News & Analysis

At a conference in Beirut earlier this month participants gave evidence of the power of heritage to make life worth living for groups and communities…

Since researching the experiences of gender discrimination against women in poverty who belong to religious minorities, many fellow feminists have turned their back on me.…

On the 25 February Nigeria will experience its seventh consecutive general election – the longest streak of democracy the country has witnessed in over 60…

Professor Mariz Tadros, CREID Director and Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies has been appointed to the Council of Experts for the International…

Climate change reductionism – assuming the causes and the redress for those suffering the worst impacts of extreme weather lies with climate change alone –…

On International Day of Freedom of Religion or Belief, we are delighted to share our newly published eBook “What about us? Global Perspectives on Redressing…

Mohsin is a resident of 66 Quarter, a Christian neighbourhood in Islamabad, Pakistan. He comes from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background. He has been a grassroots…

Irvin Ibrahim Solman speaks to Raad Eido Rehan, an Iraqi Yazidi, who shares painful memories about his tattoos. Men and women from religious minorities have…

In this heritage case study, Nidaa Khalil Aswad interviewed and photographed, her grandmother Nemsha Shlo Smo. Nemsha was born in 1938 and has lived in…

Kheyriyah Qasim is a septuagenarian Yazidi mother of 12 children, originally from Sinjar, Iraq. Owing to circumstances earlier in her life her actual age is…

Men and women from religious minorities have from ancient times inked their bodies to proclaim their identity. The Copts are one of the oldest surviving…

In this interview with Mari Makramalla Monir, Thoraya Saleh Salib talks about how she is proud of the tattoos, which she inked herself, and encourages…

Men and women from religious minorities have from ancient times inked their bodies to proclaim their identity. The Copts are one of the oldest surviving…

Men and women from religious minorities have from ancient times inked their bodies to proclaim their identity. The Copts are one of the oldest surviving…

It’s almost been a year since the Taliban swiftly regained power in Afghanistan, which led to a new exodus of refugees, many of whom sought…

Earlier this month, six hundred delegates from over 100 countries attended the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion Belief, hosted for the first time…

The Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID) will be sharing its findings and launch new publications at a number of events and exhibition…

Nineveh, 2021: A resident of Tal Afar District receives the second dose of the Corona vaccine. Photo by Talafar Health Office. “After I took the…

Al-Diwaniyah, March 2022: A mother and her child in the village of Al-Zuhour, home to the Roma. Photo by Tahseen Al-Zarkani. Umm (mother of) Salah…

Last week, Egyptian Coptic youth from Minya welcomed a delegation from the UK Embassy, led by HM Ambassador Gareth Bayley, to a reconstituted “heritage village”…

We were delighted to welcome two delegations of twelve academics last week from the University of Mosul, led by its President Professor Dr Kossay Al-Ahmady,…

In my first post I compared key elements of theories of action and change for the two main schools of thought on the links between…

Sulaymaniyah, November 30, 2021: An IDP is receiving Coronavirus vaccine in Ashti camp. Media department of the Sulaymaniyah Health Department. Four women were waiting in…

Kirkuk, 2022: Mobile health teams vaccinate Kirkuk IDPs. Photo by KirkukNow. Ahmed Mahmoud Al-Obaidi, a young internally displaced person IDP from Ninewa province in Kirkuk,…

Last year the Coalition of Religious Equality and Inclusion in Development  (CREID) contracted me to conduct research in support of mainstreaming inequality on the grounds of religious…

Kirkuk, August 2022: A resident of Kirkuk is receiving the Coronavirus vaccine in the Cathedral of the Sacred heart church. Photo by Karwan Salihi. The…

Nineveh, March 2022: Abdullah, a lawyer from Mosul, voluntarily provides oxygen bottles to serious cases of Covid-19 infection hospitalised at home for lack of beds…

Tens of Covid-19 vaccination cards were issued without inoculation of the holder, especially for those who do not believe in the vaccine, and ready to…

Diyala, March 2022: A citizen of Khanaqin receives a dose of the Corona vaccine at one of the Khanaqin Health Centers. Photo by Amir Khanaqini.…

