Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 26 January 2024
Argentina: Milei government official ‘repents’ remarks against Pope, Judaism, Islam
(Juan Pablo Kavanagh, Buenos Aires Times)
Thursday, 25 January 2024
VIRTUAL EVENT, 25 January 2024 (3:30PM ET): Religious Freedom in Southeast Asia: Techno-Authoritarianism and Transnational Influences
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
WEBINAR, 25 January 2024 (3:30-5:30PM (CET): ICLARS--Freedom of Religion and New Technologies
(ICLARS and Fondazione Bruno Kessler-Trento, ICLARS and Fondazione Bruno Kessler-Trento)
Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Religious ‘nones’ in America: Who they are and what they believe
(Gregory A. Smith, Patricia Tevington, Justin Nortey, Michael Rotolo, Asta Kallo and Becka A. Alper, Pew Research Center)
Greek PM: We are discussing decisions of Greek State, unrelated to theological beliefs
(Orthodox Times)
Greek evangelicals among majority opposing ‘marriage’ status and adoption rights for same-sex couples
(Joel Forster, Evangelical Focus)
Greek Church blasts proposed same-sex civil marriages, will present its views to congregations
(Associated Press)
Why did the Israeli Supreme Court strike down judicial reform?
(Ori Aronson, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
EVENT, 24 January 2024 (8:30AM GMT+1): Freedom of religion or belief and Article 17 Dialogue (Brussels)
(Vincent Depaigne and Juan José García Carreño, European Union & International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Elon Musk visits Auschwitz after uproar over antisemitic messages on X
(Czarek Sokolowski, Associated Press)
LIVING FAITH Religious freedom is critical for the building up of Zion, says Elder Dushku to legal professionals
(Joel Randall, Church News)
India: Muslim group denounces opening of Hindu temple on site of demolished historic Babri Mosque in India
(Middle East Monitor)
India PM Modi inaugurates Hindu temple on razed Babri mosque site
(Geeta Pandey and Yogita Limaye, BBC News)
UK: Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami proscribed as a terrorist group
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
UK officials probe Iran generals' antisemitic talks to students
(Ed Thomas, BBC News)
Church of England safeguarding response group
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Turkish lawmakers rail against Islamophobic, anti-Turkish sentiments in France
(Daily Sabah)
US rights group condemns slap on wrist for NYC Islamophobe
(Daily Sabah)
USCIRF calls for greater protection of religious sites in conflict areas
(United States Commission on International Religious Freedom)
BIC Geneva: Iranian thought leaders call for an end to the “historical shame” of Bahá’í persecution
(Bahá’í International Community)
Indonesia country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Indonesian diocese to build church after 15-year wait
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
"Self-Censored" - Documentary Film (2024)
(YouTube Video, Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Ex-Obama official Stuart Seldowitz gets plea deal in NYC hate crime case
(Zoe Sottile and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN)
Elon Musk claims he will fund legal challenges to Irish hate speech legislation
(David Kent, Irish Examiner)
Time to criminalise hate speech and hate crime under EU law
(European Parliament)
Great Basin tribes want Bahsahwahbee massacre site in Nevada named national monument
(Brittany Peterson, Associated Press)
A pastor and a small Ohio city tussle over the legality of his 24/7 homeless ministry
(Patrick Orsagos and Mark Scolforo, Associated Press)
Myanmar: Churches, temples and monasteries regularly hit by airstrikes in Myanmar, activists say
(Associated Press)
Another nurse practitioner sues CVS Health for denying religious accommodation for prescribing contraception
(First Liberty)
Trinity Health-Michigan to pay $50,000 to settle EEOC religious discrimination lawsuit
(U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
Rome’s Chief Rabbi voices ‘great disappointment’ with Vatican over Gaza
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Amid a housing crunch, religious groups unlock land to build homes
(Stacey Freed, The New York Times)
Kazakhstan: "harsh" religion law changes to reach Parliament soon?
