Religious persecution

One of the most joyous of holidays on the Jewish calendar

Thousands of members of the Christian Chin community who escaped severe religious persecution are now finding themselves as refugees in the United States contending with a different kind of menace: COVID-19.

International Religious Freedom: A New Era for Advocacy in Response to a New Age of Challenges and Threats at UN headquarters in New York March 1 featured international leaders in the movement to promote religious tolerance and counter oppression.

In Christianity, red is the color of martyrdom. For this reason on November 22, churches and public buildings around the world were lit up red in celebration of Red Wednesday —a day to honor and remember those killed or tortured for their religious beliefs.

Armenian communities around the world march in remembrance April 24 of the Armenian Genocide and in protest that Turkey still denies genocide in the killing by the Ottoman Empire of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915‑1923.

“What is To Be Done?” is a symposium April 20 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in response to reports of rising persecution of Christians in many countries.

U.S. Sikhs launched a million-dollar “We are Sikhs” initiative on Vaisakhi Day April 14, the Sikh New Year, that celebrates the founding of the community by Guru Nanak in the Punjab region of India in 1469.

Rabbi David Saperstein, whose term as Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom ended in January, reviewed the past two years of accomplishments and challenges in promoting freedom of religion or belief around the world, speaking at a panel discussion February 9 in Washington, D.C.

Persecution of Christians worldwide hit an all-time high in 2016, according to Open Doors USA in its annual World Watch List . The nonprofit, nondenominational international organization released its 25th annual list at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.