Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Brazil: Religious freedom and the STF [Supreme Court] at 35 years of the Constitution (Portuguese)
(Ingo Wolfgang Sarlet and Jayme Weingartner Neto, Conjur)
Puerto Rico: Religious freedom law proposed in schools (Spanish)
(Microjuris)
An “offensive” art exhibition and Article 9: Asociación de Abogados Cristianos
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
A day in the Courts analyzes religious freedom (Spanish)
(Diario de Burgos)
Christian group, ACLU sue Metro over rejected bus ads featuring a praying George Washington
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Japan enacts law to monitor Unification Church assets
(The Japan Times)
USCIRF warns against new French anti-cult draft law
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Christian mother on bail after 19 months in Nigerian prison for “blasphemy”
(ADF International)
An Apostle at Parliament: Elder Cook expresses appreciation for Great Britain’s historical lead on religious freedom, human rights
(Scott Taylor, Church News)
China’s Christian population appears to have stopped growing after rising rapidly in the 1980s and ’90s
(Conrad Hackett, Pew Research Center)
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
EVENT, 12 December 2023: Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees (Geneva, Switzerland)
(World Council of Churches)
Churches reborn as engines of social good
(Drew Lindsay, The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Monday, 11 December 2023
Türk opens global human rights event with call for hope – and for action
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Opinion: Antonyuk; Hardaway; Christian; Spencer v. Chiumento (firearms in places of worship)
(Second Circuit Court of Appeals)
2nd Circuit: NY ban on firearms in places of worship violates Free Exercise rights
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Biden is hosting a Hanukkah ceremony at the White House as fears mount about rising antisemitism
(Will Weissert, Associated Press)
The conservative case for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(David M. Kirkham, Deseret News)
USCIRF marks 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Meaningful action needed to check human rights abuses
(Knox Thames, The United States Institute of Peace)
EVENT, 11-12 December 2023: Workshop: The changing faces of nationalism in Central- and Eastern Europe
(Cambridge Interfaith Programme)
CALL FOR PROPOSALS, deadline 11 December 2023: Combating Hate Speech in Sport
(Council of Europe)
EVENT, 11 December 2023 (6PM GMT): Honouring the Uyghur People Seeking Accountability Amidst the Uyghur Genocide on the 75th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention (London, UK)
(Religious Liberty Initiative, University of Notre Dame Law School)
Tajikistan: USCIRF releases report on religious freedom in Tajikistan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Hong Kong churches under threat: report
(Susan Korah, The Catholic Register)
What comes next for the international religious freedom movement?
(Knox Thames, The United States Institute of Peace)
The Genocide Convention and the failed promise of never again
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Church Reporter, Vol. 8, 15 November 2023 - 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)
November/December 2023 issue
(Liberty Magazine)
Inaugural IPPFoRB Academy in Latin America hosts G20 Interfaith Forum session with parliamentarians in Rio
(International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB))
Articles of interest - 11 December 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Israel: As Druze fight alongside Jewish soldiers, Israel looks back on controversial Nation-State Law
(David I. Klein, Religion News Service)
Nigerian prelate says Christians not at risk under country’s new Muslim rulers
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Philippines Church says terrorism won’t stop religious dialogue
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Thousands of non-Jews rally against antisemitism in Berlin
(Toby Axelrod, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Historic visit, European Sikh organization gains support for recognition within the European Union
(Juan Sanchez Gil, The European Times)
Church autonomy and dismissal from employment: Ţîmpău
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Many religious workers don't feel comfortable expressing faith in the workplace - study
(Christian Today)
Hindutva and the Leicester disturbances
(Chris Allen, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Argentina: Javier Milei cites Hanukkah story, gives menorah to Zelensky during inauguration as Argentina’s president
(Juan Melamed, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
As war grinds on, British MPs visit Ukrainian Catholic cathedral to show support
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Forthcoming consultation on legal age of marriage in Scotland
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Law and religion roundup – 10th December
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
France to end contract with biggest Muslim high school amid fears of wider crackdown
(Juliette Jabkhiro, Reuters)
Muslims view French secularization laws as "discriminatory"
(Pascal Charrier, La Croix International)
Spanish Catholics recite rosaries in defiance of government ban
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Atheists outraged over ‘In God We Trust’
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Colombia: WCC delegation visits Colombia to strengthen accompaniment of peace process
(World Council of Churches)
Remarks at the Philos Foundation/Franciscan University conference on Catholic-Jewish relations
(Robert P. George, Mirror of Justice Blog)
Aleksey Gerasimov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kazan, sentenced to six years in prison for talking about the Bible
(Jehovah's Witnesses - Russia)
Video: An interview with Elizabeth Prodromou on diplomacy, geopolitics, and global Orthodox Christianity
(Religion & Diplomacy: A Resource of the Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Diplomacy)
