Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 5 July 2024
A global snapshot of LGBTQ+ rights and setbacks, 55 years after Stonewall
(Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor)
Wednesday, 3 July 2024
In British elections, Muslim voters seek candidates who care about Gaza
(Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor)
China: Uyghurs in China: The most heavily jailed group in the world
(Ruth Ingram, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
China : Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly digest June 16-30
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Court of Rome: Church of Almighty God members deserve the “highest form of protection” as refugees
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Iraq - Ten years after the ISIS occupation: less than 50 Christian families have returned to Mosul
(Gianni Valente, Agenzia Fides)
Iraq: UNESCO finds Islamic State group-era bombs in Mosul mosque walls, years after the defeat of IS
(Abdulrahman Zeyad, Associated Press)
Brazilian Christian groups oppose bill punishing abortion similarly to homicide
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Religion News Service)
Thousands of faith leaders, union members, activists rally for poor
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Brazil congressman censures archbishop for defending indigenous land claims
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
CAR: Bishops in Central African Republic say country will rise from ‘scars of history’
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
More than 10% of US Jews say they were frequently mistreated due to their religion, poll finds
(Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Law and religion roundup – 30th June
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Ecclesiastical court judgments – June
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Religious freedom: New report paints a grim global picture
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)
Rising anti-semitism in the Anglosphere
(Melissa Langsam Braunstein, First Things)
‘Wake up’: Israel’s new consul general warns of ‘radical Muslim occupation’
(Jon Levine, New York Post)
Iran: Religious issues and persecution – Monthly digest June
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Iran must end harassment of Narges Mohammadi and release all women human rights defenders: Independent experts
(United Nations)
Rituals honoring deceased ancestors vary widely in East and Southeast Asia
(Kelsey Jo Starr, Pew Research Center)
Same-sex marriage around the world
(Pew Research Center)
Cuba: Declaration of the Alliance of Christians of Cuba June 2024
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Reports of hate and bias incidents increase in Oregon
(Oregon Department of Justice)
BYU Religious Freedom Annual Review focuses on peacemaking
(Ethan Pack, The Daily Universe - BYU)
Civil religion as a gateway to Christian Nationalism
(Beau Underwood and Brian Kaylor, Sightings, The University of Chicago Divinity School)
Japan: Religious freedom under siege
(FOREF Europe)
New threats to sacred sites and religious property
(Patrick E Reidy, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Egypt: Christians in Egypt say ebbing persecution enables them to build churches again
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Russia: Attacks on Christians and Jews in Dagestan worry Russia
(Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor)
Russia: To be a Jehovah’s Witness is a worse crime than to kidnap or rape
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russia: Putin's ‘year of the family’ declaration blends Russian nationalism with the far-right rhetoric of the global pro-family movement
(Irina Smolevskaya, Religon Dispatches)
Moving beyond Russian and Armenian religious revanchism
(Taras Kuzio, Geopolitical Monitor)
Thailand: President of the WFB met the permanent observer of the Holy See and President of UNESCO African Committee of Memory of World
(The World Fellowship of Buddhists)
Thailand: Mr. Phallop Thaiaree, president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (The WFB) along with WFB executives, met with H.E. Sarun Charoensuwan, Thai Ambassador to France, at the Thai Embassy in Paris.
(The World Fellowship of Buddhists)
Monday, 1 July 2024
Afghanistan: What to expect as Taliban joins third UN-held talks on Afghanistan in Qatar
(Osama Bin Javaid, Al Jazeera)
Afghanistan: With Doha III, U.N. risks being complicit in normalizing gender apartheid
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
VIRTUAL EVENT, July-August 2024: Summer School and Interreligious Leadership Seminar: Human Life, Purpose and Dignity
(Elijah Interfaith Institute)
Religious freedom for women is a key component to global peace, Latter-day Saint leader says
(Tad Walch, Deseret News)
Ten Commandments. Multiple variations. Why the Louisiana law raises preferential treatment concerns
(Holly Meyer and Peter Smith, Associated Press)
Louisiana's ten commandments statute and the establishment clause
(Carl H. Esbeck, The Federalist Society)
Legal scholar Noah Feldman on the 10 Commandments, Christian nationalism and the Jewish future of church and state
(Andrew Silow-Carroll, Forward)
How will Louisiana’s new Ten Commandments classroom requirement be funded and enforced?
(Sara Cline, Associated Press)
Philippines: ‘Trust and respect’ feeds interfaith rice growing success in the Philippines
(Daniel Dickinson, UN News)
Oklahoma schools head Ryan Walters: Teachers who won't teach Bible could lose license
(Tyler Kingkade and Marissa Parra, NBC News)
Supreme confusion in Oklahoma issues: raised in state’s religious charter school case predestined to rise again
(Joshua Dunn, Education Next)
Singapore: Proposed workplace fairness legislation signals ethnic, religious discrimination unacceptable: Shanmugam
(Fabian Koh, Channel News Asia)
Texas Supreme Court sides with Christian judge who refuses to officiate gay weddings
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
US’s terrorist listing of European far-right group signals fears of rising threat − both abroad and at home
(Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation)
Around the web - 1 July 2024
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Kentucky judge throws out Jewish mothers' lawsuit challenging the state's abortion ban
(Juliana Kim, NPR)
Articles of interest - 1 July 2024
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
State Supreme Court sides with judge facing religious discrimination over marriage
(First Liberty)
Israel: Ultra-Orthodox protest against order to enlist in Israeli military turns violent in Jerusalem
(Ohad Zwigenberg, Associated Press)
Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church elects a new patriarch with pro-Russian views
(Associated Press)
South Sudan bishops blast government over lack of election preparation
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Kentucky judge dismisses Jewish mothers’ lawsuit challenging state abortion ban
(Jackie Hajdenberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Why did Putin visit a tiny Orthodox church in North Korea?
