Ultra-Orthodox Jewish teens attend the funeral for Rabbi Mordechai Leifer in Ashdod, Israel, Oct. 5, 2020.

Sacred Nation

‘It so clearly discriminates against Muslims’: India rolls out faith-based test for citizenship

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A new law that provides refugees with a path to Indian citizenship went into effect in March. But it’s controversial because it excludes refugees who are Muslims. There were widespread protests in 2019 when it was first passed and now India’s supreme court is hearing a bunch of petitions against it.

International students in the US face many challenges as they adjust to new cultural norms.

Chaplains open doors for international students on campus

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Rows of people kneeling in prayer

Tens of thousands attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

Israel-Hamas war
Striped red-and-white flags adorn a sacred grove in a quiet neighborhood in Ranchi in India. The ubiquitous flags are an assertion of tribal identity.

Adherents of Sarnaism try to preserve their identity and culture by pushing for more recognition of their faith in India

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A construction crew works on Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ram in Ayodhya, India, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.

‘Religious triumphalism’: A grand Hindu temple opens on a controversial site in India 

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sanctuary

‘I just got completely blasted by love’: People in the UK attest to the ways that spirituality is evolving 

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In the United Kingdom, 7 in 10 people under the age of 30 say they don’t identify with any particular religion. The World met with clergy members, pagans, atheists, Muslims and others to hear about how they look at religion today in the UK.

The exterior of the Ancient Church of the East in Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 27, 2023.

A newly launched news channel in Iraq tries to preserve the ancient Syriac language

Language

Al-Iraqiya news recently started a Syriac-language broadcast in an attempt to preserve the ancient language, which derives from Aramaic, the original language of the Bible and Jesus. They are based in Baghdad. People at the network and in the Iraqi Christian community talk about what this means for them.

A couple embrace during a protest in Trafalgar Square, London, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. They are demanding the release of all hostages allegedly taken by the militant group Hamas.

‘A link with my ancestors’: Britons reconnect with Jewish roots for EU passports

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Since the Brexit vote of 2016, hundreds of thousands of Britons have applied for citizenship of European countries, allowing them to continue to work and travel freely while holding onto their British passport. Thousands have been able to acquire passports of other European nations through sometimes distant Jewish roots.

Women in a small group holding signs with text written in Spanish

This tiny country is home to Europe’s toughest abortion ban

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The micronation of Andorra, located in the mountains between Spain and France, takes a hard-line stance against abortion because its head-of-state is a Catholic bishop. But some Andorrans say it’s time for change.

Hundreds gather at a rally outside New Scotland Yard demanding police to do more to protect London's Jewish citizens.

Jewish London on edge amid spike in antisemitic attacks

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Police in London report that antisemitic attacks increased by more than 1,350% in the first two weeks of October, amid war between Israel and Hamas. The country’s small, close-knit Jewish community is saying the British government isn’t doing enough to protect them.