Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
WEBINAR, 6 March 2024 (12:30PM EST): Catholic Sisters Working To Eradicate Human Trafficking
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Divided Ninth Circuit rejects Apache religious challenge to mine development on sacred land at Oak Flat
(Arienne Calingo, University of Notre Dame Law School)
In Guatemala, public schools turn to Bible study to boost reading and resist gang culture
(Catherine Pepinster, Religion News Service)
Slain pregnant Amish woman had cuts to her head and neck, Pennsylvania police say
(Mark Scolforo and Peter Smith, Associated Press)
No twerking. No drinking. No smoking. But plenty of room for Jesus at this Christian nightclub
(Luis Andres Henao and Jessie Wardarski, Associated Press)
‘A global sisterhood of peacemakers’: President Johnson emphasizes religious liberty for women during address at the European Union Parliament
(Sarah Jane Weaver, Church News)
Law professor sheds light on ongoing Native American religious discrimination case
(Aynslee Dellacca, The Observer)
Abdelsalam: Religions must work together for brighter future
(Vatican News)
Nine years after Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, Muslims launch a counterpart
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
Teen suspect in stabbing of Jewish man in Zurich expressed solidarity with Islamic State group
(Jamey Keaten, Associated Press)
Exclusive: Police interrogate and beat Tibetans arrested in dam protest
(Kalden Lodoe and Tenzin Pema, Radio Free Asia)
Mozambique jihadist attacks: Fears for 70 missing children
(Jose Tembe and Gloria Aradi, BBC News)
Priest battles ‘hate crime’ charges for criticizing Islam
(Catholic News Agency)
Church authorities in Greece slap religious ban on local politicians who backed same-sex marriage
(Associated Press)
African American religions and the voodoo label
(Danielle N. Boaz, Oxford University Press)
Faith in God, themselves, and the people: Black religious activist-educators
(Almeda M. Wright, Oxford University Press)
A new Holocaust Museum shows how three-quarters of Dutch Jews were deported and killed
(Associated Press)
Christian organization challenges grant rule barring religious favoritism in hiring
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Christian employers protected from requirement to provide insurance for gender transition procedures
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Certiorari denied in ministerial exception case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Chaplains, faith groups, and civil rights organizations oppose public-school chaplain programs
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Costa Rica: Catholic activists denounce growing migrant crisis in Costa Rica
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Pakistan: Karachi's dwindling Goan Christian community
(Mohammad Salman, Deutsche Welle)
A misuse of religious freedom at the border
(Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, National Review)
Ukraine: Latest draft Law targets Ukrainian Orthodox Church for Russian links
(Dmytro Vovk, Forum 18 News Service)
The anti-family right
(Matthew Schmitz, First Things)
Alabama rules that embryos are children
(Emma Waters, First Things)
Sub Deo Ep. 2: In which we discuss the Alabama Supreme Court IVF ruling with a colleague
(Marc DeGirolami, Mirror of Justice Blog)
Philippine Church seeks justice, peace on massacre anniversary
(Ronald O. Reyes, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Israel to allow same numbers into Al-Aqsa during start of Ramadan as in previous years
(Reuters)
Religious Freedom Restoration Act sees revival of state support
(Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission)
3 unsettled questions regarding the constitutionality of public funding of religious schools
(Bruno V. Manno, Reason)
Churches' challenges in health and healing work highlighted by global panel
(World Council of Churches)
W.A. and Others v. Italy: Is a cry for help not enough to trigger non-refoulement?
(Juan Ruiz Ramos, Strasbourg Observers)
Faithful Catholics ask court for freedom to adopt children in need
(Becket)
Nicaragua: Female prisoners punished for praying out loud
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Could churches help solve Arizona's housing crisis? What to know about 'Yes in God's Backyard' bill
(Ray Stern, Arizona Republic)
UN Human Right Council 55: Statement on freedom of religion and belief
(UK Mission to the WTO, UN and Other International Organisations (Geneva))
UK: Muslim student accused of anti-Semitism wins case against politician
(Anealla Safdar, Al Jazeera)
Ecclesiastical court judgments – February 2024
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Weekly update - 28 February 2024
(UK Human Rights Blog)
Brazil: Prison Pastoral highlights restrictions on religious assistance to prisoners (Portuguese)
(Evandro Éboli, Correio Braziliense)
March 2024 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)
Tuesday, 5 March 2024
EVENT, 5 March 2024 (5PM GMT): Palace of Westminster: Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and Business (London, UK)
(All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Monday, 4 March 2024
Lankford introduces resolution supporting international religious freedom
(James Lankford, U.S. Senate)
Biden administration finalizes rule on religious liberty protections
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
American Atheists celebrates restoration of religious freedom protections for recipients of federally funded social services
(American Atheists)
Ben-Gvir demands limit on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan
(Middle East Monitor)
WCC expresses solidarity as Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemn “wanton attack against innocent civilians”
(World Council of Churches)
Member of Fiqh Councils in Europe and North America: The Islamic Nation must wage jihad to help the Palestinians; Sykes-Picot borders have no legal status in religious laws of jihad
(The Middle East Media Research Institute)
EVENT, 4 March 2024 (3PM CET): Inspire Inclusion: Empowering women's freedom of religion or belief, European Parliament (Brussels, Belgium)
(Ms. Anga Haga MEP (EPP, Netherlands), European Union & International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
EVENT, 4 March 2024 (18:00 GMT): Weaponisation of Faith Against Uyghur Women (London, UK)
(Rachel Harris, Rahima Mahmut, Ewelina U. Ochab, René Cassin)
Iraq: Unregistered marriages harm women and children
(Human Rights Watch)
The political views of these Christian nationalists might surprise you
(Anthea Butler, MSNBC)
Support for Christian nationalism in all 50 states: findings from PRRI's 2023 American Values Atlas
(PRRI)
Girl Scout troop resolved to support migrants despite backlash
(Sara Herschander, The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
A message for nonprofits: Black churches are powerful potential allies
(Drew Lindsay, The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
The 19th Explains: Will states follow Alabama in ending IVF access?
