Law and Religion Headlines

---

Monday, 18 May 2026

The Bellwether’s work: Rachel Miner on why genocide is predictable — and preventable
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Crowd on Parliament Hill for national pro-life rally told 'Canada must do better'
(Brian Cox, National Post)

Myanmar: No redress for Rohingya Muslims in Arakan army massacre
(Human Rights Watch)

West Bengal ends religious allowances, introduces women's schemes
(India News Network)

Foreign Policy magazine hosts Muslim World League’s chief for talks on religion, global issues
(Arab News)

The case of the disappearing Christians of Yemen
(Azeem Ibrahim, Christian Daily)

‘Hindu order runs India’: Court declares another medieval mosque a temple
(Al Jazeera)

Friday, 15 May 2026

Muslim group presses NZ police over mosque arson probe transparency
(Muslim Network TV)

Cuba maintains poor religious freedom conditions
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Quran memorization office opens in Egypt’s Sinai
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Iraqi court rules in favour of Christian woman challenging Muslim religion status
(Obianuju Mbah, Christian Today)

Catholic ministries in Bangladesh face new challenges from Islamic extremists
(Stephan Uttom Rozario, America: The Jesuit Review)

East African Court case filed: Christian communities in DRC left unable to worship after targeted attacks on churches, charities
(ADF International)

Threats to religious freedom in Somalia
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Religious freedom and rule of law in Syria
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Australia bans a neo-Nazi network under new law that criminalizes hate groups
(Charlotte Graham-McLay, Associated Press)

Advocate says sentence of Egyptian Coptic scholar has created a ‘chilling effect’ on Christians
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Chinese authorities arrest six Christians over children’s Sunday school classes
(China Aid)

KAICIID and the Organization of Ibero-American States sign memorandum of understanding to advance dialogue, education and social cohesion across the Ibero-American region
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Israel’s death penalty law: “Jewish and Democratic”?
(Ori Aronson, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)

Expanding religious freedom through self-regulation: A joint convening of ACRL and Religions for Peace
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Karnataka government withdraws 2022 hijab ban order in educational institutes, permits 'limited' religious symbols
(Times of India)

Jordan condemns Israeli far-right minister storming of Aqsa Mosque
(The Jordan Times)

China: Religious persecution and issues – bimonthly digest May 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Disputed Bhojshala site is temple of Goddess Saraswati: Madhya Pradesh High Court
(Ravish Pal Singh, India Today)

Thailand: What happens when Buddhism is twinned with political power?
(Aatish Taseer, New York Times)

Wednesday, 13 May 2026

Christian woman wins legal challenge against Muslim designation in Iraq’s official database
(ADF International)

Egypt’s family law reforms expose the limits of sectarian citizenship
(Christin El-Kholy, New Lines Magazine)

Karasu: Democratic integration doesn't mean denying Kurdish identity
(Hawar newse)

UAE, Syrian religious authorities hold talks in Damascus to promote moderate fatwas, unity
(Gulf News)

Inside the Houthis’ ideology: How do they view the United States?
(Mahmoud Shehrah, Homeland Security Today)

Madhya Pradesh and the crisis of religious freedom
(Ranjan Solomon, Counter Currents)

Right to Freedom of Religion cannot be breached in the name of social reform: SC in Sabarimala case
(Press Trust of India)

India’s anti-conversion laws betray Constitution’s promise of religious freedom
(Harsh Mander, Scroll.in)

Looking heavenward for unity and harmony
(Alden Pua, Ke Alaka'i)

Thailand prepares nationwide royal and religious events for major 2026 commemorations
(Pattaya Mail)

Vietnam simplifies procedures under revised Law on Belief and Religion
(Tran Thuong, Vietnam Net Global)

State restrictions on religious freedom in Saudi Arabia
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Israel's government is expected to collapse over ultra-Orthodox military draft
(Daniel Estrin, NPR)

Can the Middle East learn how to respect religious freedom from Kurdistan?
(Christian Today)

Three tribal church leaders killed in Manipur ambush
(The Hindu)

Liquor ban debate intensifies in J&K amid political sparring, growing calls for prohibition
(Fayaz Wani, New Indian Express)

WCC contributes to KAICIID fellows programme exploring interreligious learning and coexistence in Ethiopia
(World Council of Churches)

Cape Verde: Holy See and Cape Verde deepen a 50-year diplomatic partnership as Archbishop Gallagher unpacks the soul of papal diplomacy
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)

Letter: Extend the Special Rapporteur's mandate, move the accountability agenda forward
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Monday, 11 May 2026

Delegated violence: Jihadist organizations and the strategic logic of small wars
(Sami Daoud, Small Wars Journal)

EU urges protection of religious symbols after incident in S. Lebanon
(MENA FN)

Terrorists, not religion, behind killings in Nigeria — German commissioner
(Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Leadership Nigeria)

One small country set the model for reintegrating ISIS families from Syria. Here’s what Australia can learn
(Helen Stenger, The Conversation)

Preserving social bonds amid mental illness
(Oman Observer)

China codifies and escalates its policy on the “sinicization of religion”
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Israeli troops get prison for desecration of Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon
(Julia Frankel, Associated Press)

