Law and Religion Headlines

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Wednesday, 23 February 2022

Ukraine: Pope Francis decries ‘folly’ of war as tensions grow in Ukraine
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

Ukrainian religious leaders seek peacemaking dialogue
(Religiina Pravda, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

For Ukraine’s Jews, the threat of war stirs memories of past horrors
(Michael Schwirtz, The New York Times)

Ukraine: How should Jews think about Ukraine?
(Jeffrey Salkin, RNS Column: Martini Judaism)

Eastern Ukraine’s Jews brace for food shortages and antisemitic provocations
(Sam Sokol and Nastya Shub, Haaretz)

Russia: How Putin is exploiting Orthodox rivalries in Ukraine
(Marguerite de Lasa, La Croix International)

UK's Chief Rabbi backs emergency appeal for Ukrainian Jews as tensions escalate
(Jewish News)

Ukraine-Russia: NATO membership, human rights and peace
(Aaron Rhodes, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Russia: Mufti of Moscow backs Putin decision on East Ukraine regions
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Russia: Lavrov calls what's happening in eastern Ukraine an attack on Orthodoxy and on "everything that is Russian"
(Interfax-Religion)

Catholics in Poland, Western Ukraine welcome people fleeing threat of war
(Catholic News Service)

As Russian threat escalates, prominent US faith leaders hold vigil for peace in Ukraine
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)

Russia is censured for religious freedom violations against Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Kathryn Post, Religion News Service)

Russia: ECHR rules Russia authorities violated Jehovah’s Witnesses freedom of religion and liberty
(Ananaya Agrawal, Jurist)

Russia: Approval of Putin voiced in Moscow church
(Credo.Press, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Russia: Two judgments in favour of 14 Jehovah’s Witnesses against Russia
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Crimea: 23 fines under Russia's "anti-missionary" laws in 2021
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

Donbas: Luhansk: Religious freedom survey, February 2022
(Felix Corley and John Kinahan, Forum 18 News Service)

Update from CEC General Secretary: CEC’s role in European political discourse
(YouTube Video, Conference of European Churches)

Bishop Nick Baines reflects on how CEC can help churches amplify its collective voice
(Susan Kim, Conference of European Churches)

Not by counterterrorism alone: Root causes and the defeat of the Islamic State group
(Steven Heydemann, Brookings)

Justices will hear free-speech claim from website designer who opposes same-sex marriage
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)

High court takes case involving refusal to serve gay couples
(Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)

Can a web designer be forced to make gay wedding pages? The Supreme Court will decide
(Scott Shackford, Reason)

Justices to weigh web designer's no-LGBTQ wedding policy
(Jimmy Hoover, Law360)

VA Bible lawsuit dismissed; separate display proposed
(Kathy McCormack, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Legislators fight to control the content of civic education
(Carl Smith, Governing)

Could Novavax win over some religious vaccine skeptics?
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

Myanmar: Military violence emboldens Myanmar's ethnic resistance
(Alex McBride, Foreign Policy)

Jim Wallis is on a mission to make voting rights the religious issue of our time
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)

Arab-Israelis, ultra-Orthodox, Palestinians shape future of Israeli tech
(Afif Abu Much, Al-Monitor: Israel Pulse)

Vatican statistics show global imbalance in ratio of Catholics per priest
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service)

Evangelical Christian radio broadcaster details Orthodox rift amid Russia-Ukraine conflict, calls for Christian unity
(Ryan Foley, The Christian Post)

Hundreds of Catholic baptisms may be invalidated in Michigan over incorrect 'formula'
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)

Biden enacts sanctions on Russia, vows to 'go further' if Putin continues 'invasion' of Ukraine
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)

Credibility of pastors waning as influence of Christianity loses cultural dominance: study
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)

Israeli gov’t ditches Mount of Olives park expansion plan amid outcry from Christian leaders
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)

Americans increasingly ditching religious marriages for secular, interfaith relationships: study
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)

China: Panshi church raided and preacher arrested
(China Aid)

China: Court jails Christian pastor for eight years
(Eurasia Review)

Appeal Made For UNESCO To Ensure Protection Of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Historic Christian Sites
(Eurasia Review)

India: Persecution of Christians and religious minorities in India
(House of Commons Library, UK Parliament)

Indian bishops campaign for Dalit Christians' rights
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

South Korea: Buddhist monks accuse Korean govt of anti-Buddhist bias
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

For clergy, COVID-19 has brought both burnout and breakthrough
(Elizabeth E. Evans, Religion News Service)

Amid book bans, Muslim authors, parents advocate for children’s books representing Islam
(Tasmiha Khan, Religion News Service)

Iran: UN Special Rapporteur: Tehran arrested dozens of Christians in 2021
(Asia News)

Iran is squeezing Christians and other minorities out of the Middle East, researcher says
(Jonah McKeown, Catholic News Agency)

Covenanting to live together
(Knox Thames, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Weekly Highlight #194: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Misinformation in Africa; declining church attendance
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

