 years in prison. These cases have been prosecuted under counter-terrorism laws.
Todd Huizinga, RFI’s Senior Fellow for Europe and a former U.S. diplomat, discussed President Biden’s appointment of Scott Miller as Ambassador to Switzerland during an interview on The Drew Mariani Show this week.
In a recent article published in Providence, Paul Marshall, Director of RFI’s South and Southeast Asia Team and scholar on its FORIS Project, writes on “Sideswiping Religious Freedom in France and Denmark.” In an effort to eradicate radical Islam in their country, Marshall argues, the French government has proposed troubling measures that broadly undermine religious freedom, in both its individual and institutional dimensions. He observes that similar proposals, although “less draconian,” have been advanced by Denmark.