Duhok, February 2022: Shukria Hamzo, 60, has received the second dose of the Corona vaccine at one of the vaccination centres of Shekhan District. Photo…

Kirkuk, March 2022: A mobile clinic in Daquq district to deliver the Coronavirus vaccine to residents of remote areas. Photo by Muhammad Almas. In Daquq,…

Duhok, March 2022: One of the IDPs in Kabartw camp receiving Covid-19 jab. Photo by Ammar Aziz. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the semi-autonomous Iraqi…

Nineveh, March 2022: A health awareness campaign about the prevention of Corona and the importance of taking the vaccine. Photo by Nineveh Health Directorate Media.…

Erbil, February 2022: Siti Shabab, 63, receives second dose of the Corona vaccine in the Harsham camp for the displaced. Photo by Farman Sadiq. Siti…

There was probably no better place than Istanbul to hold CREID’s first face-to-face event, which took place early February, after two years of online gatherings.…

Nineveh, 2019: Sardasht camp for the Ezidi IDPs at Mount Shingal. Photo by KirkukNow. Shukur Badal is determined to get a Covid-19 jab as he…

Kifri, March 2021: a displaced woman working in an agricultural field in one of the villages of the district. Photo by Laila Ahmed. Part of…

With much of knowledge sharing on heritage gathering dominated by Western scholars and practitioners, a recent IDS-led workshop in Beirut, supported by the British Council’s…

What’s the best way to include religious diversity in humanitarian settings? Olivia Wilkinson and Jennifer Philippa Eggert, from the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and…

Researchers Maryam Kanwer and Jaffer Mirza speak to Shia Hazara Afghan refugees who are living in fear and hiding in Pakistan. ‘There were so many…

As former Facebook employee turned whistleblower, Frances Haugen, reveals damning evidence around Facebook’s inaction on hate, violence and misinformation shared through its platforms, Claire Thomas,…

In this analysis, Sofya Shahab shares how concern over how much longer the Hazara community as an ethnic and religious minority will survive in Afghanistan…

With a long history of persecution and the Taliban’s particular brand of hatred and ruthless violence towards them in previous years, Shi’a Hazaras in Afghanistan…

Who is afraid of the Taliban? Anyone who is on the wrong side of their religiously homogenising project should be, warns CREID Director, Mariz Tadros.…

في يوم الشباب العالمي 2021، تقوم مارين عساف يونس من كرمليس، خريجة قسم الهندسة في جامعة الموصل، بمشاركة تجاربها في المشاركة في برنامج جمع التراث…

On International Youth Day 2021, Mareen Asaaf Younes from Karamles, a graduate of the Engineering Department at the University of Mosul, shares her experiences participating…

On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we are sharing new evidence on how social, political and economic marginalisation as well as physical and psychological…

In this analysis, Aroon Arthur, Jaffer A. Mirza and Mohsin Ilyas share findings from interviews in Islamabad/Rawalpindi and Lahore in which they find an alarming…

In this article, Dr Maha Ibrahim Jasim from the University of Mosul shares her experiences of working with young people from the Chaldean Christian minority…

A commitment to redressing religious inequalities and promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a commitment to more inclusive societies and politics for all. In…

Today, we launched the new CREID website, which hosts over 200 resources including news, views, videos, podcasts and publications generated by our programme since its…

In this post, Pamela Hajal argues that humanitarian organisations and interventions need to take a “localisation” approach to ensure appropriate cultural integration in their programmes and improve…

In the third and final blog sharing findings from a survey of attitudes towards the Hazara Shia in Quetta, Pakistan (following government broadcast messages referring…

On World Day for Cultural Diversity and Dialogue, Mariz Tadros argues that the global threat we must confront is not only the protection of cultural and…

On World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, Sofya Shahab delves into some of the ways intolerance for cultural diversity has impacted communities in…

Nearly two billion Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the festival drawing the holy month to a close. In this blog, Dr Saeed Adris…

Iraqi parliament session in March 2021. Photo from KirkukNow. At the end of the marathon, representatives of minorities in Iraqi house of representatives, the parliament,…

