Law and Religion Headlines
Saturday, 24 June 2023
Manifestation of neo-colonialism—the case of cacao and the dark secret of chocolate
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Spirited seas: science and spirituality, an interfaith exploration of the environmental consequences of deep seabed mining
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Islamophobia in France: “Muslim prayers” in schoolyards are “intolerable” says minister
(AhlulBayt News Agency)
An orthodox rabbi makes the case for legalizing organ markets
(Ilya Somin, The Volokh Conspiracy)
A doctoral programme protected by the right to education in Telek and Others v. Türkiye? More careful research required
(Dylan Couck, Strasbourg Observers)
The implementation of ECtHR psychiatry-related judgments in Romania: UN CRPD standards as a way forward
(Ioana Iliescu, Strasbourg Observers)
His 1956 complaint about Bible-reading in school changed history. He says things are worse now.
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)
Professor’s quest: A closer dialogue between study of religion and other disciplines
(Ray Waddle, Yale Divinity School)
Congo's Catholic church questions government's election preparations
(Reuters)
Portugal's Parliament President joins KAICIID in celebrating Day of Religious Freedom and Interreligious Dialogue
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Portugal is one of the countries with the greatest religious freedom in the world, says Parliament unanimously (Portuguese)
(Antonio Marujo, 7MARGENS)
Portugal: «Harmony between religions makes our work easier» – Zuhair Alharthi (Portuguese)
(ECCLESIA Agency)
Control over bodies: Transformation of a religious tradition into law
(Zahra Abedinezhad, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Houses of worship and religious architecture: Identity, place, and effects of repurposing
(Frederick Rucker Jr., Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Friday, 23 June 2023
Opinion: Braidwood Management v. EEOC (pdf)
(Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals)
EVENT, 19-23 June 2023: Sixth Annual Conference | Theme: Religion from the Inside
(European Academy of Religion)
HYBRID EVENT, 23 June 2023 (10AM ET): A Whole of Society Approach: Religious Actors as Driver of Change and Preventing Violent Extremism (New York)
(Religions for Peace, ACT Alliance, World Council of Churches, The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, Bahá'í International Community, and United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect)
Court exempts a Texas company from following anti-discrimination law protecting LGBTQ+ workers
(Kevin McGill, Associated Press)
One-in-six Americans have taken steps to see less of someone on social media due to religious content
(Jeff Diamant, Pew Research Center)
Freedom of speech and LGBT rights: Americans’ views of issues in Supreme Court case
(J. Baxter Oliphant and Carroll Doherty, Pew Research Center)
US bishops ponder plan to combat declines in Hispanic Catholicism
(John Lavenburg, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Anti-Muslim record, rights abuses dim Modi's charm offensive on US visit
(TRT World)
53% of Indians are accepting of same-sex marriage, finds global survey by Pew Research
(Nikhil Rampal, The Print)
Battle for Oak Flat: How Apache opposition to a copper mine became a religious liberty test
(Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times)
US bishops to consider banning transgender care at all American Catholic hospitals
(Brian Fraga, National Catholic Reporter)
The sleeper legal strategy that could topple abortion bans
(Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico)
Vatican document highlights need for concrete steps for women, ‘radical inclusion’ of LGBTQ+
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Durable solutions to the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar
(Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations)
Burkina Faso: Upsurge in atrocities by Islamist armed groups
(Human Rights Watch)
Canada: Supporters of assassinated B.C. Sikh temple leader worry for their own safety
(CBC News)
Emerge from ‘forest of faith’ to serve and engage others, Elder Gilbert says at the 10th annual BYU religious freedom review
(Brigham Tomco, Deseret News)
Be ‘effective stewards’ of religious liberty, Elder Gilbert urges at BYU conference
(Trent Toone, Church News)
Faith leaders discuss religious freedom, backsliding in the Americas
(Addison Graham, Real Clear Politics)
Designating and promoting accountability for conflict-related sexual violence
(Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Department of State)
Army veteran sentenced to 55 years for road rage shooting death of Muslim man
(Associated Press)
‘Critical need’ for new resettlement opportunities for Iranian Christian refugees in Turkey – report
(Article 18)
Turkish police arrest senior Daesh terrorist in Istanbul
(TRT World)
Islam’s call to prayer is ringing out in more US cities – affirming a long and growing presence of Muslims in America
(Leila Tarakji, The Conversation)
A nun commends Dodgers’ handling of Pride Night controversy. Some archbishops call it blasphemy
(David Crary, Associated Press)
A high-profile French nun is inspiring hope for Catholic women. But can she really bring change?
(Nicole Winfield and Trisha Thomas, Associated Press)
Through personal ups and downs, they've waited years to perform Hajj. These are their stories
(Fares Akram, Niniek Karmini, Abby Sewell, Mariam Fam, and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press)
Bishops begin process that could ban gender-affirming care in Catholic hospitals
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Federal government backs down on transgender mandate
(Becket)
Southern Baptists expel churches with women pastors – but the debate’s not just about gender
(Andrew Gardner, The Conversation)
Mission trips are an evangelical rite of passage for US teens – but why?
