Law and Religion Headlines

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Wednesday, 8 November 2023

6th Circuit rejects equal protection challenge to Michigan ban on public funds for private and religious schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

NY court rules that parent body is entitled to possession of Hare Krishna temple
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Racism and discrimination in Germany exposed in new survey
(Marcel Fürstenau, Deutsche Welle)

Jakob Finci: Bosnians know how awful war is (video)
(Abdulah Hodzic, Deutsche Welle)

Antisemitic incidents up 800% in the Netherlands since Oct. 7, Dutch watchdog reports
(Shira Li Bartov, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

"The enemy effectively exploits religion in this hybrid war," - Head of the OCU
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Anglican debates: Democracy, ecclesiology, or both?
(Elisabeth Rain Kincaid, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

CEC–CCEE Joint Committee issues declaration on the situation in the Middle East
(Conference of European Churches)

Republican senators call for federally funded schools to protect Jewish students
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

Schumer wants $1.2B in new security funding for US religious groups: ‘Intolerance has reached a boiling point’
(Steven Nelson, New York Post)

Former British PM Gordon Brown on human trafficking
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Vietnam releases 4 independent Protestants after 5 days’ detention
(Radio Free Asia)

Calls to action against antisemitism & anti-Muslim hatred
(European Evangelical Alliance)

Turkey inaugurates first state - built church: “We are very happy”
(Evangelical Focus)

Consolidating the legal recognition and protection of same-sex couples: Koilova and Babulkova v. Bulgaria
(Ignatius Yordan Nugraha, Strasbourg Observers)

Victory: New York gives up attack on Sisters of Life
(Becket)

Australia: Religious freedom is a path to peace, Archbishop Paul Gallagher says on Australian tour
(Marilyn Rodrigues, The Catholic Weekly)

Brazil: Reports of anti-Semitism in Brazil grow 1,000% after war in Israel, says Conib (Portuguese)
(Iuri Pitta, CNN Brasil)

Brazil: Tribuna Livre debates religious intolerance and religious racism (Portuguese)
(Bruno Almeida, Câmara Municipal de Aracaju)

Brazil: Religious racism is the theme of an ebook launched by NGOs (Portuguese)
(Redação, Observatório 3º Setor)

Pakistan: European Parliamentarians call for action to address coerced faith conversion and violence against minority women and girls in Pakistan – OpEd
(Kashif Nawab, Eurasia Review)

Monday, 6 November 2023

EVENT, 6 November 2023: Freedom for Faith 2023 National Conference (Village Church Annandale, NSW, Australia)
(Freedom for Faith)

EVENT, 6 November 2023: Religions on War and Peace (Rome, Italy)
(The Luiss Religions in Dialogue Forum)

IGE and Uzbekistan embassy hold seminar on religious freedom and security
(Institute for Global Engagement)

Are the Apostolic Fathers relevant to twenty-first century readers?
(William Varner, OUPblog: Religion)

Faith is a call to dialogue and peacemaking, pope tells rabbis
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic Review)

"This is Pennsylvania, not France": Religious garb ban for teachers repealed
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)

Coalition of Baptist leaders will file amicus brief challenging NAMB’s view of First Amendment
(Mark Wingfield, Baptist News Global)

Appeals court considers whether Texas teens should be allowed contraception without parental consent under federal program
(Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune)

British Christian organization launches online survey to gauge religious exclusion levels
(Alison Lesley, World Religion News)

Campaigners welcome free bus passes for asylum seekers announcement
(The Church of Scotland)

CI: ‘New extremism definition could pose threat to religious freedom’
(The Christian Institute)

Law and religion round-up – 5th November
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Minnesota: Religious schools in court to protect faith-based education
(Becket Law)

Iran: Prominent Iranian religious scholar says hijab law should be abolished, urges authorities to stop inciting violence
(Mohammad Zarghami and Michael Scollon, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)

School board prayer policy violates Constitution, atheist group claims
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

Antisemitism envoys from 24 countries call on governments to ensure ‘necessary security assistance’ for Jews following Hamas attack on Israel
(Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Jews, Semites, and Antisemitism
(Simeon Chavel, Sightings, The University of Chicago Divinity School)

Voice, engagement, and learning: The Catholic Church Synod and the United Nations Summit of the Future
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Pakistan: USCIRF concerned by Pakistan’s expulsion of refugees and attacks against Ahmadiyya Muslims
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Around the web - 6 November 2023
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest 16-31 October
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

China: Police assault Early Rain Christians during detention
(China Aid)

The battle for the soul of the Dalai Lama
(Lobsang Sangay, Foreign Affairs)

Canada: Military prayer ban on Remembrance Day lifted amid public outcry
(The Western Standard)

What is a woman faith-based mediator?
(Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers)

For God and country? The role of faith in US electoral politics revisited
(Kristian Noll, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Indonesia: Inside Indonesia’s Religious Courts: An Argument for Domestic and Family Violence Screening and Exemption from Compulsory Mediation
(Balawyn Jones and Amira Aftab, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)

'MAGA and Christian nationalism' are 'bigger threat' to US than Hamas column triggers debate, furor
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

