Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 12 May 2021
USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel adopts Uyghur religious prisoner of conscience
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Weekly highlight #155: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Raging pandemics; patent debates; cross-sector cooperation (and lack thereof)
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
New essays in The Bahá’í World highlight uniqueness of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s message in the West; survey agricultural achievements in Africa
(Baha'i World News Service)
Religious, civil, and economic freedoms: what’s the chicken and what’s the egg?
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Ahead of the G20: (Re-)building a post-covid society pursuing the sustainable development goals
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Voices of religious freedom: IGE 2020 Annual Report
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Missing Uyghur steals the show at embassy event on China’s ‘genocide’
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
China warns US, Germany and UK not to attend UN meeting on Uighur Oppression
(International Business Times)
Global Islamophobia: China, India, and beyond
(Mohamed Elshekh, International Policy Digest)
US hits China and others for repressing religious freedom
(Matthew Lee, Associated Press)
Worshippers banned from attending Eid al-Fitr prayers at mosques in Moscow due to Covid-19
(Interfax-Religion)
Russia: How will re-training of foreign-trained clergy be implemented?
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Religion plays a role in the renewed conflict in Israel, but it may not be what you think
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Freedoms, religion, family, and public policy: A global perspective
(Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
ISIL crimes against Yazidis constitute genocide, UN investigation team finds
(Lindsay Mackenzie, UN News)
About the persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Monday, 10 May 2021
World churches body urges end to violence, respect for status quo of Jerusalem holy sites
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Israeli police cancel Jerusalem flag parade through Muslim quarter
(Michael Daventry, Jewish News)
Religious customs considered as charities push to ban under-18 marriage in UK
(Ellie Price, BBC News)
‘Brutality shown to Palestinian worshippers’ condemned by Jewish group
(Michael Daventry, Jewish News)
Palestinians report several killed in Israeli air raids on Gaza
(Linah Alsaafin and Arwa Ibrahim, Aljazeera)
Iran’s oppression of Baha’is is unfolding with greater intensity
(Baha'i International Community)
USCIRF condemns Iran’s crackdown on Baha’i community
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Antigua & Barbuda doctor says religion should not be grounds for vaccine exemption
(Kadeem Joseph, The Observer)
Articles of interest - 10 May 2021
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Who tried to kill Maldives’ ex-president Mohamed Nasheed?
(Zaheena Rasheed and Ahmed Naish, Al Jazeera)
Pakistan: Do not forget victims of blasphemy laws who are behind bars (European Parliament)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Thousand take to Brisbane city streets to promote the dignity of all life
(Mark Bowling, The Catholic Leader)
Is there still a place for the “religious voice” within our national conversation? (Australia)
(Mark Fowler, ABC News Australia)
Freedom of religion or belief in Russia: Restrictions and challenges in 2020
(Olga Sibireva, SOVA Center for News and Analysis)
South Africa: even religion has limits on its rights
(Johann van der Westhuizen, Mail & Guardian)
America and Armenia
(Mark Movsesian, First Things)
Vatican warns US bishops over get-tough Communion proposals
(David Crary, Associated Press)
US hosts Ethiopian Orthodox Church head after Tigray warning
(Cara Anna, Associated Press)
Egypt executes defrocked monk convicted of abbot’s killing
(Samy Magdy, Associated Press)
Burkina Faso’s army chaplains tested by extremist conflict
(Sam Mednick, Associated Press)
Mixed marriage patterns of non-Muslims challenge sociopolitical and cultural structures in Turkey
(Anna Maria Beylunioğlu and Özgür Kaymak, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
‘At least’ 78 priests ‘massacred’ in one zone of Tigray, leaked letter claims
(Lucy Kassa, The Telegraph)
Vatican dicastery forms working group on ‘excommunication of mafias’
(Catholic News Service)
Amazon bishops say bill threatens Brazil’s Indigenous peoples, forest
(Lise Alves, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Bishops urge Mexicans to vote in elections, but some see warning signs
(David Agren, Catholic News Service)
As COVID-19 infections and deaths surge in India, faith groups try to help
(Mya Jaradat, Deseret News Faith)
Hindu temple in UAE ships oxygen aid to crisis-hit India
(Associated Press)
President Trump failed to challenge India on religious freedom. Will Biden follow suit?
(David Curry, Religion News Service)
Moscow church in Ukraine criticizes visit by American official
(Union of Orthodox Journalists, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Secretary Blinkin's visit to Ukraine stirs religious controversy
(RISU, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Russian Orthodox Church hopes third world war won't happen, despite aggressive rhetoric
(Interfax-Religion)
Turkmenistan: 16 conscientious objectors freed, Muslim prisoners of conscience remain
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Religious news from around the web May 10, 2021
(World Religion News)
No religion in Tibetan schools, China tells parents
(Radio Free Asia)
Conversion therapy bans: Enforcing a faulty anthropology on sex and gender
(Darius Lee, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Friday, 7 May 2021
Religion Watch, Volume 36 No. 6
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
IS-land: Has the age of southern African terrorism properly begun?
