News

Sam Brownback was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom by Vice President Mike Pence on February 1, filling an important position that has been vacant since Rabbi David Saperstein left the office in January... READ MORE

A recent report by the prestigious nongovernmental think tank Freedom House, for example, revealed that Hungary has become the weakest democracy among all countries in the European Union, READ MORE

At a conference in Geneva, an international law expert and several NGOs called upon French President Emmanuel Macron and his Prime Minister to cease the financing of FECRIS (European Federation of Centers of Research and Information... READ MORE

The following is a letter from STAND member and President of the Church of Scientology Utah Sandra Lucas on the occasion of the passing of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Thomas Monson. We publish... READ MORE

As 2018 launches and 2017 fades in the rear-view mirrors of our minds, STAND looks forward to a year of great strides in the fields of tolerance, mutual respect and religious freedom. READ MORE

This past weekend, Pope Francis addressed journalists from the Italian Periodical Press Union and the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies, whom he urged to avoid fake news and sensationalism in a profession of great importance... READ MORE

Last week, Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination held its first annual year-end celebration at the Church of Scientology of the Valley in Los Angeles, honoring nine successful months of operation and setting... READ MORE

The marchers—1,500 strong, including many friends from other religions—gathered at Deak Ferenc Square in the center of Budapest where a prominent member of the Hungarian Church, Timea Vojtilla, expressed the Scientologists’... READ MORE

Sixty-nine years ago today, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights —what would become the most widely agreed upon text on the subject of human rights and the most translated document in the world—was adopted by the... READ MORE

Actor Jeff Pomerantz joined nearly 800 Scientologists on the streets of this city on November 18 in a peaceful protest against government persecution of a broad array of religions. READ MORE

While Texas and America at large suffers through shock and grief, struggling to come to grips with yesterday’s tragedy—the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history and the deadliest at a place of worship in U.S. history—International... READ MORE

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY—Hundreds of Scientologists stood in candlelit protest of what has been described as extremist government interference with peaceful religious practice under the guise of “data protection. READ MORE

The Religious Freedom Act—the passage of which we celebrate today—established the office of the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and highlighted America’s responsibility to the world... READ MORE

Kirstie Alley raised the question of whether psychiatric drugs lie at the base of this tragedy. The Las Vegas Review-Journal and other press reported that Paddock had been prescribed 50 10-milligram tablets of diazepam in... READ MORE

Australian actress Rebel Wilson has won a landslide victory against mega media bully Bauer Media, publisher of Woman’s Day magazine, for a series of character assassination articles the jury agreed severely impacted her... READ MORE

North Hollywood, CA—The Church of Scientology of the Valley, which recently became the largest Church of Scientology in North America, drew over 600 for a United Nations World Humanitarian Day awards ceremony in August that... READ MORE

A teenage boy in India is taking on A&E executives Nancy Dubuc and Paul Buccieri in a grassroots campaign against bigotry, hate and inciting violence. After seeing on-air previews of Leah Remini’s reality TV show that spreads... READ MORE

STAND national director Bari Berger issued a statement of solidarity with the Interfaith Coalition and the mosque and encouraged all Minnesota Scientologists to help in any way possible. “This attack and any attack against... READ MORE

This is a landmark decision in securing honesty from media outlets and ensuring that they do not get away with falsely labeling individuals innocent of wrongdoing. READ MORE

STAND is mindful that Hungarian Scientologists have also faced religious discrimination and have been subject to hate speech. STAND sincerely hopes that this atmosphere of religious and racial tolerance will expand and reach... READ MORE

Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination (STAND) appreciates that the German federal government has taken upon itself to more forcefully curtail hate speech on digital platforms, as reported in the New York Times. READ MORE

The prestigious Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) held its 2017 annual conference at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute of the historic city of Jerusalem, Israel, between 2 - 6 July. It was attended by 100 of the... READ MORE

Six out of ten Americans say they know virtually nothing about Sikhism, the world’s fifth largest religion. Hence, the National Sikh Campaign (NSC) launched this year to educate the American population on what it means to... READ MORE

While a few media outlets fed on the tragedy and sensation in the wake of the devastating Grenfell Towers fire, at least one news organization—the Financial Times—chose to highlight the uplifting side of the story, one... READ MORE

STAND is pleased to announce that Reza Aslan, host of the bigoted “Believer” series on CNN, has just been let go by the network. His discriminatory show came and went in a single season; it will not be missed. READ MORE

In his speech last year at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the Dalai Lama told the world what he thought of the term "Islamic terrorism." His words have never been more fitting. "Buddhist terrorist. Muslim terrorist.... READ MORE

The Islamic Society of Basking Ridge in New Jersey has just emerged victorious from a five-year battle with local government, at long last securing approval to build a new mosque for its community. READ MORE

Brave Men Give Their Lives to Protect Religious Freedom When Jeremy Christian began harassing two dark-skinned teenage females, one of whom wore a hijab, on a train in Portland, two men who stepped up to defend them did not... READ MORE

STAND extends its deepest sympathy and heartfelt support to victims and survivors of yesterday’s attack in Manchester arena, during which 22 were left dead and another 59 injured. READ MORE

Long journeys, worries over flight safety, pressures of life or even aspirations for future success can bring any traveler to an airport prayer booth, or “Pray-o-mat,” as its inventor called it. These cubicle Pray-o-mats... READ MORE