Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 6 May 2022
Ukrainian Orthodox Church says bans on its activities imposed by local authorities have no legal force
(Interfax-Religion)
Russia: First known criminal investigation for opposing Ukraine war on explicitly religious grounds
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Patriarch Kirill calls on believers to pray for Russia to be protected from external, internal enemies
(Interfax-Religion)
Russia: How the Russian Orthodox Church enabled Putin’s war on Ukraine
(Viktor Yelenskyi, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russia: Religious opposition to war in Ukraine – prosecutions and detentions
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned about Pope Francis' statements about the war in Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
Cape Town: Worship exempt from noise rules
(Kaylynne Bantom, People's Post)
Malaysian writer faces blasphemy probe for Facebook post
(Mong Palatino, Global Voices Advox)
Russia: Freedom of religion or belief: Special Bimonthly FORB Digest (16–30.04.2022)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Iraq: Yazidis in Iraq displaced again, international community ignores fighting
(Seth J. Frantzman, The Jerusalem Post)
Israel: Muslim party may resume membership in Israeli coalition
(Mazal Mualem, Al-Monitor)
Jerusalem: KAICIID Board of Directors calls for peace, tolerance and understanding in Jerusalem
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Hamas warns Zionists of crossing ‘red lines’ at Al-Aqsa Mosque
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Official condemns hoisting Israeli flag at Ibrahimi Mosque
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Lavrov's antisemitism means Israel no longer neutral on Ukraine-Russia - analysis
(Herb Keinon, The Jerusalem Post)
Weekly Highlight #204: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Rising covid-19 waves and decreasing religious education in church
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Pope’s Ukraine diplomacy a political and spiritual tightrope
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Japan PM, pope discuss nuclear arms after NKorea test launch
(Associated Press)
Oligarchs to patriarchs: EU eyes sanctions for Orthodox head
(Nicole Winfield and Samuel Petrequin, Associated Press)
Ethiopia detains 76 over Eid al-Fitr prayer unrest
(Associated Press)
India: Curfew imposed in Jodhpur following Hindu-Muslim clashes
(Al Jazeera)
India’s Muslims mark Eid al-Fitr amid attacks on community
(Aijaz Hussain, Associated Press)
How the war between Russia and Ukraine is roiling the faith tradition they share
(J. Eugene Clay, Religion News Service)
Peru: Church workers: Catholics must stand with victims in mining conflicts
(Barbara Fraser, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Canadian panel urges not hiring military chaplains of certain religions
(Paul Schratz, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Canada’s charities and the value they create
(Curtis Towns, Canadian Centre for Christian Charities)
Russia never attacked anyone, always protected its borders - Patriarch Kirill
(Interfax-Religion)
Patriarch Kirill can't be scared with sanctions - Russian Orthodox Church
(Interfax-Religion)
Uzbekistan: "Police watch us like we are in the palm of their hands"
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
The pope, Cardinal Becciu and bad real estate deals: Concerning the Vatican 'Trial of the Century'
(Clemente Lisi, GetReligion)
Pope Francis, just war theory, the Ukraine, and beyond: Can war be just?
(Charles J. Russo, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Lebanon: The butterfly effect of dialogue
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Afghanistan: KAICIID Board of Directors condemns mosque bombing
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Afghanistan: ‘I am sure they will change’: Taliban swap guns for pens to learn about human rights
(Elise Blanchard, The Guardian)
Afghanistan: Appeal to the UN to protect Hazaras in Afghanistan
(Fair Observer)
Afghanistan: Intolerance of atrocity crimes in Ukraine should apply to Afghanistan
(Belquis Ahmadi, Kate Bateman, Scott Worden, The United States Institute of Peace)
The macro and micro-politics of religion on 2022 Philippine election – analysis
(Jumel Gabilan Estrañero, Eurasia Review)
Toronto theologian calls on Orthodox world to break ties with Moscow Patriarch Kirill
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
China’s ongoing persecution of Christians and the case of Pastor Wang Yi
(Olivia Enos, The Heritage Foundation)
China: United Nations on a visit to Xinjiang, China
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Generous, but equal treatment? Anti-discrimination duties of states hosting refugees fleeing Ukraine
(Janine Prantl and Ian Matthew Kysel, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
“Lament, Hope and Courage” - WCC publishes its Annual Review 2021
(World Council of Churches)
Russian Orthodox Church scolds Pope Francis after 'Putin's altar boy' remark
(Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters)
Sri Lanka: It's time to go, religious leaders tell Sri Lankan govt
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Should Hong Kong’s Christian groups be worried about national security law curbs?
(Danny Mok, South China Morning Post)
Stories of genocide: Lessons for today
(Each Other)
Monday, 2 May 2022
Morocco: ‘Reconciliation’: Moroccan ISIL prisoners ‘de-radicalised’
(Al Jazeera)
Satellites over the Amazon capture the choking of the ‘house of God’ by the Belo Monte Dam – they can help find solutions, too
(Pritam Das, Faisal Hossain, Hörður Bragi Helgason, and Shahzaib Khan, The Conversation)
The unlikely tool that could help ease the burden of refugees in Europe
(Trent Toone, Deseret News)
Argument: Russians are getting sick of church. Orthodox Christianity—and Vladimir Putin—are at the center of the country’s newest culture war.
