Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 13 May 2024
Australia: Former Australian Prime Minister talks of staying true to his faith as hostility to Christianity grows
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
India: Christian women in India lack inheritance rights. Could Hindu nationalists help?
(Surinder Kaur, Christianity Today)
Jews in Croatia seek justice over confiscated property (video)
(Andrea Jung-Grimm, Deutsche Welle)
Why are some American cities persecuting pastors?
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)
The ‘anti-Catholic memo’ that wasn’t: How should the FBI gather information on religious groups?
(Paul Moses, Commonweal)
OK, GOP, let’s put that antisemitism definition into effect!
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Lawsuit alleges religious coercion through meditation in Chicago Public Schools
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
The President of Ukraine thanked the hierarchs of the UGCC and the OCU for supporting Ukrainians on the frontline and the home front
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
UK research briefing: Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief Bill 2023-24
(House of Commons Library, UK Parliament)
Law and religion roundup – 12th May
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
England diocese urges support for Government move to lift cap on Catholic schools
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Lib Dems ‘broke equality laws’ over deselection of Christian candidate
(Hayley Dixon, The Telegraph)
Pope: Holy See ready to facilitate exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war
(Linda Bordoni, Vatican News)
The global hate-speech conundrum
(Kevin Cope, The Volokh Conspiracy)
WCC general secretary highlights ways to lasting peace through reconciliation
(World Council of Churches)
Views on abortion by religious affiliation, 2024
(Pew Research Center)
Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Izhevsk received three years in prison each for their faith
(Jehovah's Witnesses - Russia)
Russia: Over 1000 conscientious objectors carrying out a civil service
(OVD, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
India's election enters fourth phase as rhetoric over religion, inequality sharpens
(Rishika Sadam and Fayaz Bukhari, Reuters)
South Africa: Christianity is changing in South Africa as pentecostal and indigenous churches grow – what’s behind the trend
(Dion Forster, The Conversation)
China invokes religious persecution and oppression around the globe
(Sam Brownback, The Washington Times)
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are bound to fail if parties ignore the religious dimensions of the conflict
(Qamar-ul Huda, ABC News Australia)
Colombia: The Ombudsman's Office continues to tour the country with Ombudsman Dialogues on Religious Freedom and Cults (Spanish)
(Defensoría del Pueblo)
Puerto Rico: Promoting the student religious freedom law project (Spanish)
(Pamela Hernández Cabiya, Noticel)
Legal Journal Number 7 (19): May (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)
Brazil: 5th Virtual Journey of Studies In Law And Religion (Portuguese)
(IBDR)
Friday, 10 May 2024
Opinion: Doe, et al. v. Board of Regents of the University of Colorado, et al.
(Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals)
Saudi Arabia announces stringent penalties for unauthorised Hajj pilgrims
(Gulf News)
Bangladesh: 63 individuals to attend Hajj at government expense
(RTV News)
New book: How Islam Rules in Iran: Theology and Theocracy in the Islamic Republic
(Mehran Kamrava, Cambridge University Press)
Jehovah’s Witnesses and blood products: Re J
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Bishop’s Statement on abortion amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill
(John Sherrington, Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales)
India says Canada yet to provide evidence of its involvement in the killing of a separatist leader
(Ashok Sharma, Associated Press)
India: Reflections on my beloved India in an election year
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Dominican Republic: Ahead of general elections, Church releases list of endorsed candidates in Dominican Republic
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Iowa Catholic bishops address new law affecting immigrants
(Diocese of Des Moines)
Religion is being misused to divide America
(William J. Barber II, Newsweek)
S Korean Church told to lead youth toward unification with North Korea
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Kenya: “We need to locate the chains of corruption in order to break them,” declare faith leaders and experts at LCMC Conference
(Wesley Omondi, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Vietnam rejects unobjective judgements in US report on int’l religious freedom
(Vietnam Plus)
Russia accuses U.S. of meddling in India’s internal affairs, ‘complicating’ Lok Sabha elections
(The Hindu)
Federal court rules University of Colorado vaccine policies “motivated by religious animus”
(Thomas More Society)
South Africa: Ramaphosa signs bill barring hate crimes, hate speech into law
(Sunday World)
Boy Scouts' more inclusionary rebranding leaves one group feeling slighted
(Aila Slisco, Newsweek)
Macron’s euthanasia law risks causing an “uncontrollable domino effect” on the weakest, say evangelicals
(Joel Forster, Evangelical Focus)
Religious exemptions and abortion: Religious permission is not enough
(Nathan Berkeley, Religious Freedom Institute)
Regime change and religious discrimination after the Arab uprisings (podcast)
(Jason Klocek, Religious Freedom Institute)
Haiti: Shunned for centuries, Vodou grows powerful as Haitians seek solace from unrelenting gang violence
(Dánica Coto, Associated Press)
Pope urges Italians to have babies as a measure of hope for future
(Associated Press)
Religious discrimination claim for denial of personal leave moves ahead
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Amid surge of campus protests, chaplains find reason for hope in their students
(Elizabeth E. Evans, Religion News Service)
Pope Francis condemns ‘act of blind hatred’ in Eastern Congo
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Mozambique's president says northern town under Islamist attack
(Reuters)
Fostering global harmony: The Mafra Dialogues and the upcoming KAICIID Global Dialogue Forum
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Empowering collaborations: The confluence of young Muslim and Jewish community leaders forging paths to mutual understanding
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
California’s anti-Jewish education law needs to be thrown out
(Michael Helfand and Maury Litwack, The Hill)
Medicine doesn’t just have ‘conscientious objectors’ − there are ‘conscientious providers,’ too
(Raymond G. De Vries, The Conversation)
Ghana: My government will support churches – Bawumia assures Clergy
(Modern Ghana)
Christian students ask DC court to uphold religious freedom on campus
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Turkey reopens ancient church with prized mosaics to Muslim worship
(Reuters)
Occupied Ukraine: Protestant woman on trial for Melitopol prayer meeting?
