Law and Religion Headlines
Saturday, 15 June 2024
CALL FOR PAPERS, abstracts due 15 June 2024: The Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief: Perspectives from the Global South
(Centre for Religion, Conflict and Globalization, University of Groningen)
Friday, 14 June 2024
Judgment concerning Hungary
(The European Court of Human Rights)
New book: Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom
(H. Knox Thames, University of Notre Dame Press)
EVENT, 14 June 2024 (12PM ET): From the Garden to Government: What does Creation have to do with Politics? (Washington, DC, USA)
(Vincent Bacote, Faith & Law)
Cuba: In the eyes of the Cuban government, leading a church can make you a threat to national security
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Dialogue on churches, Ukraine and peace
(Conference of European Churches)
Nine Hindu pilgrims killed in bus attack in India's Jammu
(Cherylann Mollan, BBC)
IOC urged to help overturn France's hijab ban
(BBC News)
Europe's Muslim youth alarmed as far-right gains more seats in parliament
(Ayse Betul Aytekin, TRT World)
An American flag, a pencil sharpener − and the 10 Commandments: Louisiana’s new bill to mandate biblical displays in classrooms is the latest to push limits of religion in public schools
(Charles J. Russo, The Conversation)
How an anti-terror bill could strip Muslim social justice NGOs of nonprofit status
(Dilshad Ali, Religion News Service)
Southern Baptists narrowly reject formal ban on churches with any women pastors
(Peter Smith and Holly Meyer, Associated Press)
2023 RFI Impact Report
(Nathan Berkeley and Katie Lehmann, Religious Freedom Institute)
Türkiye’s highest court rules in support of government’s expulsion of nine foreign Christians for alleged “missionary activities”
(ADF International)
Kyrgyzstan: Greater financial controls on religious organisations?
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Pakistan: 3 minority Ahmadiyya community members detained to prevent them from performing religious rites
(The Times of India)
Pakistan bishop calls on international community to stop abuse of blasphemy law
(John Pontifex, Aid to the Church in Need)
A lonely Jew in New York: Wearing a Jewish star in public in 2024
(Amy Klein, The Jerusalem Post)
New book: Understanding and Teaching Religion in US History
(Edited by Karen J. Johnson and Jonathan M. Yeager, University of Wisconsin Press)
The Costs of Keeping the Faith
(Voice for Justice UK)
Iraqi court tells Christian woman to convert to Islam
(Rudaw)
Mexico: Christians forced from their homes in central Mexico state
(Carlos Páez, World)
Virginia city repeals ban on psychic readings as industry grows and gains more acceptance
(Ben Finley, Associated Press)
Court upholds firing of nurse with religious objections to flu vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
How reciting the Pledge of Allegiance became a sacred, patriotic ritual
(The Conversation)
‘The protest is a ritual’: How faith found a place in Palestine solidarity encampments
(Chloë-Arizona Fodor, Religion News Service)
Kenya bishops say proposed tax increases would punish the poor
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Success of German far-right party in EU election has many Jews hearing echoes of Nazi past
(Toby Axelrod, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to address a G7 summit, raising alarm about AI. The G7 responds
(Nicole Winfield and Kelvin Chan, Associated Press)
Saudi Arabia: Hajj proves religion can inspire peace
(Shaykh M A Kholwadia, Al Jazeera)
Religious freedom is in danger around the world
(Frank R. Wolf, National Review)
Members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches meet with G7 ambassadors
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Professor Mar Leal, from University of Seville, stated that religious freedom must be protected and not given for granted
(The European Times)
India: Fresh wave of violence erupts against Christians in the Indian state of Manipur
(Ganesh Rajaraman, Religion Unplugged)
Defending Palestine a sacred jihad, Muslim scholars reiterate
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Australia: Proposed religious discrimination laws proving unpopular in Australia
(David Goodwin, Christian Today)
Top US bishop worries Catholic border services for migrants might be imperiled by government action
(Holly Meyer, Associated Press)
117th Congress IRF Congressional Scorecard
(IRF Secretariat)
Secret recording puts spotlight on Alito's strong conservative views on religious issues
(Lawrence Hurley, NBC News)
Thursday, 13 June 2024
EVENT, 13-14 June 2024: Annual Conference 2024: The Coptic Problem: Hatred based on Religion (Sprinfield, VA, USA)
(Coptic Solidarity)
Harvest Ministries seeks ruling its Charter rights infringed when rally cancelled
(Anna Farrow, The Catholic Register)
Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Catholic parish defends religious mission from state officials
(Becket)
French government accused of discrimination against its own athletes with Olympics hijab ban
(Maya Oppenheim, The Independent)
Israel’s Knesset advances contentious ultra-Orthodox conscription law
(Al Jazeera)
Israel: How a Palestinian/Jewish village in Israel changed after October 7th (on interfaith dialogue)
(Masha Gessen, The New Yorker)
Israel: Despite Israel’s isolation, large Christian delegation sees nations embrace the Jewish state
(Felice Friedson and Giorgia Valente, The Jerusalem Post)
WCC calls for a permanent ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access in Gaza
(World Council of Churches)
Sudan: WCC reiterates solidarity with Sudan, lifts up vulnerable people
(World Council of Churches)
EVENT, 12 June 2024 (6PM ET): RFI Open House: Launch of the 2023 Impact Report (Washington, DC, USA)
(Religious Freedom Institute)
HYBRID EVENT, 12 June 2024 (9AM GMT+2): Promoting Religious Freedom and Tolerance: A Discussion on the Danish Initiative in Indonesia (Copenhagen, Denmark)
(Ministry of Religious Affairs Indonesia, Center for Church-Based Development (CKU), Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI/CCI), International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD))
