Law and Religion Headlines

Monday, 25 October 2021

Winning over the sceptics: Religious beliefs, fear, false information and suspicion are stopping many people from getting the Covid-19 jab
(Zukiswa Pikoli, The Daily Maverick)

People in the West aren't losing their faith--they're redirecting it
(Antony Funnell, Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Jihadism down, but far from out, 20 years after September 11
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

Has the golden age of religious architecture ended?
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

Latin American charismatics adapting and adopting Jewish practices in diverse ways
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

Sabbatical year roils farmers and authorities in Israel once again
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

Turkish women activists fighting discrimination in mosques
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

Friday, 22 October 2021

KAICIID places spotlight on dialogue and development at the Parliament of World Religions
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Religious leaders and policymakers unite against hate speech targeting refugees and migrants
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

USCIRF releases new report about religious freedom in Sri Lanka
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Christian leaders in India oppose enactment of new anti-conversion law
(International Christian Concern)

Military targets churches in conflict-torn Myanmar
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

UN experts to Pakistan: Release man charged with blasphemy
(Munir Ahmed, Associated Press)

Forced conversion law rejected in Pakistan: Democracy’s Bitter Winter
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)

Benin’s parliament votes to legalise abortion
(Al Jazeera)

Xinjiang’s ‘architecture of repression’ targets Muslim Uighurs
(Al Jazeera)

43 countries criticize China at UN for repression of Uyghurs
(Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press)

Cameroon bishops warn of increasing violence in separatist campaign
(Catholic News Service)

Capital punishment on the wane in Africa
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Greece students arrested for protesting against ‘Beijing 2022’ Olympics
(Forum for Religious Freedom-Europe)

North America has a Hindu nationalist problem, and scholars are on the frontlines of these right-wing attacks
(Manan Ahmed, Rohit Chopra, and Audrey Truschke, Religion Dispatches)

Abductions have increased in Haiti, but religious aid groups are still going there
(Laurel Wamsley, National Public Radio)

Putin asking Western civilization 'to steer clear of our home'
(Interfax-Religion)

Russian Supreme Court reports decline in application of anti-evangelism law
(SOVA Center for News and Analysis, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Belarus treats Jehovah's Witnesses better than does Russia
(Novaya Gazeta, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Russia: "Unjustified, unmotivated cruelty against peaceful, unresisting believers"
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)

Whip: No plan to remove Bangladesh state religion
(Dhaka Tribune)

Chile: Religious leaders ask that new Constitution guarantee religious freedom
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Diocesan offices set on fire during mass protests in Chile
(La Croix International)

Francis has shifted teaching on just war theory, US military instructors say
(Brian Fraga, La Croix International)

Ambassador Akram discusses growing Islamophobia with UN rights expert
(Daily Times)

Lebanon: Patriarch-Christians will be extinct if West does nothing
(Fionn Shiner, Aid to the Church in Need)

Manitoba Chief Justice rules Public Health Officials shouldn’t be “second guessed”
(Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms)

Orthodox Church’s top patriarch to visit US, meet with Biden
(Peter Smith, Religion News Service)

Tehran holds first public Friday Prayers in almost 2 years
(Associated Press)

Brazilian legislator causes outrage for calling Pope Francis a ‘bum’
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

At interfaith conference, Iran overlooks its religious freedom violations
(International Christian Concern)

Mali denies asking Islamic body to negotiate with al-Qaeda
(Al Jazeera)

Religion takes center stage in politics again
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Southern African bishops call for dialogue to ensure peace in Eswatini
(La Croix International)

Christians and Muslims in Côte d'Ivoire reinforce alliance for peace
(Guy Aimé Eblotié, La Croix International)

Wednesday, 20 October 2021

Interview: Catherine Wanner on Religion in Post-Communist Countries
(Dmytro Vovk, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)

BYU conference: Elder Bednar and Elder Gong call for unity with world’s Muslims
(Jason Swensen, Church News)

With Afghanistan’s war over, Taliban faces a new hurdle: Enforcing the law — and protecting Afghans from the Islamic State
(Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post)

High-level dialogue on youth-proposed G20 Interfaith Education Policy Brief
(Scherto Gill, Viewpoints: A blog of the G20 Interfaith Forum)

En Indonésie, la plus grande organisation islamique du monde promeut un islam modéré
(Ahmet T. Kuru, The Conversation)

