Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 8 January 2024
Australia: Jewish leaders take on Sydney hate clerics amid government, law enforcement inaction
(The Australian)
Young pacifist Baptists in Russia seek alternatives to the war
(Evangelical Focus)
Public urged to report online extremist content following terrorism conviction
(Metropolitan Police)
Non-religious veterans are underserved and overlooked, Humanists UK tells Government
(Humanists UK)
Civil servant given warning after ‘inappropriately’ saying there are two sides to the trans debate
(Steven Edginton, The Telegraph)
The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power: How States Use Religion in Foreign Policy
(Edited by Peter Mandaville, Oxford University Press)
China: Coming in February: Harsher religious regulations just for Xinjiang
(Ma Wenyan, Bitter Winter)
Biden condemns white supremacy in a campaign speech at a church where Black people were killed
(Colleen Long, Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville, Associated Press)
Azerbaijan’s response to U.S. State Department’s Religious Freedom Report
(Aze.media)
Algeria: Arab Parliament backs Algeria in religious freedom row
(Gobran Mohamed, Arab News)
Navajo Nation calls for delay of mission to send human remains to the moon, citing religious concerns
(Russell Payne, The New York Sun)
Brazil: Freedom of Worship Day January 7, 2024 (Portuguese)
(Radio Jota)
Friday, 5 January 2024
Afghanistan: Taliban arrest women for ‘bad hijab’ in the first dress code crackdown since their return to power
(Associated Press)
Iran: Farmers displaced and farmlands seized as Iran’s government intensifies Baha’i religious persecution
(Bahá’í International Community)
Iran: Islamic State takes responsibility for deadly bombings in Iran
(Vivian Yee, Hwaida Saad and Eric Schmitt, The New York Times)
Religious freedom designations
(Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Department of State)
USCIRF calls for Congressional hearing after State Department fails to designate Nigeria and India as Countries of Particular Concern
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Biden Administration turns blind eye to religious freedom violations in Nigeria
(ADF International)
New York: Federal judge dismisses legal challenge to Haverstraw residential synagogue, federal law
(Steve Lieberman, lohud)
Shriners Hopsital beats worker Covid vaccine religious bias case
(Jennifer Bennett, Bloomberg Law)
In the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, churches can celebrate on Russians' approval - National Resistance Center
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
In Russia, Jehovah’s Witnesses are the most persecuted religion, 127 prisoners as of 1 January 2024
(Willy Fautré, The European Times)
Dominican Republic: How Dominican women fight child marriage and teen pregnancy while facing total abortion bans
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
In a secular age, some young Americans still choose religious life
(Elizabeth E. Evans, Religion News Service)
Proposed Irish hate speech regulations could have a chilling effect on freedom
(Theo McDonald, The Hill)
Nicaragua: USCIRF condemns Nicaragua’s arbitrary detention of priests
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
City could not require pastor's certificate as condition of vaccine exemption
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
USCIRF troubled by new religion law in Belarus
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Belarus: Officials warn clergy not to violate strict state restrictions
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Unrest at Polish reforms prompts archbishop to appeal for peace
(Jonathan Luxmoore, Church Times)
U.S. puts Baku on Religious Freedom Watch List as Commission takes dim view of Belarus law
(Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)
US puts Azerbaijan on religious freedom watchlist
(France 24)
Youcef Atal: Algerian soccer star given suspended sentence by French court, fined $49,000 for Israel-Gaza post
(Amy Woodyatt, Maya Szaniecki and Thomas Schlachter, CNN)
Walkout over weapons: British school students battle Gaza protest curbs
(Aina Khan, Al Jazeera)
The abolition of liberty? Religious freedom and education amid today’s intellectual confusion
(Todd Huizinga, The European Conservative)
China: Xinjiang issues revised regulations on religious affairs
(ECNS)
China bans new monks in Tibetan monastery
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
China's Patriotic Education Law further cracks down on religious freedom
(Lin Ganfeng, Voice of America)
China: Countering China’s techno-authoritarianism, transnational repression, and malign political influence
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Legal amendment allowing for stronger support for persecuted Christians
(Hungary Today)
Ministerial exception does not bar whistleblower suit by Liberty University dean
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Top religious liberty stories of 2023 and issues to watch in 2024
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Judge dismisses Muslim couple’s lawsuit against school where daughter converted to Christianity
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
Fed Soc Panel on 303 Creative
(Mark Movsesian, Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Blessing same-sex couples: Vatican clarification
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
“Churches can, mosques can’t”: Race, immigration, and Islam in Belgium
(Hafsa Oubou, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
India: Modi critics raise alarms regarding India’s persecution of religious minorities
(Manmeet Sahni, Religion Unplugged)
Vietnam monk punished for exhibiting unverified Buddha hair
