Law and Religion Headlines

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Scott Morrison accused of ‘deeply ill-informed’ attack on religious freedom after Islam speech
(Josh Butler and Adeshola Ore, The Guardian)

OIC Secretary-General meets with Chinese vice president and foreign minister in Beijing
(Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)

Canada: Quebec mosque attack anniversary renews call to end anti-Muslim hate
(Jillian Kestler-D'Amours, Al Jazeera)

Monday, 26 January 2026

Cuba’s Santeros offer gifts and ask deities for peace as tensions rise with US
(Andrea Rodríguez, Associated Press)

Articles and books of interest - 26 January 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust 27 January
(United Nations)

South Africa’s gender-based violence crisis reaches the pulpit
(Vicky Abraham, Religion Unplugged)

The persecution of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church: Forced conversion, derision, and systemic erasure – Analysis
(Girma Berhanu, Eurasia Review)

Mexico: Protestant family forcibly displaced after pastor's refusal to kneel and pray to Roman Catholic saint
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Canada is trying to combat “hate speech” by stripping religious protections
(Bryan Chai, Alliance Defending Freedom)

Religious tolerance key to Nigeria’s unity – President Tinubu
(Mnena Iyorkegh, Voice of Nigeria)

Pakistan: 2 Christian nurses acquitted of blasphemy in landmark court ruling
(Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post)

Friday, 23 January 2026

Pathways for partnership with religious communities: G20 Social Summit
(Sandile Makasi, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Indian state prevents Hindu ritual inside Catholic school
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Jamaican churches seek repair funds after Hurricane Melissa ravages island
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)

Maldives: Why this idyllic island nation is cracking down on religion
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)

NZ: Government announces $10m for Ringatū marae in Bay of Plenty
(Radio New Zealand)

Nicaraguan regime bans urban and rural “door-to-door” missions in the country’s dioceses
(Zenit)

Hybrid event: Tibetan democracy (in exile): Religious freedom and political empowerment
(Atlantic Council)

President of Guatemalan bishops: Peace, justice against violence
(Federico Piana, Vatican News)

Statesmanship and Religious Freedom Series (for university students)
(Religious Freedom Institute)

Pope: Catholic Social Teaching shows path to peaceful coexistence
(Devin Watkins, Vatican News)

Confidential UAE memo details plan to push France to act against Muslim Brotherhood
(Middle East Eye)

Wednesday, 21 January 2026

Australia: View from The Hill: Liberals tick off deal on hate crime measures
(Michelle Grattan, The Conversation)

Australia: View from The Hill: defiant Nationals break with Liberals over hate bill, putting strain on Coalition
(Michelle Grattan, The Conversation)

ECHR to rule on fate of Christian icons in Greek courts: Atheists push for removal
(Bill Giannopoulos, Greek City Times)

Islamic State group claims blast on Chinese restaurant in Kabul that killed 7
(Abdul Qahar Afghan, Associated Press)

Faith is under fire in Ethiopia— Congress must act
(Mesfin Tegenu, The Hill)

Why Islamic State group prisoners in northeast Syria are being transferred to Iraq
(Bassem Mroue, Associated Press)

Catholicism has declined in Latin America over the past decade
(Kirsten Lesage, Jonathan Evans, Manolo Corichi, and Skylar Thomas, Pew Research Center)

Vatican weighs Trump's Board of Peace invitation but calls for respect for international law
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

Zimbabwe bishops oppose changes to abortion law
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Kazakhstan: Wife to be jailed for advocating for husband jailed in Xinjiang?
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

Third iteration of training for ASEAN officials on interreligious and intercultural dialogue
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

‘De-Islamization’ is rapidly gaining momentum in Iran – Analysis
(Anbound, Eurasia Review)

What is Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party? Could it lead the country next?
(Masum Billah, Al Jazeera)

IF20 Environment Working Group 2025 policy brief: Addressing the debt-climate nexus
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Archbishop Caccia delivers statement at the General Debate of the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity
(Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations)

South Korea: President Lee condemns churches preaching 'Kill Lee Jae-myung'
(Joo Hee-yeon, The Chosun Daily)

When established religions turn to state power: Korea's dangerous precedent
(Thomas Ward, Korea Times)

Australia: New hate laws have passed parliament. What do they actually do?
(Sara Tomevska, Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Shincheonji Church decries government interference on freedom of Worship
(KBC Digital)

Colombia’s religious violence: Pastors need protection before politics turns faith into target
(Latin American Post)

Azerbaijan, Egypt enhance religious cooperation
(The Azerbaijan State News Agency)

Monday, 19 January 2026

Religion Watch Volume 41 No. 2
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

Brazil: National hearing examines efforts to address societal violence
(Bahá’í World News Service)

Webinar, 21 January 2026: Interfaith Prayer for Shared Sacred Flourishing
(Religions for Peace)

Syria: Statement on the ceasefire
(X, Muslim World League)

Gunmen abduct over 150 worshippers from 3 churches in Nigeria
(Dyepkazah Shibayan, Associated Press)

