Topic: religious minorities

September 20, 2016
3:34 pm

Pope Francis speaks to believers as he leaves the Porziuncola (Portiuncula) at Santa Maria degli Angeli Basilica, near Assisi, August 4, 2016, during a private visit to mark the 800th anniversary of the 'Pardon of Assisi,' in which the slates of sinners can be wiped clean. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP)

There is ‘no God of war,’ pope tells faith leaders, war victims

World Day of Prayer for Peace unites 500 religious representatives in talks and prayers to combat religious violence and persecution

By Catherine MARCIANO

January 28, 2016
4:40 pm

.Karaite Jews pray during the holiday of 'Simchat Beit Hashoeva' in the La'Alub synagogue in Meah Shearim on October 18, 2011. (Uri Lenz/Flash90)

Karaite Jews unanimously re-elect chief rabbi

Movement has approximately 40,000 followers, who follow only Torah laws and reject oral traditions like the Mishnah and Talmud

By Melanie Lidman

December 10, 2015
2:27 am

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the Sunshine Summit conference being held at the Rosen Shingle Creek, November 13, 2015 Orlando, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP)

Republicans struggle with Trump fallout

Even as he alienates minorities and mainstream voters, maverick billionaire threatens to split conservatives in 2016 race

By Andrew BEATTY

June 18, 2015
3:00 pm

A Chinese Muslim man offers prayers on the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, at a mosque in Beijing on June 18, 2015. (AFP/Greg Baker)

China restricts Muslim fasting during Ramadan

Authorities cite terror threat in bid to limit religious practices of the holy month in Xinjiang region

By AFP

March 26, 2015
10:30 pm

Edirne's abandoned Great Synagogue reopens (screen capture: YouTube)

Turkey reopens restored Ottoman-era synagogue

Authorities insist restoration a sign of tolerance toward Jewish community, amid wave of anti-Israel sentiment

By AFP

May 15, 2014
1:31 pm

A Druze family stands silent during a Memorial Day ceremony at the military cemetery of Ussefiya on Mount Carmel, April 2010 (photo credit: Matanya Tausig/Flash90)

From Israel’s most loyal minority, draft objectors emerge

Stop trampling our religious sensibilities and treating us like a herd, Druze activists demand, fed up with state discrimination

By Elhanan Miller

May 9, 2014
4:40 am

Singers (from left) Joachim Nahmani, Sacha Ouazana, Haim Fedida and Mony Abergel chant bakashot, a type of Sephardic religious poetry, at an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, on March 29, 2014. (photo credit: Talia Bloch/JTA)

Young Sephardic Jews embrace an old musical tradition

New classes are springing up from NY to LA with the melodic mission of bringing back ‘bakashot’

By Talia Bloch

April 6, 2014
1:26 pm

Convicted ex-MK Said Nafa (screen capture: YouTube)

Ex-Balad party MK convicted of security crimes

Druze former parliamentarian Said Nafa traveled to Syria in 2007, met with member of terror group

By Lazar Berman

April 27, 2013
3:31 am

Monastery loses 7-year court battle over Israeli security fence

Expanded West Bank barrier would surround convent on 3 sides and cut it off from most of its land, Catholic group says

March 20, 2013
12:28 am

Iranian Jews eligible to immigrate to the US because of the Lautenberg Amendment arrive at Los Angeles International Airport in 2009. (Courtesy of HIAS via JTA)

Lifeline for US law that aided Soviet, now Iranian Jews

Jewish groups are among those advocating a stronger status for effort to shelter persecuted religious minorities

By Ron Kampeas

January 16, 2013
10:53 pm

US Capitol building (photo credit: courtesy)

House measure would create religious minorities envoy

Move seeks to protect religious groups including Jews in parts of Asia and the Middle East