free speech
Kardashian pope * Kim Davis * Beef party : September’s Religious Freedom Recap
By Brian Pellot — October 2, 2015
Celebrity Pope Francis photobombed selfies on his U.S. album launch tour. Conservative “It Girl” Kim Davis sat in jail and won awards for not doing her job. And India threw a “beef party” to celebrate religious tolerance and protest new meat bans.
8 ‘blasphemous’ books banned for offending believers
By Brian Pellot — September 29, 2015
The Bible and Fifty Shades of Grey share more than a few raunchy sex scenes. On Banned Books Week and International Blasphemy Rights Day, these eight titles are still too hot to handle.
Why Thailand’s demigod king and military junta are cracking down on ‘blasphemy’
By Brian Pellot — September 24, 2015
Thailand’s lèse majesté laws shield a deified king from criticism, an outdated monarchy from reform and a military junta from accountability.
Marijuana ministries * Chicken blood * Chocolate snakes: July’s Religious Freedom Recap
By Brian Pellot — July 31, 2015
Cannabis churches are billowing out across America. Chicken huggers are suing to keep ritual bird blood off Brooklyn’s sidewalks. And a South African prophet is being prosecuted for turning congregants into snakes and snakes into chocolate.
Told ya so! The UAE’s new ‘anti-discrimination’ law is already being abused to censor critics
By Brian Pellot — July 28, 2015
Last week’s royal decree, which leaders touted as a shield against religious hatred and discrimination, is already being used as a sword to suppress government critics.
‘Free speech’ or criminal front? Armslist, Ashley Madison and Silk Road blur legal and moral lines
By Brian Pellot — July 24, 2015
Are websites that facilitate the exchange of guns, drugs and sex "free speech forums," as many claim, or something far more sinister?
When thin-skinned Zoroastrians sue Snoop Dogg, we all lose
By Brian Pellot — July 8, 2015
Members of India’s Parsi community are suing Snoop Dogg and others for featuring a Zoroastrian symbol in a new music video they’ve deemed “insensitive” to their faith. Whatever comes of this baseless lawsuit, free speech will suffer.
Gay marriage * Ramadan deaths * Abortion drone: June’s Religious Freedom Recap
By Brian Pellot — July 2, 2015
America remains buried under three feet of glitter. More than 1,000 people have died during a Ramadan heatwave in Karachi. And an “abortion drone” was spotted dropping pills over conservative Poland. Read on.
Geller effect * Rohingya plight * Dad-son marriage: May’s Religious Freedom Recap
By Brian Pellot — June 2, 2015
Gunmen strengthen Pamela Geller’s brand of Islamophobia. Thousands of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya remain stranded at sea. And a Pennsylvania “father” plans to wed his legally adopted “son.” Read on.
VIDEO: Religious Freedom & Foreign Policy
By Brian Pellot — May 22, 2015
Last month's lively Newseum debate about the role of religious freedom in foreign policy.
Countering violent extremism and hate speech in the age of social media
By Brian Pellot — May 22, 2015
Yes, violent extremists can use social media to spread lies and recruit disenfranchised communities, but peace advocates can just as easily use social media to counter these messages of hatred and intolerance without stifling freedom of expression.
Amos Yee case exposes Singapore’s forced harmony, sacrificial freedoms
By Brian Pellot — May 13, 2015
Singapore intolerantly forces tolerance on its residents, crushing criticism and dissent with vague laws that criminalize obscenity and religious insult. The latest victim of this hypocrisy? Foul-mouthed teen blogger Amos Yee.
Get rich quick! How to crowdfund your intolerance in 3 easy steps
By Brian Pellot — May 7, 2015
Want to make a quick buck? How about hundreds of thousands? Just say something outrageous, claim you’ve been persecuted, and watch the money roll in.
After Texas, is it ‘high time’ we ban Muhammad cartoons?
By Brian Pellot — May 4, 2015
Does showcasing Prophet Muhammad cartoons now constitute direct incitement to imminent violence? If so, what does that mean for U.S. law and for freedom of expression?
Rainbow jihad * Sex church * iSwap: April’s Religious Freedom Recap
By Brian Pellot — May 1, 2015
Same-sex marriage heads back to SCOTUS. A Tennessee sex club becomes a church to skirt zoning restrictions. And Boko Haram rebrands as iSwap, aligning not with Apple but with the Islamic State. All this and more in April’s global religious freedom recap.
