Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 8 March 2023
Allied forces
(Maggie Phillips, The Tablet)
Israel: Christian-Jewish fellowship donated nine bomb shelters to Tiberias
(The Jerusalem Post)
South Africa: Parliament’s first House approves hate speech bill
(Daniela Ellerbeck, Freedom of Religion South Africa)
South Africa: Update on recent or current religious freedom issues and cases
(Freedom of Religion South Africa)
Minnesota appeals court decides when religious reasons for vaccine refusal were proven
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Replacing vengeance with mercy in our death penalty policy
(Karen Swallow Prior, Religion News Service)
Discrimination based on caste is pervasive in South Asian communities around the world – now Seattle has banned it
(Aseem Hasnain and Abhilasha Srivastava, The Conversation)
In North Idaho, religious and secular activists work to fight Christian nationalism
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Religion and the lawbreaking Supreme Court
(Andrew Koppelman, The Hill)
Russia: New law restricting missionary work breached the European Convention
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russia: Tomsk musician's criminal trial to begin 15 March
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
'Court' in Russian-occupied Crimea passes long sentences against three Ukrainian Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Halya Coynash, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group)
Belarus: Rent hikes, suspicious fire, enforced church closure, expulsion anniversary
(Olga Glace, Forum 18 News Service)
Illegal Migration Bill: The Government is expected to launch its most draconian anti-refugee legislation yet.
(Jesuit Refugee Service UK)
School chaplaincy, sermons on sexuality – and employment law: Randall
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Federal Anti-Indian Law: The Legal Entrapment of Indigenous Peoples
(Peter d’Errico, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Toleration in America
(Richard Samuelson, Law & Liberty)
The travails of the Nicaraguan church
(Edgar Beltrán, Law & Liberty)
Crime generators or social capital organizations? Examining the effects of places of worship on neighborhood crime
(James C. Wo, PLOS)
New York family agency to pay Christian adoption group $250K to settle lawsuit
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Vietnam police tell Church of God followers to renounce their faith
(Radio Free Asia)
Mainstream outlets ignore anti-Catholic angles in Merrick Garland's Senate testimony
(Clemente Lisi, GetReligion)
China: “Smart Religion” app: Christians must submit online form to attend church
(Gao Zhensai, ChinaAid)
Israel must recognize online marriages conducted via Utah, Supreme Court rules
(Jeremy Sharon, The Times of Israel)
COMECE offers recommendations on EU Human Rights Defenders Guidelines
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
French university cracks down on praying students
(Christian Network Europe)
India: Freedom of religion is alive
(Nepal News)
Indian Christian educators granted bail in conversion case
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Keeping faith in a plural and diverse India
(Urmi Chanda, South Asia Watch)
India’s ‘cow protectors’ are getting away with murder
(Alishan Jafri, Coda Media)
India's Supreme Court rejects bid to rename historical places
(Shaikh Azizur Rahman, Voice of America)
India's Supreme Court rejects petition on renaming of historical cultural religious places
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Christians slam ban on healing prayers in northeast India
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Canada: Fundy Albert backtracks on council meeting prayer
(Shane Magee, CBC News)
NLRB seeks to expand jurisdiction over educational institutions with religious affiliations
(Robert T. Dumbacher and Stephen P. Kopstein, The National Law Review)
U.S.-Nigeria policy must prioritize religious freedom
(Mohamed Magid and Frank Wolf, The Hill)
Hezbollah supports Christian ally to become Lebanon's president
(Daily Sabah)
Tuesday, 7 March 2023
Poll: Best and Worst ECtHR Judgment and Best Separate Opinion of 2022
(The Editors, Strasbourg Observers)
M.B. and Others v. Slovakia (No. 2): the need for an anti-racist approach in European Court of Human Rights’ decision
(Jonathan McCully, Strasbourg Observers)
Somalia: revamp intelligence agency bill
(Human Rights Watch)
S.F.K. v. Russia and G.M. and Others v. Moldova: the promise and pitfalls of ECtHR forced abortion jurisprudence
(Rebecca Smyth, Strasbourg Observers)
3 big numbers that tell the story of secularization in America
(Phil Zuckerman, The Conversation)
Peradze v Georgia: Vulgar Language, Public Morals and the Right to Peaceful Assembly
(Jacob van de Kerkhof, Strasbourg Observers)
More human rights at the cost of the state sovereignty? Clarifying the scope of applicability of Article 8 ECHR to social welfare benefits in Beeler v Switzerland
(Maija Dahlberg, Strasbourg Observers)
Why was Totopa v. Spain struck out from the list? A case of silenced vulnerability of a migrant mother under complex procedural constraints
(Mathilde Hardt and Germain Haumont, Strasbourg Observers)
M. v. France: Recognising the existence of intersex persons, but not (yet) their bodily integrity
(Charly Derave and Hania Ouhnaoui, Strasbourg Observers)
Beating Brown v. Board of Education? Overrepresentation and desegregation measures in Elmazova and Others v. North Macedonia
(Merel Vrancken, Strasbourg Observers)
A.L. v. France: Domestic Surrogacy, Genetic Fatherhood, and the Best Interests of the Child
(Marie-Hélène Peter-Spiess, Strasbourg Observers)
Freeing fatherhood from breadwinning – Are we ready for (formal) equality? Beeler v. Switzerland
(Alice Margaria, Strasbourg Observers)
Tanzania should halt plan to relocate Maasai pastoralists
(Juliana Nnoko-Mewanu and Oryem Nyeko, Inter Press Service)
HYBRID EVENT, 7 March 2023 (5PM in New York): The Supreme Court and New Frontiers in Religious Liberty
(Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy, Cardozo Law School)
HYBRID EVENT, 7 March 2023 (11:15 CET): Africa-EU partnership of equals: how can we get there? Is the Global Gateway fit for purpose? (Brussels)
(COMECE, ACT Alliance EU, AEFJN, Baha’i Community International, Caritas Europa, CIDSE, Don Bosco International, EU-CORD and World Vision EUREP)
Monday, 6 March 2023
Statement on the Supreme Court refusing to hear case of Ocala, Florida, prayer vigil
(American Humanist Association)
US Supreme Court rebuffs Florida city's challenge to atheist lawsuit
(John Kruzel, Reuters)
Certiorari denied in challenge to police department prayer vigil
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Nebraska bill would fund training on Holocaust education
(Margery A. Beck, Associated Press)
Turkey: MFA spokesperson says US terror report distorts facts
(Hurriyet Daily News)
EVENT, 6 March 2023 (5P ET): Constitution and Religion: Church and State Relations in the 21st Century (Washington, DC)
(Religious Freedom Institute, Standing for Freedom Center, Freedom and Identiy in Central Europe)
Swedish religion education in public schools—objective and neutral or a marination into Lutheran Protestantism
(Jenny Berglund, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
ACLJ files amicus brief at the Supreme Court To defend your right to attend church
(Jordan Sekulow, American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ))
Religicide: Examining religious, ethnic, and racial violence
(JoAnne Wadsworth, Viewpoints: A blog of the G20 Interfaith Forum)
World Interfaith Harmony Week: The role of religion in conflict resolution and peacebuilding
(Pieter Francois, Viewpoints: A blog of the G20 Interfaith Forum)
PRRI 2022 Census of American Religion: Religious affiliation updates and trends
(PRRI)
Washington state rescue mission sues over hiring restrictions, says government ready to pounce
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Catholic leaders turn to YouTube and podcasts to reach new followers. Will it work?
(Stefano Montali, The Washington Post)
Hells Angels, a synagogue shooting and Iran’s shady hand in Germany
(Loveday Morris and Souad Mekhennet, The Washington Post)
Use human rights frameworks to promote freedoms of religion, belief, and expression: UN experts
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Enhanced interactive dialogue on human rights in Eritrea
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Glendale school board severs ties with teachers from religious college
(Jason Barry, 3TV/CBS 5)
Around the web - 3 March 2023
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Nicaragua’s dictatorship sentences Bishop Rolando Álvarez to 26 years in prison
(Walter Sanchez Silva, Catholic News Agency)
Benjamin Netanyahu on the occasion of Purim
(Twitter, Prime Minister of Israel)
Jerusalem police meet with members of Armenian church and community
(The Jerusalem Post)
Uganda’s parliament threatens to criminalize homosexuality
(Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, Human Rights Watch)
Use global meeting to highlight Bahrain’s abuses
(Human Rights Watch)
Nicaragua: UN Rights Council should renew experts’ mandate
(Human Rights Watch)
Religious minorities in Pakistan face problems in obtaining national ID card: Report
(ANI News)
21 states unite in support of KY photographer’s artistic freedom
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
'Gender discrimination': Afghan universities reopen without women
(TRT World)
Social justice webinar: Social safety nets
(Chris Howard and Arohi Pathak, Council on Foreign Relations)
In India, former civil servants call on Prime Minister to stop anti-Christian discrimination
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
India: Ahead of polls, Christian orgs in Andhra & Telangana lobby to repeal GO mandating verification of religion for SCs
(Shivani, The Commune)
Pro-Tibetans to hold march in Taipei to show solidarity with Tibetans, other minorities
(The Print)
Miami faith community strains to help new exiles, migrants
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 6 March 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Taliban's persecution of women could be 'crime against humanity' - UN report
(Reuters)
Colorado hired coach Deion Sanders. Religious freedom conflict followed
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Baptist Joint Committee gains faith and justice center, grows religious liberty work
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Don’t overlook the faith in climate action
(Simran Jeet Singh, Religion News Service)
Sarajevo Jews celebrate a second Purim. For centuries, they weren’t alone.
(David I. Klein, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
UOC-MP should leave two monasteries and the Cathedral of the XI century in Chernihiv, - decision of the Ministry of Culture
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Can we "educate" anti-Semitism away?
(Reuven Brenner, Law & Liberty)
God and pot: Both sides cite faith in Oklahoma’s recreational marijuana fight
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
No separation of church and state? New York City mayor sparks a furor
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
Afghanistan universities reopen but women still barred by Taliban
(Al Jazeera)
Research programme in the study of Muslim communities of success quarterly – developing new horizons of knowledge for Islam in the contemporary world
(Religions for Peace)
New foundation launched to help churches and dioceses tackle housing crisis
(The Church of England)
Law and religion round-up – 5th March
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
British pro-life advocate again arrested for ‘thoughtcrime’ of silent prayer near abortion clinic
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Canada: Hespeler Masjid members say they feel unsafe after recent act of vandalism
(Joe McGinty, City News)
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