Religion in the Daily News
- Pakistan urged to safeguard religious minorities at Geneva event 3 July 2026 10 h 06 min Awaz The Voice Event held on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Geneva (Switzerland) Concerns over the plight of religious minority women in Pakistan took centre stage at an event titled "Forced Conversions & …
- Chhattisgarh HC says students cannot be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in government schools 3 July 2026 9 h 27 min Maktoob Media The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday clarified that no child can be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in government schools, while disposing of a petition challenging a State government circular prescribing the recitation of Hindu prayers in schools. …
- Thailand: Viral Video Shows 11-Year-Old Boy Crashing Pickup Truck Into Buddhist Monks' Procession, Killing 9 3 July 2026 9 h 05 min International Business Times - United Kingdom A tragic road accident in northeastern Thailand has left at least nine Buddhist monks dead after an 11-year-old boy allegedly lost control of a pickup truck and crashed into a religious procession. The collision, which occurred on 2 July near Ban Na Wieng …
- German public university creates Islamic theology faculty 3 July 2026 8 h 54 min Deutsche Welle Since 2021, work has been underway on the new "Campus of Religions" in the western German city of Münster. Much of the site is still under construction. Scheduled for inauguration in 2027, the complex will bring together the faculties of Catholic …
- Students can't be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in schools: Chhattisgarh HC 3 July 2026 7 h 53 min Mint The Chhattisgarh High Court has said that no child can be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in government schools, legal news website Bar and Bench reported. The Court made these remarks while hearing a petition challenging a 12 June state government …
- Dietary Policing, Vigilante Patrols, and Economic Pressure — How Cultural Enforcement Is Reshaping Daily Life in West Bengal 3 July 2026 7 h 50 min India Herald Multiple reports from West Bengal describe a pattern of dietary restrictions near religious sites, street-level vigilante groups pressuring meat sellers, and selective regulatory inspections disproportionately affecting minority-owned businesses — …
- Dalmandi Mosques, One HC Order, and a Five-Word Loophole — Is the Places of Worship Act's 'Freeze' Melting Before India's Eyes? 3 July 2026 7 h 50 min India Herald The Allahabad High Court dismissed petitions seeking protection for Dalmandi mosques under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, ruling that judicially ascertaining a site's original religious character does not amount to converting it …
- Friday, the Day India Prays Loudest — But What If Silence Is the Prayer That Actually Reaches? 3 July 2026 7 h 50 min India Herald Friday holds sacred status across Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity in India, but the contemplative traditions within each faith — Sufi dhikr-e-qalbi, Shaiva antarmouna, Quaker-influenced silent worship — argue that wordless stillness is the more potent …
- When Gods Walk the Gallery 3 July 2026 7 h 16 min Indian Link Reading Time: 6 minutesAvatar: Forms of Vishnu Asleep atop a multi-headed serpent, floating in an ocean of cosmic milk. As a man-lion, a bird, a boar, a fish. As the dwarf Vamana, the prince Rama, and Krishna. These forms all belong to Vishnu, one of the …
- ‘Love Jihad’ in Silchar! Muslim youth who concealed identity to date minor Hindu girl held 3 July 2026 7 h 00 min News Live In another case of ‘Love Jihad’, a Muslim youth who reportedly concealed his rea identity while dating a minor Hindu girl was handed over to police in Silchar by members of the Bajrang Dal. The incident took place after the outfit conducted an operation at …
- Cow is sacred to Hindus; its slaughter can hurt their religious sentiments : Gujarat High Court 3 July 2026 6 h 29 min Sanatan Prabhat Gujarat High Court refuses bail to Mohammad Arif Ahmedabad (Gujarat) – Observing that the cow is sacred to Hindus and that its slaughter can hurt their religious sentiments, the Gujarat High Court rejected the bail application of Mohammad Arif, who was …
- Apple’s Siri does not respond to ‘Jai Shri Ram’, but responds to ‘Salaam Alaikum’ 3 July 2026 6 h 29 min Sanatan Prabhat Devout Hindu organisations in Ujjain write to Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav seeking action Warn to boycott ‘iPhone’ (Note: ‘Siri’ is a feature on Apple mobile phones through which various tasks can be performed.) Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) – Apple’s ‘Siri’ …
- Truck driven by 11-year-old kills 10 Buddhist monks in Thailand 3 July 2026 6 h 10 min Daily Times Published on: July 3, 2026 10:15 AM An 11-year-old boy allegedly driving a pickup truck crashed into a group of Buddhist monks during a pilgrimage in northeastern Thailand, killing 10 monks and injuring more than 20 others, authorities said. The accident …
