Law and Religion Headlines

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Thursday, 19 December 2019

India’s new citizenship law excludes Muslims, leading to mass protests, violence
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

Maldives arrests 3 suspected religious extremists on island
(Mohamed Sharuhan, Associated Press)

Iran leader urges deeper Muslim links to fight US ‘hegemony’
(Eileen Ng, Associated Press)

Yediyurappa says Citizenship Amendment Act does not discriminate on basis of religion
(Times of India)

India’s citizenship law more sinister than it seems
(Asia Times)

Authors: Recent media coverage causes misperceptions on Vatican finances
(Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service)

Brazilian Church helps communities, industries affected by oil spills
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Set aside indifference, fear in order to build peace, pope tells diplomats
(Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service)

UN rapporteur praises pope for reform of abuse secrecy
(Associated Press)

Pope meets new arrivals in Rome, says helping migrants is moral duty
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service)

Innocent Jehovah's Witnesses locked up for two months
(Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Cathedral in Iraq's largest Christian town to be rebuilt in 2020
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

Religious minorities around the world face an uncertain future: 5 essential reads
(Kalpana Jain, The Washington Post)

Muslims to contest religious law at Canada’s top court
(Barry Ellsworth, Anadolu Agency)

In Canada, Christmas traditions change as fewer people see religion as the reason for the season
(Angus Reid Institute)

Debates about the seal of confession intensify as Australian mandatory reporting laws move closer to reality
(Ben Wilkie, America Magazine)

Promoting freedom of religion or belief – key lessons
(Marie Juul Petersen & Katherine Marshall, OpenGlobalRights)

How a Burmese millionaire changed the world
(Raja Murthy, Asia Times)

Why Pakistan’s former ruler Musharraf was sentenced to death, and what it means
(Madiha Afzal, Brookings)

Protests in Pakistan could shake prime minister’s mandate
(Madiha Afzal, Brookings)

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

Recent articles of interest - 16 December 2019
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Mexico’s president wants to protect nation’s separation of church and state
(PBS News Hour)

Mexico president opposes bill to end church-state separation
(Peter Orsi, Associated Press)

Emirati diplomat says promoting tolerance takes time
(Aya Batrawy, Associated Press)

Prayer at Kashmir’s biggest mosque for 1st time in 4 months
(Aijaz Hussain, Associated Press)

The culture wars today
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

American conversions to Russian Orthodoxy amid the global culture wars (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Evangelical homeschooling and the development of “family values” (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Seth Dowland, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Global culture wars from the perspective of Russian and American actors: some preliminary conclusions (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Dmitry Uzlaner, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Populism and Christianity: the tale of two continents (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Olivier Roy, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

The Russian Orthodox church and global religious freedom (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Pasquale Annicchino, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

The shifting coordinates of the conservative worldview (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Kristina Stoeckl, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Transnationalization of the culture wars: rights, rhetoric and reality (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Clifford Bob, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

What do we miss when we call them “culture wars”? (Responding to: The culture wars today)
(Bethany Moreton, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Ukrainian court reinstates diplomat who blamed Jews for World War II and posed with ‘Mein Kampf’ cake
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Aleppo priest says dire Christmas awaits Christians trapped by Syria’s civil war
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Evangelization happens in Philippine shopping malls, Cardinal Tagle says
(Catholic News Service)

Russian security penalizes Baptist preacher for opposing Orthodox church
(Alexander Pugachev, Nastoiashchee Vremia, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Jehovah's Witnesses harassed for using their songbook
(Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Kazakhstan: 24 prisoners of conscience, 6 restricted freedom sentences
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

RFI Middle East Director speaks on humanitarian assistance and religious inequalities
(Religious Freedom Institute)

Israelis from Russia: A voyage from atheism to religion
(Ksenia Svetlova, Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East)

Tuesday, 17 December 2019

Houses of worship attacked with deadly frequency in 2019
(David Crary, Associated Press)

Indonesia: Freedom of religion suffers in persistently divided nation
(Ivany Atina Arbi, The Jakarta Post)

Indonesian Muslim groups urge China to stop violating Uyghur rights
(Radio Free Asia)

Chinese TV pulls Arsenal game coverage after Ozil criticism
(Rob Ha, Associated Press)

‘Santhara’ – Conflicts between Religious choice of a Jain and Prescription of law through judgments in the absence of Statutes.
(M.L.Joseph, Chennai Law Associates)

Malaysia doesn’t belong to 1 race or religion, says DAP
(Free Malaysia Today)

Denial is the final state of genocide. The Armenians know it best
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

Islam made me Christian
(Alessandra Bocchi, First Things)

The Lady takes a gamble (Suu Kyi's strange decision to defend Myanmar against genocide charges aims to woo voters before a challenging election)
(Michael Sainsbury, La Croix International)

Over 1,000 Christians in Nigeria killed by Fulani, Boko Haram in 2019: NGO report
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)