(Katherine Kelaidis, Religion News Service)
Ukraine: We must act together to fully implement the peace formula – Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the participants and guests of the prayer breakfast
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Occupied Ukraine: One arrest, one reported jail term, two releases
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Far-right party with antisemitic roots projected to lead after first round of French vote
(Ben Sales, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Bangladesh: Islamist mob attack on Bangladeshi mystic singer sparks uproar
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Tajikistan: Muslim scholars urges Tajikistan to respect Islamic identity and religious freedom
(İlke Haber Ajansı)
Russia: Dagestani Jews look to rebuild after extremist attacks in the restive region of southern Russia
(Deepa Bharath, Associated Press)
India: Rahul Gandhi's 'Hindu' remark creates uproar in Lok Sabha, invites sharp reactions from BJP leaders: Who said what?
(The Economic Times)
Oceanian unity: Dignity & freedom
(John Andrew Quizana, Ke Alaka'i)
Guatemala: 2023 report on international religious freedom
(U.S. Embassy Guatemala)
United Kingdom: Starmer is right, the Equality Act already protects single-sex spaces – but he and Sunak are both missing an important point
(Rachel Saunders, The Conversation)
Idaho abortion ban opponents: Lawmakers are still disrespecting many faiths.
(George Prentice, Boise State Public Radio)
Saturday, 29 June 2024
Israel: Torah, war, politics, and the Supreme Court: The 2024 military service of Ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students bill
(Moshe Jaffe, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Friday, 28 June 2024
Ultra-Orthodox Jews block highway to protest Israel’s new mandatory military service ruling
(Ami Bentov, Associated Press)
Secretary Antony J. Blinken 2023 International Religious Freedom Report rollout
(U.S. Department of State)
India says it rejects "deeply biased" US religious freedom report
(Reuters)
China: Report: Sinicization drive pervades China’s religious repression in Tibet
(Tibetan Review)
Harvard looks to combat antisemitism, anti-Muslim bias after protests over war in Gaza
(Steve Leblanc, Associated Press)
China: Pastor Sun Hongguang detained during church service
(China Aid)
Fact sheet: Biden-Harris administration takes action to counter Islamophobia
(The White House)
Canada: MAID lawsuit shines spotlight on faith-based health organizations
(Katie DeRosa, CBC News)
What the Supreme Court’s latest abortion ruling means for religious freedom
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
In France’s high-stakes legislative election, a Jewish candidate faces and fights hate and division
(John Leicester and Alex Turnbull, Associated Press)
Canadian interfaith conversation: Standing together against hate based on religious identity
(The Canadian Council of Churches)
Jewish senators alarmed by Alito’s pro-Christian agenda
(Alexander Bolton, The Hill)
US religious freedom report notes violence against Indian minorities
(Kanishka Singh and Simon Lewis, Reuters)
Thailand: Funeral for monk shot by soldiers highlights Myanmar army’s delicate relationship to Buddhist clergy
(Grant Peck, Associated Press)
Egypt: Christians in Egypt embark on construction of churches as persecution ebbs
(Catholic News Agency)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 8 July 2024: Accidental Diplomats: American Missionaries and the Cold War
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
State Department releases annual report documenting dire global religious freedom picture
(Jeremy Barker, Religious Freedom Institute)
State Department criticizes religious persecution: But will it act?
(Knox Thames, Knox Thames)
Sri Lanka blocks exam results over Muslim head coverings
(Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch)
Sri Lanka country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Nicaragua country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Church halted from sunday service at Colorado amphitheater over concerns of preferential treatment
(Spencer Wilson, CBS News)
Religions, Beliefs, and Legal Norms: The Tai Ji Men case
(Claudia Huang, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Oklahoma mandating Bibles in school classrooms—Just days after State Court rejects religious charter school
(Brian Bushard, Forbes)
Oklahoma state superintendent orders schools to teach the Bible in grades 5 through 12
(Sean Murphy, Associated Press)
Nation’s only publicly funded religious school struck down by Oklahoma court
(Brian Bushard, Forbes)
Some quick thoughts on the Oklahoma charter school case
(Mark Movsesian, Reason)
Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law is dangerously wrong
(Mark Chancey, The Hill)
Louisiana sued over Ten Commandments law
(Molly Bohannon, Forbes)
Long before La.’s new law, Ky. parents won a major Ten Commandments case
(Anumita Kaur, The Washington Post)
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