Law and Religion Headlines

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Monday, 8 August 2022

WCC condemns escalation of violence in Gaza
(World Council of Churches)

Germany: Anniversary gives German Jews "new self-awareness"
(Christian Network Europe)

Baptist churches in war-torn Mariupol fuller than ever
(Christian Network Europe)

A kosher home for Jewish-Ukrainian refugees in Hungary
(Tal Spungin, The Jerusalem Post)

Ukrainian Churches in dispute with state over ‘gender ideology’ Convention
(Jonathan Luxmoore, Church Times)

Pope meets Russia envoy; decrees Ukraine-based priest martyr
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)

Religious communities in Ukraine meet with World Council of Churches, call to stop the war
(World Council of Churches)

Remembering and aiding the victims of Communism
(Eric Patterson, World)

Professor Steven Smith receives 2022 Religious Liberty Initiative Scholarship Award
(University of Notre Dame Law School)

The case for religious education for incarcerated Muslims
(Rodaina El-Haj-Ibrahim, Muslim Matters)

Pakistan: USCIRF releases new report highlighting religious freedom in Pakistan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Pakistani Church continues struggle against blasphemy laws, abductions
(John Burger, Aleteia)

Mohammedan law
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)

Fight over Resolution Copper Mine drags on
(Elsa Hortareas, Arizona Public Media)

Canada: Hate crimes surge in Canada during pandemic
(Shreya Jain, Reuters)

Japan PM to reshuffle cabinet amid Taiwan, Unification Church issues
(Kantaro Komiya, Reuters)

August 2022 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)

The Cambridge Companion to Christianity and the Environment
(Edited by Alexander J. B. Hampton and Douglas Hedley, Cambridge University Press)

Saturday, 6 August 2022

VIRTUAL EVENT: 6 August 2022: Nuclear Prayer Day 2022
(Parliament of the World's Religions)

Friday, 5 August 2022

The ACLU says Border Patrol agents are confiscating Sikh men’s turbans
(Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN)

Oglala Sioux ban missionary, require ministries to register
(Associated Press)

China: Freedom of religion or belief: Special bimonthly newsletter (16-31.07.2022)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

China: Intensifying religious persecution in China
(Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)

When religious liberty is personalized
(Cooper Shull, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission)

WEBINAR, 5 August 2022 (12PM ET): Religious Freedom Webinar (AAR members only)
(American Academy of Religion)

Australia: Victorian crossbench MP launches bid to compel religious hospitals to provide abortions
(ABC News Australia)

Australia: Social media, free speech, and religious freedom in Australia
(Colette Langos and Paul Babie, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

Iran: USCIRF condemns crackdown on religious minorities in Iran
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Iraqi cleric calls for dissolution of parliament, early vote
(Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Samya Kullab, Associated Press)

Iraq: What’s behind Moqtada al-Sadr’s bid to shake up Iraq’s politics?
(Sarhang Hamasaeed, The United States Institute of Peace)

USCIRF commemorates the eighth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Best practices to prevent religious discrimination and promote religious inclusion
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Israel: Lapid demands UN head disband commission of inquiry against Israel
(Mike Wagenheim, Jewish News Syndicate)

America’s original sin must be addressed, not ignored
(Bridget Moix, Religion News Service)

Pakistan Church welcomes remission for minority inmates
(Kamran Chaudhry, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Pakistan: The illusion of equal citizenship in Pakistan
(Knox Thames)

4 takeaways from AP’s Mormon church sex abuse investigation
(Michael Rezendes, Associated Press)

Mali’s capital Bamako boosts security fearing jihadi attacks
(Baba Ahmed, Associated Press)

Christian flag in speech battle flies, briefly, over Boston
(Mark Pratt, Associated Press)

Afghanistan: 2 police killed in clash with IS gunmen in Afghan capital
(Rahim Faiez, Associated Press)

Lebanon: Clergy, bags of cash set off new sectarian brawl in Lebanon
(Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press)

Street preacher gets injunction against ordinance limiting microphones
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

5th Circuit upholds qualified immunity defense of prison officials who confiscated hijab
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Massachusetts grants absolution to its last remaining witch
(Thomas F. Harrison, Courthouse News Service)

Why does religious liberty matter? ‘Consider where society would be … if we did not have religious freedom,’ says President Oaks
(Sarah Jane Weaver, Church News)

Japan: Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki left survivors wrestling with spiritual questions – here’s how Buddhists and Catholics responded
(Yuki Miyamoto, The Conversation)

How to answer when Christian nationalists embrace the label as a badge of honor
(Blake Chastain, Religion News Service)

In Sri Lanka, Buddhist monks’ involvement in protests raises familiar questions
(Haley Barker, Religion News Service)

8 over 80: At 92, John Perkins still mobilizes Christian communities
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)

Ethiopia: Nuns and priests flee, more churches shut in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
(Fredrick Nzwili, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Florida’s Jews are front-and-center in the abortion fight
(Jackie Hajdenberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

New book: The Christian Structure of Politics: On the De Regno of Thomas Aquinas
(William McCormick, Catholic University of America Press)

