Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Nigeria: ‘They realised their guns weren’t fast enough’
(Jonathan Downing, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Pathways to peace: Responding to war in meaningful ways (video)
(Lydia Funck, Conference of European Churches)
Should faith groups have a say in the future of space travel?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Calling faith critical to higher education, educators launch new Commission on Faith-based Universities
(Tad Walch, Deseret News)
Vatican official: Hundreds of millions of Christians ‘face high levels of persecution’
(Andrés Henríquez, Catholic News Agency)
Should states control religious liberty? A conference in Rome
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)
New law mandates school release for religious classes, including Satanic Teachings
(Grant Palmer, Fox 25)
At second-ever global convening, Zoroastrian youth seek a more connected future
(Dina Katgara, Religion News Service)
Probe launched after Jewish student group omitted from New Jersey high school yearbook
(Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press)
How Wisconsin faith leaders are tending to complex interfaith work
(Phil Haslanger, Interfaith America)
Australia: The government is drafting anti-hate speech laws. Here are 4 things they should include
(Nicole Shackleton, The Conversation)
Pakistan army promotes first Christian woman to brigadier general
(Arshad Mehmood, The Jerusalem Post)
'Pedophile rabbi': UCLA Chabad rabbi assaulted, told to go back to Poland
(Michael Starr, The Jerusalem Post)
Around the web - 11 June 2024
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
State funding of only secular home-school materials upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Georgia: Government's "real purpose" not to ensure public transparency "but to exert control"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Indonesian court jails comedian for joking about the name Muhammad
(Reuters)
Maryland Parental Power Summit inspires and educates
(Religious Freedom Institute)
FFRF calls out Texas school district for bible distribution
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
Bishops urge EU leaders to tackle voter disillusionment following elections
(AC Wimmer, Catholic News Agency)
Congressional leaders form task force to counter Project 2025 and defend democracy
(Jared Huffman, U.S. House of Representatives)
Canada: RCMP official calls for debate on hate speech law after probe of controversial imam ends without charges
(Daniel Leblanc, CBC News)
Religious Freedom Week 2024: Called to the Fullness of Dignity
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
NZ: Auckland Tibetan Association calls on PM Luxon to raise Tibet during the Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to New Zealand
(Central Tibetan Administration)
Bolivia: Following forced closure of Catholic Teachers College, Bishops sue Bolivian state, take case to international human rights enforcer
(ADF International)
The EEOC’s disdain for religion
(Rachel N. Morrison, National Review)
EEOC’s disdain for religion — Part II
(Rachel N. Morrison, National Review)
In the eyes of the Cuban government, leading a church can make you a threat to national security
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Monday, 10 June 2024
Essay series: Obama’s Cairo speech at 15
(Katherine Marshall, Rob Lalka, Afeefa Syeed, Mustafa Akyol, Judd Birdsall, and H. A. Hellyer, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
South Africa: Saffron in the rainbow nation: Hindu nationalism’s presence in South Africa
(Nikhil Mandalaparthy, Religion Unplugged)
S. African bishops urge politicians - 'work together' - after governing party loses 30-year long majority
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Ombudsman warns jails to protect inmates’ religious rights
(Jack O'Connor, Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Vol 3 No 1 (2024): January-June, 2024
(The Contemporary Issues on Interfaith Law and Society)
Canada: Muslim advocacy group blasts Quebec secularism law in front of Commons committee
(Raffy Boudjikanian, CBC News)
Saudi Arabia condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials, and extremist settlers
(Arab News)
Statement on storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
(X, Muslim World League)
Pakistan: USCIRF troubled by violence against Christians in Pakistan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Canada: Proposals to Strengthen MAiD Safeguards and Oversight
(Cardus)
India: Anti-conversion acts and the criminalisation of interfaith marriages
(Acharaj Kaur Tuteja, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Religiophobia or Islamophobia? Deciphering India’s inconsistency
(Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Shafaq Zernab, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
The function of legal ritual in the Peace Palace
(Valentin Jeutner, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Church Reporter, Vol. 9, 27 May 2024
(Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice)
Myanmar: Forging genuine unity amidst deep conflict in Myanmar: Prospects and challenges
(Naw Dii, Institute for Global Engagement)
Airline lawyers spared religious liberty training in case about flight attendant’s abortion views
(Kevin McGill, Associated Press)
Judge dismisses Native American challenge to $10B SunZia energy transmission project in Arizona
(Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press)
The Supreme Mufti of Crimea and the Mufti of the RAMU "Ummah" of Ukraine called on Muslim countries to support the Peace Summit
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Uzbekistan: No religious freedom for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Protestants & Muslims denied registration
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Judges on social media: freedom of expression versus duty of judicial restraint – lessons from Danilet v. Romania
(Koen Lemmens, Strasbourg Observers)
Catholic parish stands up for its religious mission in court
(Becket)
Notre Dame Religious Liberty Clinic represents coalition of faiths in support of rights of prisoners before U.S. Supreme Court
