Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 11 February 2019
Christensen case befuddles Russian government
(Interfax-Religiia, Russia Religion News)
Former Jakarta Governor Ahok joins Indonesia’s ruling party
(Gina Goh, International Christian Concern)
ICC requests treasury sanctions against Iranian leaders who send Christians to “torture factory”
(Olivia Miller, International Christian Concern)
Iran observes 40th anniversary of founding
(Claire Evans, International Christian Concern)
Special interpretation of freedom among Islamic revolutionaries in Iran
(Amirmohammad Soori, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Iran’s revolution bridged sectarian rift before deepening it
(Jon Gambrell, Associated Press)
Popular Israeli band drops out of Eurovision rather than perform on Shabbat
(Michele Chabin, Religion News Service)
Kenya’s Catholic bishops provoke debate over public health and contraception
(Doreen Ajiambo, Religion News Service)
Changes in the human brain connected to religion and belief could provide resilience to depression
(Derek Welch, World Religion News)
The massive Hindu Kumbh Mela festival attracts over 100 million visitors
(Kelly Frazier, World Religion News)
Egypt: Sentence issued against policeman who murdered 2 Christians
(Claire Evans, International Christian Concern)
Turks examine their Muslim devotion after poll says faith could be waning
(Peter Kenyon, National Public Radio)
Inside the genocide: Nigeria’s election either way, Christians lose
(Meg McEwen, International Christian Concern)
Uzbekistan: Imam forced to flee after freedom appeal
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
China condemns Turkey over claim of famed musician’s death
(Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press)
China shuts down many churches involved in defectors ministry
(Gina Goh, International Christian Concern)
"War" being waged against religious groups in China, conference told
(EU Today)
Call for an ‘ethical tariff’ on China to stop religious persecution
(Marco Respinti, MercatorNet)
Iraqi Christians fear returning home, wary of Shiite militia
(Fay Abuelgasim, Associated Press)
New video of kidnapped nun in Mali surfaces
(Olivia Miller, International Christian Concern)
Sunday, 10 February 2019
Patriarch Bartholomew is called Ecumenical as he bears more responsibility
(Interfax-Religion)
The political progression of modern Mormon women
(Joseph Stuart, Religion & Politics: Fit for Polite Company)
South Africa: Global Citizens’ Human Rights Coalition says religious freedom 'increasingly under threat'
(Afikile Lugunya, RNEWS)
Saturday, 9 February 2019
Photos of the week
(Religion News Service)
Interfaith harmony only solution to world peace – religious leaders
(Ziaulia Namani, MeriNews)
How international court may give Mali’s women a second chance at justice
(Mark Sappenfield, The Christian Science Monitor)
Journalists are fearful in new Myanmar
(La Croix International)
Mexico’s Fiesta de la Candelaria ends Christmas with a bang
(Religion News Service)
Friday, 8 February 2019
Understanding the centrality of law in Orthodox Judaism
(Arye Klapper, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Russia's crackdown on Jehovah's Witnesses hits critical milestone (Op-ed)
(Roman Lunkin, The Moscow Times)
UN rights chief ‘deeply concerned’ over Jehovah’s Witness sentencing in Russia
(Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN News)
Stern sentence to Jehovah's witness in Russia could set dangerous precendent
(Devidiscourse)
Six-year prison sentence for Jehovah’s Witness in Russia sparks outcry
(Marc Bennetts, Religion News Service)
EU demands that Russia immediately free Danish Jehovah's Witness sentenced for extremism
(Interfax-Religion)
USCIRF condemns Russian conviction of Danish prisoner of conscience Dennis Christensen
(Press Release, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Jehovah's Witnesses implicated in 100 cases in Russia
(Interfax-Religion)
More Jehovah's Witnesses arrested in Russia after conviction of Danish man
(Cristina Masa, Newsweek)
The hopeful lessons learned from Asia Bibi's acquital in Pakistan
(ICC's Pakistan Correspondent, Persecution: International Christian Concern)
Why is Nigeria cracking down on peaceful religious protests?
