Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 23 February 2024

Canada: Judge rules killer of London, Ont., Muslim family committed terrorism, calling it a 'textbook example'
(Kate Dubinski, CBC News)

Canada: Muslim groups say MPs won't be welcome in mosques until they call for Gaza ceasefire
(Yasmine Hassan and Raffy Boudjikanian, CBC News)

Killing of Muslim family in Canada terrorist act: Court
(Daily Sabah)

Mosque in Sweden's capital again targeted by Islamophobes with threatening graffiti
(Alexandra Enberg, Anadolu Agency)

Lebanon: Podcast Episode 026 | National report on freedom of religion or belief
(Fadi Hachem, Religious Freedom Institute)

Macron broods over assisted dying law at dinner with faith leaders
(Tom Heneghan, The Tablet)

Georgia bill aims to protect religious liberty. Opponents say it’s a license to discriminate
(Jeff Amy, Associated Press)

Denmark records highest number of antisemitic incidents since WWII, part of a grim European trend
(Jan M. Olsen, Associated Press)

European diplomats have condemned the closed-door trial of a Catholic activist in Belarus
(Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press)

Belarus cracks down on clergy who supported protests of its authoritarian leader
(Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press)

Gay rights advocates in Kentucky say expansion to religious freedom law would hurt LGBTQ+ safeguards
(Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press)

Trump promises a revival of Christian power in speech to National Religious Broadcasters
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)

A call for Christian leaders to denounce the Russian Orthodox Church
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)

Germany's Catholic Church speaks out against far right
(Christoph Strack, Deutsche Welle)

Argentina’s Jewish umbrella group condemns Milei’s decision to shutter country’s anti-discrimination office
(Juan Melamed, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Tajikistan: Criminal cases against human rights defenders, relatives threatened
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)

Bridging faiths: Uniting through dialogue in Porto – KAICIID’s Network for Dialogue supported initiative
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Empowering dialogue for peace: Insights from KAICIID's 2024 fellows programme in Costa Rica
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

China: Mosque in China remodeled with pagodas, communist slogans
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

China arrests at least 100 Tibetans over dam project protests
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

“Economy should serve humanity and promote the dignity of every person”, says COMECE at EP conference on Social Market Economy
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))

Austrian Bishop Zsifkovics visits Brussels for a series of meetings with EU representatives
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))

Religious persecution in Latin America today
(Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)

Which states are advancing bills to help protect religious freedom?
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)

The construction of a right to birth registration in European human rights law: the case of G.T.B. v Spain
(Sarah Trotter, Strasbourg Observers)

Beyond Opuz v. Turkey: the CJEU’s judgment in WS and the refugee law consequences of the state’s failure to protect victims of domestic violence
(Türkan Ertuna Lagrand, Strasbourg Observers)

Race and LGBTQ issues in K-12 schools
(Luona Lin, Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Kiley Hurst and Dana Braga, Pew Research Center)

Al-Azhar University president urges interfaith dialogue to promote peace
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Nigeria: Subsidising religious pilgrimage, irresponsible
(Punch)

Malaysia’s court system struggles with the rise of state-level theocracy
(Aizat Shamsuddin, The Diplomat)

Pakistan: Ashrafi stresses religious diversity as key to Pakistan’s harmony
(Associated Press of Pakistan)

Interfaith charity to close after government funding pulled
(Aleem Maqbool, BBC News)

Government criticised for shutting down Inter Faith Network after nearly 40 years
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)

Banning ‘conversion therapy’ is a threat to religious freedom
(Jacob Williams, Spiked)

Church of England mulls asylum seeker change amid conversion row
(Muvija M, Reuters)

Australia: Voluntary assisted dying is different to suicide. But federal laws conflate them and restrict access to telehealth
(Michaela Estell Okninski, Marc Trabsky, and Neera Bhatia, The Conversation)

New Zealand: Christchurch terrorist discussed attacks online a year before carrying them out, new research reveals
(Chris Wilson, Ethan Renner, Jack Smylie, and Michal Dziwulski, The Conversation)

Contractual Commitments and the Right to Change Religions
(Michael A. Helfand, SSRN)

Thursday, 22 February 2024

EVENT, 22 February 2024 (3PM MST): Religious Conflict in West Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia (Tempe, Arizona, USA)
(Anand Gopal, Margaret Hanson, Okechukwu Iheduru, Güneş Murat Tezcür, Arizona State University)

Wednesday, 21 February 2024

HYBRID EVENT, 21 February 2024 (7:30PM EST): Forum: With Malice Toward None, With Charity for All, National Cathedral (Washington, DC, USA)
(Wheatley Institute, Brigham Young University)

Iran: Annual report: Faceless Victims: Rights Violations Against Christians in Iran
(Article 18)

Mozambique: Resurgence of jihadist attacks force missionaries to flee
(Lisa Zengarini, Vatican News)

HYBRID EVENT, 19-21 February 2024: Beyond War and Toward Reconciliation: Convening the Second Multi-Religious Peace Roundtable (Tokyo, Japan)
(Religions for Peace and United Nations Alliance of Civilizations)

Interfaith leaders denounce anti-immigration rhetoric after neo-Nazi march in Nashville
(Melissa Brown, The Tennessean)

Muslim parents in Minneapolis-area school district can pull children from sexuality, gender classes
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