The Revealer Podcast Episode 42: Religion’s role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
(The Revealer, Center for Religion and Media at NYU)
Pakistan: Celebrating in silence: The Christians in Pakistan under pressure this Christmas
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
China: Early Rain Church members harassed and leaders detained on fifth anniversary of crackdown
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Jehovah's Witnesses suing Dutch State for discrimination
(NL Times)
Supreme Court rejects challenge to Washington state ‘conversion therapy’ ban
(Lawrence Hurley, NBC News)
Friday, 8 December 2023
A living force in world society: The legacy of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
(United Nations)
USCIRF commemorates 75th Anniversary of UN Genocide Convention, seeks justice for genocide victims
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Scholz calls for solidarity with Jews as Hanukkah begins
(Deutsche Welle)
Germany’s chancellor lights first Hanukkah candle on a huge menorah at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate
(Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: An unfinished revolution
(Stewart Patrick, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
In the name of humanity: Recognizing 75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(Canadian Geographic)
Denmark’s parliament adopts law banning Quran burnings
(Al Jazeera)
Denmark’s parliament adopts a law making it illegal to burn the Quran or other religious texts
(Jan M. Olsen, Associated Press)
Exclusion of parochial school students from district's extracurricular activities violates free exercise
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Elimination of religious exemption from school vaccination requirements is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Denial of permission to build grotto did not violate RLUIPA
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Podcast: S5, Ep. 08: The trouble with school vouchers
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Votes on war force Washington Democrats to reckon with faith, conscience and politics
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Will the nation’s first religious charter school survive?
(Eric Schulzke, Deseret News)
FBI director grilled after release of new report on targeting of Catholics
(Tyler Arnold and Joe Bukuras, Catholic News Agency)
Muslims, Orthodox, mob action and hate speech: Georgian Muslim Relations and Others
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Address by the OSCE Personal Representatives on Combating Anti-Semitism and Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination: UK response
(Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, GOV.UK)
King Charles delighted by handmade gift as he attends Coptic Church Advent service
(Greek City Times)
Tory MP says Rishi Sunak has broken promise to tackle Islamophobia
(Adam Payne, Politics Home)
Bill to disestablish the Church of England introduced in parliament
(National Secular Society)
Rethinking Human Rights (symposium series)
(Jordan J. Ballor & Trey Dimsdale, Adam J. MacLeod, Daniel Philpott, Hans-Martien Ten Napel, Law & Liberty)
Churches reflect on the role of Christian values in the EU
(Conference of European Churches)
Confucianism and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(Paul Marshall, Religion Unplugged)
Brazil: Amazonia: Church demands action from the Brazilian government
(Eduardo Campos Lima, La Croix International)
Challenges in executing judgments of the European Court of Human Rights: the case of the Roma
(James A. Goldston, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Russia bans Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Catholic ministries
(Gina Christian, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Crimea: "They conducted Friday prayers at gunpoint"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Ecumenical Forum for Korea finds hope amidst challenges for peace
(World Council of Churches)
In Togo, church leaders are exploring approaches to peace and stability in West Africa
(World Council of Churches)
3 wins for houses of worship in Texas and California
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)
Macron denies disrespecting secularism after Hanukkah ritual at Élysée Palace
(France 24)
Young French want more but different secularism
(Christian Network Europe)
Wałęsa v Poland: a forceful culmination of the Court’s rule-of-law case law
(Mathieu Leloup, Strasbourg Observers)
Spirituality among Americans
(Becka A. Alper, Michael Rotolo, Patricia Tevington, Justin Nortey and Asta Kallo, Pew Research Center)
Lipan Apache ask Fifth Circuit for protection of sacred site
(Cameron Langford, Courthouse News Service)
Vietnam actively contributes to ensuring right to freedom of religion
(Vietnam Plus)
Kyiv lights Christmas tree according to new calendar
(Reuters)
Ismagilov: Russia uses the Muslim factor in ideological war against Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
An international mobilization is needed against China's crackdown on mosques
(Ma Yingjie, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
The landmark Genocide Convention has had mixed results since the UN approved it 75 years ago
(The Conversation)
Hate crimes are on the rise − but the narrow legal definition makes it hard to charge and convict
(Jeannine Bell, The Conversation)
Thursday, 7 December 2023
EVENT, 7 December 2023 (6PM CET): Conference on Laudate Deum and the EU’s Green Transition (Brussels, Belgium)
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
VIRTUAL EVENT, 7 December 2023 (10:30AM ET): USCIRF Hearing - Religious Minorities and Governance in Iraq
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Wednesday, 6 December 2023
No place for hate in Europe. Commission and High Representative launch call to action to unite against all forms of hatred
(European Commission)
Drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Underexplored figures and contexts
(Kristina Arriaga, Renae Barker, Paul Martens, Fearghas O’Beara, and Dmytro Vovk, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
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