Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 19 April 2024

Bangladesh: Mob lynches two Muslims over Bangladesh temple fire
(Emran Hossain, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Afghanistan: Taliban cracks down on TV channels for 'violating Islamic values'
(AFP, Union of Catholic Asian News)

M.L. v. Poland: potential to liberalise women’s abortion rights?
(Noa Vreven, Strasbourg Observers)

Religious homeless shelters head for Supreme Court spotlight
(Becket)

Be more faithful, become more resilient: an invitation to religious institutions
(Nathan Berkeley, Religious Freedom Institute)

Notre Dame Religious Liberty Clinic represents volunteer minister barred from county jail because of his religious views
(University of Notre Dame Law School)

India: Hindu-Muslim divisions sway voting in Indian district scarred by deadly riots
(Krishn Kaushik, Reuters)

Argentina declares the ‘Day of Evangelical and Protestant churches’ by law
(Evangelical Focus)

Argentina’s bishops warn of narcos, poverty, end of social policies
(Buenos Aires Herald)

Indonesia’s 2024 presidential election in North Sumatra: The end of a long-established religious binarism?
(Deasy Simandjuntak, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

China: A new round of restrictions further constrains religious practice in Xinjiang
(Martin Lavička, China File)

Malaysia: SIS calls for moratorium on all caning sentences
(Sisters in Islam, Aliran)

Mexico’s presidential candidates commit to Church’s anti-violence suggestions
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Mexico: Morelos participates in the symposium “Religious freedom: Promoter of Mutual Respect, Human Dignity and Peace” (Spanish)
(Morelos.gob.mx)

Costa Rica: Tolerance, freedom and peace (Spanish)
(Óscar Álvarez Araya La República, La República)

Colombia: Engativá: Committee to promote religious freedom and interreligious dialogue (Spanish)
(Nicolás Rivera Pulido, Bogota.gov)

Brazil: Unanimously, STF allows the use of religious attire in official document photos (Portuguese)
(Fernanda Vivas, G1)

Brazil: Pastor Felippe Valadão is indicted for religious intolerance after preaching in Itaboraí (Portuguese)
(Redação, São Gonçalo)

Thursday, 18 April 2024

EVENT, 18 April 2024 (1PM - 6PM PDT): Finding Common Ground: Protecting Freedom of Religion and Human Dignity (Las Vegas, NV, USA)
(Las Vegas Alliance for Religious Freedom and Human Dignity)

EVENT, 18 April 2024 (6PM EDT): 3rd Annual Freedom of Religion Roundtable (Kennesaw, GA, USA)
(Paul Murray, Hannah Clayson Smith, Barry Loudermilk, David Wilkerson, Alexandria Shuval-Weiner, Kemal Korucu, John H. Vaughn)

EVENT, 17-18 April 2024: Faith & Life Lecture Series (Berea, OH, USA)
(Baldwin Wallace University)

Wednesday, 17 April 2024

A London court rules against a Muslim girl who wanted to pray at a school known for strict rules
(Associated Press)

Banning ritual prayers in school: Michaela Schools Trust
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

High court upholds top London school’s ban on prayer rituals
(Sally Weale, The Guardian)

Sanctions imposed for illegal boiler installation
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Australia: Sydney church stabbing was 'terrorist' attack, police say
(Tiffanie Turnbull and Simon Atkinson, BBC)

Australia must not lose the war within over religion, ideology and politics
(Chip Le Grand, The Sydney Morning Herald)

Australia: A bipartisan approach to religious freedom is possible — it involves the recovery of a fundamental human right
(Patrick Parkinson, ABC News Australia)

VIRTUAL EVENT, 17 April 2024 (9:30AM ET): Harmony in Diversity - "Hinduism" with Gopal D. Patel
(European Union and United Nations Offices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

EVENT, 17 April 2024 (2:30PM ET): ISGRJ Race and Religion Lecture Series: Global Circuits of Difference (Newark, NJ USA)
(Mbaye Lo, Rutgers University)

HYBRID EVENT, 17 April 2024 (1PM ET): Empowering Youth in Catalyzing Faith-inspired Approaches to SDGs 16 and 17 in the Climate Change Agenda
(Religions for Peace; Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF); International Islamic Fiqh Academy)

Second international religious institutions conference kicks off
(Ethiopian News Agency)

European court decision shows that a safe climate is a human right, former UN rights chief says
(Seth Borenstein, Associated Press)

Despite opposition from bishops, EU deems abortion a ‘fundamental right’
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)

CoE report says freedom of assembly violations topped new violations in Georgia in 2023
(Civil Georgia)

UN experts condemn forced marriages, religious conversions in Pak
(Business Standard)

The Alabama IVF decision is about care work
(Sarah Zager, Martin Marty Center)

Conservative Christians praise Trump’s anti-abortion record but say he’s stopped short of the goal
(Holly Meyer and Tiffany Stanley, Associated Press)

An Argentine judge recognizes gender abuse suffered for years by 20 nuns in a breakthrough ruling
(Almudena Calatrava, Associated Press)

Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Fitr in the shadow of Gaza’s misery
(Andrew Wilks and Niniek Karmini, Associated Press)

The Rev. Barber and other faith leaders issue a bold call to reject Christian nationalism
(John Nichols, The Nation)

Apache Stronghold asks 29-judge appeals court to save Oak Flat
(Becket)

Supreme Court limits scope of injunction against Idaho's gender-affirming treatment ban
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

How schools like Harvard emerged as defenders of religious liberty
(Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News)