(Alexander Baunov, Foreign Policy)
Argument: The Pope, the Patriarch—and a little bit of Putin: The meeting between the heads of the two churches in Cuba on Friday wasn’t just about religion. It was about politics.
(Reid Standlish and Benjamin Soloway, Foreign Policy)
Pakistan's former PM, PTI leaders accused of blasphemy
(Kamran Chaudhry, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Pakistan: Questions to EU Commission about blasphemy laws by an MEP
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Special bimonthly: Freedom of religion or belief (16-30.04.2022)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Photos of the week: End of Ramadan approaching, Orthodox Easter
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Recent articles of interest - 2 May 2022
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Bioethics: End-of-life scenarios and choices
(Fondazione Bruno Kessler)
Canada: Anglican leader visits Canadian residential school survivors
(Associated Press)
Cameroon: Archbishop says Cameroonians, not foreigners, causing country’s problems
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Top Vatican diplomat says ‘Christian values’ no excuse for ‘sacrilegious’ war
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Kazakhstan president welcomes bishops of Central Asia at first meeting
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Jewish soldiers are buried under crosses around the world. A rabbi’s nonprofit is changing that.
(Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow
(George Weigel, First Things)
Israel outrage at Sergei Lavrov's claim that Hitler was part Jewish
(BBC News)
When sacred symbols and rituals are combined with State power
(Sande Ramage, La Croix International)
MPs propose to impose sanctions against Kirill and three other figures of the Russian Orthodox Church
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
"Ukraine is standing, Ukraine is fighting, Ukraine is praying", the Head of the UGCC
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Philippine bishops' chief urges release of jailed senator
(Joseph Peter Calleja, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Indonesia: Church attack in Indonesia's Papua province wounds two
(Konradus Epa, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Malaysian lawmaker sentenced for criticizing Shariah court system
(International Christian Concern)
India: Hindu leaders from around the world denounce hate
(Sindh Courier)
India: Assam state leader pushes to replace India's religion-based laws
(Reuters)
Mesut Ozil on India: ‘What is happening to human rights in the so-called largest democracy in the world?’
(Express News)
Bolivia: General consul of Bolivia visits WCC to strengthen collaborative work
(World Council of Churches)
Anglicans at UN call for protection of vulnerable in Ukraine
(Anglican Communion News Service)
Israel: The US must support freedom of religion on the Temple Mount
(Farley Weiss, Jewish News Syndicate)
Friday, 29 April 2022
For Muslims in Ukraine, war revives questions of faith and belonging
(Hannah Allam, The Washington Post)
Sympathy for the devil: The anti-cult federation FECRIS, China, and Russia. 6. The Russian FECRIS’ support for the invasions of Ukraine
(Luigi Berzano, Boris Falikov, Willy Fautré, Liudmyla Filipovich, Massimo Introvigne, and Bernadette Rigal-Cellard, Bitter Winter)
Survivors unite to deliver message on Holocaust remembrance
(Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press)
Colombian human rights advocates engage in strategic talks in the US
(World Council of Churches)
Timor-Leste president-elect pledges to work with Church
(Ryan Dagur, Union of Catholic Asian News)
India: For Dr. Kezevino Aram, joy comes from serving the most vulnerable
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
In India, religion and neoliberal individualism have converged
(Ajay Gudavarthy, The Leaflet)
Indian prelate denies claims of conversion at Christian school
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Charles Malik, Christian diplomat
(Habib C. Malik, First Things)
What will the next chapter of Islam look like?
(Al Jazeera)
Russians set up a recreation area at the Muslim cemetery in Bakhchisarai, - Denisova
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Putin targets Jehovah’s Witnesses because he assumes few will come to their defense
(Paul Goble, Eurasia Review)
Serbia’s Pedro Arrupe Integration House — providing unaccompanied refugee children the childhood they deserve
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
China seeks stricter control of religious groups' finances
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
China: USCIRF: Religious liberty situation worse, not better, in China
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Statement from Rahima Mahmut on #YomHashoah
(Twitter, Stop Uyghur Genocide)
Interview: China has more tools than ever to target Uyghurs abroad
(Reid Standish, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)
China: Persecution of Christians in China growing under Xi Jinping
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Debate over sanctions against Moscow patriarchate
(RISU, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Kazakhstan president greets bishops at first plenary meeting
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Kazakhstan: Six months after UN decision, no releases from sentences, no compensation
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Ramadan series tackle women’s issues and religion
(Eman Alhussein, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington)
Email Subscription
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies maintains a Law and Religion Headlines service covering news about freedom of religion or belief internationally. All interested may subscribe to this service, free of charge, using the link below.
Subscribe