Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 25 October 2023
As Pope Francis calls for another day of fasting and prayer for peace in Middle East, faith leaders respond
(Christine Rousselle, Fox News)
Interfaith potluck aimed to soothe tensions over Israel-Hamas war
(Larry Seward, CBS News)
Leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures
(Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press)
Antisemitic incidents have spiked in New York since Hamas attack on Israel, new data shows
(Luke Tress, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Turkish police arrest 33 Daesh/ISIS terror suspects
(Muhammed Nuri Erdogan, Anadolu Agency)
FFRF calls out Miss. school district for promoting religion
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
Vatican summit tackles women’s ordination with a nod from Pope Francis
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Archbishop Welby, patriarchs of Jerusalem urge ceasefire, condemn church bombing
(Catherine Pepinster, Religion News Service)
Oklahoma attorney general sues to stop US’s first public religious school
(Sean Murphy, Religion News Service)
A Detroit synagogue president was fatally stabbed outside her home. Police don’t have a motive
(Associated Press)
Police say there’s no evidence of a hate crime in the killing of a Detroit synagogue leader
(Sophia Tareen, Associated Press)
How the Israel-Hamas War impacts regional relations
(Hesham Youssef, The United States Institute of Peace)
Israel still blocking aid to civilians in Gaza
(Sari Bashi, Human Rights Watch)
Palestinian Americans on the Israel-Hamas war: 'We're not even allowed to grieve'
(Sandhya Dirks, NPR)
American Jews and Palestinians face fear and hatred
(Madeline Halpert, BBC News)
Kenyan Catholic priest marries after joining splinter group
Ukraine parliament advances bill seen to ban Russia-linked Orthodox church from country
(Tyler Arnold, National Catholic Register)
Myanmar: UN expert reports on Myanmar’s ‘raging fire of brutality’
(John Sifton, Human Rights Watch)
New Zealand opens inquest into Christchurch mosque attacks that killed 51
(Al Jazeera)
Germany: Christian school shuttered by German government appeals to European Court of Human Rights
(Jon Brown, The Christian Post)
Canada: Obligatory oaths of allegiance and freedom of religion: Wirring
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Catholic bishop calls on UK prime minister to fight climate crisis
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Britain’s fastest-growing Christian services held in Chinese
(Kaya Burgess, The Times)
In South Africa, prosecutions intensify as bogus faith groups raid bird species for rituals
(Audrey Simango, Baptist news Global)
Kazakhstan: The 21st secretariat of the Congress of leaders of world and traditional religions
(The World Fellowship of Buddhists)
Occupied Ukraine: Detained, fined, ordered "deported"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Ukraine: The head of the UGCC calls on the world Congress of Ukrainians to be messengers of truth about Ukraine's struggle
(Ukraine and World, Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
APPG attends forum on Korean unification
(Twitter, Lord David Alton)
Kenya: Religious leaders open Peacebuilding Architecture Review
(Twitter, Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK))
India: Lessons on why we humans must unite
(A. K. Merchant, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
India: Animal sacrifice in Assam's Kamakhya Temple: A clash between tradition and animal rights
(Bikash Chetry, India Today)
India: In Hinduism’s celebration of Durga, lessons for how to navigate global conflicts
(Murali Balaji, Religion News Service)
Ethiopia: Bishops in Ethiopia warn the country may be on brink of return to war
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Years of interfaith progress jeopardized in an instant
(Susan Crabtree, Real Clear Politics)
Upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case could be a huge religion-beat sleeper story
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
China: The Christian exodus from China
(William Huang, MercatorNet)
China: UN member countries condemn China’s crimes against humanity
(Louis Charbonneau, Human Rights Watch)
Consent decree entered in RLUIPA suit charging discrimination against Orthodox Jews
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Synod of encounter? Addressing divisions in the global Catholic Church
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
RFRA and the new Thoreaus
(Mark L. Movsesian, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Battle over Bibles: Q&A with Arizona school board mom canceled over scripture verse
(Jovan Tripkovic, Religion Unplugged)
Czechia: Divorce in Czechia to become easier and quicker
(Anna Fodor, Czech Radio)
Lenis v. Greece: Extreme homophobia not protected under freedom of expression
(Tobias Mortier, Strasbourg Observers)
Ghana: Christian leaders in Ghana are trying to reshape government – it may not end well
(The Conversation)
Religion, geopolitics, and the current conflicts (Spanish podcast)
(Duna Radio)
Image privacy in religious worship Brazil: (Portuguese)
(Carolina de Castro Wanderley, Conjur)
Tuesday, 24 October 2023
EVENT, 24 October 2023 (2PM ET): 2023 Lantos Prize Ceremony (Washington, DC, USA)
(The Lantos Foundation)
Monday, 23 October 2023
Christian pre-school may get state aid without complying with non-discrimination rules which violate its beliefs
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
CO school free to participate in universal preschool program consistent with religious beliefs
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Religious liberty groups praise districts rejecting public school chaplains
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
May school choice programs restrict religious schools' ability to select teachers based on religion, sex, etc.?