Romania: For first time, Romanian officials commemorate Holocaust refugees who died in sunken ship 80 years ago
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Dutch universities to ignore query on ties to Jewish groups — but may divulge on Israel
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Boston area college in turmoil after weeks-long string of antisemitic and racist incidents
(Penny Schwartz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Australia’s New South Wales state moves to ban the swastika
(Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

New book: The Routledge Handbook of Religious Literacy, Pluralism, and Global Engagement
(Edited By Chris Seiple, Dennis R. Hoover, Routledge)

UK: Catholic Church calls Scottish govt’s guidelines on underage sex ‘morally bankrupt’
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

UK: Extensive fire caused by arson at church in Glasgow
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)

UK: Lifting COVID-19 restrictions in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland: update
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

UK: Labour’s strides against antisemitism
(Ezra Cohen, Jewish News)

UK: ADF International’s Lois McLatchie discuses freedom of religion or belief within the UK
(YouTube Video, Freedom Declared Foundation)

Greek ministry report: Anti-Christian attacks make up approx. 93% of all anti-religious hate crimes in 2020
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)

Algeria: Another Protestant place of worship under threat of closure in Algeria
(Evangelical Focus)

Air Force officers sue over religious exemption denials
(John Seewer, Associated Press)

VA Bible lawsuit dismissed, separate display proposed
(Kathy McCormack, Associated Press)

Places of worship to turn their unused spaces into housing
(Associated Press)

Spain: Bishops in Spain ask lawyers to audit their sex abuse record
(Aritz Parra, Associated Press)

Israel: Muslim man, Mizrahi woman picked to serve as Supreme Court justices, both firsts
(The Times of Israel)

Group representing Christian doctors sues California over forced participation in assisted suicide
(Alliance Defending Freedom)

Bolivian bishops call for judicial reform after murders, rapists freed
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

U.N. wants faith groups to help work against plastic pollution
(Fredrick Nzwili, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Perspective: The sustaining power of faith in times of crisis
(Gérald Caussé, Deseret News)

From normalizing antisemitism to denying it - opinion
(Asaf Romirowsky, The Jerusalem Post)

Pronoun wars? The 'usual suspects' quoted by the press skewed Baptism-gate coverage
(Clemente Lisi, GetReligion)

Norway: Adoption, religious upbringing and Article 9 ECHR: Abdi Ibrahim
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Malawi president, an ordained church minister, visits World Council of Churches in Geneva
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Egypt: Institutional erasure: Legal pluralism in colonial Egypt
(Samy A. Ayoub, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

Thinking beyond Roe: The Bible, Orthodox Judaism, and sexual virtue
(Rafi Eis, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Pope has profound understanding of social issues in Africa, says visiting Zambian president
(La Croix International)

How a gay man from Singapore found acceptance in Australia
(Ali MC, Al Jazeera)

Join the Faith Action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals database
(Parliament of the World's Religions)

French barrister fights for right to wear her hijab in court
(Layli Foroudi, Reuters)

Pakistan: Blasphemy, forced conversions, education system: the weak points for the rights of religious minorities
(Agenzia Fides)

Center for the Study of Religion, Culture & Society marks 10 years of creating connections
(Michael Abernethy, Elon University)

France: Anti-religious violence rises by 38% in France in 2 years
(Evangelical Focus)

Ohio bill would require colleges to allow student accommodation for religious observance
(Dmitriy Shapiro, Cleveland Jewish News)

Monday, 21 February 2022

FBI: No political, ideological motivations in mosque fire
(Associated Press)

Malcolm X on racism, capitalism and Islam
(Al Jazeera)

Pakistan: Jan Figel’s views on religious freedom (Part I)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Pakistan: Former EU FoRB Special Envoy Jan Figel’s views on religious freedom (Part II)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Pakistan: What vision Pakistan has conjured for religious freedom by scraping the Protection of the Rights of Religious Minorities Bill
(Qamar Rafiq, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

EVENT, 21 February 2022 (12:30PM ET): RLI Book Discussion: Why Do People Discriminate Against Jews?
(University of Notre Dame Law School)

Lawmaker on trial in Europe for religious views a 'cautionary tale' for the US, says lawyer
(Kelsey Koberg, Fox News)

Colombia’s highest court legalizes abortion up to 24 weeks
(Manuel Rueda, Associated Press)

Israel: 60 percent of Israelis hide their religion when traveling abroad, study finds
(Dan Lavie, Jewish News Syndicate)

Israeli authority backs down from Mount of Olives park plan
(Ilan Ben Zion, Associated Press)

Iran: The religious-ideological reason Iran calls for Israel's destruction
(Udi Evental, The Jerusalem Post)

As Kuwait cracks down, a battle erupts over women’s rights
(Isabel Debre and Malak Harb, Associated Press)

China: Human rights? China won that Winter Olympics battle. Almost.
(John Leicester, Associated Press)

China: A threat to justice everywhere: Persecution of Uyghurs demands an international response.
(Elizabeth M. Lynch, Commonweal)

Bill to consider churches essential in emergencies advances
(Associated Press)

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