Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 18 January 2023
What the data says about abortion in the U.S.
(Jeff Diamant and Besheer Mohamed, Pew Research Center)
Biden, Trump and a never-ending religious freedom battle: These little-known religious freedom policies get updated each time power changes hands
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Preventing violent extremism
(United Religions Initiative)
World Watch List 2023
(Open Doors)
Christian persecution rising in Africa, North Korea, advocacy group says
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
New Mexico law violates doctors’ freedoms
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Mufti’s talk of women’s duties angers some Turkish Cypriots
(Menelaos Hadjicostis, Associated Press)
In latest twist for faith-based initiative, Biden tacks back toward religious freedoms
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians unite in support for Apache fight to save Oak Flat
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Hamline University retracts ‘Islamophobia’ charge as instructor sues
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
The support of faith for the displaced and those who aid them
(David Hollenbach, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
'When you see antisemitism, act immediately'
(Christoph Strack, Deutsche Welle)
After religious freedom objection, US Merchant Marine Academy obscures massive painting of Jesus at sea
(Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Catholic ministry asks court to recognize that it is religious
(Becket)
Religious leaders in Malawi appeal for collaboration “to contain cholera epidemic”
(Jude Atemanke, Anglican Ink)
UN to examine “sexual orientation and gender identity” policy and religious freedom
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Ukraine: First known wartime conscientious objector jailing
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Into the breach: The role of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church
(Kathryn David, Commonweal)
Vatican says Minsk could host talks on Ukraine with Catholic Church's mediation
(Interfax-Religion)
UOC-MP dissociates itself from Russia's intentions to hold a meeting at the UN on the religious situation in Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Russia is committing heinous crimes against Ukraine and trying to pull the wool over our eyes: UK Statement at the UN Security Council
(Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and James Kariuki, GOV.UK)
Security Council: UN rights official raises concerns over Ukraine religious freedoms
(United Nations)
The Church of England and same-sex relationships
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Church of England bishops refuse to back gay marriage
(Harry Farley, BBC News)
Church of England bishops propose offering blessings to same-sex couples, but not marriage
(Egan Millard, Episcopal News Service)
IICSA – Index
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Catholic Union urges Government of Jersey to 'pause and reflect' on assisted suicide plans
(James Somerville-Meikle, Independent Catholic News)
Does religion speak war; why use it as a means?
(Rackel Jackson Agara, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Church in Chile collaborates with state agencies to solve refugee problem
(Ivan Fernandes, La Croix International)
Islamophobia levels in Europe a concern despite acquittal, Muslim academic warns
(Middle East Eye)
US Muslim inmate wins second chance in religious freedom lawsuit against jail
(Middle East Eye)
Myanmar: The army destroys a Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Mandalay; the Chapel of Adoration remains standing
(Agenzia Fides)
Tuesday, 17 January 2023
WEBINAR, 17 January 2023 (7PM in London): The Nigerian Constitution and Freedom of Religion or Belief
(Bellwether International)
March For Life coincides with 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
Monday, 16 January 2023
We must not let the Rohingya people slip to the bottom of the international agenda
(Ellis Heasley, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Religion’s roles in peacebuilding in Ethiopia: Religion and interfaith engagement in times of conflict and disaster
(Asma Redi Baleker, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
How far is the ECtHR willing to go to accommodate the legislature regarding retrospectivity? The case of Vegotex International S.A. v. Belgium
(Tobias Mortier, Strasbourg Observers)
Several killed in DR Congo church bomb attack
(Al Jazeera)
Islamic State claims church bombing in east Congo; 14 dead
(Associated Press)
White House celebrates Religious Freedom Day with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, USCIS & 13 brand new US citizens
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
DNC statement on Religious Freedom Day
(Democratic National Committee)
There is no freedom without the truth: Religious Freedom Day 2023
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Around the web - 16 January 2023
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Online course: Engaging faith actors to support the implementation process of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Euthanasia: French evangelicals urge government “to make a choice for life and not death”
(Evangelical Focus)
Photos of the week: Black Nazarene; Orthodox Christmas; Rabbi funeral
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Tracking rising religious hatred in India, from half a world away
(Pranshu Verma, The Washington Post)
Rethinking religion and nationalism: The case of the Sikhs
(Giorgio Shani, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Pakistan: UN experts urge action on coerced religious conversions, forced and child marriage