In this article, Ammar Aziz talks to people in the camp of Shekhan for Ezidi Internally Displaced People IDP who suffer from the poor quality…

The theme for last Sunday’s International Day for Monuments and Sites was ‘Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures’, which sought to emphasise the importance of inclusion and…

Today, on Earth Day, global leaders are meeting to (hopefully) take decisive and urgent action at US President Biden’s climate change summit. A new short…

In the second of our three part series on the impact of Covid-19 on attitudes towards Hazara Shia minority in Quetta, Pakistan, Marzia Akhlaqi, Sajjad…

With Ramadan starting this week for the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims, another much smaller and more ancient religious group largely based in Iraq is also…

Last year, the IDS-led CREID programme shared alarming findings on a largely unreported phenomenon – “ideologically motivated sexual grooming”, described in its paper on ‘Invisible…

Kameran Kemal, 25, could not stand still looking at the devastation of Shingal and displacement of its people, he tried to light a candle amid…

Ravadar, a community-led project supported by the IDS CREID programme, worked with residents in poor Christian neighbourhood in Lahore, Pakistan, to provide vital access to…

Daya (Mother) Gully before leaving town fell at the hands of Islamic State ISIS militants with her son and daughter whom they try to separate…

An Ezidi kid in traditional attire attending a ceremony in the village of Kojo, Shingal district in February 2021 for the burial of remnants of…

Heritage destruction, and the ideological motivations behind it, is vital for understanding conflict as well as addressing questions on what heritage is documented, preserved and…

In the first of our three part series on the impact of Covid-19 on attitudes towards Hazara Shia in Quetta, Pakistan, Sajjad Hussain and Raheela…

Iraqi security forced deployed around al-Tahira al-Kubra Church in Mosul ahead of Pope Francis visit on March 7th, 2021. Photo by Popular Mobilization Forces PMF…

Mazin Salim, the teen survived ISIS in 2019, desperately lives with his mother and grandmother in Barsiv IDP camp for Ezidis in Duhok. Photo by…

Mariz Tadros 12 March 2021 There are reports of Ethiopian and Eritrea troops going out of their way to loot and destroy beloved churches, mosques…

The spread of Covid-19 in Pakistan was largely blamed on Shia pilgrims returning from Iran, including Hazara Shias, after Iran announced its first Covid-19 deaths…

What accounts for the invisibility of women in high-level policy spaces on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB)? Here we tell the story through photos.…

Christian pilgrims in Ur ancient city and house of Prophet Abraham. Photo by Reuters. In the second day of his Apostolic trip to Iraq, following…

Delegation of the Vatican visits the Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad on Feb. 25, 2021. Photo by Syriac Catholic Facebook account. The Syriac Catholic…

Easter festival in Talsquf by Christian local worshippers on April 12, 2020. Photo by Victor hakim. Christian community of Nineveh province are willing that following…

International Women’s Day on 8 March brings a welcome focus on women’s rights and equality at a time when the highly gendered impacts of Covid-19 have the potential to threaten decades of slow progress. Globally, women are experiencing the unequal…

Classroom for religious lessons to Ezidi children survived ISIS atrocities in Duhok, April 2019. Photo by KirkukNow. Iraqi parliament has skipped two articles in the…

The video contains a glimpse into the everyday experiences of a few Christian women who have been made to feel unwelcome and unacceptable in the…

Mahesh Rana The Hindu community, specifically settled in Tharparkar (Sindh) has been in great stress and distress due to their inability to pay back loans…

Mohsin Ilyas The fact that Christian political leaders are primarily selected and not elected by the community adds to the feeling of being marginalized. Pakistan,…

This video, produced by Ravadar, reflects upon the plight of Hindu bonded labour of Pakistan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I6WH5jd5Mk&ab_channel=Ravadar This video reflects upon the plight of Hindu bonded…

Mahesh Rana The case of poor Hindu women, working as sanitary workers, in Sindh induces one’s empathy. In the majority of cases, they are the…

