Law and Religion Headlines

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Wednesday, 2 December 2020

To this Supreme Court, religious freedom trumps public health — even amid COVID-19 plague
(Laurence H. Tribe and Michael C. Dorf, USA Today)

First Liberty Institute, Kentucky AG ask U.S. Supreme Court to allow in-person classes at faith-based K-12 schools
(First Liberty)

Christian school asks Supreme Court to reinstate District Court's injunction against Kentucky's COVID order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Ecclesiastical court judgments – November 2020 (I)
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

COVID-19: Communal worship from 2 December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Cameroon religious leaders encouraged to become 'diplomats of peace' in troubled land
(Ecumenical News)

Birmingham Uni agrees to adopt IHRA definition of antisemitism
(Tali Fraser, Jewish News)

Prince Charles and Tony Blair to attend virtual memorial for Rabbi Lord Sacks
(Jewish News)

The Guardian view on Poland’s Catholics: losing faith in their church
(The Guardian Opinion)

China considers exposing religious persecution as ‘divulging state secrets’
(Julio Cachila, Christianity Daily)

Church, State, and Family: Reconciling Traditional Teachings and Modern Liberties
(John Witte, Jr., Cambridge University Press)

Forum: Freedom of religion and of expression can coexist (4 European ambassadors to Singapore)
(Straits Times)

Perth couple who believe homosexuality is a sin take fight to become foster parents to court
(Angie Raphael, News AU)

Geneva COVID-19 worship ban challenged
(ADF International)

Weekly highlight #134: Court battles and clergy roles in stopping the spread of COVID-19
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

Russia: Special bimonthly FORB Digest (15-30.11.2020)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Religious persecution’s red letter day
(Susan Korah, Convivium)

Pakistan’s new regulations aim to ‘silence the internet’
(Asad Hashim, Al Jazeera)

Religious extremists halt church construction in a “leprosy colony” in Telangana
(ADF International)

Indian ‘Love Jihad’ law will be used to entrap and harass interfaith couples, rights lawyers say
(Namita Singh, Independent)

Indian state to criminalize interfaith marriages involving conversion
(Saji Thomas, Union of Catholic Asian News)

India, Pakistan trade barbs over ‘OIC resolution’ on Kashmir
(Al Jazeera)

Turkey to detain 82 military officers over alleged Gulen links
(Al Jazeera)

Thanks from Riyadh and a Welcome from Bologna
(Abdullah Alhomaid, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

United Nations statement on the relocation of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char
(United Nations)

Courage in Nagorno Karabakh – Report and Recommendations by Baroness Cox – the only UK Parliamentarian to have been an eye witness and to have seen the situation first hand.
(Lord David Alton Blog)

Monday, 30 November 2020

The Luxembourg Court rules on the dfference between states and countries as international law actors
(Kushtrim Istrefi, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Intersectionality and equality: a view from the Constitutional Court of South Africa
(Michael Rhimes, UK Human Rights Blog)

‘Appearance of impartiality’: how should the courts reason in the presence of external pressure?
(Donatas Murauskas, Strasbourg Observers)

Article 2 and the provision of healthcare — Part 3
(Shaheen Rahman, ECHR Blog)

Article 2 and the provision of healthcare — Part 2
(Shaheen Rahman, ECHR Blog)

Article 2 ECHR and the provision of healthcare — Part 1
(Shaheen Rahman, UK Human Rights Blog)

OOO Regnum v. Russia: extending reputational rights to legal entities?
(Juncal Montero Regules, Strasbourg Observers)

Inadmissibility of evidence obtained by private persons through the use of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment: the case of Ćwik v. Poland
(Tobias Thienel, Strasbourg Observers)

Pope Francis: Avoid the temptation of seeking ‘utopia’ in this world
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)

Pope Francis encourages Argentine women opposing legal abortion
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)

Pope Francis: ‘The Church is the work of the Holy Spirit’
(Catholic News Agency)

Vatican dicastery urges youngsters to share wisdom of elderly people facing Christmas alone
(Catholic News Agency)

Digital campaign launched to promote interfaith harmony
(The News International)

Tied up in a knotty law, some interfaith couples opt to convert
(Sonam Joshi, Times of India)

Interfaith marriage fatwa feeds debate in Egypt
(Amr Emam, Al-Monitor: Egypt Pulse)

As Karnataka considers 'love jihad' law, IPC Sec 366 already in use against interfaith Marriages
(Johnson T A, The Indian Express)

Is religious freedom a liberal or conservative value?
(Kevin Baine, The Washington Post)

How Taiwan uses Buddhist literature for environmental education
(Natasha Heller, The Conversation)

Religion divides Hispanic opinion in the U.S.
(Natalie Jackson, PRRI)

Pope, with new cardinals, warns church against mediocrity
(Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press)

Immaculate Conception: Pope Francis cancels traditional act of veneration due to pandemic
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)