China: Uyghurs continue to oppose 'genocide tours' to Xinjiang
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)

China: Whatever happened to China’s 2024 Universal Periodic Review?
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)

Large majorities of Americans say antisemitism is a serious problem
(Jason DeRose, NPR)

Virginia Department of Education sued over model transgender policies
(Brooke Migdon, The Hill)

Belarus: UN experts concerned about new law on freedom of conscience and religious organisations
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Citing religious, parental rights, Hoosier couple asks SCOTUS for relief after trans child was removed
(Alexa Shrake, The Indiana Lawyer)

US Supreme Court declines to decide legality of excluding jurors based on religion
(John Kruzel, Reuters)

The State of Antisemitism in America 2023
(American Jewish Committee)

9th Circuit: On supervised release, must have secular alternative to 12-step program requirement
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Title VII challenge to denial of vaccine exemption survives motion to dismiss
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Pakistan: Christian sentenced to life in prison under blasphemy law
(Morning Star News)

Religious diversity is exploding – here’s what a faith-positive Britain might actually look like
(Christopher Wadibia, The Conversation)

Jay Report on safeguarding in Church of England
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Association for Religious Freedom in Croatia celebrates 30th anniversary
(Josip Takač, Adventist News Network)

Indonesia: Why Aceh's cities rank low in tolerance
(Arti Ekawati, Deutsche Welle)

Israel bars Brazilian president after Lula compares Gaza war to the Holocaust
(Jacob Kessler, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Does the advent of the Tusk government foreshadow an erosion of Poland’s Christian culture?
(Solène Tadié, National Catholic Register)

Italy gives € 500,000 for the restoration of Odessa’s Orthodox Cathedral shelled by Russia
(Willy Fautré and Ievgeniia Gidulianova, Bitter Winter)

Occupied Ukraine: Priest killed within two days of Russian detention
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

International religious experts condemn Russia's aggression towards Ukraine at Tokyo Conference
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Russia’s Christian dissidents
(Jonathon Van Maren, The European Conservative)

Religious freedom and equality in the European Union: Unclear paths ahead
(Gaston de Persigny, The European Times)

Catholic partners and media learn about CEC
(Conference of European Churches)

For Iranian converts claiming religious persecution, European courts require proof of faith
(Hanna Vioque, Religion News Service)

Lent pro-life volunteers alarmed as Germany considers UK-style censorship zones to criminalise help and prayer near abortion organisations
(ADF International)

‘Jesus’ decal on German taxi nets driver $1,000 fine threat
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

Hostility against churches is on the rise in the United States - analyzing incidents from 2018-2023
(Family Research Council)

Imam warns of rising hate after assault in Ireland
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

WCC general secretary meets Israeli president, calls for ceasefire, freedom of religion and humanitarian care
(World Council of Churches)

Why School Choice Is Necessary for Religious Liberty and Freedom of Belief
(Richard F. Duncan, Case Western Reserve Law Review)

India: Christian family attacked in Chhattisgarh State
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Alabama rules frozen embryos are children, raising questions about fertility care
(Roni Caryn Rabin and Azeen Ghorayshi, The New York Times)

NCJW calls Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF ruling an affront to religious freedom
(National Council of Jewish Women)

Iowa Senate passes 'religious freedom' bill that Democrats call 'blank check to discriminate'
(Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register)

Australia: Why the “equality” Bill is a threat to religious freedom
(Michael Stead, Sydney Anglicans)

Tuesday, 20 February 2024

EVENT, 20 February 2024 (6PM GMT): Revisiting the Islamic State, Governance and Power-Sharing Amid a Changing World Order (London, UK)
(Andrew March, Ahmed Gaaloul, Daud Abdullah, The Cordoba Foundation)

Monday, 19 February 2024

Official call for election of the president and certain board members of the African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies
(African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ACLARS))

2nd youth charged in connection with anti-Jewish terror plot
(CBC News)

The Islamic State group poses rising threat in Africa despite progress, UN experts say
(Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press)

Australia: Same-sex marriage, trans identity force religion bill that could backfire
(Angela Shanahan, The Australian)

Indonesia: Tolerance and respect: Educational paths in Indonesia
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Iran: Persecution against Christians in Iran continues to grow
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)

Secular vs. religious violence: The epistemic violence of colonisation
(Syed Hammaad Mehraj, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

The secularisation of Martin Luther King
(Jon Kuhrt, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Religion Watch, Volume 39 No. 3
(Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

‘Ye Shall Do No Injustice in Judgment’—Are Religious Courts to Blame for the Agunah Problem?
(Lord Wolfson KC, William Gelley, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)

Global Interfaith Monitor No. 20
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Germany: Catholic churches are demolished or repurposed
(Christoph Strack, Deutsche Welle)

Many believe the founders wanted a Christian America. Some want the government to declare one now
(Peter Smith, Associated Press)

Articles of interest - 19 February 2024
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Muslims calling for peace in Gaza have been answered with rampant Islamophobia
(Wa'el Alzayat, Religion News Service)

Documentary about the murders of 3 Muslims explores religious hatred
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)

India: State in India passes law against Christian ‘magical healing practices’
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Israel: PM’s office avers that freedom of religion will be respected during Ramadan
(The Times of Israel)

Law and religion roundup – 18th February
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

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