Refugees not allowed to leave for the European Union settled peacefully in Edirne. Now the government wants to expel them from there, too.
Massimo Introvigne
French Abuse of “Brainwashing” Theories: The Trial of the Famille Missionnaire de Notre-Dame
A conservative Catholic congregation is accused of “abuse of weakness,” i.e., of “brainwashing.” Its Superior can go to jail.
The Nike of Samothrace and Tai Ji Men’s Victories
Dr. Hong received in Italy the Turin Global Peace Award, a statue of the Greek goddess who symbolizes both victory and peace.
Unification Church in Japan, Not Even Dead Members Are Safe: The July 11 Decision on Donations
A dead woman tried to prevent her greedy daughter from claiming back donations she had freely made. The Supreme Court has now sided with the daughter.
France : Comment les « victimes » des « sectes » sont fabriquées
Une femme accusée d’être une « prédatrice sexuelle sectaire » a été maintenue en prison jusqu’à ce qu’elle accepte de se déclarer « victime » de la « gourelle » et devienne conférencière anti-sectes.
Morality, Religious Liberty, and the Tai Ji Men Case Discussed at Reitaku University, Japan
A session at the annual conference of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion explored how democratic regimes do not always guarantee freedom of religion or belief.
Joseph Cornell, Christian Science, and the Invention of Contemporary Art
All of Cornell’s work was but “a variation on the single theme of Christian Science metaphysics,” a statement not by an art historian but by the artist himself.
Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light Members Persecuted in Egypt
A long history of repression has forced believers to flee the country. Some are now seeking asylum in Hong Kong.
Pakistan Government Both Denies and Admits Religious Liberty Crisis in the Country
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the U.S. claim that there is no freedom of religion there. The Minister of Defense acknowledged religious minorities “are not safe.”
France: How “Victims” of “Cults” Are Fabricated
A woman accused of being a “cultist sexual predator” was kept in jail until she accepted to declare herself a “victim” of the “guru” and became an anti-cult lecturer.
Massimo Introvigne
Massimo Introvigne (born June 14, 1955 in Rome) is an Italian sociologist of religions. He is the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), an international network of scholars who study new religious movements. Introvigne is the author of some 70 books and more than 100 articles in the field of sociology of religion. He was the main author of the Enciclopedia delle religioni in Italia (Encyclopedia of Religions in Italy). He is a member of the editorial board for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion and of the executive board of University of California Press' Nova Religio. From January 5 to December 31, 2011, he has served as the "Representative on combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination, with a special focus on discrimination against Christians and members of other religions" of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). From 2012 to 2015 he served as chairperson of the Observatory of Religious Liberty, instituted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to monitor problems of religious liberty on a worldwide scale.