Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 5 September 2025
SLPP turns to Buddhist monks to defend soldiers accused of genocide
(Tamil Guardian)
Fears of AI-driven global inequality spur faith leaders to call for 'spiritual revolution'
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Perspectives on the Pan-American Pope (essay series)
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Interfaith scholars appeal for calm, call to protect Indonesia’s democratic path
(Herald Malaysia)
Decline in Nicaragua church attacks attributed to clergy, religious not allowed to report them
(David Agren, OSV News)
India expels Rohingya refugees and Muslim citizens
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Wednesday, 3 September 2025
UN experts warn of ‘scapegoating’ of minorities in Iran
(Article 18)
Hate crimes and opposition against Christians increase in Turkey
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)
Reflections from Río de la Plata focus on human rights and the church’s prophetic voice
(World Council of Churches)
A Buddhist charity has delivered new houses to cyclone survivors in Mozambique
(Macao News)
Majority of religious Jewish Israelis averse to their kids mixing with Arabs — survey
(Sue Surkes, Times of Israel)
Philippines: DSWD: American pastor accused of child abuse on immigration watch list
(Faith Argosino, Inquirer)
Indonesian bishops blame ‘great disappointment’ in government for deadly protests
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
In Damascus’ former Jewish quarter, optimism about the Syrian Jewish future is hard to muster
(Theia Chatelle, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Giving context for the G20 Interfaith Forum
(Katherine Marshall, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
South Korean clergy seek cancellation of proposed airport
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
How religion declines around the world
(Conrad Hackett, Pew Research Center)
NPP demands repeal of Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act
(India Today)
CCLA condemns Quebec’s ban on prayer in public
(Canadian Civil Liberties Association)
Saint Catherine Monastery testament to Egypt’s commitment to preserving religious freedom, Egypt’s ambassador to Greece
(Egypt Today)
Papua New Guinea declares Christian identity in constitutional amendment
(Radio New Zealand)
Monday, 1 September 2025
New translations of the Procedural History (1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief)
(UN Audiovisual Library of International Law.)
Marking 80 years since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
(Thomas Banchoff, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Iraq reopens historic mosque in Mosul 8 years after Islamic State destruction
(Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 1 September 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Canada: Baseline Rd. stabbing considered a hate-motivated crime
(Ottawa Police Service)
Pope Leo is showing his Augustinian roots when speaking politics
(Christopher R. Altieri, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
What's driving young Nigerians into the arms of extremists?
(Muhammad Al-Amin and Lolade Adewuyi, Deutsche Welle)
Occupied Ukraine: Criminal case against Jehovah's Witness "leader"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution: Bimonthly Digest August 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Human rights without illusions/ escaping the moral trap of universalism
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest August 16-30
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Iran: Religious issues and persecution – Monthly Digest August 2025
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Australia: Leaders warn against NT religious freedom reforms
(The Australian)
India's powerful Hindu group chief urges three-child families as fertility rates fall
(Reuters)
With COP30 in Brazil, religious vigil calls for environmental awareness (Portuguese)
(Bruno de Freitas Moura, Agencia Brasil)
Is it discriminatory to recognize the Catholic Church's predominance throughout Argentine history? (Spanish)
(Sergio Rubin, Todo Noticias)
Friday, 29 August 2025
Introductory comments at the YIF20 – Youth Interfaith Forum
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Crucial response: The significance of information inflow into North Korea
(Ju Il-Lyong, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Beyond tolerance: re-centering religious freedom on the individual
(Wissam al-Saliby, Evangelical Focus)
A religious liberty crisis in Korea. 2. The Korean anti-cult movement
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Fighting fire with humanity: Syrian Arab Red Crescent responds as wildfires ravage villages
(International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)
Nepal crackdowns on foreigners accused of religious conversions
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Court bars Ruto from building church at State House
(Annah Nanjala Wekesa, Kenya Times)
Muslim leaders say Quebec report on secularism is discriminatory
(CBC News)
Quebec plans to table bill banning prayer in public
(Matthew Lapierre, CBC News)
Sokoto Govt boosts Islamic development with welfare, religious initiatives
(Musa Ubandawaki, Vanguard Nigeria)
Wednesday, 27 August 2025
The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine: Implications for the prosecution of religious leaders
(Michelle Coleman, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Fiji needs to stand together against attacks on religion, FCOSS urges
(Inoke Rabonu, Fiji Sun)
Turkmenistan country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Australia accuses Iran of antisemitic arson attacks, expels ambassador
(Grace Moon and Mohamad El Chamaa, The Washington Post)
Religious freedom eradicated in Afghanistan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Paraguay is fighting to preserve Guaraní, a language of roots and soul
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
Men charged with hugging and kissing are among group publicly caned by Indonesian Islamic court
(Yayan Zamzami and Edna Tarigan, Associated Press)
Cameroon Bishop puts government on red alert ahead of election
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Historic synagogue vandalized in Chile with posters of Netanyahu with bullet hole on his head
(Juan Melamed, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Moroccan court denies bail for Ibtissam Lachgar, facing blasphemy charges
(Morocco World News)
WCC publishes “HIV, Migration, and Forced Displacement: What Can the Churches Do?”
