Religions Around The World

In the early morning hours, monks can be seen walking on their alms round in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Showing humility and detachment from worldly goods, the monk walks slowly and only stops if he is called. Standing quietly, with his bowl open, the local Buddhists give him rice, or flowers, or an envelope containing money.  In return, the monks bless the local Buddhists and wish them a long and fruitful life.
Christians Celebrate Good Friday
Enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad, India. Only 2.3% of India's population is Christian. 
Ancient interior mosaic in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
The Church of the Holy Saviour in Istanbul, Turkey is a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church.
Dome of the Rock located in the Old City of Jerusalem
The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
Holi Festival in Mathura, India
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter. Also known as the “festival of colors”,  Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons.
Jewish father and daughter pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.
Known in Hebrew as the Western Wall, it is one of the holiest sites in the world. The description, "place of weeping", originated from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple and praying for its rebuilding at the site of the Western Wall.
People praying in Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
The temple is dedicated to both Taoism and Buddhism.
People praying in the Grand Mosque in Ulu Cami
This is the most important mosque in Bursa, Turkey and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture built in 1399.
Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the Savior Monastery of St. Euthymius
Located in Suzdal, Russia, this is a church rite of sanctification of apples and grapes in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan
It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. Fushimi Inari is the most important Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
Ladles at the purification fountain in the Hakone Shrine
Located in Hakone, Japan, this shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine.  At the purification fountain, ritual washings are performed by individuals when they visit a shrine. This ritual symbolizes the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.
Hanging Gardens of Haifa are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The Shrine of the Báb is where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís.
Pilgrims praying at the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality and Golden Temple
Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. It is a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine daily.
Entrance gateway of Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon
Located in Hong Kong, China, the temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim.
Christian women worship at a church in Bois Neus, Haiti.
Haiti's population is 94.8 percent Christian, primarily Catholic. This makes them one of the most heavily Christian countries in the world.

Court rejects release of Moroccan woman on trial in blasphemy case, lawyers say

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Attorneys for a Moroccan feminist on trial for blasphemy said their request for her to be released due to health concerns was rejected Wednesday.

Attorneys for Ibtissam Lachgar asked the presiding judge to grant her provisional freedom while the court in Rabat considers whether messages on a T-shirt she was wearing in a selfie she posted online violated part of Morocco’s criminal code outlawing offending the monarchy or Islam.

Naima Elguellaf, her attorney, said Lachgar was battling cancer and struggling while cut off from needed care.

“She has a surgery planned in September, where doctors will decide whether she will still live with a prosthetic arm or have her arm amputated,” Elguellaf told reporters after court adjourned.

One of Lachgar’s attorneys said in the evening that the court had rejected the request.

Lachgar’s health concerns are the latest chapter in a case that has captured global attention and fragmented public opinion at home in Morocco.

Long known for provocative activism, Lachgar was arrested last month after posting the photo of herself in the shirt with writing referring to the sexual identity of a deity and calling Islam fascist and misogynistic. She was charged with blasphemy and with disseminating the image online.

She faces up to five years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines if convicted.

Blasphemy has long been illegal in Morocco and cases like Lachgar’s occasionally make headlines, including in 2022, when a 32-year-old blogger was sentenced to five years after sharing satirical posts in which she mocked the Quran.

Lachgar, 50, is a psychologist and co-founder of the Alternative Movement for Individual Freedoms, known by its French acronym MALI. She is a vocal defender of women’s and LGBTQ rights in Morocco.

Though the country is politically moderate compared to others in the Middle East and North Africa, same-sex relations are illegal, certain kinds of speech can bring criminal charges, and feminists say gender inequality persists.

Lachgar has called for decriminalizing sex outside of marriage, which remains illegal. In 2009, she staged a midday picnic during Ramadan to protest the ban on eating and drinking in public during the holy month when a majority of the country fasts.

She also made headlines more than a decade ago when she organized a demonstration outside Morocco’s parliament, where couples kissed to support two teenagers facing indecency charges after posting a photo of themselves kissing on Facebook.

In court on Wednesday, Lachgar wore an arm sling and a headscarf as her attorneys protested how she was kept in isolation while behind bars.

Her arrest has polarized public opinion across Morocco. Some see it as a valid response to provocation and others view it as a violation of democracy and freedom of speech.

“The scope of the right to freedom of expression is broad and broad, but it does not extend to mocking people’s beliefs, nor does it tolerate grave insults to their religion,” said Mustapha Ramid, a former government minister and member Morocco’s largest Islamist party.

Morocco’s Federation of Women’s Rights Associations has said the case is deeply concerning, merits “strong condemnation,” and violates laws protecting freedom of expression.

Original Source:

https://religionnews.com/2025/08/28/court-rejects-release-of-moroccan-woman-on-trial-in-blasphemy-case-lawyers-say/