January's Social Justice Challenge: Religious Freedom

(*looks at date* Yeah, er, don't y'all just love how ridiculously last minute I am about things?)

January's theme was Religious Freedom, and we were asked to answer the following questions:

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of religious freedom?
What knowledge do you have of present threats to religious freedom in our world today?
Have you chosen a book or resource to read for this month?
Why does religious freedom matter to you?

The first thing I think of when it comes to Religious Freedom is the freedom to believe whatever you want to believe without persecution and with tolerance.

My knowledge of present threats to religious freedom are pretty limited, but I am aware that when there have been two attacks on the largest mosque in Hamilton, ON, Canada, and the problematic ways in which Canadians view those of Islamic faith within my country. (Link: Jihad vs. McWorld: one man’s terrorist…) Also, that there are problematic relationship between the Muslim Malays and Non-Muslim Chinese in Malaysia, but I don't have anything concrete to say about this as my knowledge on this is all hearsay from my parents, who emigrated out of the country when I was a child. But yeah, beyond that I'm pretty clueless.

I've chosen to read A Girl Made of Dust by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi this month. I've also read Wanting Mor by Ruskhana Khan, (which er, a review will be coming soon...)

As for why religious freedom matters to me, I believe that the person's ability to believe and practice in their faith shouldn't interfere with other's freedom to practice their own faith, and religious tolerance is a fundamental basis that everyone ought to respect.