(Caroline R. Nagel, The Conversation)
Iranian Christian refugees in Sweden share frustrations at asylum process
(Article 18)
In 2020, properties in 102 countries and territories were targeted in incidents tied to religion
(Samirah Majumdar, Pew Research Center)
Women at the table: the first global, multi-faith study on the state of women and freedom of religion or belief
(FoRB Women’s Alliance)
New ordinance represents a ‘minefield’ for churches, Georgia pastor says
(Scott Barkley, Baptist Press)
Yemen: UN experts call for release of disappeared Bahá'ís
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
‘Religious cleansing’ threatens Armenian Christians’ existence, human rights leaders warn
(Peter Pinedo, Catholic News Agency)
Tajikistan: Jail sentences, fines for studying Islam
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
New book: Interreligious Studies: An Introduction
(Rachel Mikva, Cambridge University Press)
In Europe’s empty churches, prayer and confessions make way for drinking and dancing
(Raf Casert, Associated Press)
Revolution in Iran: The state of minorities, uprising against Tehran
(Jonathan Spyer, The Jerusalem Post)
Brazil’s president offers to try to win release of bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua
(Associated Press)
Christian pre-school challenges exclusion from Colorado state aid program
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Supreme Court denies review in Christian college's challenge to Fair Housing Act enforcement
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Pope Francis receives Cuban President Díaz-Canel Bermúdez
(Vatican News)
Where religious identity fits into your DEI strategy
(Megan Johnson, Amber Hacker, Michael Hill, and Eboo Patel, Harvard Business Review)
Putin called Zelensky "a disgrace to the Jewish people." The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine responded
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Letter to the Pakistan Bar Council in relation to Ahmadi Muslim lawyers (pdf)
(Bar Council of England and Wales)
No. 10 Downing Street meeting
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
CofE Independent Safeguarding Board to be “reset”
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Home Secretary and Jewish community leaders say lack of antisemitic hate crime arrests is 'unacceptable'
(David Rose, The Jewish Chronicle)
Inside the return of Catholic chaplains at Walter Reed
(Mark A. Kellner and Billy Hallowell, The Washington Times)
‘Dangerous’ abortion cases and the dangers of misportraying ECtHR’s inadmissibility decisions
(Sissy Katsoni, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
WCC condemns Uganda school attack
(World Council of Churches)
Syria: The lack of future for the Christian minority and the 7th Brussels EU-Conference
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest June 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly digest June 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Belarus: bulldozers destroy Minsk church
(Olga Glace, Forum 18 News Service)
Owning a Bible might become illegal in Belarus
(Christian Network Europe)
The fight against hatred against Muslims (French)
(Marion Lalisse, Radio France)
Wednesday, 21 June 2023
EVENT, 21-23 June 2023: Negotiating Boundaries in Buddhism and Buddhist Studies (Scotland)
(University of St Andrews)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 19-21 June 2023: Gobernanza Global y Crecimiento en Libertad
(ICLRS y otros anfitriones y catedráticos, Miami Dade College)
WEBINAR, 21 June 2023 (3PM ET): The Battle over Religious Liberty in the Courts
(Purdue Global / Concord)
Tuesday, 20 June 2023
VIRTUAL EVENT, 20 June 2023 (19.00 GMT+3): Combatting Hate Crimes: Civil Society Practices
(İnanç Özgürlüğü Girişimi)
Keynote address by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the 16th General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (pdf)
(Conference of European Churches)
Ukraine: Being Church in the middle of war
(Conference of European Churches)
First Muslim Jewish Leadership Council board meeting of 2023
(Twitter, KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
2023 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
(Council on Foreign Relations)
Minnesota stops enforcing law excluding religious colleges from free enrollment program
(Breccan F. Thies, Washington Examiner)
Canada: RFI Senior Fellow defends religious freedom of Canada’s military chaplains in House of Commons
(Religious Freedom Institute)
CEC Assembly issues statements on Ukraine, climate change and migration
(Conference of European Churches)
USCIRF urges President Biden to raise religious freedom concerns during India state visit
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
The desperate plight of Yazidis and Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan did not end with the defeat of IS
(Ellis Heasley, Sight)
Catholic chaplains return to Walter Reed after contract expiration sparked outrage
(Ryan Foley, The Christian Post)
"Leave No One Behind": The stories of religious and ethnic minorities who fled Afghanistan
(YouTube Video, CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Army Appeals Court: Poisoning through Vodou not protected by Free Exercise clause or RFRA
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Articles of interest - 19 June 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
California law does not interfere with pre-schools' religious curriculum
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Iran: Senior cleric criticized for defending religious interference in politics
(Maryam Sinaee, Iran International)
Supreme Court's ruling on religion case—what to know
(Khaleda Rahman, Newsweek)
India: Kerala instructs registrars not to ask religions of bride & groom
(The Times of India)
Catholics in South Sudan voice alarm over forced marriage
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Catholics, landowners spar in Brazil over territorial rights for indigenous groups
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Freedom of religion is inherently good
(Abdulrahman Bindamnan, Acton Institute)
Employment and “protected beliefs”: Higgs v Farmor’s School
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Bishops accuse Westminster of ‘ideological colonisation’ over abortion propaganda in Irish schools
(Dubhaltach O Reachtnin, Catholic Herald)
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