Religious Freedom versus Free Speech: Sweden’s Legal Tightrope
The United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a resolution aimed at combating religious hatred and blasphemy in Sweden following two distressing incidents in which the Qur’an, the holy text...
Malaysian Court of Appeal Upholds Fatwa Declaring A Company ‘Deviant’ from Islamic Teachings
On 21 March 2023, the Court of Appeal in Malaysia – by a 2-1 majority – upheld a decision of the Malaysian High Court dismissing a judicial review application brought...
Figel’ v Slovakia: Potential landmark ECtHR decision on COVID-19 related restrictions to religious freedom
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a period of unprecedented restrictions to fundamental rights, unthinkable no less than five years ago: freedom of movement, assembly, and expression, and the right to private...
Redefining Intimacy and Individual Liberties: Unravelling the Kiran Rawat Judgment
In a shocking recent judgement Kiran Rawat v State of UP, the High Court of Allahabad, India dismissed a writ petition from a cohabiting couple. The couple sought to safeguard...
A Landmark Victory for Freedom of Religion in Kenya: The Court of Appeal’s Judgment in Phillip Okoth and LSK v BOM, St Anne’s Primary Ahero
In a ground-breaking decision, the Court of Appeal at Kisumu delivered a judgment that carries far-reaching implications for the protection of freedom of religion in Kenya. The case of Phillip...
Marginalized Twice Over: The Struggle of Dalit Christians in India
The extension of certain benefits (known as ‘Scheduled Caste benefits’) to Dalit Christians is a contentious topic in India which has gained renewed attention. ‘Dalit’ refers to a group of...
Karnataka Hijab Ban Part 3: Unveiling the Need for an Intersectional Approach
This post continues the analysis of the ban on hijabs within the classroom in Karnataka, India (see also Part One and Part Two). Intersectional discrimination is at the core of...
Karnataka Hijab Ban Part 2: The Irrelevant Relevance of Essential Religious Practices Test
This blog continues Part 1 of the exploration of the Karnataka hijab case. The question of whether the wearing of hijabs is an essential religious practice (ERP) for Muslim women...
Karnataka Hijab Ban Part 1: An Unveiling
This is a 3-part blog on the Hijab ban case in India. Part 1 traces the journey of the Hijab ban order, from the first incident in Udupi to the...
Protests in Iran and Human Rights
Oxford Human Rights Hub · Protests in Iran and Human Rights In this episode, we spoke to Dr. Saeed Bagheri, lecturer of International Law at the University of Reading about...
Blasphemy, Human Rights, the Intervention of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Mansha Masih Case
Image Description: A photograph of an open Bible with focus on a verse from the Gospel of John. A Christian Cross Necklace is placed on the page. Pakistan has a...
Rohingya Refugees at Risk of Re-Persecution in India
Image description: Group of Rohingya adults and children sit on the ground beneath a makeshift shelter Forced deportation in the face of imminent threat of persecution violates the inalienable right...