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the power of religious conviction
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)
How personal faith anchored Martin Luther King Jr.’s public life
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Biden: Americans should ‘pay attention’ to MLK’s legacy
(Aamer Madhani, Associated Press)
Catholic priest burned alive in Nigeria’s hard-hit north
(Chinedu Asadu, Associated Press)
China: Religious persecution and issues, bimonthly digest Jan 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
35 Black churches to receive total of $4 million for preservation work
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
US expert 'disappointed' in Vatican-China deal
(Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service)
China’s ingress in Arunachal Pradesh has to do with control of Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism: Report
(Oplndia)
Title IX religious exemption survives constitutional challenge
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Cert. granted to review Title VII "undue hardship" test for religious accommodation
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Case page: Groff v. DeJoy
(SCOTUSblog)
Court grants review in new batch of cases, including dispute on religious rights of employees
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
Can you be forced to work on the Sabbath? The Supreme Court will soon weigh in
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Federal court dismisses LGBTQ students’ class-action discrimination lawsuit
(Kathryn Post and Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
Inspired by George Floyd, annual ecumenical week to focus on racial justice
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Catholic leader warns Mozambique’s ‘anti-terrorist’ drive may target civilians
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Sri Lanka cardinal hails verdict against ex-president in Easter Sunday bombings
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Moscow receives apologies from Vatican for Pope's remarks about Russian people
(Interfax-Religion)
How a progressive judge helped preserve American pluralism
(David French, The Dispatch)
Fostering, children’s “best interests” and religion: Kılıc
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
‘Move along… there’s nothing to see here,’ Religious Zionism MK tells Diaspora amid judicial reforms
(Jotam Confino, Jewish News)
Two weeks in review, 2 January – 15 January
(Tal Gross, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Papal criticsm of nuclear war 'indispensable': UN official
(Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service)
Bangladeshi PM: Islam is a religion of peace, fraternity, friendship
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
WCC denounces continuing attacks on civilians in Ukraine
(World Council of Churches)
A historic meeting of Orthodox Christian scholars convenes to confront divisions and war
(Meagan Saliashvili, Religion News Service)
We must not let the Rohingya people slip to the bottom of the international agenda
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Agreement between UCEI and the Ministry of Education to combat antisemitism at schools
(European Jewish Congress)
Cuba: The religious persecution on our doorstep
(Antonio Garrastazu, The Hill)
New state law mandates colleges, universities make religious accommodations
(Jeff Schmucker, Toledo Blade)
Indonesia: Half-hearted progress: religious freedom after the new Criminal Code
(Zainal Abidin Bagir, The University of Melbourne)
Video of Jim Shannon MP raising the issue of persecution in Iran
(Twitter, UK Bahá'í Office of Public Affairs)
Law and religion round-up – 15th January
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Church of Scientology wins further recognition at upper tribunal in London
(The European Times)
Muslim charities overlooked by policymakers, report claims
(Lea Legraien, Civil Society)
For Britain's sake, we must unleash the potential of Muslim civil society
(Usaama al-Azami, Middle East Eye)
Bishops urge Scottish Government to reject “Conversion Therapy” report
(Scottish Catholic Media Office)
Australia should have more public holidays – but make them civic and secular
(Hugh Piper, Lowy Institute)
Legal Journal Number 4 (18): January (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)
Brazil: Meetings of Peoples of Terreiro fight religious intolerance (Portuguese)
(Vitor Taveira, Século Diário)
Brazil: National Week to Combat Religious Intolerance January 18th to 21st (Portuguese)
(JBN Bahia)
Brazil: President Lula signs law that makes it a crime to attack or try to close churches (Portuguese)
(Júnior Silva, Portal de Prefeitura)
Portugal: Nine out of 10 churches opened in Portugal are evangelical (Portuguese)
(Vicente Nunes, Correio Braziliense)
Sunday, 15 January 2023
CALL FOR INPUT, deadline 15 January 2023: Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS, deadline 15 January 2023: CEC invites communicators for its 2023 Assembly in Tallinn
(Conference of European Churches)
Friday, 13 January 2023
The deep Constitution of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church
(Mikhail Antonov, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
A Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day, 2023
(Joseph R. Biden Jr., The White House)
Chairman of World Muslim Communities Council impressed by visit, says ‘important for Muslim world to understand Xinjiang’
(Global Times)
Uyghurs abroad, rights groups condemn visit to Xinjiang by Muslim delegation
(Erkin and Gulchehra Hoja, Radio Free Asia)
Pakistan: Boy charged with blasphemy for calling God "cruel" on social media
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
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