Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 4 July 2025
Why AI needs religion & spirituality
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
‘Foreigners for both nations’: India pushing Muslims ‘back’ to Bangladesh
(Arshad Ahmed and Mahibul Hoque, Al Jazeera)
Indian govt seeks report on anti-Christian violence in Odisha
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Religious freedom and U.S. policy in post-Assad Syria
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Russia country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
WHO study links vaccine refusal in Kazakhstan to institutional distrust over religious beliefs
(Aibarshyn Akhmetkali, Astana Times)
The Islamic Republic’s power centers
(Council on Foreign Relations)
The Baha’i faith is small, far-flung, and faced with repression in parts of the Middle East
(David Crary, Associated Press)
Russian religious propaganda network uncovered in Bulgaria, investigators warn
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Tajikistan: Denial of "qualified medical care" led to Ismaili leader's prison death?
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Russia: Buddhist leader given longest known anti-war jail term
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Multicultural societies at the center: The ICCS Conference in Singapore
(Katherine Marshall, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Pakistan court paves way for official recognition of Christian convert
(Kamran Chaudhry, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Another assault on religious liberty in Rwanda
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Cuba: Increased restrictions on churches in run up to anniversary of protests
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Kenya: Muslims demand state house mosque construction after Ruto defends Ksh 1.2B church project
(Mercy Sowek, Kenyans)
Ukraine strips Orthodox leader of citizenship, alleging links to Moscow
(David I. Klein, Religion News Service)
Wednesday, 2 July 2025
Spiritual Lawfare: The Use and Misuse of Litigation in the Context of Human Rights, Religious Freedom, and Competing Human Rights
(Jayne Ozanne, Javier García Oliva, Helen Hall, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Cultural and religious pluralism as a literary frame (video)
(Georgetown University)
Church joins partners in Southern Africa to tackle human trafficking
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Does religious tolerance remain a distant dream in Taiwan?
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)
WCC calls for churches to act on threats to public health
(World Council of Churches)
Kenya: Catholic Bishops decry ‘moral crisis’ in country, demand justice, dignity, and leadership rooted in integrity
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Globally, 1 in 10 adults under 55 have left their childhood religion
(Yunping Tong, Pew Research Center)
Dispute over St. Catherine’s Monastery may jeopardize Egyptian-Greek rapprochement
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Experts at UN Human Rights Council: Tibetan rights, religion and culture threatened amid China’s interference in Dalai Lama succession
(International Campaign for Tibet)
India: Zumba in Kerala’s schools draws fire from Muslim groups; government stands firm on anti-drug push
(The Hindu)
Iran increases pressure on Jewish community after war
(Iran Wire)
The Wall Street Journal: The small country of Bhutan bets on Bitcoin mining
(Chain Catcher)
Monday, 30 June 2025
Facing a precarious future in Hong Kong
(Peter Maize, Christianity Today)
Nicaragua crackdown on Christianity deepens amid political power grab
(Obianuju Mbah, Christianity Today)
Protecting religious liberty in the court of law is not enough. Why the real challenge is in the ‘court of public opinion’
(Sarah Jane Weaver, Deseret News)
Congo Christian leaders submit peace plan draft to President amid Security Crisis
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
African Church leader backs new report urging reforms on debt relief
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Uzbekistan: Judge refuses to explain rejecting 8 Muslims' appeals
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Uzbekistan: Courts hand two prisoners of conscience extra jail terms
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Pakistan: The EU should suspend its trade privileges. Why? Focus on the blasphemy laws in June
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Strengthening religious tolerance: A lesson from Uzbekistan
(Asep Saepudin Jahar and Kamilov Muzaffar Muratovich, The Jakarta Post)
Comment on "bulldozer jusice"
(X, Nazila Ghanea)
Violence against religious minorities undermines India’s democracy
(Vishal Arora, Religion Unplugged)
Friday, 27 June 2025
Religion Watch, ‘Volume 40 No. 7’
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Canada: ‘I felt so helpless’: Winnipeg woman forced to remove hijab on Flair Airlines flight
(Danton Unger, CTV News)
Should the Equality Act be Amended to Make Explicit Reference to ‘Conscience’?