Swiss Catholic diocese reportedly rejects Pope Francis’ candidates for new bishop
(Catholic News Agency)

Pope Francis: 'Advent is the season for remembering the closeness of God'
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

Archbishop Cordileone: New COVID church closures violate right to worship
(Catholic News Agency)

Pope Francis to new cardinals: May the cross and resurrection always be your goal
(Catholic News Agency)

Pope Francis briefed on Lebanon’s ‘bitter economic crisis’ by Maronite patriarch
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

Pope Francis asks for prayer for Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

French Catholic bishops win appeal against 30-person Mass limit
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

Progressive United Methodists announce new denomination: Liberation Methodist Connexion
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)

The final religious freedom moves President Trump could make
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)

Citing rise of ‘Christian nationalism,’ Secular Democrats unveil sweeping recommendations for Biden
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

Biden and Cardinal Wilton Gregory share a mandate for healing divisions
(Christopher White, The Washington Post)

Biden plans swift moves to protect and advance LGBTQ rights
(David Crary and Elana Schor, Associated Press)

Plenty of talk with little action from G20 summit
(Michael Swan, The Catholic Register)

Clashes with cleric’s supporters kill 5 in southern Iraq
(Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Religion News Service)

Churches return land to Indigenous groups as part of #LandBack movement
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)

Supreme Court Sides with Churches: 'Even in a Pandemic, the Constitution Cannot Be Put Away'
(Michael Foust, Christian Headlines)

Supreme Court Turns Down Petition From Pastor Facing Criminal Charges Over In-Person Gatherings
(Andrea Morris, CBN News)

Pastor, Two Christian Boys Killed in Islamist Attacks in Uganda
(Morning Star News)

Christians Killed in Central and Southwestern Nigeria
(Morning Star News)

Why reforming Islam to fight violent extremism is a bad idea
(Georges Fahmi, Chatham House)

Justice Alito refuses to enjoin Louisiana's COVID restrictions on churches
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Alito slaps down megachurch pastor’s lawsuit that claimed obeying God meant ignoring COVID-19 orders
(Aaron Keller, Law & Crime)

French Council of State says capacity limits on worship services are too strict
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

France must review COVID-19 crowd limits on church attendance
(Gilles Guillaume, Antony Paone, Reuters)

Episcopal Church will be dead in 20 years, researcher says; denomination continues 'dire' decline
(Brandon Showalter, The Christian Post)

Articles of interest - 30 November 2020
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Federal judges uphold Kentucky governor’s virus school order
(Associated Press)

6th Circuit rejects preliminary injunction against Kentucky's closure of religious schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

'Strong case' house in crypt was home to Jesus, says archaeologist
(Jo Couzens, BBC News)

Religious hatred claims another Ahmadi's life
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Eton College dismisses teacher amid free speech row prompted by lecture on masculinity
(Camilla Turner, The Telegraph)

Egypt: Hundreds of Muslims attack church, Christians’ homes over Facebook post
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)

Restrictions on religious freedom at all-time high, EU’s top position addressing persecution still vacant
(ADF International)

Indonesia police hunt suspected militants after four killed on island
(Nilufar Rizki, Stanley Widianto, Reuters)

Egypt: Christian homes and shops attacked in village
(Independent Catholic News)

China: Special weekly FoRB newsletter (18-30.11.2020)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Firestorm on Twitter in Spain after trending topic calls for burning priests
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

US Embassy in Hungary slams article likening Soros to Hitler
(Justin Spike, Associated Press)

Hungarian official retracts comparing George Soros to Hitler
(Justin Spike, Associated Press)

Court orders France to rethink 30-person limit on worship
(Associated Press)

Faith takes the forefront as Georgia Senate runoffs heat up
(Elana Schor and Ben Nadler, Associated Press)

Suspected extremists kill at least 40 farmers in Nigeria
(Haruna Umar, Associated Press)

Police block Warsaw march against abortion ruling, force use
(Vanessa Gera, Associated Press)

Dutch euthanasia rules changed after acquittal in sedative case
(Daniel Boffey, The Guardian)

Guard chaplains reflect on Floyd protests, lessons learned
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)

Cuomo’s discriminatory lockdown orders stopped by midnight order from Supreme Court
(Becket: Press Release)

The Supreme Court emerges as a microcosm of America
(Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine)

Fireworks over religious liberty: The Supreme Court says Cuomo’s restrictions on worship violate the First Amendment.
(The Wall Street Journal - Opinion)

New Supreme Court majority halts enforcement of New York COVID-19 targeted restrictions on houses of worship pending appeal
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

Getting beyond politics on Brooklyn’s religious freedom fight
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Archbishop calls latest California church closures ‘blatant discrimination’
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

English church continues protection efforts; U.K. orders school closed
(Simon Caldwell, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Another Jehovah's Witness gets real time sentence in penal colony
(Interfax-Religiia, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

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