Law and Religion Headlines
Thursday, 5 January 2023
Iran's supreme leader hints at loosening hijab rules after months of protests over young woman's death
(Sanam Mahoozi, NBC News)
Amid hijab protests, Christianity expands foothold in Iran, two experts say
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Tehran's Shiification of Syria: Iran's hegemonic drive
(Rauf Baker, Middle East Forum)
The humanist past and future of the Republic of Haiti
(Billy Almoza with Seráh Blain , The Humanist)
When does life begin? The question is at the heart of the human experience
(Elizabeth Dias and Bethany Mollenkof, The New York Times)
NYTimes editors ask, 'When does life begin?' and (bravo) include religious and legal responses
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Churches and state work together to deter threats against houses of worship
(Mike Beaudet, WCVB 5 News)
Iowa church wages 4-year fight with IRS over hallucinogenic-drug ceremonies
(Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Bolivia: Priest condemns police pursuit of protesters into church where they sought sanctuary
(Catholic News Agency)
How mainline Protestants help build Christian nationalism
(Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood, Religion & Politics: Fit for Polite Company)
Vietnam: Ensuring and promoting human rights: Tireless efforts deserving international recognition
(Vietnam Plus)
Blasphemy no longer: Celebrating Christmas in Saudi Arabia | opinion
(Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek)
FFRF praises Calif. school district for removing religious text from mural
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
French evangelicals convey child protection concerns to the UN
(Evangelical Focus)
BIC Jakarta: Can religion provide insights into technological development?
(Bahá’í World News Service)
An image of the Prophet Muhammad ignites an academic storm
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Diocese challenges Maine law allowing older sex abuse claims
(David Sharp, Associated Press)
Gross National Happiness in Bhutan: Is Buddhist constitutionalism legitimate in the age of secularism? A post-colonial view
(Dorine Eva van Norren, MDPI)
NY governor vetoes bill on notifying defendants of right to secular 12-step programs
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court says idiosyncratic personal religious beliefs may not support religious accommodation
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Top 10 religious liberty stories of 2022 and what we’re watching for in 2023
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
In Turkey, a festival revives a jewel of the Sephardic world and aims to break stereotypes
(David I. Klein, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Belarus: Polish priest forced to leave after 25 years
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Pope Benedict and the drama of European culture
(Paul Seaton, Law & Liberty)
The Pope who schooled the politicians
(David G. Bonagura, Jr., Law & Liberty)
Tens of thousands mourn Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during funeral mass at the Vatican
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Video: CAIR-OH welcomes signing of bill ensuring religious holiday accommodations
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)
2022 December Newsletter
(G20 Interfaith Forum)
South Korea appoints first woman envoy to the Vatican
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Challenging anti-Semitism is a moral imperative for non-Jews
(Stephen Daisley, The Spectator)
Northern Ireland reconciliation bill highlights complicated role of Catholic Church during the Troubles
(Margaret Scull, The Conversation)
Law & religion in the consistory courts 2022
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
The Coronation Claims Office
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Shamanism: what you need to know about the fastest-growing ‘religion’ in England and Wales
(Alexander Alich, The Conversation)
How to turn the tide on violations based on religion or belief?
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
LGBTQ people, non-Christians victimized by school 'reforms' | opinion
(Kevin Bolling, Newsweek)
China will interfere with Dalai Lama succession: Tibet’s president-in-exile
(Central Tibetan Administration)
Malaysia: Sabah schools, non-Muslim religious bodies get RM54m allocation for 2023
(Malay Mail)
India top court stays demolition of over 4,000 homes in Haldwani
(Al Jazeera)
India: Muslim body challenges religious conversion laws of five States in Supreme Court
(Krishnadas Rajagopal, The Hindu)
Book review: Rethinking Muslim Personal Law: Issues, Debates And Reforms
(Rafia Kazim, Feminism In India)
Brazil: The dialogue agenda will be fundamental (Portuguese)
(PR/CB, Ecclesia)
Brazil: TJ-SP [Sao Paulo State Court] maintains acquittal of mother who took minor daughter to candomblé ritual (Portuguese)
(Tábata Viapina, Conjur)
Brazil: Interview of the week deals with the right to freedom of belief, religious prejudice and how to report this type of offense (Portuguese)
(Assessoria de Comunicação MP-PR, MP-PR)
Norway: Oslo District Court suspends de-registration of Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Vacant position as head of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee's work for IPPFORB
(International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB))
Tuesday, 3 January 2023
Pope pays tribute to Benedict XVI's witness of faith, prayer, kindness
(Thaddeus Jones, Vatican News)
Hong Kong allows Cardinal Zen to attend Benedict’s funeral
(Kanis Leung, Associated Press)
Pope Benedict lies in state at the Vatican (video)
(Deutsche Welle)
Piecemeal coverage of Benedict XVI death reveals ultra-thin ranks of religion reporters
(Julia Duin, GetReligion)
Statement from President Joe Biden on the Death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
(The White House)
Pope Benedict XVI: A witness to religious freedom
(Religious Freedom Institute)
WCC shares condolences with close colleagues of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
(World Council of Churches)
Around the web - 2 January 2023
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
2022 in Review
(Brussels Office, Bahá’í International Community)
European Court of Human Rights: Governments should not call minority religions “cults”
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Senior Israeli official defies prime minister with visit to Jerusalem holy site
(Shira Rubin, The Washington Post)
Why Jerusalem's holy site is in the spotlight once again
(Tania Krämer, Deutsche Welle)
UAE, Saudi, others condemn Israeli minister’s visit to Jerusalem holy site
(Adam Lucente, Al-Monitor)
Israel’s Ben-Gvir enters Al-Aqsa: Why was it seen as provocative?
