report | Jan 14, 2013

As Religious Restrictions Rise, European Court To Decide Cases Involving Religious Symbols

On Tuesday (January 15), the European Court of Human Rights is scheduled to announce decisions on several high profile religious freedom cases involving the United Kingdom. Two complaints claim British law inadequately protects employees’ right to display symbols of their religion in the workplace. The cases involve a British Airways employee and a nurse in […]

report | Nov 21, 2012

Laws Penalizing Blasphemy, Apostasy and Defamation of Religion are Widespread

On Nov. 20, a Pakistani court ordered blasphemy charges dropped against a Christian teenager who had been accused of burning pages from the Quran. A new Pew Forum analysis finds that as of 2011 nearly half the countries and territories in the world have laws against blasphemy, apostasy or defamation.

feature | Sep 20, 2012

Restrictions on Religion among the 25 Most Populous Countries, 2007-2010

Among the world’s 25 most populous countries, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Burma (Myanmar), Iran, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nigeria stand out as having the most restrictions on religion as of mid-2010 when government restrictions and social hostilities both are taken into account. Brazil, Japan, Italy, the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo […]

report | Sep 20, 2012

Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion

Between mid-2009 and mid-2010, religious restrictions rose not only in countries that began the year with high or very high restrictions, such as Indonesia and Nigeria, but also in many countries that began with low or moderate restrictions, such as Switzerland and the United States. The report looks at restrictions due to government actions as well as acts of violence and intimidation by private individuals, organizations and social groups.

report | Sep 20, 2012

New Pew Forum Report Finds Rising Tide of Religious Restrictions Around the World

Each of the Five Major Regions of the World Experiences Increase; U.S. Also Up   Washington, D.C. Sept. 20, 2012— Even before the recent turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa – including attacks on U.S. embassies and the killing of an American ambassador – the region was experiencing increasing hostilities and tensions involving […]

report | Aug 1, 2012

Catholics Share Bishops’ Concerns about Religious Liberty

A new survey report finds that Catholics who are aware of U.S. bishops’ concerns about restrictions on religious liberty generally agree with the bishops’ concerns. Yet there are no significant differences in the presidential vote preferences between Catholic voters who have heard about the bishops’ protests and those who have not.

report | Aug 9, 2011

Rising Restrictions on Religion – One-third of the world’s population experiences an increase

Restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose in 23 of the world’s 198 countries (12%), decreased in 12 countries (6%) and remained essentially unchanged in 163 countries (82%) between mid-2006 and mid-2009, a new Pew Forum report shows. More than 2.2 billion people – nearly a third of the world’s population – live in the 23 countries with increasing government restrictions or social hostilities involving religion.

report | Aug 9, 2011

New Pew Forum Report Analyzes Religious Restrictions Around the World

Three-Year Study Finds One-Third of Global Population Experiences An Increase Washington, D.C. — More than 2.2 billion people, nearly a third (32%) of the world’s total population of 6.9 billion, live in countries where either government restrictions on religion or social hostilities involving religion rose substantially between mid-2006 and mid-2009, according to a new study […]

report | Mar 31, 2011

Religion and the Courts: The Pillars of Church-State Law

In an ongoing series of occasional reports, “Religion and the Courts: The Pillars of Church-State Law,” the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life explores the complex, fluid relationship between government and religion. Among the issues to be examined are religion in public schools, displays of religious symbols on public property, conflicts concerning the free […]

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