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
SBU served notice of suspicion to the UOC clergyman advocating the annexation of Kherson
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Supreme Court determines when religious beliefs exclude liability for draft evasion
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Debate: Islam and the State (podcast)
(Yasir Qadhi and Mustafa Akyol, Acton Institute)
S5, Ep. 28: Conscience protections in SCOTUS abortion cases (podcast)
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Are politics replacing religion in American life?
(Perry Bacon Jr., Kate Cohen and Shadi Hamid, The Washington Post)
Wednesday, 8 May 2024
Opinion: Billard v. Charlotte Catholic High School
(Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals)
Federal appeals court protects religious school’s freedom to hire faithful teachers
(Becket)
Catholic school in North Carolina has right to refuse teacher in same-sex marriage, judges rule
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
New conspiracy theory guide for MPs and candidates warns of threat to UK democracy
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)
WCC general secretary visits Christian Aid to discuss shared goals for peace and reconciliation
(World Council of Churches)
“Spiritual influence” and elections – an update
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Law and religion roundup – 5th May
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Human rights are more essential than ever
(Shami Chakrabarti, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
New faith schools in England could soon allocate all their places on religious grounds – here’s why that’s a bad idea
(Stephen Gorard, The Conversation)
Welby to visit Zanzibar
(Anglican Ink)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 8 May 2024 (9:30AM ET): Harmony in Diversity - "Sikhism" with Dr. Satpal Singh
(European Union and United Nations Offices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Uzbekistan: Assessment of religious freedom in Uzbekistan: Progress and perspectives
(Love Your Neighbor Community)
May 2024 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)
India votes in third phase of national elections as Modi escalates his rhetoric against Muslims
(Krutika Pathi and Sheikh Saaliq, Associated Press)
The yearly memorial march at the former death camp at Auschwitz overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war
(Rafal Niedzielski and Vanessa Gera, Associated Press)
A man tried to shoot a pastor during a church service but his gun wouldn’t fire, state police say
(Bruce Shipkowski, Associated Press)
82% of Ukrainians do not trust Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, 63% seek its ban
(Ukrainska Pravda)
Ukraine has a historical tradition of religious plurality and tolerance
(Regina Elsner, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies)
Australia: Tasmanian Catholics unite against changes to religious freedom laws
(CathNews)
Ghana: President promotes tolerance and peaceful coexistence among religions as election approaches
(Ghana News Agency)
Indonesia: Religious tolerance in Indonesia still worth questioning
(VOI)
Senate Republicans secure religious liberties in Minnesota
(Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus)
Rubio to Biden: Reaffirm America’s unwavering support for religious freedoms
(Marco Rubio, U.S. Senate)
Iran: All faiths promote peace, support oppressed people: Tehran conference
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Iranian police chief claims 'homeland and religion would vanish without hijab'
(Iran Wire)
Weil seeks U.S. Supreme Court review of religious liberty case for Rastafarian inmate in Louisiana
(Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP)
Australia: Islamic College of Brisbane and Queensland churches together oppose Anti-Discrimination Bill 2024
(Kenji Sato and Steve Austin, ABC News Australia)
Court open to Satanic Temple's challenge to Boston prayer denial
(Nate Raymond, Reuters)
Czech court removes surgery requirement for gender transition
(Reuters)
European churches commemorate lost lives of refugees
(Conference of European Churches)
South Africa: Government department scorecard
(Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA))
Christians and Buddhists must walk together 'for the sake of peace'
(Linda Bordoni, Vatican News)
North Carolina may join other states in codifying antisemitism definition
(Makiya Seminera and Gary D. Robertson, Associated Press)
How faith leaders can get a grasp on the mental health crisis
(Nicole Guzik, Religion News Service)
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