Asad Gokal Lawyers of the District Session Court of Mirpur attempted to violently attack the judge who granted bail to an alleged blasphemer. A man…

The UN General Assembly has voted to adopt a resolution protecting religious sites. Recent conflicts in Iraq and Syria have seen vast swathes of religious…

Read the story of Fawzia, held captive by ISIS, liberated, living in an IDP camp, taken to an orphanage, then back to he Camp. According…

Nissan Mirza Darwesh, 20, an Ezidi IDP in Kabartw camp, has taken 15,000 photos of life in IDP camps. Photo by Ammar Aziz For long…

Ekhlas KHudur, second from the left, with four other women nominated as ambassador of hope in 2019 In every narration of the same story, she…

Max J. Joseph, Iraq Programme Coordinator at Minority Rights Group International Today, Yezidis will finally be able to give their loved ones a proper burial in Kocho,…

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Pakistani Minorities began its Inquiry into Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Religious Minority Girls this week through a series of…

Hundreds of families returned to Shingal seek permission to retun to IDP camps in Duhok due to instability and hard living conditions. Nineveh 2020: Ezidi…

Mahesh Rana In an unfortunate intersection of marginalization, the low-caste Hindus find themselves struggling without salvation in sight. The Hindu scheduled castes – often the…

Mohsin Ilyas An issue that has met neglect for decades is the struggle of those living in slums, located along the wastewater streams. They face…

On 19th January every year, at the stroke of midnight, thousands of Coptic Christians in Egypt jump into the river Nile or water canals nearby.…

Religious discrimination can be a driver of poverty overall and harm many who those who are most marginalised and left furthest behind. A new CREID…

Mays Al-Juboori, Civilian Rights Officer at Minority Rights Group International Yesterday, at least 32 people were killed, and more than 100 injured in twin suicide bombings…

Heritage and culture can be rooted in physical spaces, so when these come under threat or are permanently altered by conflict or climate change, this…

Duhok, 2019 – School children on their way home at Mam-Rashan IDP Camp – photo: Ammar Azeez After escaping years of anguish in ISIS captivity,…

Whether fuelled by political and religious leaders, or the media, hate speech in Iraq taps into deeper problems of structural inequality in society and has…

Earlier this week, Myanmar celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its independence from British rule, but this period has been mired by ongoing conflict amongst its…

Asad Gokal Since September, when UAE locked a deal for normalizing relations with Israel, alarm bells began to ring louder for the Pakistani Shia diaspora…

Mahesh Rana The festival of lights, Diwali, was celebrated with religious fervour in Karachi. Hindu community celebrated the religiously significant day of Diwali in the…

An alternative narration of the Christmas story of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt which shines a spotlight on modern day vulnerability and fleeing persecution……

Earlier this month, the UNHCR announced that the number of people forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, and human rights violations has passed 80 million.…

Rebuilding heritage and the cohesion of communities that live and breathe it is not merely a matter of rebuilding tangible (often historical) sites, but also…

On 9 December 2020, a roundtable of experts, discussed religious inequalities and what can be done to prevent genocide, especially given the current Uyghur crisis…

Cultural heritage is fundamental to human dignity and identity. As part of the IDS-led CREID programme the rights of religious communities to practice and preserve…

The sanctity and deity, of the Baba Ramapir temple, was destroyed, thus deepening the despair Pakistani Hindu community finds itself in. The third-largest sacred site…

Samira Muhammad Hussein, aka Samira Karimat, a known women activist in Kirkuk – photo: Samira’s Facebook account A contrarian woman, Samira has spent her life…

Asad Gokal When everyone was advised to stay at home and protect themselves against the prevalent pandemic a few brave beings stepped out to help…

As part of the IDS-led Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID),  we are working with religious minority communities in Iraq and Syria to…

Today we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and…

Youngsters from Christian localities turn to bootlegging as an easier alternative to making money. The bleak scenario of economic opportunities leads many such Christians to…

Asad Gokal Institutions of education, inching closer to a violent wave of extremism, is an ill omen for a country as culturally, ethnically, and religiously…

Asad Gokal The Shia women were beaten by batons and dragged by the Narowal police which had raided their homes to arrest their men for…

