Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 18 August 2025
What can we learn from Iraqi Christians 11 years after ISIS’s attack?
(ADF International)
Religion and foreign policy Webinar: Pope Leo XIV's first 100 days
(Council on Foreign Relations)
Argentina’s bishops criticize Javier Milei’s economic policies
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Bishops of Uruguay respond to preliminary bill approving euthanasia
(Kielce Gussie, Vatican News)
Articles of interest - 18 August 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Why has Canada embraced euthanasia?
(Mark Silk, Religion News Service)
Delving deeper: Conversations from Day Three of the G20 Interfaith Forum
(Luisa Banchoff, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
From advocates to agents: Takeaways from Day Four of the G20 Interfaith Forum
(Luisa Banchoff, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Global mosques urged to unite in defense of Al-Aqsa on World Mosque Day
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Islamophobia on the rise in Australia and majority of incidents are not reported, report says
(Nino Bucci, The Guardian)
Mozambique: Archbishop Inácio condemns illegal seizure of church land, mosque built on seminary grounds
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution: Bimonthly Digest August 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Solomon Islands prime minister hails church’s role in national transformation at evangelism event
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)
Editor in Chief of the ACN Religious Freedom Report 2025: “If religious freedom is denied for one faith, soon, it will be denied to others”
(Aid to the Church in Need)
Friday, 15 August 2025
Ubuntu is our compass: Day One of the G20 Interfaith Forum
(Luisa Banchoff, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
In good company: Highlights from Day Two of the G20 Interfaith Summit
(Luisa Banchoff, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
How local religious leaders are shaping global peacebuilding: Reflections from the 2025 Kofi Annan Faith Briefings
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
‘God understands us': Inside a Nigerian church where deaf people find faith and community
(Ope Adetayo, Associated Press)
The Druze are a tightly knit community – and the violence in Syria is triggering fears in Lebanon
(Mireille Rebeiz and Said Abou Zaki, The Conversation)
Qatar sentences the country’s Baha’i leader to 5 years for social media posts
(David Crary, Associated Press)
Argentinian President Javier Milei will use ‘Jewish Nobel’ to launch ‘Isaac Accords’
(Juan Melamed, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
When violence based on religion or belief amounts to international crimes
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Kyrgyzstan: Supreme Court permanently bans Reform Adventists as "extremist"
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
In Bolivia, churches and communities speak out on addressing health crisis
(World Council of Churches)
Opposition PNP pledges multi-million dollar fund for church-led programs, action on gender-based violence ahead of Jamaica election
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)
Church network in India rallies against ‘invisible chains’ of human trafficking
(Molly Fernandes, Vatican News)
Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Polarization and the pursuit of peace: Multi-faith appeals to human dignity
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS), Brigham Young University)
WCC general secretary delivers keynote at G20 Interfaith Forum
(World Council of Churches)
Disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Telling stories, taking action: Insights from the Youth Interfaith Forum 2025
(Luisa Banchoff, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
PM Sharif, president vow to promote religious freedom as Pakistan marks Minorities Day
(Arab News)
India: Hindu nationalists force religious conversions
(Adil Bhat and Richard Kujur, Deutsche Welle)
Repatriation, state funeral and burial: balancing public and family interests following the death of the former President of Zambia
(Mark Hill, Law & Religion UK)
Shaolin’s ‘CEO monk’ scandal may prompt overhaul of how temples are run in China
(Meredith Chen, South China Morning Post)
When failure to intervene becomes constructive dismissal: Makombe
(David Scrooby, Law & Religion UK)
Israel denies entry to Italian Catholic priest who has accused country of genocide
(Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel)
Vietnam: police raid Catholic home church during Mass
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Monday, 11 August 2025
Hundreds of Buddhist monks in Cambodia gather to praise ceasefire with Thailand and mourn the dead
(Sopheng Cheang, Associated Press)
Advancing women’s education in Cambodia and Malawi
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Sudan issue update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Clergy authority and civil liability for sex abuse from a comparative perspective
(Nicolás Zambrana Tévar, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
A Nigerian prisoner of conscience is free, but others remain in danger
(Freedom House)
Families foster belonging in Australian neighborhoods
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Religions for Peace World Council in Istanbul to restore the sacred in a time of global crisis
(Religions for Peace)
Honoring Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A call to abolish nuclear weapons
(Religions for Peace)
Colombia: Minister indicates government will reject bill that would increase control over religious entities
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Islamic court in Indonesia sentences 2 men to public caning over sexual acts: kissing and hugging
(Yayan Zamzami, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 11 August 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Cameroon archbishop issues critique of the Biya government ahead of elections
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Friday, 8 August 2025
Qatar: UN experts gravely concerned about discrimination against the Baha’i religious minority
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
The pursuit of justice for the Yazidi genocide must continue
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Statement on Gaza and peace in the Middle East
(Parliament of the World's Religions)
Colombia: New film highlights efforts toward environmental restoration
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution: Bimonthly Digest July 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas dared to speak out against injustice in Nicaragua. For that he has been labelled a murderer and a terrorist.