Do nuns in France have employment rights?
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

France: Nearly 1,000 anti-Christian acts in 2023, says the Ministry of the Interior
(Grégoire Gindre, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Paris Olympics 2024: The controversial hijab ban at sport's biggest party
(Tyrese King, BBC)

France: Spectacular SWAT raids on Romanian yoga centers: Fact checking (I)
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Government, religious denominations consolidate their collaboration. Romania to establish Religious Freedom Day
(Aurelian Iftimiu, Biserica Ortodoxă Română)

Indian protesters pull from poetic tradition to resist Modi’s Hindu nationalism
(Krupa Shandilya, The Conversation)

India: IAMC Annual Report on Human Rights and Religious Freedom in India (2024)
(Indian American Muslim Council)

Indian Americans warn that Hinduphobia resolution, linked with Hindu far-right groups, will be weaponized against critics
(Indian American Muslim Council)

Religion as a soft power tool: Iran’s export of Twelver Shia Islam to Syria
(George Hancock, The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security)

Religious charter schools: A new horizon for the Establishment Clause and school choice
(Charles J. Russo, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Cults, spirituality, and new religious movements
(London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Other states, like Arizona, could resurrect laws on abortion, LGBTQ+ issues and more that have been lying dormant for more than 100 years
(Dara E. Purvis, The Conversation)

Clash of the patriarchs: A hard-line Russian bishop backed by the political might of the Kremlin could split the Orthodox Church in two.
(Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic)

Transgender rights vs. parent rights. California goes to court to settle school divide
(Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times)

Free speech prevails for “NatCon”: Belgian court strikes down order shuttering conservative conference
(ADF International)

House brands Palestinian slogan as antisemitic
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Denial of religious exemption from vaccine mandate upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

5th Circuit denies further relief to Native American church objecting to park modifications
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Chad’s bishops urge successful presidential elections amid controversy
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Saudi Arabia: football fans imprisoned for chant
(Human Rights Watch)

Why religion is becoming an even stronger force within the Republican Party
(Perry Bacon Jr., The Washington Post)

South Korea: 1,700 killed for their religion during Korean War: panel
(Yoon Min-sik, The Korea Herald)

A Mosque set on fire in Dnipro of Ukraine
(AhlulBayt News Agency)

Leaders of 15 Protestant denominations in Ukraine urge Mike Johnson to vote for aid package allocation
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

FBI monitoring anti-Jewish threats ahead of Passover, Wray tells security group
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

The role of interfaith education and cross-cultural religious literacy in combating intolerance
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Kenyan bishops accuse government of impeding church's mission
(Fredrick Nzwili, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly digest April 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly digest April 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

A right for judges to challenge legislation? Strasbourg’s untenable ambiguity
(Mathieu Leloup, Strasbourg Observers)

Nuns battle New York abortion mandate in court
(Becket)

Witch hunting and religious freedom in Africa
(Leo Igwe, Modern Ghana)

New book: Religious Paradigms of Indigenous Communities in Mexico (Spanish)
(Jose Luis Llaquet de Entrambasaguas, Tirant Lo Blanch)

Analysis: freedom of religion and human rights (German)
(Elizabeta Kitanovic, Conference of European Churches)

Analysis: freedom of religion and human rights (French)
(Elizabeta Kitanovic, Conference of European Churches)

Tuesday, 16 April 2024

HYBRID EVENT, 16 April 2024 (2PM ET): Congressional Briefing on the Ongoing Atrocities Against Christians in Nigeria
(In Defense of Christians)

Monday, 15 April 2024

Vatican complains after French court rules in favor of nun dismissed from religious order
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)

Allouche v. France (Respect for private life; Authorities failed to take into account the antisemitic aspect of the case)
(The European Court of Human Rights)

Inaction over antisemitic threats and Article 8 ECHR: Allouche
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Against Senate’s opposition, France passes new anti-cult law
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)

The true cost of the churchgoing bust
(Derek Thompson, The Atlantic)

Analysis: Abortion, like gun control, is now subject to minority whim
(Philip Bump, The Washington Post)

Faith in Law, Law in Faith: Reflecting and Building on the Work of John Witte, Jr.
(Edited by Rafael Domingo, Gary S. Hauk, and Timothy P. Jackson, Brill)

Australia: Religious freedom and the NSW Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)

Australia: Horrified worshippers watch online and in person as a bishop is stabbed at a church in Sydney
(Mark Baker and Rod McGuirk, Associated Press)

Around the web - 15 April 2024
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

Legal Spirits 059: Daniel McCarthy on “the Other Nones” (podcast)
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

India: The end of secular India: Modi’s quest to entrench Hindu nationalism
(Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs)

Darling, Land join Ukrainian Baptist leaders in letter to House Speaker
(Scott Barkley, Baptist Press)

Russia: Archbishop fined for criticising Russia's war in Ukraine
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)

CEC-UCCRO joint statement calls for just and lasting peace in Ukraine
(Conference of European Churches)

Estonia: The Russian Orthodox Church to be declared a terrorist organization?
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Global Interfaith Monitor 22
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Colombia: Churches play a key role as Colombia emerges from conflict, say peace envoys
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

EVENT, 23 April 2024 (5:45PM ET): Public Interest Piety: Unpacking the Role of Religion in 2024’s Fraught Politics (Cambridge, MA, USA)
(Adam Philips, Asma Uddin, Justin Giboney, Harvard Law School)

2024 multi-faith high-level forum keynote addresses
(YouTube Video, Religions for Peace)

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