Articles of interest - 11 May 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

In new signature drive, Filipino Church breaks bonds of political dynasties
(Paterno R. Esmaquel II, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Religion steers Bengal politics in Bangladesh, India — again
(Anupam Deb Kanunjna, Deutsche Welle)

Man charged with disturbing place of worship after allegedly making threats at north Brisbane mosque
(Sarah Richards, ABC News Australia)

Cleric slams arrest of Shia scholars in Bahrain
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Land rights and mining: WCC, CWM demand reform in Africa
(World Council of Churches)

Iran: Religious persecution and issues – Monthly Digest April 2026
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Iraq: Religious minorities in Kurdistan discussed at the European Parliament
(Awring Shaways, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

When regulation becomes repression: The expanding question of state power in India
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Villagers call for Fiji to be recognised as Christian state
(Sosiveta Korobiau, Fiji Sun)

Legislation to shut down illegal places of worship passes parliament
(NSW Government)

Theocratic visions and liberal vacuums: Iran’s crisis of meaning
(Religion Unplugged)

Vatican's Vesak message calls on Buddhists and Christians to become “artisans of peace”
(Francesca Merlo, Vatican News)

Vatican official making rare trip to Taiwan for Buddhist charity celebrations
(Reuters)

Muslim solidarity is “sign of hope” in Mozambique, says bishop
(Paulo Aido, Aid to the Church in Need)

Japan’s Muslim residents face increasing barriers to Islamic burial
(Muslim Network TV)

When regulation becomes repression: The expanding question of state power in India
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Friday, 8 May 2026

Lebanese army intelligence arrests man over alleged sectarian incitement and insults to religious and state figures
(LBC International)

How Dubai strengthens social cohesion through interfaith partnerships
(Tricia Gajitos, Gulf News)

Decolonising Sudan in the political imagination
(Muhammad Elamin, Islamic Human Rights Commission)

North Africa signals new openings for Jews as Morocco weighs citizenship reform, Tunisia sees pilgrimage return
(Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner)

Uganda arrests 62 Nigerians over alleged illegal religious activities, immigration breaches
(Leah Ndagi, Leadership)

Sultan dismisses Islamisation claims, urges religious literacy for national unity
(Collins Nnabuife, Nigerian Tribune)

Freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam cannot be distorted - Op-ed
(Vietnam Plus)

Nonstate violators of religious freedom in Nigeria: Fulani militants
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Islamic militants attack Congo villages near Uganda, killing 40 people, local group says
(Jean-Yves Kamale, Associated Press)

Israel indicts Jewish man accused of attacking Christian nun in Jerusalem
(Melanie Lidman, Associated Press)

Foreign visitors return to Jewish pilgrimage in Tunisia under tight security
(Khaled Nasraoui and Ghaya Ben Mbarek, Associated Press)

Freedom of religion and belief in Afghanistan
(John T. Pinna and Emily Hilliard, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

Church groups launch signature drive to ban Filipino political dynasties
(Paterno R. Esmaquel II, Union of Catholic Asian News)

How the EU can impact FoRB in Iran
(Fred Petrossian, Article 18)

Submission to the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying
(Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)

Qatar’s pluralism at risk, warn UN experts
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Trump’s China trip offers a golden chance to inspire freedom
(Nina Shea, Hudson Institute)

Faith-based leaders call for dignity, protection at global migration forum
(Presbyterian News Service)

Christians decry persecution in India's heartland
(N Hannan, Deutsche Welle)

Wednesday, 6 May 2026

Nicaragua continues its unrelenting campaign to eliminate religious freedom
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

What is the limit of judicial intervention in religious procedures (Portuguese)
(André Fagundes, Conjur)

TJ-DFT grants temporary teacher alternative work schedule based on religious observance of the sabbath (Portuguese)
(TJ-DFT, Bom Dia Advogado)

Church to refund R$ 33,000 to autistic parishioner who donated to "drive away a demon" (Portuguese)
(Redação, Migalhas)

Magistrates may hold positions in religious organizations, CNJ rules (Portuguese)
(Redação, Migalhas)

Faith leaders go door to door in Congo preaching peace amid renewed war
(Tonny Onyulo, Religion News Service)

Kazakhstan: Anti-war Orthodox priest "kept in forced, absolute isolation from the world"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

Islamists reduce historic church to rubble in northern Mozambique
(Aid to the Church in Need)

Symposium delves into complex space where faith meets global values
(World Council of Churches)

Catholic bishops in Africa urge end to xenophobic attacks in South Africa
(Fredrick Nzwili, OSV News)

Shiite cleric killed in grenade attack near Syrian capital of Damascus
(Associated Press)

A generation determined: How Cuba’s Christian influencers have caught the regime off-guard
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Search

Go!