Pope Francis issues sweeping sexual abuse reforms
(Philip Pullela, Reuters via Huffpot)

Afghanistan at a crossroads
(James B. Cunningham, Atlantic Council)

UN body lambasts Pakistan over 'discrimination' of religious minorities
(Asian News International, Hindustan Times)

Across India, opposition building against citizenship law
(Sheikh Saaliq and Emily Schmall, Associated Press)

Protests of India’s citizenship law grow, along with clashes
(Sheikh Saaliq and Emily Schmall, Associated Press)

Videos show homophobic attack on three LGBTQ Palestinians in the West Bank
(Liselotte Mas, The Observers)

Monday, 16 December 2019

India: Supreme Court orders seven Kandhamal Christians freed on bail after 9 years in prison
(World Watch Monitor)

The original ‘Blue Christmas’: New Advent resources focus on grief, justice before celebration
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)

Peruvian journo’s legal woes expand for reporting on controversial lay movement
(Elise Harris, Catholic News Service)

Vatican official brings Christmas cheer to Gaza Catholics
(a, Associated Press)

‘Building bridges’: How a New Zealand meeting exemplifies past, present and future collaborations between the Church and its friends
(Scott Taylor, The Church News)

Over a dozen cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have been rejected by judges
(Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

Ian Thorpe slams Scott Morrison's religious discrimination bill in Equality Australia campaign
(Elizabeth Daoud, 7 News)

‘The Two Popes’ promotes dialogue in a polarized Catholic Church and society
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

Al-Shabaab singles out 11 to kill in bus attack in northern Kenya; raises fear for Christians
(Fredrick Nzwili, World Watch Monitor)

Costa Rican president signs decree to allow some abortions
(Catholic News Agency)

Catholicism, modernity, and ground-up politics
(Francesca Aran Murphy, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Free speech cannot save us
(R.J. Snell, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Saturday, 14 December 2019

Symbols, speech, and security
(Elizabeth Clark, Talk About: Law and Religion (blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies))

Religion Photos of the Week
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)

The new science of spiritual fortitude: The key to enduring faith
(Jamie Aten, Religion News Service)

(Anti)Religious speech and state security: a blog series
(Dmytro Vovk, Eilzabeth Clark, Jane Wise, Elizaveta Gaufman, Maria Kravchenko, Talk About: Law and Religion (blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies))

Modern book-burning: Protected speech?
(Jane Wise, Talk About: Law and Religion (blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies))

More than a feeling ("offending religious feelings" in Russia)
(Elizaveta Gaufman, Talk About: Law and Religion (blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies))

Disproportionality of anti-extremist measures: The case of Faizrakhamanists in Russia
(Maria Kravchenko, Talk About: Law and Religion (blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies))

Rohingya Muslims: The name that Aung San Suu Kyi did not want to say
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

Aung San Suu Kyi, former democracy icon, defends Myanmar against genocide allegations
(Michael Birnbaum and Shibani Mahtani, The Washington Post)

Rohingya refugees reject Aung San Suu Kyi’s genocide denial
(Associated Press)

USCIRF applauds sanctions against senior Burmese military officials
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Netflix satire about gay Jesus infuriates thousands of Brazilians
(Lisa Alves, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

The Arab world in transition
(The Arab Weekly)

Religious harmony index up but intolerance remains
(The Jakarta Post)

View: India has a moral responsibility towards religious minorities
(The Economic Times India)

Protests rage in India for fourth day over citizenship law
(Al Jazeera)

Suu Kyi arrives at The Hague to defend Myanmar of genocide, rights group calls for country boycott
(France 24)

Gabon bans gay sex as global pace of reform falters
(Rachel Savage, Reuters)

Argentina: New government publishes new guidelines for non-punishable abortions
(Buenos Aires Times)

Friday, 13 December 2019

India passes controversial citizenship bill that excludes Muslims
(Helen Regan, Swati Gupta and Omar Khan, CNN International)

New citizenship law in India ‘fundamentally discriminatory’: UN human rights office
(UN News)

Pakistani Hindus in India welcome new citizenship act
(Amir Ansari, Zain Salah Uddin, Deutsche Welle)

India’s top court rejects pleas for review of temple verdict
(Associated Press)

Church of Atheism not a charity under Canadian tax law
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Ayodhya land ruling has thrust history into the centre of Indian politics – what this means for the future
(Isha Dueby, The Conversation)

Cameroon bishop attacks country’s human rights record, calls for election reform
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Vatican calls Greta Thunberg ‘great witness’ of Church’s environmental teaching
(Elise Harris, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Greta Thunberg is the perfect hero for an unserious time
(David Harsanyi, National Review)

Faith groups praise Australia’s religious discrimination legislation
(Catholic News Service)

USCIRF condemns Egypt’s arrest of Coptic activist Ramy Kamel
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

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