For the third year, the United States panel on international religious affairs recommended labeling India as one of the "countries of particular concern." The report accuses India and other countries of engaging or tolerating "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations" of religious rights.
A Florida man decided to fix the book-banning spree in his state by calling for the banning of the Bible. In a letter dated April 19, 2022, Chaz Stevens, an artist, and Florida's resident political stunt activist, requested the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) and Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) ban the Bible.
Stevens, an atheist, decided to join the Republicans in their relentless, anti-science, anti-woke book-banning crusade.
A private adoption agency refused a couple of adoption services in Alabama for their lack of religion. A 30-year-old librarian, Alaina Browning, and her husband were devastated to hear the news.
Family Adoption Services, a private adoption agency run by Richard and Susan Wyatt, sent the message to Browning.
“It hurt,” Browning said, crying while reading the message on her phone.
A woman who sued a police officer for allegedly forcing her to be baptized was found dead in her home on April 13. The 42-year-old Shandele Marie Riley's body was discovered in her home in Log Cabin Lane in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee.
According to Hamilton County Police, Riley's cause of death is still unknown. The police are waiting for the medical examiner's autopsy reports to check for any foul play involved.
After announcing their " Fasting From Whiteness " for the Lenten season, a Christian church in Oak Park, Illinois, is in hot water. According to Religion News (RNS), the issue sparked so much controversy causing the church’s website to crash.
A Muslim imam was stabbed after an altercation that started with the suspect calling the victim a “fucking terrorist.” Sheikh Uthman ibn Farooq said he was followed and confronted by the suspect after his public preaching.
The San Diego-based imam has been performing the “dawah,” or public preaching, since his early 20’s. Farooq has gained popularity among Muslim individuals, including non-Muslims whom he engages on his Youtube channel.
On March 18, a U.S. District Court ruled against a county clerk charged with violating the rights of same-sex couples. The ruling will pave the way for a jury trial against Kim Davis from Rowan, Kentucky.
On March 15, the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The resolution was sponsored by 55 predominantly Muslim member states and passed consensus with all 193 states in support.
A woman has been accused of stabbing her date in a Nevada hotel room on March 5. According to court documents submitted by the police, the 21-year old Nika Nikoubin wanted revenge for an Iranian leader killed by an American drone strike in 2020.
Nikoubin met the victim online through the Plenty of Fish online dating website.
On March 4, the United States Supreme Court overturned a ruling from an appellate court in favor of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The supreme court unanimously ruled that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has lesser precedence over state secrets privilege.
State secrets privilege allows the federal government to "block the release of any information in a lawsuit" if its release can lead to a breach of national security.