Filter by Category

Events

International

Europe

United States

Filter by Topic

Abuse Adoption Blasphemy / Offense to Religion Children and Youth Church-State Relations Citizenship Constitutional Space COVID-19 COVID-19 Resources Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (abortion case) Ecclesiastical Abstention Education Environment Espinoza v. Montana (SCOTUS school funding case) Eugenics Extremism Family Law Freedom of Expression Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Fulton v. Philadelphia (faith-based adoption agencies and same-sex couples) G20 Interfaith Forum Gender Genocide George Floyd Health and Wellbeing Human Dignity Human Fraternity ICLRS Symposium Identity Interfaith Dialogue Jewish Law June Medical Services (SCOTUS abortion case) Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania Our Lady of Guadalupe School (SCOTUS ministerial exception case) Politics Poverty Property Race Religious Food Practices Religious Freedom Religious Holidays Religious Literacy Rule of Law Russia's Extremism Laws Slavery Social Service Spirituality Technology, Innovation, Infrastructure The Economy Ukrainian Autocephaly Violence Women / Equality Abortion Accreditation Activism Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton Affordable Care Act/HHS Mandate Al-Qaeda Annual International Law and Religion Symposium Anti-Christian Sentiment Anti-Islam Film Anti-Muslim Sentiment Anti-Semitism Apartheid Apostasy Articles & Speeches Asylum Australia Same-Sex Marriage Vote Bakery cases Billy Graham Blaine Amendments Boko Haram Bostock v. Clayton County (LGBT employment rights case) Boy Scouts Braidwood v. Becerra (Affordable Care Act) Brexit Calls for Papers / Contests Canada's Office of Religious Freedom Censorship Charlie Gard Case Charlie Hebdo Circumcision Climate Change Conscientious Objection Copenhagen Declaration (2018) Counter-terrorism Death Penalty Defamation Definition of Religion or Belief Democracy Derogation Desecration Discrimination Dissent ECHR/ECtHR ENDA ERISA Ethics Ethnic Cleansing EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief European Court of Justice Euthanasia/Assisted Dying Events Eweida and Others Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Faith Based Law Schools Family FIDELA First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) Franciscan Alliance v. Burwell (Texas Transgender Mandate Case) Freedom of Assembly Freedom of Movement Globalism Gloucester County School Board ("Transgender Bathroom case") Government Funding of Religion Government Obligations Ground Zero Cross Hate Crimes Hate Speech Headscarf / Veil / Burqa HHS Transgender Mandate Hobby Lobby case Holt v. Hobbs Honor Killing Human Genomics Debate Human Rights Human Trafficking Humanitarian Aid Immigration Inequality Inhumane Treatment Interfaith International Law ISIS / ISIL / Daesh / "Islamic State" Jehovah's Witnesses v. Wall (Canada) Jerusalem passports case Jurisdiction Justice Scalia Kelley v. Becerra (Affordable Care Act) Kentucky Clerk Case Lee v. Tam (trademark case) Legislation & Religion LGBTQi+ issues Magna Carta Malaysia Allah Case Margin of Appreciation Marrakesh Declaration Marriage / Divorce / Civil Union Masterpiece Cakeshop Case Mexico Massacre Middle East Migration Military Ministerial Exception Minorities Missionary/Proselytism Mt. Soledad Cross Multiculturalism Narratives Neutrality New Religious Movements Newsletter NIFLA v. Becerra (compelled-speech case) Oaths of Allegiance Obergefell v. Hodges Orlando Massacre Pan-Orthodox Council Parental Rights Parliament of the World's Religions Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Peacebuilding Pluralism Politics & Religion Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Pornography Prejudice Prisoner Free Exercise Prisoners Privacy Private and Family Life Proselytism / Evangelism Public Cross Cases Public Morals Public Prayer Publications Pussy Riot case Quebec Charter Plan Radicalization Refoulement Refugee/Migrant Crisis Registration Religion & Culture Religion & Government Religion in the Public Sphere Religious Accommodation Religious Autonomy Religious Clergy Religious Clothing Religious Conversion Religious Demographics Religious Demonstration Religious Diversity Religious Exemption Religious Free Exercise Religious Freedom & Business Religious Harmony Religious Hatred Religious Hostilities Religious Incitement Religious Intolerance Religious Oppression Religious Persecution Religious Registration Religious Symbols Religious Tolerance Reparations Restrictions on Religion RFAR RFRA Right to Effecitve Remedy Right to Fair Hearing Right to Life RLUIPA Roe v. Wade Romney Sacred Spaces Same-sex unions Secularism Security Social Justice Social Media Sovereignty Sterling v. United States (RFRA) Stormans v. Weisman (Pharmacists' Case) Surrogacy Sustainable Development Syria Tax / Finance and Religion Terrorism The Vatican Third-party intervention Title IX Torture or inhuman treatment Travel Ban Treaties Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer Trinity Western University Ukraine UN Human Rights Council UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief US Constitution US State Department Religious Freedom Reports USCIRF Utah Compromise Victims War Crimes Wedding vendor cases Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt (Texas abortion case) Workplace / Employment Zubik v. Burwell ("Little Sisters of the Poor")

Filter by Country

Afghanistan African Union Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas, The Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Council of Europe Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia European Union Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Greenland Grenada Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao PDR Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherland Antilles Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan (Republic of China) Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Tibet Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Türkiye Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Nations United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Yemen Yugoslavia Zambia Zimbabwe