Articles of interest - 19 January 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Mexican priest moves to undisclosed location after death threats in Guerrero
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

India is profiling Kashmir mosques, raising new surveillance fears
(Al Jazeera)

Catholic Church in Mexico convokes National Dialogue for Peace
(David Ramos, Catholic News Agency)

Nigeria: Advocacy for Alleged Witches condemns police invasion of traditional worshippers in Imo, demands rights protection
(Sahara Reporters)

Indonesia’s new Criminal Code offers hope for religious minorities
(Jacobus E. Lato, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Bangladesh records 645 minority incidents in 2025, interim government says most were non-communal crimes
(Sumit Kumar, Sunday Guardian)

Tanzania: PM calls for faith-led action to safeguard peace
(Daily News)

Malaysia: Court declares 76-year-old man ‘Christian’
(Free Malaysia Today)

Samoa's former leader says PM doesn't have power to restrict religious freedom (podcast)
(Agnes Tupou, ABC Pacific)

Fiji Minister calls for CCTV and community responsibility after attacks on Hindu temples
(Jai Bharadwaj, The Australia Today)

Saturday, 17 January 2026

Motivations, Attitudes & Practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses in six countries
(Silvio Ferrari, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Generations on generations of human rights
(M. Christian Green, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

Syria: Accountability lacking for Sweida abuses
(Human Rights Watch)

Justice before formality: Reframing women’s right to maintenance in Pakistan
(Jo Chitlik, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

2026 Call for Proposals: Arab Region Dialogue360 Initiatives
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Egypt: Imprisoned Christian convert denied permission to attend Orthodox Christmas mass
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

‘Our Lady of Arabia’ in Kuwait elevated to minor basilica in presence of Cardinal Parolin
(Elias Turk, Catholic News Agency)

Cameroon: Catholic Bishops call for dialogue, peace and renewed communion
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)

Nigeria: Northern CAN mourns Imam who sheltered over 200 Christians during attack
(Godwin Isenyo, Punch NG)

China banned [Falun Gong] — And now it’s coming for Hong Kong
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)

China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest January 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Threat to the religious defense in Canada’s hate speech law
(Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)

The ouster of Nicolás Maduro will bring both fresh and familiar challenges for religious leaders in Venezuela (Spanish)
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Russia: Four administrative fines for anti-war articles, criminal investigation underway
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Herzog expresses concern over exodus of Christian families from Israel
(Greer Fay Cashman, The Jerusalem Post)

As Uganda approaches a tense presidential election, faith leaders urge fairness, peace
(Tonny Onyulo, Religion News Service)

World Watch List 2026
(Open Doors)

Uzbekistan: No mosque visits for Muslim serving sentence under effective house arrest
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)

The Church’s silence on China’s egregious violations of religious freedom
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Nigerian humanitarian calls for peaceful US response to religious persecution
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)

As hate spirals in India, Hindu extremists turn to Christian targets
(Kunal Purohit, Al Jazeera)

WCC: “people of Greenland have an inalienable right to self-determination”
(World Council of Churches)

Cardinal Pizzaballa: there is a longing for justice and human dignity in Iran
(Eduardo Berdejo, EWTN News)

Add Australia to the religious freedom watch list
(Michael Rubin, Middle East Forum)

'Just get rid of it': Call to scrap religious text carve-out in hate laws
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Labor may extend hate speech laws to religious, LGBTQ, disabled communities
(Nick Newling, Sydney Morning Herald)

Monday, 12 January 2026

ISIS tells Christians they can ‘spare their blood’ if they convert
(Jordan King, Newsweek)

Filipino Catholics express outrage over corruption scandal during massive religious procession
(Jim Gomez, Joeal Calupitan, and Aaron Favila, Associated Press)

Cardinal Nzapalainga says Central African Republic will not be built with weapons
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

US launches new retaliatory strikes against ISIS in Syria after deadly ambush
(AP, NPR)

Kazakhstan: Complaint against church "under pressure and dictation from police"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

Pope raises alarm over human rights and a spreading “zeal for war”
(Vatican News)

What will the Iranian clergy’s position be in a post-Islamic Republic future?
(Shay Khatiri, Middle East Forum)

Three arrested after alleged racially motivated attack on Muslim religious leader in Victoria
(Benita Kolovos, The Guardian)

Charter challenge of religious exemption to assisted dying law heads to court in B.C.
(Sarah Ritchie, Global News)

The ouster of Nicolás Maduro will bring both fresh and familiar challenges for religious leaders in Venezuela
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Machado seeks Pope Leo’s support for Venezuela’s transition during Vatican meeting
(Giada Zampano, Religion News Service)

Nigeria, China and Mexico among top 5 persecutors of Christians
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)

Afghanistan: Gender apartheid and the limits of criminalisation
(Nora Jaber, EJIL:Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

The ouster of Nicolás Maduro will bring both fresh and familiar challenges for religious leaders in Venezuela
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

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