Diversity and division in advanced economies: Most embrace diversity but see conflicts between partisan, racial and ethnic groups
(Laura Silver, Janell Fetterolf, and Aidan Connaughton, Pew Research Center)

USCIRF releases new report on religious freedom conditions in Algeria
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Violations against Muslims in Africa Factsheet
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

USCIRF troubled by violent attacks on Durga Puja procession in Bangladesh
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Israel, UAE to collaborate on Beresheet 2 space mission
(Jerusalem Post)

Weekly Highlight #178: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Returning to “normal” (or not)
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

Religion-based parties take a strong stance on abortion ahead of elections
(Mwangi Githahu, Independent)

Block ‘fake news,’ Pope Francis begs social media firms, ‘in the name of God’
(Mark A. Kellner, Washington Times)

In Cuba, divisions over law to allow same-sex marriage
(Andrea Rodríguez, Associated Press)

Church of Pakistan bishops condemn rejection of draft bill against forced conversions
(The Nation)

Pakistan cardinal blames ‘duplicity’ of West for rise of Islamic extremism
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Efforts drag on to free 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti
(Dánica Coto and Pierre-Richard Luxama, Associated Press)

In Ghana, Rastafarian high schooler fights to keep his hair
(Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu, Associated Press)

Across Africa, major churches strongly oppose LGBTQ rights
(Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu, Chinedu Asadu, Rodney Muhumuza and Mogomotsi Magome, Associated Press)

One year since the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, Nigeria continues its slide into failed statehood
(Ellis Heasley, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Lawan, Forum task Nigerians on religious tolerance
(Orjime Moses, Leadership)

Palestinians clash with Israeli police in Jerusalem
(Associated Press)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to members of 8th Parliament of the World’s Religions
(Shyamal Sinha, The European Times)

Religious responses to COVID-19 project tracks, shares resources on faith engagement in global pandemic
(Sarah Thompson, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Wave of killings triggers memories of dark past in Kashmir
(Aijaz Hussain, Associated Press)

Red tape and restrictions: India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act is preventing NGOs from doing their vital work
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Belarus shielding Jehovah's Witness from Russia
(Novaya Gazeta, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Uzbekistan: Jailed for learning to pray and discussing Islam
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)

Transgender woman flees Malaysia after prison threat for wearing hijab
(Hannah Beech and Hadi Azmi, The New York Times)

Iraq recognizes Adventist Church with new national stamp
(Chanmin Chung, Adventist Review)

Mali tasks religion ministry with overseeing jihadist talks
(AFP)

Bangladesh ruling party rallies for Hindus after deadly violence
(Al Jazeera)

LDS apostles encourage church members to understand followers of Islam
(Genelle Pugmire, The Daily Universe)

Monday, 18 October 2021

Hindus denounce violence amid attacks in Bangladesh
(Julhas Alam, Associated Press)

Muslims, Hindus protest amid communal violence in Bangladesh
(Associated Press)

Study: Social hostility to religion declines, but government restrictions rise
(Religion News Service)

Kazakhstan: Journalists explore media’s role in promoting societal unity
(Bahá’í World News Service)

Ethnic Kazakh Imam sentenced to 23 years for “reciting the Quran inappropriately”
(Ma Guangyao, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)

‘Do we not have any rights?’ Indian Muslims’ fear after Assam evictions
(Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Shaikh Azizur Rahman, The Guardian)

Karnataka govt's move to carry out surveys of churches, missionaries 'unnecessary': Archbishop Rev Dr Peter Machado
(City Today)

In remote Himalayan India, Buddhist monks and Indigenous tribe fight government hydropower projects
(Priyadarshini Sen, Religion News Service)

USCIRF releases new report about persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

China: Special bimonthly FoRB newsletter (01-15.10.2021)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Notorious gang kidnapped U.S., Canadian missionaries in Haiti, official says
(Caroline Radnofsky and Suzanne Ciechalski, NBC News)

The role of faith-based organizations in responding to Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis
(Outreach Aid to the Americas)

Yemen’s Houthis accused of committing ‘genocide’ with blockade on key district
(Ahmed Al-Haj and Samy Magdy, The Times of Israel)

Swedish foreign minister visits Israel in major step toward rebuilding ties
(Lazar Berman, The Times of Israel)

Photos of the Week: Durga festivals and the cult of Maria Lionza
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)

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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.