(University of Notre Dame Law School)
Founding of the Ireland InterFaith Business Network
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Mozambique: Locals tell stories of Christians killed for their faith: “They are our martyrs”
(João Vissesse, ACI Africa)
In secular France, chaplains prepare to provide Olympians with spiritual support during the Games
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)
Articles of interest
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Foster-care and the paramountcy of child welfare in religious disputes
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Bishop of Shrewsbury urges Catholics to vote against assisted suicide
(Diocese of Shrewsbury)
Law and religion roundup – 9th June
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
UN: Uzbek atrocity apologist elected to UN Human Rights Committee
(Aaron Rhodes, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Christian party loses one seat in EP elections
(Christian Network Europe)
Australia: Archbishop warns of religious freedom erosion in Australia, calls for ‘saints for our time’
(AC Wimmer, Catholic News Agency)
Los Angeles County gives fire captain partial religious exemption in gay pride flag dispute
(Daniel Payne, Catholic News Agency)
Turkey, Constitutional Court: Expulsion of Protestant leaders does not violate freedom of faith
(Asia News)
Cuba: PCC prohibits Corpus Christi procession in Nueva Paz, Mayabeque (Spanish)
(Kike Perdomo, Cuba Trendings)
Cuba: Priest banned from ringing bells in protest over Cuban crisis (Spanish)
(Eduardo Berdejo, ACI Prensa)
Indonesia: Leimena Institute participates in Raimuna V BPK Penabur (Indonesian)
(Institut Leimena News)
Indonesia promotes cross-cultural religious literacy at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague (Indonesian)
(Institut Leimena News)
Friday, 7 June 2024
WEBINAR, 7 June 2024 (11AM ET): Addressing Polarisation through Interfaith Dialogue
(United Religions Initiative)
Faith-based funding can help protect democracy
(Kristen Cambell, Aaron Dorfman and Josh Rolnick, Inside Philanthropy)
Rice’s Boniuk Institute hosts global scholars to promote religious tolerance
(Rice University)
Nigeria: Faith leaders and community in Nigeria: An antidote to violent extremism
(Shefiu Abdulkareem Majemu and Olimma Adinwenka Nueka, The United States Institute of Peace)
European students are calling on their colleges to divest from Israel. In many cases, they’re winning.
(Shira Li Bartov, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Interreligious friendships are consolation amid wars, pope says
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic Review)
Indonesia law giving religious groups mining permits slammed
(AFP, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Australia: Facing religious discrimination at work? These are your options
(SBS)
Turkish man officially changes religion to exempt child from mandatory Islamic lessons
(Stockholm Center for Freedom)
Egypt: Religious freedom advocates call on Egypt to release detained Christians accused of ‘terrorism’ for peaceful engagement on Facebook
(ADF International)
The EU and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, a fortress under siege
(Willy Fautré, The European Times)
Australia: Voluntary assisted dying laws have been passed in the ACT. Here’s what happens next
(Ben White, Lindy Willmott, and Madeleine Archer, The Conversation)
Approach to U.S.-Mexico border reflects a crisis of conscience, says Bishop Seitz
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Engaging Muslim communities: Challenging journeys
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Solar panels delayed by planning permission
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
NI judge rules child (5) to attend church with foster parents against wishes of natural mother
(Stephen Gordon, Belfast Telegraph)
Hong Kong: New law could force Chinese priests to share secrets of the confession
(Premier Christian News)
Chile’s bishops push back against president’s abortion and euthanasia advocacy
(Julieta Villar, Catholic News Agency)
Russia: Towards a liquidation of the Greek Catholic Church?
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Religious freedom advocates demand Egypt release Christians jailed for using Facebook
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
Cuba: IRFBA statement – Pastor Lorenzo
(United States Commission on International Religious Freedom)
In Hawaii, Maui council opposes US Space Force plan to build new telescopes on Haleakala volcano
(Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press)
Ohio’s attorney general seeks to block seminary college from selling its rare books
(Bruce Shipkowski, Associated Press)
Federal court blocks Colorado’s discrimination against Catholic preschools
(Becket)
Israel: Women get a voice in Israel’s vote for chief rabbi. It may not save a deeply unpopular institution.
(David I. Klein, Religion News Service)
This Gen Z politician wants to talk about religion more, not less
(Ellie Davis, Religion News Service)
FAFCE develops policy toolkit ahead of new European Parliament legislature
(The Federation of Catholic Family Associations)
German Holocaust reparations increase again this year, but plateau expected as survivors perish
(Philissa Cramer, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The head of the UGCC met with the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Security Service blocks channel of anti-Ukrainian literature distribution via UOC-MP church shops
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Experts at conference held at the Church of Scientology of Rome, make the point on the state of freedom of belief in Italy and the world
(The European Times)
Worship in an Age of Disinformation: How can churches help young people combat fake news? Finland has the answer.
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Malaysian NGO cautions against unlawful conversion of minors
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
New report on “values that are needed” will be released at Human Rights Council
(World Council of Churches)
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