Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 28 December 2015
Statement by the President on persecuted Christians at Christmas
(Press Release, The White House)
From the White House for Christmas: Playlists and concern for persecuted Christians
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Muslim cabby fined for not allowing woman up front
(Danielle Furfaro and Kevin Fasick, New York Post)
NYC taxi appeals unit says religious belief of driver does not justify gender discrimiination
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Ahmadiyya Muslim minority find religious freedom in Australia
(Camille Bianchi, SBS)
Europe, Charlemagne and the pope: A non-European pope is hailed as the greatest European
(ERASMUS, The Economist [Erasmus: Religion and public policy])
Iran’s Rouhani says it’s up to Muslims to correct Islam’s image
(Religion News Service)
ISIS influence on web prompts second thoughts on first amendment
(Erik Eckholm, The New York Times)
Preach tolerance, Gani Adams urges religion leaders
(The Guardian)
Religious freedom still neglected: Kontras
(Tempo.co)
Saturday, 26 December 2015
Jayalalithaa and BJP want to sacrifice bulls to gain votes in the 2016 elections
(Sandhya Ravishankar, Scroll.in)
Friday, 25 December 2015
The Christmas Revolution
(Peter Wehner, The New York Times Opinion Pages)
Christianity and church attendance: The future of the world’s most popular religion is African
(The Economist)
Mitzvah Day brings interfaith cheer to needy families
(Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press)
Somalia must respect religious freedom of Christians and other minorities - ACILA
(Graphic.com)
Thursday, 24 December 2015
When gods become shelterless: rituals and reconstructing temples in post-earthquake Nepal
(Axel Michaels, OUPblog Religion)
Just don't call it Christmas: In Israel, Russian holiday coming out of closet
(Joshua Mitnick, The Christian Science Monitor)
Churches of England, Scotland agree closer cooperation
(Agence France-Presse)
Columba Declaration: Church of Scotland and Church of England
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Gay leader huddles with Mormon officials, finds ‘genuine empathy and concern’ in wake of policy
(Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune)
Marco Rubio and Russell Moore: This Christmas, we must remember slaughtered Christians in the Middle East
(The Washington Post)
Nyack College cancels ceremony in face of LGBT protests
(Alex Taylor, Lohud.com)
Law aiding Iranian religious refugees extended for another year
(Forward)
Why Jews down in Dixie are praying in Arabic
(Elizabeth Bahar, Forward)
Interfaith effort will deliver Christmas to Utah seniors, refugees, working poor
(Salt Lake Tribune)
Interfaith holiday music festival ushers in the season
(Your Houston News)
24,000 sign letter of 'radical love' in support of American Muslims
(Jaweed Kaleem, Carol Kuruvilla, HuffPost Religion)
Somber Christmas for Iraq's Christians under threat from Islamic State
(Saif Hameed, Reuters)
Judges rule against attempts to block law on antiabortion clinics
(Bob Egelko, SFGate)
Religious rights lawsuit settlement allows church soup kitchen to remain open
(Megan Spicer, Connecticut Law Tribune)
Latest anti-LGBT ‘religious freedom’ bill filed in New Mexico
(Zack Ford, Think Progress)
Anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes rise significantly in London
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Christmas is a time for hope and joy to triumph over adversity, say churches
(The Guardian)
Chicago professor suspended over Islam comments has no plans to resign
(Ryan Felton, The Guardian)
With help from Lutherans, Syrian refugees start arriving in South Carolina despite governor's opposition
(Hazel Torres, Christian Today)
Baby Jesus figurines most stolen item in Nativity scenes during Christmas, church pastors say
(Jonah Hicap, Christian Today)
Muslims give Christians their hijabs to save lives in Al-Shabaab terror attack
(Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post)
Burundi sees 'single most deadly day' in violent attacks by gov't forces, Amnesty says
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
1 million children denied education because of Boko Haram, UN report reveals
(Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post)
Iran frees Pastor Farshid Fathi Malayeri after five years in prison
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
Christmas carolers can sing outside abortion clinic, Falls Church says
(Alex Murashko, The Christian Post)
Sultan of Brunei bans Christmas 'because it could damage faith of Muslims'
(Barney Henderson, The Telegraph)
Christmas celebrations banned in Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei
(Niraj Warikoo, The Guardian)
Brunei bans Christmas: Sultan warns those celebrating could face up to five years in jail
(Alexander Sehmer, The Independent)
France tightening church security around Christmas
(The Associated Press, The Big Story)
In Israel, former ultra-Orthodox Jews demand basic education
(Tia Goldenberg, The Associated Press, The Big Story)
China co-opts a Buddhist sect in global effort to smear Dalai Lama
(David Lague, Paul Mooney, and Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuters)
Former Arkansas prison chaplain charged with sexual assault
(Claudia Lauer, The Associated Press, The Big Story)
City’s faith-based shelter plan has slow start
(Melanie Grayce West, The Wall Street Journal)
Coffee, doughnuts, and a Muslim to answer your questions
(Steve Annear, The Boston Globe)
Workplace bias complaints pour in from Mich. Muslims
(Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press)
Religious leaders are especially alarmed by anti-Muslim rhetoric
(Sarah Pulliam Bailey, The Washington Post)
Why more American Muslims are celebrating Christmas this year
(Haroon Moghul, Quartz)
Transgender Muslims find a home for prayer in Indonesia
(Jon Emont, The New York Times)
Palestinian eviction case spotlights Jerusalem settler push
(Karin Laub and Mohammed Daraghmeh, The Associated Press, The Big Story)
Mass graves for '300 Shia Nigerians' in Zaria
(BBC News)
Boko Haram has grown stronger, more lethal and even less compromising
(Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times)
Malaysia's new Islamic airline takes off--with a prayer
(Eileen Ng and Syawalludin Zain, The Associated Press, The Big Story)
Greece allows civil partnership for same-sex couples
(Renee Maltezou and Georgia Kalovyrna, Reuters)
Praise the lard this holiday season
(Becky Garrison, Religion Dispatches)
Slain Muslim students' families fight grief to honor legacy
(Jonathan Drew, The Associated Press, The Big Story)
Governor removes names of clerks from marriage licenses
(Adam Beam and Claire Galofaro, The Associated Press, The Big Story)
Ban on celebrating Christmas in Brunei imposed by sultan
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
U.S. Muslims reach out to address questions on Islam and violence
(Laurie Goodstein, The New York Times)
US stops British Muslim family from boarding flight to visit Disneyland
(Esther Addley and Amanda Holpuch, The Guardian)
ACLJ & key members of Congress urge armed services appeals court to uphold religious liberty
(Laura Hernandez, ACLJ)
UK to probe claim Muslim family on Disneyland trip barred from US flight
(Al Jazeera America)
The Christians of the Middle East
(Andrea Milluzzi, Al Jazeera America)
Nigeria soldiers killed Shia children, says HRW
(Al Jazeera America)
Harvard Pluralism Project maps religions, conflicts
(Kara Bettis, New Boston Post)
Why church leaders won’t weigh in on religious freedom
(SC Yeung, EJ Insight)
Malaysia's PM Najib emphasises religious freedom in Christmas message
(Asia One)
Christmas Mubarak! Islamic beliefs about Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him)
(K. Rizwan Kadir, The University of Chicago Divinity School: Sightings)
'Merry Christmas' banner at Texas veterans hospital removed for being 'overly religious and offensive'
(Jonah Hicap, Christian Today)
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Somalia and Brunei ban Christmas celebrations
(Al Jazeera)
Sweden tries something new for annual Christmas TV special: a Muslim host
(Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor)
Christians in China feel full force of authorities’ repression
(Emily Rauhala, The Washington Post)
This is not the first Christmas when religion finds itself a source of violence
(E.J. Dionne Jr., San Francisco Chronicle)
Guest post: Religious freedom and Archaka appointments in the Supreme Court’s recent decision
(Suhrith Parthasarathy, Indian Constitutional Law and Philosophy)
Texas governor orders FFRF Bill of Rights display removed from Capitol
(Press Release, Freedom From Religion Foundation)
FFRF's secular Nativity display removed from Texas capitol after it provokes ire of governor
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Governor Matt Bevin issues executive order protecting KY clerk Kim Davis
(Press Release, Liberty Counsel)
Kentucky's new governor eliminates county clerks' names from marriage license forms
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court invokes ecclesiastical abstention to dismiss church members' claims of financial mismanagement
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
A Catholic school vs. a gay cafeteria manager: Why media are siding with him
(Julia Duin, Get Religion (blog))
Let's uphold religious liberty for all
(Marilyn Stewart, Nola)
#IWillProtectYou: US service members soothe scared Muslim girl
(Mary Bowerman, USA Today)
Swedish teachers and students often talk about religion as something outdated and strange
(Alpha Galileo)
A time to take a stand for religious freedom
(United States Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Americans are in the middle of the pack globally when it comes to importance of religion
(Angelina E. Theodorou, Pew Research Center Fact Tank)
Saying 'Merry Christmas' is very important
(Dennis Prager, Real Clear Politics)
Military Chapels and same sex marriage
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
Judges won't block law for anti-abortionists
(Nick Cahill, Courthouse News Service)
Abbott nixes Capitol Freedom From Religion tableau
(Matthew Watkins, The Texas Tribune)
Christmas in Lebanon: Palestinian refugees extend hand to Syrians
(Nicholas Blanford, The Christian Science Monitor)
For Iraqis, a name may mean the difference between life and death
(Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz (paywall))
The hidden public cost of private prayers by Telangana chief minister sparks ire
(Ayesha Minhaz, Scroll.in)
15 religious moments in 2015 that give us hope for the New Year
(Antonia Blumberg, Carol Kuruvilla, HuffPost Religion)
5 facts about Christmas in America
(Michael Lipka, Pew Research Center Fact Tank)
The Pope, atheists and Islam: The year in religion
(CNN)
Email Subscription
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies maintains a Law and Religion Headlines service covering news about freedom of religion or belief internationally. All interested may subscribe to this service, free of charge, using the link below.
Subscribe