Tags

2017-11-23

• Churches Ordered to Close in Tamil Nadu State

  

  Officials and police in Tamil Nadu state have ordered ten churches to discontinue services. Hindu militants have compelled state officials and police to issue orders mandating the churches in Coimbatore District to stop conducting worship services unless permission is obtained from a government collector's office, a process that could take several years. Twenty more churches are under threat with similar bans.

• Government Asserts Control Over Religious Schools

  

  On October 31st, security forces shot at protesters who had gathered in the capital of Asmara to express their concerns over the Eritrean government's latest plans for all schools of the country. In its longstanding strategy to transform all academic institutions into community or public schools, the government is now forbidding students from wearing any religious accessories or apparel, such as Christian crosses or Muslim headscarves. The schools were notified in September that these changes were to take place with immediate effect.