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
In Ukraine, the rights of believers are protected by law," - Lubinets on World Religion Day
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
The European Parliament condemns China for persecuting Falun Gong, mentions organ harvesting again
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)
DRC: Catholic bishops set agenda for reelected DR Congo president
(La Croix International)
Pakistan: Islamic studies no longer compulsory for Pakistan's non-Muslims
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Bay Area Muslim organizations hold first-of-its-kind FBI training on Islamophobia
(Anser Hassan, ABC7 News)
Symposium highlights why collaborations between UN, faith-based groups are paramount
(World Council of Churches)
Alabama faith leaders take a stand against execution
(Starlette Thomas, Good Faith Media)
Brazil: Curitiba may declare African Religions cultural heritage (Portuguese)
(Redação, Tribuna PR)
Brazil: On National Day to Combat Religious Intolerance, MDHC [Human Rights Ministry] reinforces reporting channel and commitment to promoting religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Ministério dos Direitos Humanos e da Cidadania)
Tuesday, 23 January 2024
VIRTUAL EVENT, 23 January 2024 (8:30AM ET): 10th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs
(World Council of Churches)
Monday, 22 January 2024
Indonesia: A step for freedom of religion and belief in Indonesia
(Andreas Harsono, Human Rights Watch)
India Hindu temple opening stokes religious minority fears
(Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch)
India: Modi inaugurates controversial Ayodhya temple
(Deutsche Welle)
India: Modi opens Hindu temple built on ruins on razed mosque, in political triumph for prime minister
(Biswajeet Banerjee, Sheikh Saaliq and Krutika Pathi, Associated Press)
India: ‘Might get worse’: As Modi unveils Ram temple, Indian Muslims fear future
(Sanjay Kapoor, Al Jazeera)
Women bear the brunt of religious freedom abuse
(Judith Golub and Lou Ann Sabatier, Real Clear Politics)
In India’s new Ram temple, some American Hindus see a new beginning
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
China: Vague definitions and arbitrary crackdowns make the struggle of China’s religious minorities that much harder
(Ellis Heasley, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Australia: “Equality” Bill threatens religious freedom in NSW
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
CEC contributes to European Commission’s high-level meeting
(Conference of European Churches)
Challenges of ecumenism today
(Conference of European Churches)
Belgian EU Presidency: European churches meet with Ambassador Willem van de Voorde
(Conference of European Churches)
Around the web - 22 January 2024
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
The Establishment Clause: Everything to know
(Charles Haynes, Freedom Forum)
Religious Reasons and Liberal Legitimacy
(Kim Leontiev, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
The fight for justice in African churches (video)
(Mimi Mefo Takambou, Deutsche Welle)
Germany trains new generation of Muslim leaders
(Christoph Strack, Deutsche Welle)
Religions for Peace, UNICEF and JLI convene the five-year FPCC global stocktaking meeting in Nairobi, Kenya
(Religions for Peace)
Thailand: Offerings necessities and blankets to monks and people
(The World Fellowship of Buddhists)
Can social scientists be religious?
(London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
The Toxic Games: Shiaphobia on online gaming platforms
(Michael Dhanoya, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Church Reporter, Vol. 9, 15 January 2024 - Newsletter for the English speaking members and friends of the Church Law Society (PDF)
(Jiří Rajmund Tretera, Záboj Horák, et al., eds., Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice)
Haiti: Top religious leaders in Haiti denounce kidnapping of nuns and demand government action
(Associated Press)
Sign ordinance restricting anti-abortion protester does not violate 1st Amendment
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Elon Musk visits site of Auschwitz death camp
(Shiona McCallum & Chris Vallance, BBC News)
Discussion on the situation in the religious sphere in Ukraine amid the full-scale war held at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Mayor and Assembly commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day with City Hall Service
(London.gov.uk)
Law and religion roundup – 21st January
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
“What lies beneath?” – the dilemmas raised by wall paintings
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Update to Smyth Review
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Churches ‘alarmed by threat to freedom of expression’
(Brian Wilson, Stornoway Gazette)
Spain’s Supreme Court is at it again: UN Treaty Body decisions are binding
(Koldo Casla, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Sri Lanka’s Cardinal Ranjith opposes new laws ahead of polls
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
U.S. Jewish schools see 47% increase in security costs since Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
CAIR-NY welcomes NYC DOE efforts to combat Islamophobia, awaits details on implementation
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)
Activists decry Tibet 'cultural genocide' ahead of China rights review
(Nina Larson, Barron's)
Center leads the way in study of religion in American culture and beyond
(Indiana University)
Is political science (still) ignoring religion? An analysis of journal publications, 2011–2020
(Steven Kettell, Political Science Now)
FAIS: Report on Religious Freedom in the World 2023 is presented in Coimbra (Portuguese)
(LFS, Ecclesia)
Brazil: Number of cases of religious intolerance increases in Brazil (Portuguese)
(Fastástico, Globo)
Brazil: Day to Combat Religious Intolerance is celebrated with unity of faiths (Portuguese)
(Carolina Braga, Correio Braziliense)
Ecumenism: “Religious freedom is a fundamental element to ensure a harmonious social fabric” (Portuguese)
(PR/LS, Ecclesia)
America’s Quilt of Faith forum to bring local leaders, clergy and public together
(Alexis Gustin, Loudoun Now)
Sunday, 21 January 2024
CALL FOR PROPOSALS, new deadline of 21 January 2024: Seventh Annual Conference - Palermo, 20-23 May 2024
(The European Academy of Religion)
Friday, 19 January 2024
The strong and deep nexus between human dignity and religious freedom
(Ján Figeľ, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
World Watch List 2024
(Open Doors)
Secretary of State’s International Religious Freedom Awards
(U.S. Department of State)
USCIRF commemorates the anniversary of the U.S. Government’s determination of the Uyghur genocide
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Justice Department announces successful policies overhaul at Michigan Department of Corrections to expand opportunities for religious exercise
(U.S. Department of Justice)
India: Ayodhya: Transforming a flashpoint holy city into the ‘Hindu Vatican’
(Soutik Biswas, BBC News)
India: Indigenous faithful and Christians work with environmentalists to conserve India’s sacred forests
(Deepa Bharath, Associated Press)
India: A celebrated temple in India is also a symbol of the country’s anti-Muslim campaign
(Safa Ahmed, Religion News Service)
India's top court halts plans for survey of centuries-old mosque
(Reuters)
Gaza’s oldest mosque, destroyed in an airstrike, was once a temple to Philistine and Roman gods, a Byzantine and Catholic church, and had engravings of Jewish ritual objects
(Stephennie Mulder, The Conversation)
Pope Francis called surrogacy ‘deplorable’ – but the reasons why women and parents choose surrogacy are complex and defy simple labels
(Danielle Tumminio Hansen, The Conversation)
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