News from August 2017
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), as well as other laws and policies, states residents have freedom of conscience; freedom of religious belief; and freedom to preach, conduct, and participate in religious activities in public. The Bill of Rights Ordinance incorporates...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution requires the separation of state and religion, establishes freedom of religious choice and practice, prohibits religious discrimination, and stipulates the government shall not interfere in the practice of any religion. On Oct. 2, dozens or more were reportedly killed at a religious...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: The constitution states that the country is secular, prohibits religious discrimination, provides for freedom of religion, bans the use of religion for political ends, and stipulates impositions on freedom of conscience stemming from “religious fanaticism" shall be punishable by law. A government decree...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and worship, including the right to choose and change his religion. The government limited the number of visas for foreign representatives of religious groups based on historical trends, the relative size of the group, and the president’s discretion. Religious groups reported, however, the visa quotas allotted to them did not adversely affect their activities, as the visa-limitation rule was rarely applied stringently.
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution protects freedom of religion and provides for the separation of church and state. According to the law, the objective of domestic religious policy is to foster the creation of a tolerant society and provide for freedom of conscience and worship. In September the Constitutional Court ...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution protects freedom of conscience, including freedom of thought and religion. The criminal code prohibits written blasphemous language. The government continued to fund public schools administered by long-established Christian groups, including the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Seventh-day Adventists, and Mennonite communities.
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: The constitution prohibits religious discrimination “without an acceptable reason," and provides for the right to profess and practice a religion, to express one’s convictions, and to decline to be a member of a religious community. The law prohibits breaching the sanctity of religion, including blaspheming...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: In the absence of a written constitution, the law establishes the Church of England as England’s state church and the Church of Scotland as Scotland’s national church. The law prohibits “incitement to religious hatred" as well as discrimination on the grounds of religion. A judge sentenced two men, who ...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion as well as the right to change, manifest, and propagate the religion of one’s choice. The government does not officially recognize marriages conducted under Rastafarian rites. Rastafarians reported reluctance to use marijuana for religious purposes because...
By DOJ Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: The Aurora Police Department and the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force Need Your Help Identifying a Bank Robber.
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution states that Buddhism is the state religion and is promoted by the government through holiday observances, religious training, Buddhist instruction in public school, and financial support to Buddhist institutions. The law provides for freedom of belief and religious worship, provided...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and designates Islam as the sole religion of the citizens and state. Only Muslims may be citizens, and apostasy is a crime punishable by death. On Nov. 15, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of blogger Mohamad Cheikh Ould Mohamad...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The Interim National Constitution (INC) provides for freedom of religious creed and the rights to worship, assemble, and maintain places of worship. Some laws and government practices are based on the government’s interpretation of a sharia system of jurisprudence and do not provide protections for religious...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution provides for the free exercise of all religions. The law establishes the conditions for recognition and practice of religious groups. Vodou has been a registered religious group since 2003 but has not been able to perform civilly recognized marriages or baptisms. By law, the government...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and conscience. The law requires religious groups to register to be eligible for certain benefits, including the right to receive state funding, operate schools and hospitals, and receive property tax exemptions. The constitution recognizes Eastern Orthodox...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
Release: The constitution protects freedom of religion and the right of religious communities to establish their own institutions. The constitution specifies the state and the Catholic Church are independent, their relations governed by a concordat granting the Church a number of privileges and benefits, as well ...
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: The constitution declares the state shall respect all religions and shall ensure the freedom to perform religious rituals as long as these “do not disturb the public order." There is no official state religion. Membership in certain types of religiously oriented organizations is illegal and punishable...
By DOJ Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: ROCKFORD - A Rockford man was arrested today on charges of child pornography.
By State Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: The constitution and the law protect the right of individuals to choose, change, and practice their religion. The government investigated and prosecuted numerous crimes and other actions against religious groups, including anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim violence, hate speech, and vandalism. The government...
By DOJ Newswire | Aug 15, 2017
News Release: We are disappointed in today’s verdict. The government believed, and continues to believe, that the conduct in this case crossed the line and constituted a violation of federal law. The defendants’ conduct was an affront to all of the hard-working and law-abiding members of organized labor. We will continue...