Kirkuk, 2020 – a Kaka’i villager in one of the villages of Daquq – photo: Karwan Salehi Members of the Kaka’i community do not have…

Maha Usman Heavy rains resulted in an added layer of suffering endured by the marginalized minorities of Sindh as well as the general people. “The…

The dagger ‘uncle’ Azeez tucks in his waistband has been in his possession for nearly half a century and has been in his family for…

Mohsin Ilyas Due to the lockdown imposed during Covid-19, the worship places across Pakistan were shut down. This affected church activities as well. Many pastors…

A new CREID Working Paper argues that the technical approach which underpins international humanitarian practices do not recognise intersecting forms of identity, including religious ones,…

This video reflects upon the plight of sexual minorities of Pakistan during the coronavirus outbreak. Ravadar blog features the untold stories of Pakistan’s Minorities during…

Religious hate-speech and exclusion are an everyday experience for religious minorities in Pakistan. Over the past year, the youth development organisation Bargad, funded by Minority…

In the latest piece from her series on heritage and survival, Sofya Shahab, from the IDS-led Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development, describes her…

Kirkuk, 2020 – Pirshing Kaka’i sewing at her little market – photo: Muhammad Almas Pirshing’s home nowadays resembles more a bustling bazaar rather than a…

Mahesh Rana A local builder had the audacity to destroy a pre-partition temple along with 22 houses in the vicinity and added to the insecurities…

Kirkuk, 2020 – 81-year-old Ghalib Muhammad Wali at his village plucking okras – photo: Muhammad Almas Everyday Ghalib wakes up early, wears his traditional attire…

Less than two weeks before Myanmar’s national elections, May Sabe Phyu, Director of the Gender Equality Network (GEN), describes how violence against women in Myanmar…

Kirkuk, 2020 – Majid Kaka’i and his daughter Avesta have been training at home for 8 months – photo: Muhammad Almas Wearing his training suit…

Original content published in partnership with CREID by Ravadar (23 October 2020) Mahesh Rana Every year countless cases of rape and murder are left unaddressed by the…

Last week, Pakistan was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), the main UN body tasked with the promotion and protection of all human…

Kirkuk, 2020 – Kaka’i villagers in Daquq – photo: Karwan Salehi If it wasn’t for his reluctance to leave his mother behind, Mariwan would have…

The latest CREID Podcast highlights how violence against women and girls in northern Nigeria is endemic and is fuelled by conflict, poverty and a patriarchal…

Below is the text for the media release published today by the UK APPG on Freedom of Religion or Belief: Dr Mariz Tadros, Director of…

Mahesh Rana A Hindu man died of Coronavirus and was denied a dignified death  (cremation ritual) by an angry mob in Punjab. Moreover, around 20…

Rizgari village, Kirkuk province, 2020 – inside the Ali Saray library – photo: Muhammad Almas During the last six years, despite having to deal with…

Mohsin Ilyas 12SHARES12 The global pandemic slashed income from small businesses for a massive majority of the Christian population in the slums of Islamabad. The…

After the recent anti-Shia wave in Pakistan, the Shia community vows to come out in record numbers on the day of Arbaeen. Meanwhile, religious extremists…

With a long history of persecution, the Yezidis recently experienced a genocide at the hands of Daesh in Iraq. As well as systematically killing and…

Social welfare workers, doctors, and young social activists came to the fore from the religious minority community in order to alleviate the ills of COVID-19.…

Many of the practices and rituals of religions around the world directly contravene public health advice on coronavirus since they can include congregating in large…

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take its huge and tragic toll on the world’s population, it is being felt hardest by the poorest and…

Kirkuk, Daquq, Topzawa village – the biggest cemetery of the Kaka’is during the COVID-19 outbreak – Photo: KirkukNow “We would like it very much if…

In the latest CREID Working Paper, published earlier this month, CREID Director Mariz Tadros sets out why we need to look at the intersecting inequalities…

6SHARES6 The faith-based killing of Shias spiked in Pakistan amidst a vile hate campaign against the community in Muharram this year. Four men were gunned…

