Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 23 October 2023
Two weeks in review, 9–22 October 2023
(Justina Uriburu, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
No more church services on the main channel of Norway's broadcaster
(Christian Network Europe)
10 things to know about China’s policies on religion
(Pew Research Center)
Restrictions on pornography are progressing in France
(Christian Network Europe)
Navajo Nation debating whether to end ban on same-sex marriage
(Karin Brulliard, The Washington Post)
Mapping the religious landscape of Ukraine
(Denys Brylov, Tetiana Kalenychenko, and Andrii Kryshtal, The United States Institute of Peace)
T&T: NTA: Religious intolerance is a line no country should ever cross
(Loop News)
Sunday, 22 October 2023
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS, deadline 22 October 2023: Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy (New York, USA)
(Interfaith Center of New York)
Friday, 20 October 2023
Historic St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church struck in deadly Gaza attack
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Jewish chief dismayed by Muslim reaction to Hamas attack
(Nik Martin, Deutsche Welle)
Jewish-led demonstrations for Gaza cease-fire see hundreds arrested at Capitol
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
War in Mideast inflames college campuses and raises fears of antisemitism
(Nick Anderson, The Washington Post)
Violent threats from Virginia to Texas disrupt Muslim groups raising support for Palestinians
(Matthew Barakat, Associated Press)
Hamas, Islamic jihad: Holding hostages is a war crime
(Human Rights Watch)
Australia: Faith leaders urge for religious freedom laws in wake of Israel conflict
(Sarah Ison, The Australian)
VIRTUAL SUMMIT, 19-20 October 2023: Global Youth Summit for FoRB: “Toward a Future of Social Harmony.” Connect & collaborate with FoRB champions and rising stars from around the globe
(First Freedom, IRFBA, and Boat People SOS)
New law enhances religious protections for incarcerated people across California
(Kristine Flores, NBC Bay Area)
Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India
(Nadine Yousif, BBC News)
Canada: Judge dismisses prospective lawyer's challenge over mandatory oath to monarchy
(Stephen Cook, CBC News)
Palestinian Americans decry demonization in media amid rising fear of hate crimes
(Kathryn Post and Roxanne Stone, Religion News Service)
Participants at Vatican synod divided on how to respond to war in the Holy Land
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Statement on the targeting of a hospital in Gaza
(Muslim World League)
Europe antisemitism: Berlin synagogue targeted as attacks rise
(Jessica Parker and Paul Kirby, BBC News)
UN refugee chief seeks to mobilise support for Rohingya migrants
(TRT World)
Fury grows in Turkey against Israel, fresh protests staged
(Ece Toksabay and Ali Kucukgocmen, Reuters)
Principal apologizes for asking student to remove Palestinian flag from online profile
(Nicole Williams, CBC News)
Colombia must finally reckon with the religious element of its decades long internal conflict
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Prayers for peace
(Conference of European Churches)
Global Youth Summit unites 500+ youth from 77 countries to champion freedom of religion or belief
(Religion News Service)
Islamic state claims responsibility for Brussels attack -group's channel on Telegram
(Reuters)
FFRF brief sides with Southwest Airlines over unprecedented ‘religious liberty training’ order
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
Uzbekistan should investigate claims of ill-treatment, torture
(Mihra Rittmann, Human Rights Watch)
Ukraine’s parliament advances bill seen as targeting Orthodox church with historic ties to Moscow
(Peter Smith, Associated Press)
If Ukraine is truly committed to human rights, it must uphold its freedom of religion
(William W. Burke-White, The Hill)
ONLINE COURSE: Using Interreligious Dialogue to Reduce Religiophobia
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
UK Catholic groups urge Parliament to end two-child cap on credits
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
The fight for religious freedom
(Miles Windsor, The Critic)
New bill introduces world’s most extreme abortion buffer zone law to Scotland
(Madeleine Teahan, Catholic News Agency)
China: APEC leaders can’t ignore Xi’s widening Uyghur genocide
(Omer Kanat, Real Clear Politics)
China: IRFBA statement on Chinese religious prisoner of conscience, Wang Yi
(International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), U.S. Department of State)
China: Government-controlled churches must establish “surveillance” boards
(ChinaAid)
Persecuted Christians around the world need the U.S. to be a safe haven
(Maryam Rostampour-Keller, Newsweek)
Dutch court convicts man who projected antisemitic message on Anne Frank museum
(Molly Quell, Associated Press)
Church parking near stadiums scores big in a win-win for faith congregations and sports fans
(Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press)
Nicaragua releases 12 Catholic priests and sends them to Rome, following agreement with the Vatican
(Associated Press)
Italian lawmakers approve 10 million euros for long-delayed Holocaust Museum in Rome
(Colleen Barry, Associated Press)
5th Circuit: Religious objection to medications must be considered in forcible medication determination
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Employees' objections to covid vaccine were not religious
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Argentina legalized abortion in 2020. Will this impact Evangelicals’ presidential vote?