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Unification minister asks for Buddhist community's role in improving inter-Korean ties
(Korea Times)
At meeting of African Catholic leaders, bishops urge peace on the continent
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
Bond between Iran, Islam unbreakable: Tehran mayor
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Viet Nam promotes religious solidarity in new era
(Hoang Thu Trang, Nhan Dan)
Houthi factsheet
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Indonesian faith leaders unite for safeguarding religious freedom
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Religious schools fill gaps amid Afghanistan’s fractured education system
(Al Jazeera)
Ban Christian priests from villages, Hindu group tells Indian state
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
In visit to Korea, WCC general secretary will walk with churches for reconciliation and peace
(World Council of Churches)
Legal Journal Number 9 (20): July (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)
Wednesday, 6 August 2025
A world without nuclear weapons is needed, Japanese cardinal says
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Joint interfaith statement marking 80 years since the first use of nuclear weapons
(Parliament of the World’s Religions)
China: Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly Digest July 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Chinese government has 'final say' in Dalai Lama reincarnation, Tibetan official says
(Reuters)
Iran: Religious persecution and issues – Monthly Digest July 2025
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Αrchon Manolis Velivasakis delivers strong message for religious freedom at World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association’s General Assembly
(Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate)
Faith leadership and missions in the fight against modern slavery
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Migration and refugee movements, human trafficking, and modern slavery
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Organized exploitation and sacred responsibility: Africa’s challenge and IF20’s call to action
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Why was religious exemption not allowed for worker refusing to comply with vaccination policy?
(Jeffrey R. Smith, Canadian HR Reporter)
Organized crime’s newest targets
(Knox Thames)
Nigeria: Religious leaders are key to peaceful coexistence, says Uba Sani
(Saxone Akhaine, The Guardian)
Victory for religious freedom: Nigerian high court strikes down wrongful conviction of Christian man who faced torture
(ADF International)
Australia: Chinese national accused under foreign interference law of spying on Buddhists
(Michelle Grattan, The Conversation)
Patiala protest march demands release of Sikh prisoners and stronger religious protection laws
(Times of India)
How India's sacred Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage became a spectacle of Hindutva fury
(Anuj Behal, Religion News Service)
Taliban arrests six Kabul University students over alleged promotion of ‘atheistic ideas’
(Afghanistan International)
Brazil: Denied compensation to family of Jehovah's Witness who died after fracturing his femur (Portuguese)
(Bom Dia Advogado)
Monday, 4 August 2025
Religious freedom and social polarization: A comparative perspective
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS), Brigham Young University)
Canada: In diverse Central Park, community concerned U.S. Christian musician's concert could sow division
(Santiago Arias Orozco, CBC News)
Short-term safety vs. long-term protection: Why cultural heritage is essential to religious freedom in the MENA region
(Salah Ali, Religious Freedom Institute)
Cameroon bishop warns weak politics affects national stability
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Manila archbishop tells lawmakers: Ensure every law ‘is a prayer before God’
(Joseph San Mateo, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Recognizing Palestine would deepen French Muslim-Jewish rift
(Elizabeth Bryant, Deutsche Welle)
Russia: Old Catholic priest fined for anti-war sermons
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
India: Inside the rightward drift of Kerala’s Syrian Christians
(Rishabh Jain, Religion Unplugged)
Faith in the fire: rethinking disaster response through religious engagement
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Bridging interreligious tensions through education: a global imperative
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Places of worship vandalised across Melbourne
(Lesa Scholl, The Melbourne Anglican)
China: Pastor formally arrested on charges of 'illegal business operations'
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Articles of interest - 4 August 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Israel minister who led prayers at a controversial holy site has a record of provocative actions
(Melanie Lidman, Associated Press)
Brazil: Banning the use of religious accessories in the workplace: Discrimination or a company right? (Portuguese)
(Renato Melquíades, Migalhas)
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
The number of Christian-majority countries fell between 2010 and 2020
(Dalia Fahmy, Pew Research Center)
Churches in once Catholic-dominated Quebec get new secular roles as restaurants, gyms and theaters
(Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press)
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