Saneha Kinza Iqbal is a 16-year-old Christian girl who was abducted last month by a Muslim man nearly twice her age in Pakistan. Below is…

The Al-Khoei Foundation, a founding member of the IDS-led Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID), has successfully engaged with religious leaders, teachers, headteachers…

Members of the IDS-led Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID) identified a spike in online hate speech towards Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya community in April…

Kirkuk, September 2020 – of a total of 70 families, only 15 remain in Zanqr village – Photo by Karwan Salehi The village of Zanqr…

Qaiser Abbas, who was killed during a sectarian attack in Kohat A spectre of faith-based persecution unfolds as the Shia community in Pakistan mourns the…

Empress Market, Karachi (33SHARES33) The lockdown imposed by the Government of Sindh during COVID-19 had a negative impact on the financial state of the region.…

Asad Gokal 185SHARES185 Persecution of the Shia community in Pakistan is a well known fact. At the onset of Muharram, the community was to face…

Rana Adnan 18SHARES18 Christian philanthropists, social workers, and community activists contributed their time, resources, and efforts to reach out to people in need during COVID-19.…

Besides battling the pandemic, the Shia community in Pakistan has been witnessing the resurgence of an intense anti-Shia sentiment during the past few months. March:…

13SHARES13 The Government of Pakistan provided COVID-19 relief funds to the low-income groups, however, a sizeable share of religious minorities was ignored in this drive.…

2SHARES2 Christian men and women working at the lowest ranks like janitors, cleaners, sweepers, and sanitation workers were most at risk of getting infected with…

Daquq, September 2020 – no COVID-19 tests available at the Topzawa medical centre – Photo by Karwan Salehi The topzawa medical centre was built 56…

Researching the history and culture of the Shan, the largest ethnic minority group in Myanmar, is possible in UK and US libraries where small well…

From the very beginning of the pandemic, we have heard about the effects of Covid-19 or associated restrictions on religious communities. Purim was one of…

A month after a Pashtun Sunni teen was lynched by a mob in Hazara Town, Shia Hazara women express their fears from outside the community…

14SHARES14 A legislative bill, passed on the pretext of protecting Islam, stoked controversy in almost all quarters of the country. The fundamental flaw lies in…

10SHARES10 The domestic workers from the Christian community found themselves trapped in the myriad challenges arising out of joblessness and poverty amplified by the Corona…

She was on her way to Church. Saneha Kinza Iqbal, a 16-year-old girl, was abducted last month in Pakistan by a man helped by two…

The majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq come from Ezidi, Christian, Kaka’i and other religious minorities. Recently, these IDPs have been deprived of…

Kirkuk, August 2020 – water facilities at the Mateeq village – Photo by Muhammad Almas As temperatures soar up to 45 degrees (Celsius) in this…

For the Hazara community, not organising the Ashura procession will pave the way for further marginalisation Shiite Muslims hold religious flags as they march in Quetta.…

On July 9th 2020, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) launched its recent report ‘Protecting and Supporting Vulnerable Groups Through the Covid-19…

The majority of sanitation workers in Pakistan are from religious minorities, primarily Christian and Hindu. Sanitation work is low-paid and low-status, and street and sewer…

https://youtu.be/SSUOA41WXPQ In the early stages of Pakistan’s coronavirus outbreak, Shia Hazaras were blamed for bringing the virus from Iran. Many were racially profiled and stigmatized as carriers…

The IDS-led Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID) is launching a new podcast series looking at the interconnections between belonging to a minority…

Kirkuk, 2020 – Payman and three of her daughters having a modest breakfast meal – Photo by Muhammad Almas Payman’s family starts their day with…

In many countries around the world, religious minorities face discrimination, marginalisation and violence. On the anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence, Siobhain McDonagh MP, Chair of the…

Heritage is commonly perceived as being about a passive preservation of the past, passed down from one generation to the next. In reality, however, heritage…

Kirkuk, 2020 – artist Adnan Muhammad Huseein Kaka’i honing his skills at home during lockdown – Photo by Muhammad Almas Instead of warm handshakes and…