- Robotic elephants draw crowds and controversy in some of India's Hindu temples 3 July 2026 5 h 37 min The Star Democrat - Maryland CHALAKUDY, India (AP) — The life-size robotic elephants in Prasanth Prakashan's backyard workshop have ears that flap, tails that swish and trunks that squirt water. But that's about all they have in common with their real-life counterparts revered …
- 8 killed as car driven by child hits Buddhist procession in Thailand 3 July 2026 5 h 28 min Pajhwok Afghan News KABUL (Pajhwok): Eight Buddhist monks were killed after a car driven by an 11-year-old child plowed into a religious procession in Mukdahan Province, northeastern Thailand. According to Al Jazeera, the incident occurred on Thursday as about 30 Buddhist …
- Mapping Iran’s Ali Khamenei funeral: Where mourners will gather each day 3 July 2026 4 h 54 min Yahoo News Starting on July 3, millions of mourners are expected to gather for seven days of funeral ceremonies and processions for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with religious rites planned in cities across Iran and Iraq. The burial, initially scheduled …
- Forum: Let’s keep religious education outside of school 3 July 2026 4 h 39 min The Straits Times I refer to the recent letter by Irwan Jamil, “Consider structured religious education to counter extreme narratives online” (June 29). I disagree with his suggestion to reintroduce some form of religious education at mainstream schools. Currently, …
- Int'l Buddhist conference ongoing in Lumbini 3 July 2026 4 h 37 min The Rising Nepal By Our Correspondent Bhairahawa, July 3: A two-day international Buddhist conference focusing on the preservation of Buddhist religion, culture, and heritage, as well as the promotion of sustainable tourism, began on Thursday in Lumbini, the birthplace of …
- Gita Press launches first trilingual Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit, Hindi & English for global readers 3 July 2026 4 h 24 min Organiser Weekly Gorakhpur: In a landmark publishing initiative, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, the world’s largest publisher of Hindu religious literature, has announced the release of its first-ever trilingual edition of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, bringing together Sanskrit, …
- Tamil Nadu: Madras HC allows temple entry to American woman, says Hindutva cannot be judged by name or nationality 3 July 2026 4 h 04 min Organiser Weekly The Madras High Court has held that an American woman who embraced Hindutva cannot be denied entry into a temple merely because she bears a Christian name or holds foreign citizenship. The court has recently directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable …
- Pakistan May Rename Its ‘Afghan’ Missiles After Defense Minister Calls Mahmud Ghaznavi a ‘Robber & Thief’ 3 July 2026 3 h 48 min The Eurasian Times Pakistan’s conflict with Afghanistan is forcing the country to confront its own history and revisit its icons. For decades, Pakistan has idolized Afghan and Central Asian Turkic nationals, kings, sultans, warlords, and invaders as its national heroes. It …
- Government school students cannot be compelled to recite Hindu prayers: Chhattisgarh HC 3 July 2026 3 h 16 min Scroll.in The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday clarified that no student can be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in a government school, Bar and Bench reported. It was hearing a petition challenging a June 12 order by the Bharatiya Janata Party government …
- Theosophy, “Thought-Forms,” and the Arts. 2. Artists Who Saw the Invisible 3 July 2026 2 h 59 min Bitter Winter by Massimo Introvigne* *A paper presented at the 112th National Conference of the Italian Theosophical Society, “Thought-Forms as Architectures of the Soul,” Padova, May 30, 2026. Article 2 of 4. Read article 1. Roy De Maistre (1894–1968), “Rythmic …
- Tragedy in Thailand: Child driver ploughs into Buddhist monks, leaving 8 dead 3 July 2026 2 h 45 min India Blooms At least eight Buddhist monks were killed and 13 others injured after an 11-year-old boy, allegedly driving his parents' pickup truck, ploughed into a religious procession in Thailand's Mukdahan province on Thursday, according to local media …
- Turkish comedian arrested for 'insulting' Islam, Erdogan 3 July 2026 2 h 42 min The New Arab People walk past a poster of President Erdogan underneath Turkish flags in Istanbul on 28 May 2023. [Getty] A popular Turkish comedian was arrested on arrival at Istanbul airport on Thursday for allegedly insulting Islam and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan …
- Muslim youths jailed for two months, Hindu men get same-day bail in similar Ganges cases 3 July 2026 1 h 11 min Madhyamam The discriminatory and arbitrary application of criminal law by the Uttar Pradesh police against Muslims, as compared with Hindus, is evident from two recent incidents on the Ganges in Varanasi. While 14 Muslim youths arrested over a video of them breaking …
- The Himalayas as a battleground of belief 3 July 2026 0 h 59 min The Hindu At an altitude of nearly 5,500 metres in the western Himalayas, where India’s frontier dissolves into Tibet and Nepal, rises Om Parvat. The mountain is famous for a natural snow formation that resembles the sacred Hindu symbol Om, which many devotees …
