Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 11 April 2022
UPR of Morocco – MRG’s contribution
(Minority Rights Group International)
April editor’s letter: Horror and religion
(The Revealer, The Center for Religion and Media at NYU)
Friday, 8 April 2022
Bangladesh: Schoolteacher detained for discussing the difference between science and religion must be immediately released
(Amnesty International)
Bangladesh: Hare Krishna (ISKCON) in Bangladesh: Why violence continues
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
5 faith facts about Ketanji Brown Jackson, the Supreme Court's first black woman
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 8 April 2022: Religious Liberty at a Historic Crossroads: An Examination of the American Bedrock Principle and its Unsettled Future
(The Loyola University Chicago Law Journal)
Y. v. Poland: ECtHR case law on gender recognition remains embedded in cisnormativity
(Pieter Cannoot, Strasbourg Observers)
Catholic bishops meet in secret to discuss 'culture war' issues: What does it mean for the church?
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Official Report: 2021 Parliament of the World's Religions
(Parliament of the World's Religions)
Russian priest speaks out against war in Ukraine despite threats
(Jack Jenkins, The Washington Post)
Alabama: Jefferson County superintendent reaffirms ‘voluntary’ school prayer
(Greg Garrison, AL.com)
OSCE/ODIHR Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief publish a new FoRB video series
(The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe)
Pope Francis kisses Ukrainian flag from Bucha, site of Russian 'massacre
(Mark Kellner, The Washington Times)
Anti-LGBTQ proposals are flooding U.S. state legislatures at a record pace
(Kelsey Butler, Bloomberg)
Muslim students in Gwinnett ask for religious holiday off from school
(Josh Reyes, The Atlantic Journal-Constitution)
Middle Church to begin meeting in synagogue on Easter as it awaits restored building
(Adelle M. Banks, Daily Religion News)
Australian convicted in Singapore for killing man in act of ‘religious hostility towards Muslims’
(Staff, The Guardian)
Photos of the week: Ramadan begins, Texas synagogue reopens
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Ukrainian activists demand that the “Russian World” ideologists led by Patriarch Kirill are sanctioned
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Gender parity in UN’s treaty bodies: Challenges and solutions
(Diplomat Magazine)
Video explainer: Why do some states prohibit atheists from holding public office?
(Twitter, Freedom Forum Institute)
OAA's 2021 Annual Impact Report (pdf)
(Outreach Aid to the Americas)
Cuba: Pastor sentenced to eight years in prison
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Singapore’s slow but steady path toward decriminalizing homosexuality
(Robin Vochelet, The Diplomat)
Yemen: New top Yemeni govt official promises to work towards peace
(Associated Press)
Yemen: Peace at last?
(Bruce Riedel, Brookings Institution)
On Islamophobia Day
(Muhammad Hassan, The Jakarta Post)
The story of Exodus gives Jews empathy to identify with plights of others - opinion
(Benji Levy, The Jerusalem Post)
Egypt: Palm Sunday church attacks: Egypt’s ‘worst day of violence’
(Heba Habib, Al Jazeera)
Egypt: Priest dies from stabbing on seaside promenade in Egypt
(Associated Press)
Preacher's challenge to large group vigils on Capitol grounds fails
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Seventh Day Adventist can proceed with Title VII suit
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Two suits challenge Michigan's 1931 abortion ban
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Alabama legislature passes bill on bathrooms and LGBT instruction in public schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Oklahoma passes bill outlawing almost all abortions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
5th Circuit hears oral arguments in Texas courtroom prayer case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
BJC urges Supreme Court to reject high school coach’s defense of on-field prayers with students
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Israel: The tinder box of Jerusalem and the tyranny of the religious calendar
(Daoud Kuttab, Religion News Service)
‘We expect to win.’ Ayahuasca churches vow to remain as court case largely dismissed.