Kirkuk, 2020 – a number of Kaka’i residents of Rizgari settlement – Photo by Muhammad Almas From village administrations to the highest political, military and…

Heritage sites play a vital role in sustaining community identities as well as individuals’ personal wellbeing. In the Middle East, religious minorities have not only…

Following the Twitter boycott in response to anti-Semitic tweets by British rapper Wiley, the IDS-led  Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID) have warned…

Kirkuk, 2020 – Kaka’i residents of Walad village are displaced due to ISIS attacks – Photo by KirkukNow The threat of COVID-19 brings back bitter…

Daesh’s violent targeting of Iraq’s religious minorities between 2011-2015 destroyed communities and shattered infrastructure. Now, the lives and livelihoods of religious minorities are once more…

Almas Azizi 27, a Kakayi youth and a wounded veteran of the ISIS war – Photo by Muhammad Almas Every night Almas’ sleep is disrupted…

Bahman Wali and two of his sons – Photo by Muhammad Almas At Bahman’s home, authentic traditional singing and reciting poetry are interfused with melodies…

Hazaras are both an ethnic and religious minority in majority Sunni Pakistan. In Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, there are about half a million Hazara…

CREID online event, opened by the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Rehman Chishti, and bringing together over 100 academics, faith…

Kirkuk, Mohammed Aziz, a Kaka’i farmer, has cultivated his farm late due to the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, June 2020. Photo: KirkukNow The Kaka’i minority in…

Religious minorities around the world are being targeted and blamed for the spread of Covid-19. In this latest blog in our religious inequalities and the…

Nineveh, two women are separating olives from olive branches of their olive garden in Bashiqa, eastern Mosul, 2013. Photo: Nasr Haji The yield from Ihsan’s…

Jalil Ibrahim, 50, is a Kaka’I farmer in Daquq. Photo: Mohammed Almas Jalil Ibrahim, a Kaka’i farmer, has gone bankrupt three times over the course…

Uganda’s government should both support the country’s religious minorities and be open to learning from their unique wells of expertise. In February 2012, a great…

Duhok, n Armenian family who has been living in Horisk village for the past six years, June 2020. Photo: Ammar Aziz “I swear, I can’t…

Safin Jamal, a 65-year-old potter, has shut down his business due to the effects of the coronavirus. Photo: KirkukNow COVID-19 has forced a skilled and…

Hazara Shia pilgrims returning home to Pakistan after travelling to Iran were quarantined beyond the recommended 14 days for Covid-19, in poor conditions and with…

Marzia Akhlaqi Fatima, aged 40, was one of the thousand Hazara-Shia pilgrims who were quarantined at Taftan (at the Pakistan-Iran border) after returning from the…

Ammar Aziz Nineveh, a number of women mourn at the graves of their beloved ones, 2018. Photo: Irabhim Ezidi Just like every other morning, Bayan…

Bahman Wali and two of his sons – Photo by Muhammad Almas At Bahman’s home, authentic traditional singing and reciting poetry are interfused with melodies…

Originally published by The Diplomat (8 June 2020) Jaffer A. Mirza Referring to COVID-19 as “the Shia virus.” Denying aid to Christians and Hindus. These…

Naumana Suleman The world battles COVID-19 as we continue to lose lives and live under constant fear. While the pandemic has posed an immense challenge…

Covid-19 cases linked to an international gathering of Muslim missionaries in Delhi quickly descended  widespread Islamophobia on social media and discrimination and violence towards ordinary…

By Naumana Suleman, CREID Programme Officer at Minority Rights Group International On the 5th of May the government of Pakistan announced the establishment of a…

Bardarash, Hussein Gharib, 11, sells second-hand goods with his father, 2020. Photo: Ammar Aziz Hussein is giving up on his hobbies: playing football with his…

Pakistani Christians, who make up about 2% of the population but around 75-80% of sanitation workers, have been on the frontline of the fight against…

Nineveh Plain, Alqosh, the hometown of the Iraqi Christians, 2019. Photo: Ammar Aziz Christians of the northern Iraqi town of Alqosh have been left with no options but to rely on…