(Richard Poplak, Daily Maverick)
The biggest threat to Christian vitality is state support
(Nilay Saiya, Christianity Today)
Global pressure mounts for Nigerian atheist’s release after year in detention
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
Majority of World’s Population Lives in Countries That Violate Religious Freedom, Report Says
(Ines San Martin, The Tablet)
West African Christians say they are marginalized during Ramadan
(Karim Kamara and Omar Wale, DW)
African education group calls for code of conduct to be developed in Ghana public high schools
(Modern Ghana)
Don’t expect an al-Qaida reboot in Afghanistan
(Daniel L. Byman, Brookings)
Another Christian nurse falsely accused of blasphemy in Pakistan
(Morning Star News)
Ramadan in China: Faithful dwindle under limits on religion
(Ken Moritsugu and Dake Kang, Associated Press)
Ramzan in China: Faithful dwindle under limits on religion
(The Indian Express)
Are Christians in China next in line for ‘re-education’?
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Burqa ban undermines national security and human rights
(Savitri Hensman, Ground Views)
Russia: Special bimonthly digest on freedom of religion (16-30.04.2021)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Artificial intelligence: Challenges and opportunities
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Ethiopian Orthodox Church patriarch blasts Tigray ‘genocide’
(Cara Anna, Associated Press)
Palestinians, Israel police clash at Al-Aqsa mosque; 53 hurt
(Joseph Krauss, Associated Press)
Al-Aqsa worshippers protest Palestinian evictions in Jerusalem
(Al Jazeera)
Amid political crisis, Salvadoran bishops call for ‘authentic democracy’
(Rhina Guidos, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
U.S.A. demonstrates support for Ukrainian church
(Religiia v Ukraine, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
UK urged to stay away from ‘anti-Jewish’ Durban conference by community leaders
(Michael Daventry, Jewish News)
Christians in Nepal persecuted by religious and political decree
(Rock Ronald Rozario, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Church autonomy and the corpus mysticum tradition
(Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
On the present disorders afflicting Catholic social teaching
(Law & Liberty)
Wednesday, 5 May 2021
Gender-based persecution as a crime against humanity: A milestone for LGBTI rights before the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace
(Susann Aboueldahab, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Croatia’s first Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly established in landmark election
(Baha'i World News Service)
Lantos Foundation challenges Biden to take stance on Uyghurs, other human rights issues
(Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice)
Religious identity contributing to resilience and inclusivity in Nigeria
(Fola Aina and Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs)
Commission appoints Christos Stylianides as Special Envoy for promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside EU
(gavriella, in-cyprus)
Catholic bishops who want to deny Biden Communion may have to reckon with the pope
(Jack Jenkins and Claire Giangrave, Religion News Service)
Pope imposes drastic new anti-corruption rules at the Vatican
(Loup Besmond de Senneville, La Croix International)
The interfaith groups preventing Muslim-Christian violence in Nigeria
(Innocent Eteng, Religion Unplugged)
Weekly highlight #154: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: India’s crisis; seeking distinctive religious responses
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
After 2 year vacancy, EU appoints new religious freedom envoy
(ADF International)
Monthly news digest about Baha’is in Iran in April (05.05.2021)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Iranian authorities break up mixed-gender party, arrest 16
(Associated Press)
The Biden administration should put human rights at the center of its Iran policy
(Karen Kramer, Foreign Affairs)
USCIRF releases new report on violent Islamist groups in the central Sahel
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Are hate speech law reforms really the best mechanism to make NZ safer and more tolerant?
(Emile Donovan, Stuff.co.nz)
Christians in Myanmar “are hiding in the forest for safety”
(Evangelical Focus)
Police called after Argentine priest holds outdoor Mass for First Communion
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Celebration of Hindu festival runs afoul of anti-evangelism law
(MBKMedia, 4 May 2021, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Annual AP report on 'holy fire' ritual offers same old mistakes, raises one big question
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
MBS, Vision 2030 and religious reform: An incoherent blend of modernism and despotism
(Mohammad H Fadel, Middle East Eye)
Christians upset when Egyptian government ignores Easter
(Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East)
Clergy in South Sudan face rising death threats but they refuse to leave
(Juma Peter Maya, Religion Unplugged)
Tribalism disputed as motive of Africa bishop shooting
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
The doctor is in; the jury is out
(James Christie, Viewpoints: A blog of the G20 Interfaith Forum)
Tuesday, 4 May 2021
US Rights Commission: Religious freedom conditions in Pakistan continue to worsen
(Maravi Post)
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