Since the end of the Cold War, four Muslim-majority countries — Kazakhstan, Libya, Iran and Indonesia — have hosted the FIDE World Chess Championship. Despite the fact that hundreds of Muslim players have been ranked by FIDE over the years, the game remains controversial with many mainstream Sunni and Shia scholars disapproving of chess.
Read MoreMore than a third of the 143 known administrative prosecutions in 2022 punished individuals for posting religious texts and recordings on social media accounts without state permission. In one case a journalist was initially fined — changed to a verbal warning — for posting her interview with a state-approved imam.
Read MoreFive of the nine known prisoners of conscience in Kazakhstan jailed for exercising freedom of religion or belief were punished for participating in an online Islamic discussion group. The other four are also Sunni Muslims.
Read MoreAs the Kazakh government declares a state of emergency and bans mass meetings in some areas, legal changes increase obstacles for holding religious meetings away from state-registered places of worship. Human rights defenders have documented the country’s already severe restrictions on the rights of peaceful assembly.
Read MoreCourts and police across Kazakhstan have fined at least 15 people and three organizations so far in 2021 for holding meetings for worship or other religious rituals without state permission. “It is not allowed to pray at any location unless it's approved,” an Aktobe police officer said.
Read MoreGonzalez immigrated with her family to Los Angeles from her native Guatemala and tells her story of being an immigrant and a Christian in a new book called The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong.
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