Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 22 January 2024
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)
Eleventh Circuit finds City of Mobile violated religious freedom laws
(Eden (Hunter) Yerby and Evan Seeman, RLUIPA Defense Blog)
Everyone Orthodox to Themselves: John Locke and His American Students on Religion and Liberal Society
(John Colman, University Press of Kansas)
Legal Spirits 056: Can the NY State Thruway Ban Chick-fil-A?
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Diverse coalition of parents' groups urge Congress to pass Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Mexican civil society leader convicted of “gender-based political violence” over tweets appeals to international body for justice
(ADF International)
Analysis: increased anti-Christian vandalism during the Christmas season
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Poland’s parliament votes to lift immunity of far-right lawmaker who extinguished Hanukkah candles
(Associated Press)
Denial of vaccine mandate exemption for nurse is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Polish bishops seek dialogue with Tusk government
(Jonathan Luxmoore, The Tablet)
Vietnam: Diversity of festivals demonstrates freedom of religion in Việt Nam
(Việt Nam News)
Pope meets Vietnam political delegation, wants to visit the country
(Philip Pullella, Reuters)
Pope Francis meets with President of Colombia
(Deborah Castellano Lubov, Vatican News)
Religious liberty is fundamental to diversity
(Mark Rienzi, Real Clear Policy)
Estonia tells its top Russian Orthodox clergyman to leave the country
(Reuters)
Bishops warn of 'top five threats' to America's Christians
(Benjamin Lynch, Newsweek)
Anti-Christian persecution on the rise according to Open Doors
(Lisa Zengarini, Vatican News)
In South America’s ‘Lithium Triangle,’ Indigenous people defend sacred sites
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Religion News Service)
Tree of Life synagogue demolition begins ahead of rebuilding site of deadly antisemitic attack
(Gene Puksar and Brooke Schultz, AP News)
Haiti: 6 nuns have been kidnapped in Haiti while they were traveling on a bus, religious leaders say
(Associated Press)
Muslim and Arab American voters part ways with President Biden over his foreign policy
(Fiona André, Religion News Service)
'Disturbing and sad': Catholic and Church of Ireland bishops respond to Roscrea protests
(Ellen Gough, Tipperary Live)
Maccabi Haifa to play Belgian soccer club in front of empty stadium due to safety concerns amid Israel-Hamas war
(Jacob Gurvis, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Trump voters in Iowa weren't just evangelical; they were Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran too
(Julia Duin, GetReligion)
Handy religion info for political-desk files: Iowa is not a very evangelical state
(Ryan Burge, GetReligion)
3 new year’s resolutions regarding the importance of religious freedom
(Chelsea Langston Bombino, Religion Unplugged)
Lawmakers take on court rulings that apply sex discrimination rules to religious schools, churches
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
WCC urges World Economic Forum to consider longer-term good of all people
(World Council of Churches)
The ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China, notably the case of Mr Ding Yuande
(European Parliament)
DRC: Bishops warn country in danger, decry elections as fraudulent and full of violence
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Kenya: government withdraws all teachers from a Catholic sponsored school after protest
(Arnold Neliba, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Around 4 in 10 Americans have become more spiritual over time; fewer have become more religious
(Pew Research Center)
Why fighting porn is getting more attention in European politics
(Lennart Nijenhuis, Christian Network Europe)
Internationale Humanitäre Hilfsorganisation v. Germany: An organisation supporting the terrorist entity Hamas does not enjoy protection under the ECHR
(Tommaso Virgili, Strasbourg Observers)
Ghana’s SDA petitions for election date change: A test of democracy and religious freedom
(Ebenezer Mensah, BNN)
Sudan: Evangelical Church set on fire by Rapid Support Forces in Wad Madani
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Africa’s six Anglican women bishops meet and issue call to combat Africa’s ‘triple threat’
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
Women and children who went to live with IS in Syria are being brought home
(Eleanora Kulenbekova and Daniel Wittenberg, BBC News)
Ecumenical Patriarchate takes active role in Davos meeting on peace in Ukraine
(Orthodox Times)
Occupied Ukraine: "If they took Russian citizenship, they could return to Donetsk"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Dissenting voices: Unveiling complexity in the Russian Orthodox Church’s stance on the Ukraine conflict
(Evgeniia Muzychenko, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest Jan 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Religious leaders to mark MLK Day with early start for 2024 voter mobilization
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Thursday, 18 January 2024
VIRTUAL EVENT, 18 January 2024 (9AM ET): Religious Actors and Peacebuilding in Ukraine
(Denys Brylov, Tetiana Kalenychenko, Andrii Kryshtal, Catherine Wanner, Nicholas Danysenko, and Mary Glantz, The United States Institute of Peace)
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Around 130 Mennonites, calling for Gaza cease-fire, arrested on Capitol Hill
(Justin Wm. Moyer, The Washington Post)
Understanding the contested religious histories behind the Gaza War
(James Walters, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Faith-based social services in Czech Republic torn between tradition and secularism
(Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
January/February 2024
(Liberty Magazine)
Iran: Baha’i mother and sons sentenced to jail in Iran
(Iran Wire)
The interrelationship between freedom of thought, conscience, and religion and the rule of law
(Jessica Giles, Journal of Law and Religion)
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