Book review: How Thomas Aquinas desacralized the state
(Samuel Gregg, Law & Liberty)

Render to God what is God's: Reflecting Christ in politics
(James Spencer, Real Clear Religion)

'Foreign ministers' of Russian Orthodox Church, Holy See meet in Vatican
(Interfax-Religion)

The Ukrainian Muslims fighting against Russia
(Micah Reddy and Anastasia Levkova, Al Jazeera)

Russian strike hits crowd at bus stop: many dead, they damaged a church, wounding a priest
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Do trends in Grand Rapids tell us something about religion, evangelicalism and the GOP?
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)

Protecting cultural and religious heritage: The battle of unknown soldiers
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Pope Francis’ delayed African visit muddies hope for peace-building in DRC, South Sudan
(Tawanda Karombo, Religion Unplugged)

An interview with the Greek Orthodox environmental chief for ‘The Green Patriarch’
(Jovan Tripkovic, Religion Unplugged)

India: Muslim women in India allege bias in hiring for jobs
(Zubair Amin, Al Jazeera)

Cuba cracks down on religious citizens despite constitutional ‘guarantees,’ experts say
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

Singapore: Church calls for safeguarding marriage, family in Singapore
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Illinois Muslims optimistic after report shows they’re among country’s most diverse and fastest-growing faith communities
(Shanzeh Ahmad, Chicago Tribune)

Bahraini regime tightens crackdown on Shias ahead of Ashura commemorations
(Press TV)

Reasons not to limit private-employer-imposed speech restrictions: A Constitutional right not to associate?
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)

Nepal: Pastor sentenced to one year in prison for missionary activities
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

MSU professor Frank Ravitch analyzes the separation of church and state
(Liz Nass, The State Nass)

Belize: Church and State agree on deferment of cannabis referendum
(Aaron Humes, Breaking Belize News)

Unwelcoming: San Diego church barred from renting local venue for Christmas show because it’s “religious”
(First Liberty)

Mexico: Could priests in Mexico avoid being killed by wearing a cassock?
(Walter Sanchez Silva, Catholic News Agency)

In Sudan, a gradual return of the Islamist regime
(Katarzyna Rybarczyk, Modern Ghana)

France: UN committee slams France over school rule on Muslim headscarf
(The Local)

France: Le Conseil constitutionnel juge conformes à la Constitution, sous deux réserves d'interprétation, plusieurs dispositions législatives relatives au régime des associations exerçant des activités cultuelles
(Conseil constitutionnel)

With Al Qaeda down but not out, killing Zawahiri is symbolic
(James M. Dorsey, Modern Diplomacy)

Netherlands: Special Envoy for Religion and Belief meets with MWL Secretary-General
(Twitter, Muslim World League)

Montenegro govt faces no-confidence vote over church deal
(Samir Kajosevic, Balkan Insight)

Nigeria: Persecution of Christians in Nigeria is driven by Islamism, not climate change
(David Landrum, Premier Christianity)

Over 70% Brits don’t think it’s important for PM to be Christian
(National Secular Society)

At Lambeth, Anglican Communion abandons vote on same-sex marriage
(Catherine Pepinster, Religion News Service)

Rights of cohabiting partners: HC report
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Ageism and antisemitism in employment: Dooley
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Spain: Scientology’s religious order’s anniversary included in Spain’s Religious Holiday Calendar
(The European Times)

Spanish town previously named Fort Kill the Jews vandalized with antisemitic graffiti as Jewish family reportedly plans to move in
(Orge Castellano, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Doctors challenge harmful transgender mandate
(Becket)

In Kansas abortion vote, a blow to Catholic bishops’ political strategy
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

The New Thoreaus
(Mark Movsesian, SSRN)

Canada: Starbucks apologizes to Sudbury family following racist, bottle-throwing incident
(Casey Stranges, CBC News)

Thursday, 4 August 2022

VIRTUAL EVENT, 4 August 2022 (12PM ET): Human Library: Bringing my faith and beliefs to my workplace
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Wednesday, 3 August 2022

Iran: “Senseless cruelty”: Fresh wave of arrests and raids across Iran as Bahá’ís absurdly accused of “colonialism”
(Bahá’í World News Service)

Iran: Baha’is accused of “colonialism” and “infiltrating kindergartens” as 52 fresh acts of persecution add to more than 100 in recent weeks
(Bahá’í International Community)

Iran: Shocking demolition of homes and land grabs signals intensifying persecution of Iran’s Baháʼís
(Bahá’í World News Service)

Iran: Lawyer who helped overturn pastor’s death sentence now in prison with him
(Article 18)

Iran: Islamic Human Rights Award kicks off
(Mehr News Agency)

Clerics sue over Florida abortion law, saying it violates religious freedom
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)

Sri Lankan Church concerned over crackdown on dissent
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

China: ‘I fear they will normalise this’ – Restrictions combine to make life even more difficult for religion and belief groups in China
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Nicaragua’s government shutters 6 church radio stations
(Gabriela Selser, Associated Press)

Iraq: Followers of cleric told to withdraw from Iraq’s parliament
(Samya Kullab, Associated Press)

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