The former leader of an association “created” by a French FECRIS affiliate to deal with radical Islam and subtly propagate atheism continues to root for Putin.
Massimo Introvigne
Japan, Pamphlets Against Conservative Religion Distributed in Schools
Minors are told that being admonished that by doing or not doing certain things they can go to hell, or being brought to religious activities, are forms of “abuse.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway: Why the Oslo District Court Decision Is Wrong
It claims that the practice of shunning illegally prevents adults and minors from leaving the religious organization. This claim is false.
New Report: Uyghur Forced Labor Increased in 2023
Under personal instructions from Xi Jinping, Uyghurs continue to be victims of forced “labor transfers” inside and outside Xinjiang. The aim is not economic only.
“A Pact with the Devil”: Mădălina Dumitru Speaks Out on MISA, Gregorian Bivolaru, and Her Book
Bivolaru was once sentenced for a sexual relationship with her when she was 17. She denies it ever happened—and says she has been offered € 350,000 to change her story.
MISA, Gregorian Bivolaru, and Persecution: A New Book by Mădălina Dumitru
It all started with a minor girl the Romanian spiritual master was accused of having a relation with. Now, she tells her truth.
Conservative Anti-Putin Orthodox Group Raided in Russia, 40 Arrested
The “Russian Orthodox Church of the Tsarist Empire” is part of a constellation of groups with some ten thousand followers.
La strage di Altavilla Milicia. Ascesa e caduta di una “setta” che non c’era
Un uomo, asseritamente assistito da due amici e dalla figlia, ha ucciso la moglie e i due figli che riteneva fossero posseduti dal demonio. Non faceva parte di nessuna “setta”.
Three Killed During an Exorcism in Italy: The Rise and Fall of an Invented “Cult”
In Altavilla Milicia, Sicily, a man allegedly assisted by two friends and by his daughter killed his wife and two sons whom he believe were possessed by the devil. He was not part of any “cult.”
Dissident Orthodox Bishop Arrested for Trying to Hold Memorial Service for Navalny
Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko belongs to the Apostolic Orthodox Church, the anti-Kirill group inspired by the late dissident priest Gleb Yakunin.
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.