The law creates a new crime of “psychological subjection,” restricts the possibility of criticizing mainline medical treatments, and seriously endangers freedom of religion or belief.
Massimo Introvigne
Why the Catholic Church Denounced Bolivia to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
A law passed in 2010 closed private institutions that delivered degrees in education, including the Normal Superior Catholic Institute Sedes Sapientiae
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 5. Why Are They Persecuted?
The peaceful followers of the AROPL have been harassed, discriminated, and beaten in Muslim countries but also in Thailand and Sweden. Why?
China’s “Names War” Attacks India’s Arunachal Pradesh
China has “Sinicized” thirty geographical names of places in an Indian state it claims as its own.
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 4. The Divine Just State
AROPL believers expect a millennial kingdom of peace and justice, ruled by a wise philosopher-king.
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 3. Esotericism and Progressive Millennialism
We may recognize in the AROPL some common traits with both esoteric movements and millennialist religions with a progressive approach.
Madam Yu Mei-Jung and the Two Dimensions of Conscience
Passive conscience, or the internalized habit of following the rules, is not always enough. A “creative conscience” is also needed.
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 2. From Ahmed al-Hassan to Abdullah Hashem
In chaotic post-Saddam Iraq, a cluster of new religious movements proceeding from a man called Ahmed al-Hassan emerged. The AROPL is the largest one.
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 1. A Drama and Its Characters
A group of believers in a new religion (not to be confused with the Ahmadiyya community discriminated against in Pakistan) are persecuted in various countries.
Pakistan, Another Asia Bibi Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Blasphemy
A 40-year-old Muslim woman from Punjab shares the same name but is not a relative of the famous Christian from Sheikhupura District. Both are victims of the blasphemy laws.
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.