Law and Religion Headlines

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Monday, 11 December 2023

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)

Dialogue from European church perspective at EPP event
(Conference of European Churches)

Physical security performance goals for faith-based communities
(Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

A new Homeland Security guide aims to help houses of worship protect themselves
(Rebecca Santana, Associated Press)

A new defense of the human right of religious freedom
(Daniel Philpott, Arc of the Universe)

Establishment as Tradition (Collection: The religion clauses post-Kennedy)
(Marc O. DeGirolami, The Yale Law Journal)

Freedom for Religion (Collection: The religion clauses post-Kennedy)
(Michael Stokes Paulsen, The Yale Law Journal)

Replacing Smith (Collection: The religion clauses post-Kennedy)
(Stephanie H. Barclay, The Yale Law Journal)

ONLINE COURSE: Exploring Religion
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)

December 2023 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)

USCIRF releases report on religious freedom in Azerbaijan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Podcast: Legal Spirits 055: Speaker Mike Johnson on the separation of church and state
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

UK churches urged to speak up for religious freedom in Hong Kong
(Patrick Hudson, The Tablet)

Government responds to report, Building Freedom of Religion or Belief Through Faith-And-Belief Friendly Workplaces: A Call to Action, published on 20 November.
(Lord David Alton)

South Africa: Up to 5 years in prison for peaceful expression: South African parliament passes “hate speech” bill
(ADF International)

Hanukkah message of light in darkness feels uniquely relevant to US Jews amid war, antisemitism
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)

Lebanon’s Christians feel the heat of climate change in its sacred forest and valley
(Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press)

Indiana’s appeals court hears arguments challenging abortion ban under a state religious freedom law
(Isabella Volmert, Associated Press)

Sandra Day O’Connor’s religious freedom legacy
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

Geert Wilders, far-right victor in Dutch elections, elicits sympathy and fear in Jewish voters
(Shira Li Bartov, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

A House resolution denounces antisemitism. Here’s why some Jewish members voted ‘present’
(Jacob Kornbluh, Forward)

China: The state of religion in China
(Jordan J. Ballor, World)

Americans who never attend worship services are a bit of a political puzzle these days
(Ryan Burge, GetReligion)

Is Islam a violent religion?
(Law & Liberty)

Paraguay: Evangelicals praise Catholic role amid Paraguay’s deadly cycle of drought and floods
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Religious Md. parents appeal to court to skip books with LGBTQ+ characters
(Nicole Asbury and Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)

Religious parents ask federal appeals court to restore notice and opt-outs for Pride storybooks
(Becket)

Ikotity and others v. Hungary: Restricting the opposition’s freedom of expression through a wide margin of appreciation in the context of democratic backsliding
(Ignatius Yordan Nugraha, Strasbourg Observers)

Maryland attorney general reinstates CAIR-Maryland director to hate crimes panel
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

Myanmar court rejects appeal by jailed Baptist pastor
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Russia seeking UN statement in condemnation of Quran desecration
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Should universities ban "advocacy of genocide"?
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)

Photo feature: European Prayer Breakfast in light of conflict in Israel
(Evert van Vlastuin, Christian Network Europe)

How religious schools disappear from Sweden
(Christian Network Europe)

Gender equity and religious rights collide in Seventh Circuit hearing
(Dave Byrnes, Courthouse News Service)

How Democrats of faith see devout Speaker Mike Johnson
(Jim Saksa, Roll Call)

Vietnam: Khmer Krom Buddhists say they face persecution at Vietnam pagoda
(Radio Free Asia)

Australia: Wieambilla shootings: US arrests man over Australian religious terror attack
(Hannah Ritchie, BBC News)

Haiti: Christmas in Haiti: bishops invite hope and fraternity (French)
(CathoBel)

Angola: Prayers and brotherhood attract Angolans to Islam even without official recognition (Portuguese)
(Agência Lusa, Observador)

Tuesday, 5 December 2023

VIRTUAL EVENT, 5 December 2023 (13:00 CET): Seeking and serving the truth? What role do Churches play in Misinformation & Disinformation?
(World Council of Churches)

VIRTUAL EVENT, 5 December 2023 (9AM EDT): Interfaith Responses to Gender-Based Violence: A Fireside Chat
(Religions for Peace)

Monday, 4 December 2023

Philippines: ISIL claims responsibility for bombing at Catholic mass in Philippines
(Al Jazeera)

Philippines identifies suspects after bombing at Sunday mass
(Voice of America)

VIRTUAL EVENT, 4 December 2023 (3:30 PM Brussels): The Future of Freedom of Religion or Belief and Human Rights
(Andrea Benzo, Nazila Ghanea, and Jack N. Gerard, European Union & International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Indonesia-Pakistan collaboration: Religious diversity, youth initiatives, and economic ties take center stage
(Associated Press of Pakistan)

India: NMC logo must be religion-neutral: doctors
(Bindu Shajan Perappadan, The Hindu)

Indian Medical Association objects to NMC logo depicting Hindu deity, demands religion-neutral emblem
(Deccan Herald)

India: Modi government attempting to thrust UCC that wipes out customers: DMK MP
(Shemin Joy, Deccan Herald)

Sikh festival of Bandi Chhor Divas celebrates religious freedom
(Church of Scientology)

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