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ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 593

religious minorities

Mourning their genocide, Israeli Circassians hold fast to multilayered identity
By Diana Bletter
Over 160 years after their people were expelled from the Caucasus, residents of Kfar Kama maintain their language and culture while embracing life as Israelis and Muslims
Circassians commemorate the Circassian Mourning Day in Kfar Kama on May 21, 2024. (Courtesy/Adam Choshha)
May 21, 2025, 10:51 am
Mourning their genocide, Israeli Circassians hold fast to multilayered identity
Over 160 years after their people were expelled from the Caucasus, residents of Kfar Kama maintain their language and culture while embracing life as Israelis and Muslims
By Diana Bletter
This handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on January 6, 2025, shows fighters affiliated with Syria's new administration taking men into custody in Syria's west-central city of Homs. (SANA / AFP)
January 27, 2025, 8:46 am
Syrian fighters execute 35 in 72 hours, mainly officers from former regime, monitor says
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says many of those killed were from religious minorities, rebels used ‘unprecedented level of cruelty and violence’
By AFP
Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, fourth from right, competes in a 1500-meter run in Tel Aviv, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
July 2, 2024, 6:21 pm
Facing hurdles, devout athletes want sports bodies to do more to accommodate religion
Orthodox Jewish Israeli runner Beatie Deutsch cites missing Tokyo 2020 since race fell on Shabbat rest day, as competitors of multiple religions balance faith with sport
By GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO and DEEPA BHARATH
Illustrative: The Baha'i Gardens, in Haifa, March 30, 2020. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
August 16, 2023, 8:48 am
Iran arrests dozens of Baha’is, including 90-year-old, in fresh crackdown
Advocacy group says recent weeks have seen 180 incidents of persecution against members of faith, which is shunned in Islamic Republic
By AFP
The Bahai shrine in the religion's Haifa-based world center. (Shmuel Bar-Am)
September 3, 2022, 10:07 am
Iran said to arrest 14 more Baha’i as part of recent crackdown
Group says the members of the religious minority were detained while ‘studying and discussing together the role of education in social progress’
By ToI Staff
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman speaks at a conference of the Israeli newspaper "Makor Rishon" at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, February 21, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
May 15, 2022, 12:24 pm
As Druze officer is hailed as a hero, lawmakers join call to ‘fix’ Nation-State Law
Liberman assails ‘contradictions’ in controversial legislation, despite supporting it in 2018; Blue and White party pledges to bring equality bill to committee hearing next week
By Tobias Siegal
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai speaks during an event held at the National Police Academy in Bnei Brak, April 12, 2022. (Screen grab from video released by Israel Police)
April 12, 2022, 3:21 pm
Police chief: Odeh’s comments against Arab servicemen will only boost recruitment
Police force includes 1,232 Muslim officers; Shabtai says: ‘I won’t let anyone smear our Arab officers’
By Tobias Siegal
Students and their teacher attend class after the opening ceremony of the Hashtroudi school in Tehran, Iran, September 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
March 14, 2021, 11:16 am
Iranian teachers ordered to identify Baha’i students in effort to convert them
Leaked document instructs authorities to ‘conduct strict patrols’ on education of children in religious sect that says its followers are persecuted as heretics
By ToI Staff and Agencies
Alander Especie, shown with his daughter Liz, puts on tefillin every day. (Courtesy of Especie/ via JTA)
February 26, 2021, 5:01 am
Raised in one of Rio’s most violent favelas, he’s now a rising artist in Israel
New immigrant Alander Especie joins hundreds of fellow Brazilian expats in Ra’anana, which he and other creatives are working to beautify through art
By Marcus M. Gilban
US-based Zoroastrian priest Arash Kasravi, who was reported dead by Iranian authorities on July 26, 2020. (California Zoroastrian Center)
July 26, 2020, 5:44 pm
US-based Zoroastrian priest killed in Iran, in apparent murder
Local prosecutor tells Iranian media that body of Arash Kasravi, who was visiting to deal with his father’s estate, found alongside those of two other men days after going missing
By AFP
The California state capitol in Sacramento. (Wikimedia Commons via JTA)
August 14, 2019, 9:12 pm
California Board of Education rejects proposed curriculum that angered Jews
California Legislative Jewish Caucus says ethnic studies program erases American Jewish experience, omits anti-Semitism, denigrates Jews and singles Israel out for condemnation
By JTA
Activists and members of the Druze community protest against the nation-state law, outside the Knesset, on October 15, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
October 15, 2018, 9:57 pm
Druze resume protests against nation-state law as Knesset returns from break
Minority group says controversial legislation enshrines inequality in Israel; MK says law a ‘disgrace’ and ‘betrayal’ of the community
By Tamar Pileggi
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on August 2, 2018. (Marc Israel Sellem/Flash90)
August 6, 2018, 12:59 pm
Justice minister warns of ‘earthquake’ if High Court overturns Jewish state law
Ayelet Shaked says top bench does not have the authority to strike down controversial legislation passed as quasi-constitutional Basic Law
By Tamar Pileggi
IDF officer Amir Jamal (L), a member of Israel's Druze minority community. (Israel Defense Forces/Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)
July 31, 2018, 9:58 pm
IDF suspends Druze officer who denounced nation-state law
Growing numbers of minority soldiers speak out against controversial law they say will officially relegate them to second class citizens
By ToI Staff
Sepanta Niknam, a Zoroastrian member of the City Council of Yazd, Iran. (screen capture: YouTube)
July 22, 2018, 1:10 am
Iran overturns ban on minority politicians, confirms Jews can hold office
Guardian Council restores suspended Zoroastrian city council member to his position, rules all recognized minorities eligible to run in municipal elections
By Agencies
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