There you have it — not a simple story of villains and victims, but a reminder that religious freedom is a universal right, not an absolute one. Sometimes safety limits belief, and sometimes belief limits safety. The challenge is knowing when those limits are justified, and when

🌍 GOOD NEWS: Global Call to Defend Religious Freedom from the Vatican Pope Leo XIV declares belief rights not optional but essential Pope Leo XIV has issued a powerful call for a worldwide defense of religious freedom and human dignity. He reminded the global community that

5/5 🌏 Women in Christian-Minority Countries Are Easy Targets for Persecution Gender and faith collide as female believers face abduction, rape, and rejection At a recent global panel, experts highlighted how Christian women are kidnapped on their way to school, forcibly

4/5 🇺🇸 California’s New Antisemitism Law Sparks Debate Over Whether Protecting One Faith Can Punish Others’ Beliefs When speech becomes a regulated category, the ability to manifest belief becomes a permission, not a right California has enacted a law requiring state-funded

3/5 🇿🇦 South Africa Advances Laws That Criminalize Religious Speech and Expand State Power Over Faith Communities When the state decides which beliefs may be spoken, freedom of religion exists only on paper South Africa’s new Hate Speech Act introduces prison penalties for

2/5 🇮🇹 Italy: Bill Proposes Nationwide Burqa, Niqab Ban and Strict Religious Funding Oversight International law starts with freedom of religion; the burden now falls on Italy to prove restrictions are “necessary,” “proportionate,” and non-discriminatory. Italy’s governing

1/5 🇺🇸 U.S. Trump Re-Designates Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" — and Warns of Consequences if Abuja Fails to Act Tens of thousands have been slaughtered--churches burned, villages emptied--yet Nigeria’s leaders offer excuses instead of justice. The United States

Most weeks are as clear-cut as a machete. This week was not. Some limits on religious expression come from real public goods — preventing violence, preserving order, protecting the vulnerable. Other limits arrive disguised as “safety,” but are really tools to silence belief.

Such a meaningful time at the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh—spending time with the community as part of a deeply committed @JFAorg delegation led by @MalikMujahid, with Sameer Hossain, Rafi Uddin Ahmed, and Richard Reoch. More than 1.2 million Rohingya

Courage is contagious. 🕊 Help amplify stories of faith and freedom: like, comment, share, and subscribe to the Belief Brief 👉 https://t.co/NEgxIM58At #FoRB4All

And for this week's good news: US: Faith & Freedom on Display at the Charlie Kirk Memorial In a stunning display of religion in the public square, millions of people — including religious and high-level political leaders — gathered to memorialize Charlie Kirk, who was

5/5 Afghanistan: Taliban push girls into religious schools as only path to education Afghan girls face a grim future as secular learning is stripped away The Taliban have barred Afghan girls from nearly all forms of formal education and are now pressuring families to send

4/5 Australia urged to tackle rising Islamophobia Government report warns of increasing anti-Muslim hate and calls for urgent action Australia’s first Special Envoy for Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, has delivered a landmark report to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, warning that

3/5 China Escalates Crackdown on Churches and Pastors New bans target evangelism among youth as surveillance tightens Authorities in China have intensified their crackdown on Christian pastors and congregations, imposing harsh restrictions that strike at the heart of religious

2/5 India: Rajasthan Passes Harshest Anti-Conversion Law Yet Sweeping penalties raise fears of abuse against minorities and curbs on religious freedom The Rajasthan Assembly has passed the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, introducing some of India’s

1/5 US lawmakers push to hold Nigeria accountable for religious persecution New bill would demand action against killers of Christians and other minorities US Senator Ted Cruz has introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, aiming to pressure Nigeria’s

This week’s Belief Brief highlights both persecution and perseverance. From crackdowns to brave stands for conscience, believers worldwide face hate and surveillance—yet answer with courage, forgiveness, and the insistence that faith cannot be silenced.

Postscript: Should we change our name to "Belief Brief"? Or should we continue with the F's--like a global ranking for FoRB? "The First Freedom Foundation's Friday Five--Faith under Fire by Fanatics on the Frontlines.")

🙏 That’s your #FirstFreedomFive—where faith meets the frontlines. 💬 What story moved you most? 🔁 Share this thread to keep the world watching. ❤️ Like if you stand for freedom of belief. 👀 Follow for more updates each week. 🎂 And a belated happy 90th birthday to His

🇺🇸 Good news! Supreme Court Sides with Parents in Maryland Religious Freedom Case Victory for parental rights as the U.S. Supreme Court upholds religious freedom in public education In a major win for religious freedom, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Maryland