(Andrew Hambler, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Global Interfaith Monitor No. 36
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Malaysia: Village chiefs reimagine leadership as service to society
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Century-old Haifa building serves as meeting-place for friendship
(Bahá’í World News Service)
BIC explores oneness and interdependence in governance (podcast)
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Walking in solidarity with refugees is an obligation for all people of faith
(Religions for Peace)
An interfaith toolkit to protect girls’ rights
(Religions for Peace)
IGE hosts conversation with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Legal Journal Number 8 (20): June (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Women’s empowerment, protection, & leadership in Africa: Insights from the 2025 Ethiopia Harmony Week celebration
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Human trafficking in Africa: Insights from the 2025 Ethiopia Harmony Week celebration
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Japan’s Catholic bishops urge global nuclear disarmament
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Japan: Unification Church and deprogramming
(Patricia Duval, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Heavy jail penalties in the Linfen Golden Lampstand Church case
(Dong Quiyue, Bitter Winter)
Power struggle in Armenia: Church and billionaires vs. Pashinyan
(Elnur Enveroglu, Azernews)
2025 Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit: Day 2 recap
(University of Notre Dame Law School)
The Damascus church bombing and the collapse of Middle East Christianity
(Daoud Kuttab, Religion News Service)
Monday, 23 June 2025
Pope Leo XIV: Always remember those persecuted for their faith
(Deborah Castellano Lubov, Vatican News)
Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 25, Syrian authorities say
(David Gritten, BBC)
Articles of interest - 23 June 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Zohran Mamdani is running to be New York mayor. How his Muslim faith stirred the race.
(Fiona André and Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
Pope Leo says international relations should be based on Natural Law
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Attack on Christians in India’s Odisha state blamed on Hindu nationalists
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
New Vatican report calls for global economic reforms
(Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter)
The constitutional limits of aid to students in faith-based schools in the United States and Australia: A brief comparative analysis
(Charles J. Russo and P. T. Babie, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Why some see an ancient Biblical enemy in Iran
(Benyamin Cohen, Religion Unplugged)
Undermining religious freedom: Proffering ‘integral humanism’ as defence
(Ram Puniyani, Counter Currents)
Police minister condemns ‘vile’ Destiny Church protest, religious groups targeted call for action
(NZ Herald)
Brazil: Brand protection and religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Thomaz Carneiro Drumond and Alberto Tapeocy Nogueira, Conjur)
Ethics in AI for scientific research (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Friday, 20 June 2025
10 years of multilateral religious freedom work
(Knox Thames)
Articles of interest - 19 June 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Online gambling ‘wrecking lives’ of poor Filipinos, says Cardinal David
(Joseph San Mateo, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Reworking a future: Buddhist revival in Mongolia (podcast)
(BBC)
A Hindu’s heroism in a Muslim school: When having faith means saving lives
(Zaffar Iqbal, Religion Unplugged)
Russia: "Missionary activity" prosecutions January 2024 to April 2025 - list
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Reactions to Egyptian court ruling on Sinai monastery
(The European Times)
Faith, food, & future tech: Aligning AI innovation with sustainability and ethical values
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
EU – China: 40th Human Rights Dialogue with the European Union took place in Brussels
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Latin America: State repression knows no ideology
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
New alliance aims to give Iranian Christians a ‘unified voice’
(Article 18)
UN report: ‘Discrimination against religious minorities in Iran has persisted in law and practice’
(Article 18)
Despite archbishop’s censorship efforts, the Marilyn Manson show will go on
(Mexico News Daily)
Australia: New Victorian laws will help combat hate speech, but there is still some way to go
(Jeremie M Bracka, The Conversation)
Gender justice in Africa: Insights from the 2025 Ethiopia Harmony Week Celebration
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Ugandan Catholic Archbishop faults use of “tolerance” in fostering religious freedom, advocates for “respect”
(Nicholas Waigwa, ACI Africa)
Ghana: Religious leaders urge moral governance, stronger religious role in nation-building
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Sudan: Rapid Support Forces bomb three churches in El Fasher
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Congo bishops denounce claim by political leader Church involved in conspiracy
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Kenya: Country on the boil again: Archbishop Anyolo decries police brutality as protests rekindle June 2024 anger
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Brazil: Pioneering Council for the Promotion of Religious Freedom in São Paulo elects its first members (Portuguese)
(Prefeitura de São Paulo)
Brazil: Brazil less unequal with the advancement of religious transition (Portuguese)
(José Eustáquio Diniz Alves and Suzana Cavenaghi, Exame)
Wednesday, 18 June 2025
‘Hate speech is poison in the well of society,’ says Guterres
(United Nations)
Legal restrictions on names of religious groups in Australia
(Jeremy Patrick, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Burqas, bans and bias: Where women's religious freedom meets public fear
(Surjit Singh Flora, Daily Nation)
Global launch of AI-powered common growth fund to support social and faith-based enterprises
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Manila court acquits Filipino drag artist over ‘Our Father’ performance
(Joseph San Mateo, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Doctrine, not indoctrination: Pope Leo XIV and the transpolitical nature of Catholic social doctrine
(Thomas P. Harmon, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
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