IIRF Updates

New research on religious freedom in Latin America
In addition to producing the International Journal for Religious Freedom twice a year, the IIRF promotes the dissemination of high-quality research in other venues. IIRF

IJRF highlights youth issues
The latest issue of the International Journal for Religious Freedom sheds light on the sometimes excruciating ways in which religious freedom violations impact the lives

Global Religious Freedom Index shows what’s happening in sub-Saharan Africa
The first report based on the Global Religious Freedom Index, a collaborative project between the IIRF, Global Christian Relief, and the Religion and State Project

New reports based on Violent Incidents Database
Our Violent Incidents Database (VID) is expanding our ability to analyze incident data over time and to produce reliable reports spotlighting urgent situations where innocent

A productive year in 2024
As this is our first newsletter of 2025, it’s a good time to look back on the past year and see how we did. Overall,

Discrimination against Christians in Europe: Insights from Prof. Dr. Christof Sauer
The IIRF invites you to read a recent Christianity Today article highlighting discrimination and hate crimes against Christians in Europe. The article features insights from Prof. Dr.
Statements
Religious Freedom News

Free to burn sacred texts? A reflection on the Quran burning cases
Article written by Arie de Pater, IIRF European Representative. Recently, several Quran’s have been burnt or desecrated in Denmark and Sweden. Some claim that these

EU: The 10th Anniversary of the EU Guidelines on FoRB
Ten years ago, the European Council adopted Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). These guidelines explain what FoRB

Has the African Union done enough to advance FoRB and curb religious persecution?
This 2021 factsheet published by the USCIRF documents instances of religious freedom violations, including of a violent nature, against Muslims in Africa.

Request for a thematic hearing before the IACHR about threats to Cuban religious leaders
IIRF and partner organizations request the IACHR to protect the fundamental rights of religious leaders who have been victims of government repression since the July 2021 social outbreak in Cuba.

Genocide Emergency in Sudan
At the beginning of August, the organization Genocide Watch published a warning of possible genocide in Sudan.

Submission of Report for UN Universal Periodic Review on Nigeria
The Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), a partner organization of the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF), submitted a report for the UN Universal Periodic Review on Nigeria.