“Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said several new syariah legislation will be created and others amended under a five-year plan.
He said among the changes afoot will be amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) and introducing a Control and Restriction on the Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions Bill.”
Read the news on Malaysiakini.
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Read the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on FoRB on Combatting Anti Muslim Hatred in this link / (A/HRC/46/30).
Picture credit to the European Commission
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“After years of inaction, the Indonesian government is finally acting to prevent state schools from forcing students or staff to wear headscarves or other religious clothing. On 3 February, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Religion issued a joint ministerial decision on uniforms for students, teachers and staff in primary and middle schools.”
Read the article by Lies Marcoes here.
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Read Sebastian Strangio’s insights on the Diplomat. It highlights the hope for a better protection of religious minorities in Indonesia under the leadership of the newly appointed Minister for Religious Affairs. He also wrote an overview on the outlaw of the Islamic Defenders Fronts.
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Read an opinion by James M Dorsey suggesting that Indonesia has to date sought to walk a fine line in escalating tensions between the United States and China, including its refusal to speak out on the plight of the Uighurs. Indonesia has further sought to balance rejection of Chinese maritime claims in Indonesian waters with a desire to attract Chinese investment.
The opinion also highlights some recent developments and issues related to FoRB in the country, including the appointment of the new Minister for Religious Affairs, and the outlaw of the Islamic Defenders Fronts on the ground of the Presidential Decree.
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JOHOR BAHRU: Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has weighed in on a recent issue involving a Malaysian Muslim woman whose wedding ceremony in India was carried out in accordance with Sikh customs.
To read the news, please click the link on Channel News Asia.
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A pastor's son in Vietnam reveals how authorities imprisoned and pressured his father repeatedly to renounce his faith - and how they also pressured him and their family to turn their backs on Christ as well.
Read the article in this link on Christian Daily.
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PUTRAJAYA, Dec 16 — A Malaysian woman who was born to a Muslim man and a Buddhist woman was never a Muslim to begin with as the parents were not married and as she was an illegitimate child, and the declaration of her religious status as a non-Muslim should be made by the civil courts instead of the Shariah courts, the Federal Court heard today.
Read the news in this link on Malay Mail.
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Nineteen organisations co-authored the Report titled “Hate Speech Ignited; Understanding Hate Speech in Myanmar”. “The report was written based on the information and data collection, monitoring, analytical insights and experiences with hate speech by civil society organizations working to reduce and/or directly affected by hate speech. The research for the report was coordinated by Burma Monitor (Research and Monitoring) and Progressive Voice and written with the assistance of the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School. The report is available in this link.
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Held online on October 20th, 2020 from 14.00 to 16.00 (Bangkok time) ,‘' The Impact of Corona Crisis on Human Rights and FoRB in Southeast Asia’ is part of a webinar series for the 2020 SEAFoRB Conference. This webinar is co-organized by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB), and Stefanus Alliance International (SAI).
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Desi Hanara, the Regional Coordinator for the joint project of the IPPFoRB and APHR wrote an op-ed on The Diplomat. The article explores the significance of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 as a viable alternative to blasphemy law. It calls on Indonesia to intensify its efforts to implement the resolution, and make immediate steps to repeal its 1965 Blasphemy Law and amend its draft Penal Code by shifting the criminalisation of blasphemy into criminalisation of incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, to prevent from perpetuating discrimination against the minorities.
The article is timed to respond to the aggravating legislative steps by the Indonesian Parliament in expanding the provisions related to blasphemy under the draft Penal Code, which is expected to be tabled soon in the parliament amidst the worsening pandemic situation in our country.
The full article is accessible in this link.
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