Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 18 March 2022

Conscience, virtue, and moral concerns about COVID vaccines
(Columba Thomas, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Angola: Catholic bishops in Angola urge govt to declare a "state of emergency"
(La Croix International)

Cardinal claims to be victim of ‘violent’ media campaign
(Catholic News Service)

Pope urges Augustinian Recollects to be realistic about vocations drop
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service)

Chinese Christians face growing persecution, says charity
(Rebecca Paveley, Church Times)

Tibet's armed resistance to Chinese invasion (political and military history)
(David Kopel, Reason)

Tajikistan: Statement following conversation about religious freedom
(Rashad Hussain, Twitter)

Canada: Experts: Does Quebec's secularism law speak to the younger generation?
(McGill University)

Canada’s crackdown on religious freedom is a wake-up call for Americans
(Jorge Gomez, The Christian Post)

Indonesia: Gaffes trip up Indonesian religion minister’s push for moderation
(Arie Firdaus, Benar News)

Wednesday, 16 March 2022

UN sets March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia
(Associated Press)

Pakistan PM lauds UN for International Day to Combat Islamophobia
(Al Jazeera)

India concerned over elevating phobia against one religion to level of international day
(The Hindu)

India’s hijab controversy is forcing Muslim girls to choose between their education and their faith
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

India: Hijab bans deepen Hindu-Muslim fault lines in Indian state
(Sheikh Saaliq, Associated Press)

India court upholds ban on hijab in schools and colleges
(Sheikh Saaliq, Associated Press)

India: Direct impact on religious freedom: Muslim outfits slam Karnataka HC verdict on hijab row
(The New Indian Express)

How India’s religious headwear ban affects Muslims and not Hindus
(Myrian Garcia, Religion Unplugged)

India’s Hindu groups want wider ban on hijab after court verdict
(Al Jazeera)

Holi 2022: When is it celebrated and what is the festivity about?
(Selenat Debebe, Al Jazeera)

Brian Grim meets with India’s Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Russia-Ukraine: Civil society is under siege by Putin in Russia but we have our weapons
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

China: Freedom of religion or belief – Special bimonthly FoRB newsletter (01-15.03.2022)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Just war order and Ukraine: On ending the war
(Eric Patterson, Providence Mag)

Canada: Anglican Church of Canada leaders apologize to survivors, respond to ACCToo
(Kathryn Post, Religion News Service)

'My home too': For Russians in Ukraine, the motherland is now the enemy (video)
(Sam Ball, France 24)

Sudan: Church building locked and leaders arrested in Sudan
(Evangelical Focus)

USCIRF warns of potential for significant religious oppression in Ukraine
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Pope urges peace, not politics in call to Russian patriarch
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)

Ukrainian spiritual and diplomatic leaders urge aid, weapons
(Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press)

New Zealand: Shot 9 times at New Zealand mosque, survivor walks for peace
(Nick Perry, Associated Press)

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill discuss Ukraine war for first time
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

Israel: In a five year first, Israel won't impose Purim curfew on the West Bank, Gaza
(Hagar Shezaf, Haaretz)

Israeli Jews dress as Muslims to defy Al-Aqsa prayer ban
(Arwa Ibrahim and Rima Mustafa, Al Jazeera)

The joys and ironies of Purim echo through history
(Avi Shafran, Religion News Service)

Uzbekistan: Raids, searches, detentions, fines, criminal investigations
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)

Ukrainian church leader repeats justification for violence
(Anastasia Kalatur, Ukrainskaya Pravda, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Russian Jews have abandoned the lavish celebration of Purim this year
(Interfax-Religion)

Beyond the Orthodox questions: How might the Ukraine war scramble world Christianity?
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)

Russian Evangelical Alliance head sends open letter grieving invasion of Ukraine, prays for forgiveness
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Australia: Tanya Plibersek says a Muslim woman on a train in Sydney has no protection under the law if someone yells at her for wearing a hijab. Is that correct?
(ABC News Australia)

What Russia's invasion of Ukraine means for national churches
(Michael Kelly, La Croix International)

Indonesia: Religious leaders bless Indonesia's new capital project
(Katharina R. Lestari, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Indonesian clerical body under fire over marriage ban
(Konradus Epa, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Pope Francis holds video call with Russian Patriarch Kirill
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Russia ordered to suspend its military operations in Ukraine
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

ICJ indicates provisional measures against Russia, in a near total win for Ukraine; Russia expelled from the Council of Europe
(Marko Milanovic, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Bangladeshi politician's call for veils at schools criticized
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Cambodia honors French bishop for social development
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Saudi Arabia: Islamic forum urges int’l bodies to address mass execution in Saudi Arabia
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Libya: Concern for members of the Tanweer Movement
(Humanists International)