(Shefali Luthra, The 19th)
Why a US state court ruling on the rights of children before birth is unjust
(Dominic Wilkinson, The Conversation)
Hulu will let Texas church promote services after reversing ‘religious indoctrination’ ban
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Half of evangelicals see immigrants as drain on resources, new poll shows
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Canadian measure would remove free speech protection for quoting Bible, sacred texts
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
EU Court rules on asylum seeker's religious c/onversion: impact on international protection standards
(Olalekan Adigun, BNN)
French bishops lament progress of vote to enshrine abortion
(John Burger, Aleteia)
A/HRC/55/47/Add.2: Visit to Sweden - Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Nazila Ghanea (Advance unedited version)
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
The Catholic Church in Hungary is deeply politicized—and shrinking
(Bridget Ryder, America: The Jesuit Review)
Morocco: Family law in Morocco: A cultural battleground
(Hassan Al-Ashraf, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center)
Malaysia: Harmonising Sharia and Malaysia’s constitution by the end of the year
(Steve Suwannarat, AsiaNews)
Pakistan: Two Christian brothers freed of blasphemy charges by Pakistan court in landmark case
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Pakistan’s bumpy road to Islamic finance goals
(Kimberley Long, The Banker)
“Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth” Unveils an Islamic Approach to Environmental Stewardship at the United Nations Environment Assembly
(Parliament of the World's Religions)
Zimbabwe and Liberia: “Forgiveness at the Roots of Faiths – How Understanding the Science of Forgiveness Can Better Heal and Restore Communities of Faith” training of the trainers
(Religions for Peace)
Sarajevo hosts launch of IPPFORB's Southeast Europe Network (IPPFORB SEE) for Freedom of Religion or Belief
(International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB))
Voucher expansion leads to more students, waitlists and classes for some religious schools
(Holly Meyer, Associated Press)
Antisemitic threats to kill yield prison sentence
(U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan, U.S. Department of Justice)
Articles of interest - 4 March 2024
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
RLUIPA safe harbor does not extend to claims for monetary damages
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Alito argues that religious bias is better than any other kind
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
India: ‘Run or die’: Muslims left mourning as police raze another mosque in northern India
(Yashraj Sharma, Religion News Service)
Catholic news site Church Militant agrees to pay $500k in defamation case and is expected to close
(Associated Press)
Occupation's Religious Administration seeks to annex Muslim communities in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest Feb. 16-29
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russian occupiers in Ukraine thanked several Belarusian monasteries for assistance
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Rolls-Royce, Baringa, most faith-friendly UK workplaces
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
UK churches’ outreach to Muslim migrants scrutinized after Clapham attack
(James Thompson, Christianity Today)
Richard Tice warns UK heading for Sharia law as he demands ban: ‘Keep religion out of politics!’
(Ben Chapman, GB News)
Altars – some consistory court judgments
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Ecumenical group meets to revise Charta Œcumenica
(Conference of European Churches)
Nigeria: Uniting Voices for Democracy: The inaugural KAICIID supported RCDP meeting in Nigeria
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
U.S. Christians more likely than ‘nones’ to say situation at the border is a crisis
(Dalia Fahmy, Pew Research Center)
Supreme Court should affirm role of religious homeless shelters
(Becket)
Will religious freedom claims trump public health? Braidwood and HIV prevention
(Devon R. Minnick, Richard H. Hughes IV, Ada Peters, Naomi Seiler, Sara Rosenbaum, Health Affairs)
Brazil: Campo Grande City Hall establishes Religious Freedom Day (Portuguese)
(Anna Gomes, Uol)
Sunday, 3 March 2024
HYBRID EVENT, 2-3 March 2024: Fall of the Ottomans to the OIC - Reflections, Dreams & Aspirations of Power
(Islamic Courses, a project of Islamic Circles)
Higher Ground: Americans wary of the First Amendment
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Friday, 1 March 2024
Canada: Appeal Court upholds Quebec law that bars teachers, police from wearing religious symbols
(Verity Stevenson, CBC News)
Canada: How Canada’s flourishing far-right movement is fuelling violent Islamophobia
(Sarah Green, The Telegraph)
Ghana’s parliament passed an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that could imprison people for more than a decade
(Francis Kokutse, Associated Press)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly digest Feb. 16-29
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
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