Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 29 May 2026
From Declaring to Doing? An Examination of Recent Muslim Declarations on Religious Pluralism and Freedom
(Mustafa Akyol, Institute for Global Engagement, Routledge)
Israel orders expropriation of religious site near Jerusalem run by Muslim Waqf
(Nir Hasson, Haaretz)
Latin American and Caribbean ambassadors meet KAICIID in Lisbon to explore dialogue-based approaches to peace and social cohesion
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Indian religious leaders voice concerns over Assam UCC
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
‘ISIS bride’ charged with terror offences as AFP reveals eight investigations
(Michael Bachelard, Lachlan Abbott, Matthew Knott and Brittany Busch, Sydney Morning Herald)
Rethinking the ‘absolute bar’ on scheduled caste status in India
(Shashank Shekhar and Divya Sridhar, The Diplomat)
Trump administration pledges $100M in aid for Cuba, but only if Catholic or other faith‑based groups distribute it
(Dulce Suarez, The Conversation)
Do the ABC and SBS understand antisemitism? It isn’t clear from their decision to reject the IHRA definition
(Ronald Sackville, Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Egypt’s religious freedom tradition an asset to America, the world
(Motaz Zahran, Washington Times)
Australian Christian Freedom Index
Ottawa Parliament Hill hosts historic gathering advocating Canadian Buddhist Heritage Month
(Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto)
Yad Vashem chooses Germany for first overseas education centers
(Toby Axelrod, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Taliban Defence Chief invites Afghan Sikh & Hindu minorities to return to Afghanistan
(Afghanistan International)
Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Minority rights protest in Haryana’s Nuh demands release of jailed Muslim youth
(Clarion India)
Religious freedom should not inconvenience others, but rules must be same for all: Cong backs CM Yogi on roadside prayers
(Punjab News Express)
Nigeria memo to UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom
(Genocide Watch)
Vesak and Vietnam’s consistent message on religious freedom
(Nguyen Duc Toan, Vietnam Net Global)
Coalition confirms support for religious freedom in schools
(CathNews)
Australian police plan to form a heavily armed team in response to Bondi Beach massacre
(Rod McGuirk, Associated Press)
Philippine bishop and ex-ICC judge lead new inquiry into thousands of Duterte-era killings
(Jim Gomez and Joeal Calupitan, Associated Press)
Catholic group in Chile opposes Kast administration’s anti-immigrant proposal
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Kyrgyzstan: Secret police deport Reform Adventist pastor
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
‘Naturally scared’: India’s Muslims denied public spaces for Eid prayers
(Sajid Raina and Tauseef Ahmad, Al Jazeera)
Finding ‘Egypt’s true spirit’: Christians and Muslims swap saints and pray together
(Faten Sobhi, Religion Unplugged)
Church service disruption in Indonesia sparks uproar
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Japan's Ichikawa city lets mosque use park on condition of not performing prayers
(The Mainichi)
2026 Simposio Internacional de Libertad Religiosa México
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
The Third Caribbean Symposium of Religious Freedom
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Egypt: Government legalises 191 churches and affiliated buildings
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Pakistani Ahmadis face curbs, threats over Eid al-Adha celebrations
(Kamran Chaudhry, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Faith leaders call upon the Victorian Government to fix conversion therapy laws
(Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne)
A step forward for religious freedom in Iraq
(Open Doors)
Local Government Minister calls for religious tolerance as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha
(Evelyn Tengma, 3 News)
Police dismantle separatist religious group in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
(Voice of Vietnam)
The man who saved Hinduism in Trinidad: The story of Bhadase Sagan Maraj
(YouTube Video)
Monday, 25 May 2026
Beloftebos: Settled, not decided
(Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA))
Supporting Catholic peacebuilders in the Sahel
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Pope Leo calls just war theory 'outdated' in new encyclical
(Aleja Hertzler-McCain and Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Religious persecution underpins anti-American regimes in Cuba and Nicaragua
(Connor Pfeiffer and Samuel Ben-Ur, National Review)
For third year in a row, Israel blocks Hajj pilgrimage for Gaza Muslims
(Al Jazeera)
A new African country faces conflict and poverty. Missionaries are stepping in.
