Christians

Police ramp up security at Cologne Cathedral for New Year’s German authorities are on high alert following a warning about a possible attack on the Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve.

(Deutsche Welle) Authorities in the German city of Cologne have increased security measures around its cathedral ahead of New Year’s Eve. Police officers armed with submachine guns were being deployed to protect people planning to ring in the new year near the […]

Christians

Warning of ‘increased risk’ of ISIS terror attacks across Europe on New Year’s Eve Experts say terror group remains a 'serious threat' as arrests made in Spain, Austria, France and Germany

(National-UAE) Security services across Europe have uncovered an ISIS plot to use explosives to target churches. Counter-terrorism experts say the group remains a “serious threat” and is taking advantage of the conflict in Gaza to motivate its supporters. Over the Christmas period, […]

Christians

Germany: Man detained over Cologne Cathedral threat Police said a 30-year-old man would be detained until 7 January. German police had received an alert that a group may be planning an attack on the Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve.

(Deutsche Welle) German police said on Tuesday they had detained a man in connection with a dangerous threat at the iconic Cologne Cathedral in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Police announced the arrest of five men after searching an apartment in Wesel, some […]

Academics & Education

Maryland families say LGBTQ school readings violate religious beliefs In a lawsuit, several Montgomery County families are asking a judge for an opt-out from such materials

(Washington Post) Montgomery County’s mandate that students read books with LGBTQ characters forces religious families either to forfeit their beliefs or depart the public school system, lawyers for Muslim and Christian families suing the district said during oral arguments Wednesday at the […]

Christians

Activist backs off Sweden Torah burning: Trying to draw attention to Quran desecration ‘I will not burn [holy books]; no one should,’ says Ahmad Alush; decision by Swedish police to allow burning of Jewish, Christian bibles outside Israeli embassy had sparked outrage

(Times of Israel) A Muslim activist who had received permission to burn a Torah and a Bible outside the Israeli embassy in Sweden on Saturday said he was backing off from the move, adding that he only wanted to draw attention to […]

Christians

Germany: Syrian Islamists arrested for bomb plot against Swedish church During the searches of the brothers’ residences, German authorities discovered bomb-making chemicals, including a package of urea fertilizer and hydrogen peroxide.

(European Conservative) Authorities in Germany have arrested two brothers, both Syrian nationals, on suspicion of planning to carry out an Islamist terror attack on a packed church in Sweden, a joint press release by state and federal police and the public prosecutor’s […]

Christians

Greek authorities want to install Christians in mufti offices in Western Thrace: Muslim cleric 'Discrimination began when there were efforts to remove our elected clerics (muftis) from office,' says Mustafa Trampa

(Anadolu) The newly elected Muslim cleric (mufti) of the Turkish minority in the Xanthi region of Western Thrace in Greece said Monday that discriminatory practices are being carried out against the Turkish minority in the region. Mustafa Trampa, who was elected as […]

Christians

Jordan Peterson slammed for suggesting Sunni, Shia Muslims should fix ‘sectarian divide’ by becoming pen pals Jordan Peterson has suggested sectarian differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims could be healed by becoming pen pals.

(New Arab) Dr. Jordan Peterson has been slammed for suggesting Sunni and Shia Muslims mend differences by becoming pen pals. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, the Canadian academic and self-help writer touched on Muslim issues, an area Peterson is not […]

Children & Teens

Somali refugee wins second case against Norway over forced adoption Mariya Abdi Ibrahim won another case at Europe’s human rights court in 2019 over the forced adoption of her son, which resulted in Norway changing some of its regulations around adoption.

(Courthouse News) Norway violated the human rights of a Muslim refugee from Somalia when authorities removed her child from her care and placed him with a Christian family, Europe’s top rights court held Friday. The European Court of Human Rights found that […]