(Al Jazeera)
WCC call for respect for international law in the Holy Land
(World Council of Churches)
Paris mosque files complaint against Islamophobic French writer
(Daily Sabah)
France’s moderate imam sees Israel as a dream, Europe as in peril
(Sara Miller, The Jerusalem Post)
British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis is knighted
(David I. Klein, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Law & religion in the UK courts 2022
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Ecclesiastical court judgments – December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Protect Duty: the Government’s conclusions
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Newly-knighted Chief Rabbi’s concerns over antisemitism from celebrities
(Jewish News)
The implications of the 2021 census go beyond the UK
(Knox Thames, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
USCIRF releases new report on religious freedom amid Iraq’s political crisis
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
2022 photos of the year
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Kenya: Odinga hits out at Anglican church leadership for abetting political injustice
(All Africa)
Kenya: SUPKEM defends Duale's stance on hijabs in public spaces, denounces 'biased' media report
(All Africa)
Ghana: Catholic Church petitions govt over ownership of its projects in Ghana
(Ghana Today)
Ghana: National Cathedral will be completed in spite of challenges — President Akufo-Addo
(Ghana Today)
Are Fatwas Dispensable? Examining the Contemporary Relevance and Authority of Fatwas in Australia
(Shaheen Whyte, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Is Symbolic Religious Establishment Permitted Within the European Convention? A Legal, Political, and Pragmatic Perspective
(Roland Pierik, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
The Margin of Appreciation in Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion under Article 9 of ECHR
(Konstantina Alexopoulou, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Half-hearted Support to Pluralist Curriculum Building: The Case of Religion
(Jeroen Temperman, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Indonesia first government from the Global South to become PaRD member
(International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD))
U.S. Bishops' religious liberty chairman expresses concern over proposed revision on conscience rule
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Tawang is the India-China battleground for Tibetan Buddhism
(Atul Singh and Manu Sharma, Fair Observer)
China: Religious persecutions and issues. Bimonthly news digest
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China’s state bodies are suppressing religious freedom
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
China sanctions 2 US citizens over action on Tibet
(Arab News)
Trump-heavy federal appeals court quotes Thurgood Marshall in ruling against transgender student
(Elura Nanos, Law & Crime)
11th Circuit en banc upholds school policy assigning restrooms on basis of biological sex
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Refusal to approve athletic field lights for Catholic school did not violate RLUIPA
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Articles of interest - 2 January 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
New York ban on firearms at churches violates 1st and 2nd Amendments
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Christian school teacher fired for acceptance of LGBT students files suit
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Congress’ new class has much higher percentage of Christians than American public
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Christian affiliation dominates roster of 118th Congress; majority is Protestant
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 118th Congress
(Jeff Diamant, Pew Research Center)
A fresh start: Do faith-based programs work to rehabilitate criminal offenders?
(Shima Baradaran Baughman, Deseret News)
Moscow’s former chief rabbi: ‘The best option for Russian Jews is to leave’
(David I. Klein, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
How imams can destigmatize mental health care among Muslims
(Majd Al-Waheidi, Yes Magazine)
Kirill announced that "Russia is to save the world from fascism"
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Clergy or spies? Concerning that New York Times update on accusations inside Ukraine
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Pakistani film on forced conversions wins award at Cannes – analysis
(P. K. Balachandran, Eurasia Review)
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