Nigeria: ‘They realised their guns weren’t fast enough’
(Jonathan Downing, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Pathways to peace: Responding to war in meaningful ways (video)
(Lydia Funck, Conference of European Churches)
Should faith groups have a say in the future of space travel?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Calling faith critical to higher education, educators launch new Commission on Faith-based Universities
(Tad Walch, Deseret News)
Vatican official: Hundreds of millions of Christians ‘face high levels of persecution’
(Andrés Henríquez, Catholic News Agency)
Should states control religious liberty? A conference in Rome
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)
New law mandates school release for religious classes, including Satanic Teachings
(Grant Palmer, Fox 25)
At second-ever global convening, Zoroastrian youth seek a more connected future
(Dina Katgara, Religion News Service)
Probe launched after Jewish student group omitted from New Jersey high school yearbook
(Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press)
How Wisconsin faith leaders are tending to complex interfaith work
(Phil Haslanger, Interfaith America)
Australia: The government is drafting anti-hate speech laws. Here are 4 things they should include
(Nicole Shackleton, The Conversation)
Pakistan army promotes first Christian woman to brigadier general
(Arshad Mehmood, The Jerusalem Post)
'Pedophile rabbi': UCLA Chabad rabbi assaulted, told to go back to Poland
(Michael Starr, The Jerusalem Post)
Around the web - 11 June 2024
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
State funding of only secular home-school materials upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Georgia: Government's "real purpose" not to ensure public transparency "but to exert control"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Indonesian court jails comedian for joking about the name Muhammad
(Reuters)
Maryland Parental Power Summit inspires and educates
(Religious Freedom Institute)
FFRF calls out Texas school district for bible distribution
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
Bishops urge EU leaders to tackle voter disillusionment following elections
(AC Wimmer, Catholic News Agency)
Congressional leaders form task force to counter Project 2025 and defend democracy
(Jared Huffman, U.S. House of Representatives)
Canada: RCMP official calls for debate on hate speech law after probe of controversial imam ends without charges
(Daniel Leblanc, CBC News)
Religious Freedom Week 2024: Called to the Fullness of Dignity
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
NZ: Auckland Tibetan Association calls on PM Luxon to raise Tibet during the Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to New Zealand
(Central Tibetan Administration)
Bolivia: Following forced closure of Catholic Teachers College, Bishops sue Bolivian state, take case to international human rights enforcer
(ADF International)
The EEOC’s disdain for religion
(Rachel N. Morrison, National Review)
EEOC’s disdain for religion — Part II
(Rachel N. Morrison, National Review)
Monday, 10 June 2024
Essay series: Obama’s Cairo speech at 15
(Katherine Marshall, Rob Lalka, Afeefa Syeed, Mustafa Akyol, Judd Birdsall, and H. A. Hellyer, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
South Africa: Saffron in the rainbow nation: Hindu nationalism’s presence in South Africa
(Nikhil Mandalaparthy, Religion Unplugged)
S. African bishops urge politicians - 'work together' - after governing party loses 30-year long majority
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Ombudsman warns jails to protect inmates’ religious rights
(Jack O'Connor, Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Vol 3 No 1 (2024): January-June, 2024
(The Contemporary Issues on Interfaith Law and Society)
Canada: Muslim advocacy group blasts Quebec secularism law in front of Commons committee
(Raffy Boudjikanian, CBC News)
Saudi Arabia condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials, and extremist settlers
(Arab News)
Statement on storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
(X, Muslim World League)
Pakistan: USCIRF troubled by violence against Christians in Pakistan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Canada: Proposals to Strengthen MAiD Safeguards and Oversight
(Cardus)
India: Anti-conversion acts and the criminalisation of interfaith marriages
(Acharaj Kaur Tuteja, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Religiophobia or Islamophobia? Deciphering India’s inconsistency
(Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Shafaq Zernab, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
The function of legal ritual in the Peace Palace
(Valentin Jeutner, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Church Reporter, Vol. 9, 27 May 2024
(Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice)
Myanmar: Forging genuine unity amidst deep conflict in Myanmar: Prospects and challenges
(Naw Dii, Institute for Global Engagement)
Airline lawyers spared religious liberty training in case about flight attendant’s abortion views
(Kevin McGill, Associated Press)
Judge dismisses Native American challenge to $10B SunZia energy transmission project in Arizona
(Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press)
The Supreme Mufti of Crimea and the Mufti of the RAMU "Ummah" of Ukraine called on Muslim countries to support the Peace Summit
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Uzbekistan: No religious freedom for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Protestants & Muslims denied registration
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Judges on social media: freedom of expression versus duty of judicial restraint – lessons from Danilet v. Romania
(Koen Lemmens, Strasbourg Observers)
Catholic parish stands up for its religious mission in court
(Becket)
Notre Dame Religious Liberty Clinic represents coalition of faiths in support of rights of prisoners before U.S. Supreme Court
(University of Notre Dame Law School)
Founding of the Ireland InterFaith Business Network
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
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