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Never again, again
(Susan Bigelow Reynolds, Commonweal)
Nigerian bishops: Government must do more to stop terrorist attacks
(Peter Ajayi Dada, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Soyinka: Nigeria is ‘not a nation but a cage if we imprison people for their religious views’
(Akin Irede, The Africa Report)
Nigeria: Network of policymakers and religious leaders launched to address crisis of violence in Nigeria
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Nigeria: Kaduna pastors protest incessant attacks, killings
(Tarzoor Dzoho, Today.ng)
Who Filipinos vote for is moral choice, bishops say at special Mass
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
"I couldn’t get YouTube to see that ‘God curse the Jews’ is a form of hate speech"
(David Rose, The Jewish Chronicle)
Russia: Internal enemies pose more risks than West to Russia - Russian Orthodox Church
(Interfax-Religion)
Russian Church doesn’t agree with the division of society into the "party of peace" and the "party of war"
(Interfax-Religion)
Russia: Metropolitan Hilarion discusses situation in Ukraine with head of EU delegation to Russia
(Interfax-Religion)
Patriarch Kirill urges to pray for preservation of the spiritual unity of Russian land
(Interfax-Religion)
Uzbekistan: Latest prosecution for teahouse Islam discussion
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Ukraine war savagery will loom over this year's World Council of Churches Assembly
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
Afghanistan: RFI Senior Fellow Charles Ramsey interviewed on Taliban control in Afghanistan
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Romanian Orthodox Church has so far backed Ukraine with more than 5m euros in humanitarian aid
(The European Times)
Chile: Church-state relations: putting Christ at the center
(fides, Agenzia Fides)
Advocates say Arizona foster care law discriminates against LGBTQ+ couples
(Shirin Ali, The Hill)
Q&A with ‘The Flag And The Cross’ author Samuel L. Perry on white Christian nationalism
(Kenneth E. Frantz, Religion Unplugged)
Ethiopia: Muslims decry restrictions by schools during Ramadan, City’s education bureau responds education should be free from religious activities
(Addis Standard)
The failure of Muslims: The greatest misfortune that has befallen contemporary Muslims is that their preachers have turned to “sloganeering,”
(Mohammed Wani, The Arab Weekly)
American Atheists to take a quieter approach to culture wars at Atlanta meeting
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Proposal for a Muslim American alternate dispute resolution and mediation center
(Abed Awad and Lee Ann Bambach, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Limiting oppression: Duress and unconscionability in Islamic law
(Rabea Benhalim, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Sincerely held: American secularism and its believers
(Charles McCrary, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Equality without freedom: When genetic determinism meets progressivism
(Alexander Riley, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Black American identity, family, and religion: An interview with Glenn Loury
(Alexander Riley and Glenn Loury, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
European political scientists and theologians condemn "Christian nationalism" and "Russian world" ideology
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
OCU speaker explains the importance of banning the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Iran says knife attack an attempt to divide Muslims and nations
(Al Jazeera)
Saudi Arabia sets limit of 1m Hajj pilgrims this year
(Al Jazeera)
Women empowerment and environmental restoration for conflict prevention in the Sahel
(Religions for Peace)
Russia and the UN Human Rights Council: A step in the right direction
(Rosa Freedman, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
2022 Easter prayer for peace and reunification on the Korean peninsula
(World Council of Churches)
Syria: WCC expresses concern for Christian presence and witness in Syria
(World Council of Churches)
On World Health Day, Christian Conference of Asia calls for “healthy, sustainable, and equitable society”
(World Council of Churches)
UK: Christ Church Oxford: Governance Review
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
UK: Cancellation of UK LGBT summit damages rights, advocates say
(William Worley, Devex)
UK: Hate crime bill: Presbyterian Church raises free speech concern
(Niall Deeney, News Letter)
France: The Catholic vote and the presidential election in France
(Théo Moy, La Croix International)
France: religious freedom restrictions and a liberalisation of bioethics push evangelicals to the right
(Joel Forster, Evangelical Focus Europe)
France: Days before elections, Éric Zemmour made a Jewish man’s death a national issue. Jewish voters are still split.
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Spain’s top prelate says independent abuse audit will help ‘rectify what we are doing wrong’
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Spain: Bill criminalizing prayer near abortion facilities protested outside Spain's senate
(Diego Lopez Marina, National Catholic Register)
Spain PM in Morocco to mend ties after Western Sahara shift
(Joseph Wilson and Tarik El Barakah, Associated Press)
Germany and “cults”: the Federal Administrative Court confirms “sect filters” are illegal
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Germany: Catholic youth organizations urge end to Germany’s ban on abortion ads
(National Catholic Register)
Finland: Prosecutor to continue “campaign” against Finnish MP after major free speech victory
(ADF International)
Finland: Prosecuters appeal hate speech exoneration of Finnish politician who quoted Bible on homosexuality
(Mark Kellner, The Washington Times)
Italy: Disfellowshipping and “ostracism”: Italian court sides with the Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
Easter 2022: CEC and COMECE presidents at the Polish-Ukrainian border call for peace and reconciliation
(Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Commission of the Bishops' Conference of the European Union (COMECE))
Wednesday, 6 April 2022
As fired coach’s case heads to Supreme Court, broad coalition says it’s his students who were the victims, not the coach
(Jeff Brumley, Baptist News Global)
Can a public high school coach pray publicly on the job?
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Prof. Michael McConnell, Jeff Rosen, and I on the Court's recent free speech and religious freedom cases
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Turkey: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia mosque to host special Ramadan prayer again after 8 decades
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Turkish government concerned by Christian evangelism
(Kevin Zeller, Mission Network News)
Belgium: Jehovah’s Witnesses win in Strasbourg in a discrimination case
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
ECtHR: Belgium condemned for discriminating against Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Juan Sanchez Gil, The European Times)
Germany: Discriminating against a Scientologist in Germany is illegal, Federal Court said
(The European Times)
UK: Tower of London hosts first Ramadan iftar in 900-year history
(About Islam)
UK: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Newsletter - April 2022
(Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK)
UK: Administering the last rites at crime scenes: police guidance
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
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