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Muslim tech colleagues ‘feel uncomfortable’ speaking up over fear of retaliation
(Siladitya Ray, Forbes)
First Liberty’s D.C. Fellowship trains future leaders
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)
Celebration for gay community if Estonia brings same-sex marriage to Eastern Europe
(Christian Network Europe)
Colorado put on trial for excluding Catholic preschools from universal preschool funding program
(Becket)
North Korea: US designates NK for religious freedom violation for 22nd straight year
(Korea Times)
Mexico: Thousands of young people will march at the feet of Cristo Rey to demand religious freedom in Mexico
(Diego López Colín, ACI Prensa)
Cuba included in US religious freedom designations
(Caribbean News Global)
Cuba and Nicaragua still on religious freedom blacklist (Spanish)
(Deutsche Welle)
Argentine bishops end state funding, marking a historic departure
(María Alejandra Trujillo, BNN)
Argentina completes the separation of Church and State and stops paying the monthly allowance to bishops (Spanish)
(Constanza Lambertucci, El País)
Seeing the human in every patient − from biblical texts to 21st century relational medicine
(Jonathan Weinkle, The Conversation)
Thursday, 4 January 2024
HYBRID EVENT, 4 January 2024 (10AM ET): Upholding the Dignity of the Human Person
(with Nechama Goldman Barash, Rita Kammermayer, and Jamil Jaber, Praying Together in Jerusalem)
Wednesday, 3 January 2024
New California legislation allows religious and educational institutions to bypass zoning rules
(Ted Chen, NBC Los Angeles)
A ruling against Masterpiece Cakeshop would threaten the rights of religious minorities
(Mosaic Magazine)
How religion and politics will mix in 2024 – three trends to track
(Tobin Miller Shearer, The Conversation)
How Indigenous spirituality should inform our view of culture, religion and the environment
(Hayley Sanchez, Colorado Public Radio)
New religion at work research shows discrimination is still commonplace
(Dentons, Lexology)
US religious liberty index ranks all states; data surprises
(JP Mauro, Aleteia)
2024 Presidential Election: Everything you need to know about the candidates
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
How Philadelphia’s faith communities held together as Oct. 7 attack tested ties
(Tori Luecking, Religion News Service)
India: Religion cannot be basis of citizenship: Cong MP Manish Tewari on ‘CAA rules before LS polls’
(The Indian Express)
Indian pol retracts snark, not substance, of jibe at bishops over coziness with Modi
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Vatican - Missionaries and pastoral care workers killed in 2023
(Agenzia Fides)
Australian law forbids prayers, revealing the religious freedom threat of bans on ‘conversion therapy’
(Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal)
Australia: Anti-Semitism ‘unchecked’ amid radical sermons
(Alexi Demetriadi, The Australian)
Paraguay/Bolivia: How Mennonites learned to thrive in Latin America
(Christianity Today)
Vicarious liability for sexual assault yet again: JXH
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
South Africa: Despite gang killings of church members, South African pastors continue to preach
(Vicky Abraham, Religion Unplugged)
China: Imprisoned Chinese church leader refuses to confess to 'fraud' over tithing for release
(Leah MarieAnn Klett, The Christian Post)
China targets friendly media, diplomats to ‘tell story of Xinjiang’
(Frederik Kelter, Al Jazeera)
Vietnam/Vatican: New year offers ‘comprehensive’ Vietnam-Vatican ties
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Canada: Muslim group calls on Ottawa to lift cap on program allowing Palestinians to flee to Canada
(Laura Osman, CBC News)
Church of England welcomes Listed Places of Worship funding
(The Church of England)
Armenian Public TV snubs Church leader's New Year address amid political rift
(Lilit Shahverdyan, Eurasianet)
Nigeria: Recognise traditional worshippers, Adeleke tells FG
(Bola Bamigbola, Punch)
Former Kentucky clerk in gay marriage case must pay additional $260K
(Lauren Sforza, The Hill)
Cuba's Santeria priests foretell crime and disease in new year
(Reuters)
Nicaragua: Pope Francis asked for a prayer for religious detained in Nicaragua in his first Angelus of 2024 (Spanish)
(CNN Español)
Paris: Helping refugees resist becoming religiously radicalized
(Marguerite de Lasa, La Croix International)
Another dark Christmas in Ukraine
(Knox Thames, Religion News Service)
Ukraine blatantly violates the human rights of peace activists and conscientious objectors
(Pressenza/International Press Agency)
Tuesday, 2 January 2024
UN Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion decry rising antisemitism and Islamophobia around the world
(United Nations Alliance of Civilizations)
India: The role of “Sarna” in forest conservation and wildfire prevention: An indigenous tribal religion of India
(Mohd Amin Khan, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
India: UP Police brings down over 9,000 loudspeakers from religious places
(The Times of India)
Surging anti-Muslim sentiments, discrimination defined 2023
(Daily Sabah)
Turkish authorities hunt 49 suspects linked to FETÖ, Daesh
(Daily Sabah)
Malaysia: Action can be taken against Perak Muslim men who entice married women
(New Straits Times)
Malaysia: Convert gets leave to challenge shariah court’s refusal to hear appeal
(Free Malaysia Today)
Malaysia: PM Anwar supports Selangor Sultan's decree on Islamic affairs
(Malay Mail)
Türkiye arrests top Daesh/ISIS terrorist operating in Syria
(Muhammed Nuri Erdogan, Anadolu Agency)
Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75 and the need for accountability
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
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