- Religious leaders reinforce adherence to unofficial electoral registration in Cuanza-Norte 3 July 2026 0 h 41 min Angola Press Agency Ndalatando – Religious leaders and traditional authorities in Cuanza-Norte reinforced, today, Thursday in Ndalatando, the appeal for adherence to the unofficial electoral registration, considering the process fundamental to guarantee the exercise of the …
- Chhattisgarh HC Draws the Line On Mandatory Hindu Prayers In Schools; Says Students Cannot Be Forced To Recite Hindu Prayers In Govt Schools 3 July 2026 0 h 40 min Free Press Journal Chhattisgarh: The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday clarified that no child can be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in government schools while hearing a petition challenging a state government circular mandating the recital of Hindu prayers in …
- Unifor channels RM8.2 mln to Mulu since 2017, says assemblyman 3 July 2026 0 h 39 min Borneo Post Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Threads WhatsApp Telegram (From fourth left) Gerawat, Georgina and others in a photo call at the event. MIRI (July 3): The Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) has channelled RM8.2 million to the Mulu constituency since 2017, …
- Imams of the city of Manas passed a test on the basics of Islam 2 July 2026 23 h 45 min Open KG A test exam for imams of local mosques was held in Manas, organized by the Mufti of Kyrgyzstan, Abdulaziz Qari Zakirov. The event assessed the religious literacy of the clergy on issues of fiqh, or Islamic law. The imams took tests related to the rules of …
- Pokin Around: The religious and musical journeys of R.C. ‘Happy’ Hopper — 368 songs and 386 weddings 2 July 2026 23 h 11 min Springfield Daily Citizen - Missouri He was raised in the Pentecostal Holiness denomination and his instrument has been the guitar. He’s put Scriptures to melodies and was on the road six and a half years singing godly songs and selling 10,000 cassette tapes for $8. R.C. “Happy” Hopper, 81, …
- The Right Uses ‘Religious Freedom’ to Attack Trans People—What About Mine? 2 July 2026 22 h 50 min Common Dreams This week, the Supreme Court dealt transgender Americans another devastating blow, upholding state bans on transgender athletes’ participation in girls' and women's sports. The decision represents the latest in a long series of attacks on trans …
- Turkish Comedian Arrested Over Stand-Up Show Deemed Offensive to Islam 2 July 2026 22 h 25 min BGNES Popular Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş was arrested upon arriving at Istanbul Airport over a stand-up performance that prosecutors say contained material offensive to Islam, AFP reported. The arrest of the 32-year-old comedian comes amid an expanding …
- Protecting dignity of Islamic symbols a duty of faith: Religious Minister 2 July 2026 21 h 30 min Bangladesh Sangsbad Sangstha Protecting dignity of Islamic symbols a duty of faith: Religious Minister Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad -File photo DHAKA, July 2, 2026 (BSS)- Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad today said that …
- The idea of separating church and state has deep religious and secular roots 2 July 2026 21 h 21 min The Washington Times - Washington D.C. The Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission released its report on June 26, 2026, on the state of religious freedom in the United States, declaring it to be under attack. The commission was established in May 2025 to identify and report on “ …
- Better Together: ERLC’s work to reflect, resource churches 2 July 2026 20 h 56 min Baptist Press - Tennessee NASHVILLE (BP) – Evan Lenow heard the calls in recent years to abolish or defund the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. And it broke his heart. Lenow had been familiar with the ERLC’s work for years before becoming president on June 1. He arrived …
- California Bill Recognizing Muslim Holidays Advances Amid Debate Over Religious Neutrality In Schools 2 July 2026 20 h 24 min [your]NEWS AB 2017 would make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha official state holidays while allowing schools and community colleges to close and develop classroom exercises acknowledging the Muslim observances. By yourNEWS Media Newsroom A California bill that would …
- Places Of Worship Act Only Prohibits 'Conversion' Of Religious Character, No Bar On State Acquisition For Public Purpose: Allahabad High Court 2 July 2026 20 h 15 min Live Law The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, prohibits only the 'conversion' of the religious character of a place of worship from one religious denomination to another, but it does not bar the State …
- Places Of Worship Act Only Prohibits 'Conversion' Of Religious Character, No Bar On State Acquisition For Public Purpose: Allahabad High Court 2 July 2026 20 h 12 min Live Law The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, prohibits only the 'conversion' of the religious character of a place of worship from one religious denomination to another, but it does not bar the State …