The case against religion
(Bettina Krause, Liberty Magazine)

Nigeria Islamic court sentences cross-dressers to flogging
(AFP, Barron's)

How hate solidifies—Özyürek in Zeit Online
(Cambridge Interfaith Programme)

Articles of interest - 6 November 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Faith-based groups’ protests for cease-fire in Gaza gain momentum
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

NY cardinal denounces acts of religious hatred in US amid Gaza war
(John Lavenburg, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

How the Israel-Hamas war has brought together Arab Christians and Muslims
(Daoud Kuttab, Religion News Service)

Serbian journalist Vladimir Veljkovic on the war in Ukraine, Patriarch Kirill and Orthodoxy’s future
(Jovan Tripkovic, Religion Unplugged)

The SBU served notice of suspicion on the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

UNESCO mission to study damage to cultural monuments caused by Russian shelling launches in Chernihiv
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Texas tests First Amendment with chaplains in public schools
(Charles J. Russo, Religion Unplugged)

Two weeks in review, 23 October – 5 November 2023
(Tal Gross, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

New book: The Opening of the Protestant Mind: How Anglo-American Protestants Embraced Religious Liberty
(Mark Valeri, Oxford University Press)

COMECE advocates for the importance of confessional religious education at all levels of learning
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))

A special kind of hatred
(Ian Speir, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)

A Brazilian plea for science, religious freedom and the right to samba as you wish
(Daniel Gontijo E Pirula, WorldCrunch)

Malaysia: PN MP: Expedite law to curb spread of other religions to Muslims
(Malaysiakini)

India: Kerala government to challenge High Court ban on crackers at religious places
(India Today)

As Ohio and other states decide on abortion, anti-abortion activists look to rebrand themselves as not religious
(Anne Whitesell, The Conversation)

Virginia photographer now free from government coercion
(Alliance Defending Freedom)

Legal Journal Number 1 (19): October (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)

Friday, 3 November 2023

Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on President Biden’s establishment of first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia
(The White House)

The White House is working on a strategy to combat Islamophobia. Many Muslim Americans are skeptical
(Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim and Zeke Miller, Associated Press)

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivers remarks at the United Against Hate virtual forum
(Merrick Garland, U.S. Department of Justice)

Iranian Jews threatened, told to break contact with Israeli relatives - report
(The Jerusalem Post)

Iran: Religious persecution and issues – Monthly digest October
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Indonesia: What’s in a name? Terminology for Christian holidays in the spotlight
(Muhammad Ahalla Tsauro and Rezza Prasetyo Setiawan, The University of Melbourne)

EVENT, 3 November 2023: Christian Theology and the Dialogue with Islam
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Cabell county school board agrees to implement freedom of religion training for staff
(Briana Heaney, West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

Governor Glenn Youngkin issues executive directive to combat antisemitism and anti-religious bigotry in the Commonwealth and on campuses
(Governor of Virginia)

Pennsylvania lawmakers pass bill allowing teachers to wear religious garb
(George Stockburger, ABC 27 News)

Why Black women like Yolanda Pierce are rising to lead top theology schools
(Rebekah Barber, Religion News Service)

Illinois man pleads not guilty to hate crime and murder charges in attack on Muslim mother and son
(Sophia Tareen, Associated Press)

Mali: Islamist armed groups, army target civilians
(Human Rights Watch)

US sanctions Myanmar junta’s gas revenue
(Shayna Bauchner, Human Rights Watch)

'I was tired of God being dead': How one woman was drawn to witchcraft
(Mallory Yu, NPR)

Cornell cancels classes after student is charged with threatening Jewish people on campus
(Associated Press)

Jewish students on campus feel threatened, scared amid antisemitic spike
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)

Harvard, Penn, Columbia announce steps to address antisemitism following campus turmoil
(Jackie Hajdenberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Nation’s top law firms warn deans: Antisemitic law school grads won’t be hired
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

Cornell student arrested in connection with antisemitic threats on New York campus
(Brian Mann, NPR)

Kerala blasts: Man arrested after deadly attack on Jehovah's Witnesses
(Meryl Sebastian and Ashraf Padanna, BBC News)

Paris graffiti recall 1930s antisemitism, says mayor
(BBC News)

Faith leaders highlight Russian religious persecution in occupied Ukraine
(Shelby Magid and Mercedes Sapuppo, Atlantic Council)

Russia: Armed raid on Krasnodar Region church
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)

A Russian singer who condemned the war in Ukraine is back home. The Orthodox Church wants an apology
(Associated Press)

Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest Oct. 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

How social media fuelled antisemitic violence in Dagestan, Russia
(Olga Robinson, Maria Korenyuk, and Grigor Atanesian, BBC News)

Violence rages in Gaza, but a meeting of Jewish and Muslim women has given me hope
(Remona Aly, The Guardian)

For Muslim Americans, a spike in hate incidents feels reminiscent of post 9/11 Islamophobia
(Sakshi Venkatraman and Mirna Alsharif, NBC News)

Free speech and free exercise challenges to law restricting sidewalk counselors moves ahead
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

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