By Claire Thomas, Deputy Director of Minority Rights Group, and Aila Gill, CREID Program Coordinator From the US to the UK, many are outraged over the continued…

The Covid-19 lockdown and the associated social restrictions have exacerbated the dire situation of Muslims and Christian Dalits in India. The pandemic has added new…

Nineveh, Ezidi children are walking through a muddy road to school in Sinjar Mountain, 2019. Photo: Ibrahim Ezidi “I have been a lecturer for two…

 Diyala, a Kakai farmer looks at his burned grain field, which he had been growing for a year, May 2020. Photo: Amir Khanaqini Violence and…

Photo Credit Unsplash, Gabriel Benois The national coronavirus lockdown has fueled a wave of violence in the households, in which women as always have the lion’s…

The world is faced with an unprecedented challenge and many argue that every resource we have should be deployed as fast and as fully as…

In Pakistan, as in many other countries with high levels of inequity, the pandemic has further widened the gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups and…

The Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID), led by IDS, has expressed grave concern over a dangerous anti-Ahmadi campaign, currently trending on Twitter…

Covid-19 adds to perils of Pakistan’s sanitation workers, while the pandemic has affected many sectors of life, there are some still at work. This video…

Duhok, numerous volunteers are spraying disinfection in the Cham Mshko camp, April 2020. Photo: Exclusive to KirkukNow Chnar Msto is greatly concerned about the coronavirus…

Kirkuk, a Kakai village in the western district of Daquq, 2020. Photo: Mohammed Almas  Members of Iraq’s Kakai minority fight on two fronts. While the…

Religious minority communities in Lahore, Pakistan, are frequently deprived of basic services such as access to clean drinking water and waste management which are available…

 Sinjar doctors are visiting a patient in the General Sinjar Hospital, April 2020. Photo: Nineveh Administration Media Residents of the Iraqi town of Sinjar desperately…

Duhok, Kabartu IDP camp, April 2020. Photo: Ammar Aziz Coronavirus outbreak has made life more challenging for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Iraq. Hundreds…

“These Hazaras go to Iran and bring viruses to Pakistan”, was the accusation made in a WhatsApp conversation which recently went viral across WhatsApp groups…

By Mariz Tadros, 31 March 2020 Are religious ideologues on coronavirus threatening to tear apart the much needed human solidarity to overcome the pandemic? A…

It is our moral obligation to ensure everyone receives aid according to needs and regardless of their status. Claire Thomas, Minority Rights Group Time and…

Jaffer A. Mirza “I want to warn our people that anyone in Pakistan targeting our non-Muslim citizens or their places of worship will be dealt…

Over twenty activists and feminists from Egypt, Iraq, Myanmar, Nigeria and Pakistan recently gathered at a workshop organised by the Coalition for Religious Equality and…

The Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID) is inviting expressions of interest for the submission of short papers which share short case studies…

For the sake of preservation of heritage under threat, engaging young people is key to sustainability, but we need to think creatively how to bring…

On International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, Mariz Tadros, Director of the Coalition for Religious Equality and…

Earlier this year, the UN designated 22 August as International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. Tragically, violence,…

Mariz Tadros, Director of the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID) shares her response and reflections to the recently published independent review on…

Ahead of tomorrow’s Global Conference for Media Freedom hosted by the UK and Canadian governments  in London,  Professor Mariz Tadros, Director of the Coalition for…

On World Refugee Day, CSW’s recent report on ethno-nationalism, religious intolerance, crimes against humanity and genocide in Myanmar (Burma) is a stark reminder that, while…

This is what faith leaders, activists, charity workers and academic experts from across faiths and sectors gathered to discuss at the inaugural Forum for Freedom…

Religious inequalities, discrimination and conflict, driven by religious nationalism and ethnic tensions, are increasing challenges for many countries in East Asia. Last month, over 80…

A new consortium, convened by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and recently launched  at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), will be looking at…

Religious inequalities is a term that refers to the way in which individuals and groups suffer from systemic marginalization, exclusion and, in extreme cases, genocide…