Kenya: Churches to resume full capacity as interfaith council lifts restrictions
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)

Zambia: Jesuit institution lauds President Hichilema’s reformist address
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)

Rwanda: “Assess emerging needs to shape future interventions,” CARITAS Africa urges
(Odiwuor Opiyo, Catholic Information Service for Africa)

Sri Lanka cardinal calls on world to pressure govt to investigate 2019 church attacks
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Global conferences: Fostering a culture of peace, contributing to social betterment
(Bahá’í World News Service)

Weekly Highlight #197: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Faith and COVID-19: Resource repository
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

Ukraine appoints mission of experts following invocation of the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism
(The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe)

Monday, 14 March 2022

Iran: Database of Baha’i prisoners
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Now is the time to increase global efforts
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Building bridges between gender equality and religious freedom
(Shirin Taber, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Ukraine’s only woman rabbi among the many Jews fleeing war
(Vanessa Gera, Associated Press)

Iran suspends talks with Saudi after mass execution
(Amir Vahdat, Associated Press)

Saudi Arabia puts 81 to death in its largest mass execution
(Jon Gambrell, Associated Press)

Vatican in ‘pain’ at Nicaragua expulsion of papal nuncio
(Associated Press)

Articles of interest - 14 March 2022
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

With war in Ukraine, Pope Francis’ yearslong outreach to Kirill appears to be in ruins
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

Russian Orthodox parishes in Europe pressured from both sides as war rages in Ukraine
(Tom Heneghan, Religion News Service)

Evangelical scientist Katharine Hayhoe finds hope in United Nations’ climate report
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)

East Timor bishops object to use of Church symbols in presidential campaigns
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

How Pope Francis could lead a ‘soft power’ push on Ukraine
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Russia shells mosque housing 80 civilians in Mariupol: Ukraine
(Al Jazeera)

Russia’s unjust attack and Ukraine’s just war
(Jakub Grygiel, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

AUCCRO calls on Belarusian religious leaders not to allow their army to be involved in the war against Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

India: How Sikhs became a new target of India’s right wing and voted No to BJP
(Midhat Fatimah, Religion Unplugged)

India: Sikh employees can carry kirpans of specific length within airports, says Centre’s amended rule
(Scroll)

India: Hands off her hijab
(Avni Aghi, The McGill International Review)

India: Charity warns than election win in India battleground could escalate trouble for Christians
(Alex Collett, Premier Christian News)

Putin’s war on Ukrainian children
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

Faith for Earth Dialogue at UNEA highlights Parliament's interfaith climate action
(Parliament of the World's Religions)

At war: When do states supporting Ukraine or Russia become parties to the conflict and what would that mean? 
(Alexander Wentker, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Russian troops liberate monastery in Nikolskoye occupied by Aidar nationalist battalion militants
(Interfax-Religion)

Specialized Ministries Pre-assembly shared commitment to compassion, peace and justice
(World Council of Churches)

Legal Journal Number 5 (17): February/March 2022 (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)

Head of Ukrainian church relies on intercession of St. Michael
(Website of P.Ts.U., Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Chilean bishops extend support for new left-leaning president
(La Croix International)

Myanmar: Two shot dead in military raid on Myanmar Catholic village
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

South Korea: Scholar’s new book studies life of Muslims in South Korea
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Ukraine invasion splits Orthodox Church, isolates Russian patriarch
(Philip Pullella, Reuters)

Pakistan: Zoroastrianism & Buddhism added in SNC along with five other religions
(Ayesha Areej, The Academia - Pakistan's Premier Education Magazine)

Nigeria: We must use religion to help our people – Osinbajo
(Muideen Olaniyi, Daily Trust)

Indonesia: Religious Ministry spokesperson responds to blasphemy allegations
(Tempo)

Report on Countering Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred to Eliminate Discrimination and Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Leaders of Turkey, Greece hold talks in rare meeting
(Associated Press)

Turkey, Armenia hold 'constructive' talks on mending ties
(Tuvan Gumrukcu, Reuters)

Azerbaijan: State appointment of all imams now in law
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

Friday, 11 March 2022

Saudi blogger reported freed after decade in prison
(Associated Press)

Saudi Arabia: Release of Raif Badawi an overdue and a necessary step for Saudi Arabia
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Guatemala Congress bans same-sex marriage
(BBC News)

Guatemala Foreign Affairs: ‘Let us unite in a common pro-life and pro- family cause’
(Javier Bolaños, Evangelical Focus)

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