(World Council of Churches)
Quebec committee recommends extending religious symbol ban to public daycares
(CBC News)
Bogotá advances in the protection of the right to believe (Spanish)
(Carlos Mario Ríos, Secretaria de Gobierno Bogota)
Monday, 25 August 2025
International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
(António Guterres, United Nations)
International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
(YouTube Video, International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS), Brigham Young University)
Push to recruit Kurds and religious minorities to Syrian security forces brings hope and skepticism
(Omar Albam and Abby Sewell, Associated Press)
Justice and accountability still lacking eight years after the Rohingya genocide
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Syria: UN experts alarmed by attacks on Druze communities, including sexual violence against women and girls
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
An urgent need: four essential features for interfaith leadership today
(Parliament of the World's Religions)
From division to dialogue: a call for peace in Thailand and Cambodia
(Religions for Peace)
Mobilizing children for ideological battles: A dangerous game in China’s anti–religious campaign
(Tan Liwei, Bitter Winter)
Articles and books of interest - 25 August 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Filipino Catholic group wears ‘sackcloth and ashes’ to seek Duterte impeachment
(Joseph San Mateo, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Pakistan: How online chats are leading to imprisonment for blasphemy
(Zia ur-Rehman, The New York Times)
Eritrea: global campaign calls for the release of seven church leaders
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Viet Nam: UN experts alarmed by ongoing repression of Khmer Krom Indigenous Peoples and Theravada Buddhist monks
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
STF confirms right to refuse blood transfusion based on religion (Portuguese)
(Felipe Pontes, Agencia Brasil)
Religious freedom in the workplace: Fundamental rights and business standards (Portuguese)
(Elisa Alonso, Consultor Juridico)
Friday, 22 August 2025
Gospel in motion: How a medical ship is healing Tanzania’s Lake Victoria communities
(Joseph Maina, Religion Unplugged)
Why Egypt has rekindled its war on atheism
(Shimaa El-Yousef, Religion Unplugged)
Junta plans to demolish Myanmar cathedral, Buddhist monasteries
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
State media accuses Christians of espionage in ‘clear hate speech’
(Article 18)
Preserving religious freedom in South Korea
(Newt Gingrich, Washington Times)
Let’s foster unity, human dignity, faith practice “as pillars for national renewal”: Bissau-Guinean Catholic Bishop
(João Vissesse, ACI Africa)
Saudi Arabia undermines U.S. bilateral relationship with execution of Shi’a advocate
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
The secret of sacred spaces
(Knox Thames)
Religious persecution increases in war
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Grand ceremony and parade mark 60 years of Chinese Communist Party rule in Tibet
(Associated Press)
Samaritan's Purse joins Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid efforts in Gaza
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Wednesday, 20 August 2025
The three stages of religious decline around the world
(Jörg Stolz, Nan Dirk de Graaf, Conrad Hackett and Jean-Philippe Antonietti, Nature)
Qatar: five-year sentence for Baha'i dignitary on abusive charges
(Human Rights Watch)
Sentencing of Baha’i leader in Qatar – a systematic pattern
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Religion Watch, ‘Volume 40 No. 9’
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Global Interfaith Monitor No. 38
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Grateful for 25 years of alternative civilian service in Taiwan
(Jehovah's Witnesses)
Twelver Shiism – a branch of Islam that serves both as a spiritual and political force in Iran and beyond
(Massumeh H. Toosi, The Conversation)
Malaysian state to jail Muslims missing Friday prayers, citizens say 'becoming Taliban soon'
(News 18)
Religious leaders unite to champion peace, tolerance in Nigeria
(Voice of Nigeria)
Catholic charity warns global rise in religious persecution threatens all faiths
(Vatican News)
‘Sitting on a volcano’: Two Indian temples clash as politics and faith mix
(Subhrajit Sen, Al Jazeera)
In Kenya’s capital, a new Rastafari temple shows the movement’s endurance
(Associated Press)
Monday, 18 August 2025
The Church joins with other faiths to celebrate religious freedom in Colombia
(Church Newsroom)
Four years after the Taliban’s takeover, “morality law” imposes harsh religious freedom restrictions
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
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