(Calvin Manika, Religion Unplugged)
KAICIID hosts Asian Ambassadorial Roundtable in Lisbon, to share projects to deepen diplomatic partnership for dialogue and social cohesion across Asia
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Australian police did no threat assessment before Bondi attack, inquiry hears
(Christine Chen, Reuters)
Kenya: St. Joseph Allamano Foundation officially launched in landmark fundraising gala as business leaders, mission partners and well-wishers rally behind mission of “Changing Lives Together”
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Malaysia’s ruling coalition faces test over Selangor non-Muslim worship house rules
(Iman Muttaqin Yusof, South China Morning Post)
World Evangelical Alliance and International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations launch Formal Dialogue
(World Evangelical Alliance)
Taliban require private university students to pledge adherence to the Hanafi School
(Kabul Now)
Suva Sikh community prepares for Baisakhi celebrations
(Lavenia Waqanivanua, Fiji Sun)
Winnipeg police developing new policy after Sikh man told to remove kirpan for recruitment exam
(Lauren Scott, CBC News)
Friday, 22 May 2026
Vatican envoy visits Thai-Myanmar border, affirms Church mission among migrants and displaced communities
(Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, Licas News)
Vietnam’s new Law on Belief and Religion marks six major breakthroughs
(Phan Hong Thuy, Vietnam Net Global)
Ministry and migration on agenda for Oceania bishops
(Paul Osborne, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference)
Volume 41 No. 5
(Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Tonga: Moral and academic education fosters life of service
(Bahá’í World News Service)
The OIC and the IFRC discuss strengthening humanitarian cooperation
(Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)
Discovering shared humanity in Muslim-Christian engagement
(Jenna Kadolph, Institute for Global Engagement)
The Rudnev Case in Argentina: The true story
(Alessandro Amicarelli, European Federation for Freedom of Belief)
Netanyahu’s coalition alliances with religious parties put his reelection at risk
(Melanie Lidman, Associated Press)
Vatican turns attention to Cuba amid heighted tensions with US
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Prominent church in East China demolished amid escalating crackdown
(Gao Zhensai, Religion Unplugged)
Mauritania’s female Islamic guides: Leading the fight against ‘extremism’
(Mubarak Aliyu, Al Jazeera)
Christians oppose bannig faith symbols on vehicles in India’s Nagaland
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Divorce, Al-Azhar, the state and other separations that can’t be spoken into existence
(Aida Salem, Mada Masr)
Palestinian ministry condemns illumination of Ibrahimi Mosque in Israeli flag colors
(Middle East Monitor)
Pakistan: Open letter to Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz to protect rights of Ahmadis
(Amnesty International)
“Grave assault on human dignity,”: Southern Africa Bishops condemn violence against migrants, urge ethical leadership
(Sabrine Amboka, ACI Africa)
For nearly three decades, Ahmed Abdul Jalil has watched over the mandir, built more than 160 years ago. After looters, militants and land-grabbers, he is all that stands between it and ruin
(Mohammed Ali Kalfood, New Lines Magazine)
Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Ministry of the Interior condemns recent attacks against religious freedom in Colombia (Spanish)
(Ministerio del Interior)
Reverend Sadie Stone barred entry at Manila airport
(International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines)
Filipino bishops condemn violence after Senate shooting incident
(Paterno R. Esmaquel II, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Modest fashion’s global turn
(Hafsa Lodi, Al Jazeera)
Reorienting towards hope
(Arthur Lyon Dahl, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Filipino bishop calls for impartial graft probe amid Duterte trial
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Ecumenical officers share perspectives on peacebuilding in a world marked by conflicts
(World Council of Churches)
Four Cao Dai adherents arrested for documenting human rights abuses
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
APCR, Jamaat acclaim reversal of hijab ban in Karnataka educational institutions
(Clarion India)
Bill banning egalitarian prayer at Western Wall bound to face serious legal challenges, warns gov't lawyer
(Judy Maltz, Haaretz)
Constitutional issues in the Unification Church dissolution case. 1. Revisiting the Aum Shinrikyo decision
(Bitter Winter)
Federalism would deepen Lebanon’s sectarian tensions
(Imad K. Harb, Arab Center Washington DC)
Pope Leo expresses ‘deep concern’ for future of Lebanon, calls for strengthening unity
(Almudena Martínez-Bordiú, EWTN News)
Freedom of religion in South Asia under pressure
(The European Times)
Desecration of Quran part of Zionist project: Yemeni leader
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Thai-Cambodia tensions flare over temple ‘abuse’
(Terry Friel, Union of Catholic Asian News)
What Happens When Buddhism Is Twinned With Political Power?
(Aatish Taseer, The New York Times)
Pakistani Shi’a in the UAE caught in the crosshairs oran War – analysis
(Eurasia Review)
Thai faith healer charged with rape, child abuse
(The Manila Times)
Vietnam, the new lung of the Church in Asia
(Francisco Otamendi, Omnes)
Sudan’s Islamists turn to Washington, Israeli channels in bid for political survival
(The Arab Weekly)
Monday, 18 May 2026
El-Sisi directs transforming Historic Cairo to global tourist destination, cultural landmark
(Egypt Today)
Detained, tortured and deported: Pakistani migrants recount UAE’s anti-Shia crackdown amid Iran war
(Mrrors)
Mass rallies in Al Hodeidah in defense of Holy Qur’an & in solidarity with Palestine & Lebanon
(Yemen News Agency)
Imprisoned scholars in Bahrain urge cessation of pressure on Shiites
(Shia Waves)
Imam Khamenei brought Ummah back to Islam: Bahrain’s top Shia cleric
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Why is Islamic revival reshaping Central Asian societies and politics?
(News.AZ)
The enduring commitment of religious congregations to South Sudan’s recovery
(Christine Masivo, Vatican News)
Why is Sudan’s civil war threatening both human lives and the country’s religious heritage?
(News.AZ)
Giggle v Tickle, the Federal Court Appeal- two steps back
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
Takeaways from AP’s report on Jalue Dorje, the US-born teenage Buddhist lama
(Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 18 May 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Hijab disputes expose legal gap in faith-based schools
(Joseph Maina, Religion Unplugged)
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