(Eugene Volokh, Reason)
Do religious schools have a right to exemption from state's pronoun policies?
(Eugene Volokh, Reason)
Oklahoma Attorney General sues to stop nation’s first religious charter school
(Peter Greene, Forbes)
Sweden must strengthen dialogue with faith communities to combat religious or belief intolerance: UN expert
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Nazila Ghanea, upholding religious freedom must be a key priority in Sweden
(The European Times)
WCC stands in solidarity with Jerusalem heads of churches in urgent call to protect places of refuge
(World Council of Churches)
Plug-In: The crucial role of religion in the dangerous Israel-Hamas war
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
Spain-Israel tensions flare and multiple Spanish synagogues are hit with anti-Israel graffiti
(Orge Castellano, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Israel: The war has forced Israel’s Arab citizens to explain that no, they are not Hamas
(Ivana Kottasová and Adi Kopelwitz, CNN)
Pope Francis calls US President Joe Biden to discuss peace
(Devin Watkins, Vatican News)
EVENT, 23 October 2023 (3PM ET): 25th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act (Washington, DC, USA)
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
CALL FOR PROPOSALS, deadline 23 October 2023: Arab Region Dialogue Initiatives
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
ADF qualified to provide training on anti-religious discrimination in workplace
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Religious rights group says it's qualified to train Southwest Airlines lawyers
(Nate Raymond, Reuters)
Vegetarian or vegan? What about lab-grown beef? Hindus follow scriptures for diet advice
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
Canada: More than 2 dozen faith leaders in Ottawa sign joint statement condemning hate
(Ted Raymond, CTV News)
We are seeing urgent signs of more mutual mass atrocities to come in Israel and Gaza
(Omar Shakir, Yasmine Ahmed, Akshaya Kumar, Human Rights Watch)
International humanitarian law applies to all states
(Tom Porteous, Human Rights Watch)
Israel: Unlawful Gaza blockade deadly for children
(Human Rights Watch)
What Israel can learn from America’s counterterrorism missteps
(Sarah Yager, Human Rights Watch)
Pro-Palestine demonstrations rock Muslim world after Friday prayers
(TRT World)
Childlessness as a pro-environmental behaviour: A challenge to the Abrahamic procreative teachings
(Sandra Maurice, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Argentina: Center for Women, Faith & Leadership holds workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Why is Braverman allowing silent prayer to be punished whilst supporters of anti-Semitic terror go free?
(Lois McLatchie Miller, Conservative Home)
Shunning from the Jehovah’s Witness Community: Is It Legal?
(Windy A. Grendele, Maya Flax, and Savin Bapir-Tardy, Cambridge University Press)
Law and religion round-up – 22nd October
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Police report 'significant increase' in hate crimes across London
(Middle East Monitor)
Nigeria: Plateau crisis: OPSH commander cautions religious leaders on inciting statements
(The Sun)
Pakistani senate body seeks end of 'unjust' blasphemy cases
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Pakistan’s Supreme Court Chief Justice addresses religious persecution
(Charles Ramsey, Real Clear Politics)
We need freedom of religious expression in business
(Kent Johnson, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
The faith factor: Can religion help to win support for the environment?
(Melissa Deckman, The Hill)
Oklahoma attorney general sues to stop US's first public religious school
(Sean Murphy, National Catholic Reporter)
Guatemala: Adventist women in Guatemala commit to making a difference in their communities
(Libna Stevens, Seventh-day Adventist Church)
How Muslim and Jewish faith groups are coming together during Israel-Hamas war
(Ali Rogin, PBS)
US judge blocks law that would have been first to ban ‘abortion pill reversal’
(Carter Sherman, The Guardian)
Uganda: Decision to block Ugandan lawmakers from prayer gathering sparks freedom of worship concerns
(John Semakula, Religion Unplugged)
Kazakhstan announces ban on hijabs in schools
(Anatolij Weisskopf, Deutsche Welle)
Western Michigan Episcopal priest sues county, board of commissioners for religious discrimination
(Shireen Korkzan, Episcopal News Service)
Antisemitic hate crimes increase by 36% in 2022, FBI stats reveal
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
German leaders voice outrage and thousands rally in Berlin in reaction to rising antisemitism
(Associated Press)
Man sentenced to 18 months in prison for making racially-motivated harassing calls to African American woman employed at Billings church
(U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana, U.S. Department of Justice)
Articles of interest - 23 October 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court protects Catholic healthcare clinic’s care for pregnant women in need
(Becket)
Around the web - 23 October 2023
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Remarks by President Biden on the United States’ response to Hamas’s terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine
(The White House)
Mexico: Violence forced them to flee. Now faith sustains these migrants on their journey to the US
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
The Lemon Test is dead. Religious freedom is alive.
(Mat Staver, The Christian Post)
Religious community and democratic education
(with Rita Koganzon, hosted by James M. Patterson, Law & Liberty)
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