(David Agren, Christianity Today)
LGBTQ+ rights v. religious claims: Navigating the tensions between RFRA and Title VII
(Adelaide Madera, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Climate change and the importance of indigenous knowledge
(Arthur Lyon Dahl, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
The expulsion of migrants: The Court rules in four cases against Denmark this September
(Harriet Ní Chinnéide, Strasbourg Observers)
Oklahoma attorney general enters fight against would-be first religious charter school
(Andrea Eger, Tulsa World)
ACN Report 2023: Religious freedom is violated in one in three countries (Spanish)
(Obispado Segorbe-Castellón)
Peru: Constitution Committee will analyze proposal that guarantees the religious freedom of employees and public servants (Spanish)
(Congreso de la República)
Holy See: Human rights are still violated by wars and lack of religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Tiziana Campisi, Vatican News)
Thursday, 19 October 2023
WEBINAR, 19 October 2023 (11:30AM ET): The Religious Freedom Restoration Act at Thirty
(The Center for the Study of Law and Religion and Canopy Forum)
Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Gaza hospital where hundreds were killed is owned by Anglican Communion branch
(Michelle Boorstein and Ben Brasch, The Washington Post)
Mourners in heavily Palestinian Chicago suburb remember Muslim boy killed as kind and energetic
(Sophia Tareen, Claire Savage and Melissa Perez Winder, Associated Press)
Chicago rabbis attend funeral of Palestinian-American child killed in alleged Islamophobic hate crime
(Jackie Hajdenberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Israel-Gaza Conflict – UK faith leaders condemn antisemitism and call for solidarity between faith communities
(The Church of England)
Senior UK Muslim clerics condemn Hamas attacks on Israel in landmark statement
(Jewish News)
Steve Bell sacked by Guardian in antisemitism row over Netanyahu cartoon
(Emma Saunders, BBC News)
English bishop claims marriage ‘disappearing in Britain’
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Removal of plaque from church for safeguarding reasons
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
‘This is Israel’s 9/11’: Christians wage war against Hamas
(Erik Tryggestad, Religion Unplugged)
‘Anxiety and fear are high:’ US Palestinians, Muslims fear a return to post-9/11 Islamophobia
(Nicquel Terry Ellis and Chandelis Duster, CNN)
Canada: Markham Public Library apologizes after email suggests taking down Islamic Heritage Month displays
(Muriel Draaisma, CBC News)
WEBINAR, 18 October 2023 (12PM ET): Halal Preferences and Food Insufficiency among American Muslims
(Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU))
#UsToo: How antisemitism and Islamophobia make reporting sexual misconduct and abuse of power harder for Jewish and Muslim women
(Keren McGinit y, The Conversation)
Restaurant settles EEOC religious discrimination suit
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
EEOC’s workplace harassment guidance misses the mark on religion
(Jonathan Segal, Bloomberg Law)
Canada: Respect religious hospitals' conscience rights, says Canadians
(Cardus)
Canada: Religion vs creed: Dealing with religious accommodation requests
(Emily Douglas, Human Resources Director)
India: Celebrated novelist Arundhati Roy faces prosecution in India – for a speech she gave in 2010
(Priya Chacko, The Conversation)
India: From sati to interfaith marriages, institution of marriage has undergone sea change: SC
(Press Trust of India)
India: Minister Sekar Babu warns of action against persons speaking ill of other religions
(The Hindu)
India: SC refuses to entertain PIL seeking rights for Hindus, others to manage their religious places like Muslims
(Ashish Tripathi, Deccan Herald)
India: What's next for same-sex marriage in India
(Shruti Mahajan, The Washington Post)
Mexico: Religious minorities in Michoacán, Mexico just wanted to be treated equally
(Pablo Vargas, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
BYU study examines how religious faith bolsters family hope and unity
(Tyler Stahle, BYU News)
Why a Catholic nun sued the Louisiana Board of Pardons
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
6-year-old boy fatally stabbed in anti-Muslim attack, authorities say
(Johnny Diaz, Mitch Smith, and Robert Chiarito, The New York Times)
Spain: Jehovah’s Witnesses win important case against “El Mundo”
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Blasphemy: Nigerian singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu's death penalty case discussed at European Parliament
(Sahara Reporters)
Donald Trump and the exceptions of American evangelicalism
(John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Sightings, The University of Chicago Divinity School)
Istanbul police arrest 17 people suspected of financing Daesh/ISIS terrorist group
(Zeynep Yesildal, Anadolu Agency)
What’s next after Hamas’ attack on Israel?
(Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, The United States Institute of Peace)
Why Israel’s Gaza evacuation order is so alarming
(Sari Bashi, Human Rights Watch)
China: UN Chief should denounce crimes against humanity
(Human Rights Watch)
Uproar after 6-year-old Muslim boy killed in US Islamophobic attack
(Daily Sabah)
Hundreds killed in explosion at a crowded Gaza hospital
(Jaclyn Diaz, Steve Inskeep, Bill Chappell, NPR)
Catholic healthcare clinic fights to help pregnant women in need
(Becket Law)
FFRF gets prayer cards removed from Mississippi middle school
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
California: Prison religious clothing bill signed into law
(Contra Costa News)
Federal judge poses tough questions to state about Colorado’s abortion pill “reversal” law
(John Ingold, Colorado Sun)
The German chancellor condemns a firebomb attack on a Berlin synagogue and vows protection for Jews
(Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press)
School material on Islam did not violate current Establishment Clause test
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
FBI releases 2022 hate crime statistics
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Guatemala Church supports demonstrators, demands respect for election results
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
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