(Jason Klocek, The Washington Post)
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russian north targeted
(Interfax-Religiia, Russia Religion News)
Russian court sentences Jehovah's Witness to 6 years in prison
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
‘If you care about democratic society, fight anti-Semitism’
(Yonat Shimron (interview with Deborah E. Lipstadt), Religion News Service)
Qatari school textbooks teach anti-Semitism, research shows
(Arab News)
Iran’s supreme leader says ‘Death to America’ actually means to Trump, Bolton and Pompeo
(Erin Cunningham, The Washington Post)
US Muslim leaders call on China to end persecution of Uighurs
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)
The Uyghurs in Chinese and American foreign policy
(Jennifer S. Bryson, Arc of the Universe: Ethics and Globalc Justice)
China: Politicize religion to secure State
(Wang Anyang, Bitter Winter)
China: Religious citizens routinely investigated for being “spies”
(Xin Lu, Bitter Winter)
As India election looms, politics infiltrates the world's biggest religious festival
(Krishna N. Das, Reuters)
Legal struggle of doctor reflects wider harassment of Christians in India
(Morning Star News)
On diplomatic milestone, is it time to rethink the role of papal envoys?
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Canadian judge sentences man who killed 6 at mosque
(Associated Press)
Cardinal Müller issues Manifesto: A quasi correction of Pope Francis’ pontificate
(LifeSite News)
Pope Francis under fire for claiming ‘diversity of religions’ is ‘willed by God’
(Diane Montagna, LifeSite News)
Indonesia should prevent religious conflict, but its blasphemy law does more harm than good
(Gayle Manchin and Nadine Maenza, Globe Post: Opinion)
Religious freedom group asks Trump not to withdraw from Syria, warns Turkey’s entry will lead to genocide
(Paul Crookston, The Washington Free Beacon)
Letter to President Trump: Support, do not abandon, Christians, Yazidis and Kurds in Syria’s northeast
(Jubilee Campaign, International Religious Freedom Roundtable)
What is Islamic dispute resolution and why is it controversial in Australia?
(Maria Bhatti, The Conversation)
Archbishop of Canterbury meets Jordan’s King Abdullah during Primates’ Meeting in Amman
(Anglican Communion News Service)
Human PH flag formed in Ilocos Norte’s interfaith prayer
(Leilanie Adriano, PTV News)
Africa also grappling with clerical sex abuse
(La Croix International)
Québec battles with schools and police departments over efforts to ban religious symbols from heads and necks
(Benson Cook, Fox News)
Thursday, 7 February 2019
Religious scholars in Egypt want to ban award-winning film for allegedly misrepresenting Islam
(Youssra el-Sharkawy, Al-Monitor: Egypt Pulse)
Gay couples to 'live more freely' with Thai civil unions
(Rina Chandran, Reuters)
Jehovah's Witnesses' right to practice religion stipulated in Constitution shouldn't be restricted - HRC head
(Interfax-Religion)
Christensen receives official European support
(Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Russia Religion News)
Organizers of Jehovah's Witnesses group in Mordovia detained
(Interfax-Religion)
Religious leaders hope CAR peace deal will end church, mosque attacks
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
Pope tells prison staff they must help inmates find hope
(Junno Arocho Esteves, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Russia: US violates UN Charter by threatening Venezuela
(Elena Teslove, Andalou Agency)
Sexual abuse of nuns: Longstanding church scandal emerges from shadows
(Jason Horowitz, The New York Times)
Contracts and solemnities in Adam Smith’s sacred anthropology
(Graham McAleer, Law & Liberty)
Russian witches cast spells in Putin’s support (video)
(The Moscow Times)
EVENT, 7 February 2019: What if the US Constitution was Christian?: Jesus Amendment Attempts in the 1940s and 1950s
(University of Alberta)
Kazakh Senate speaker speaks against hijabs in schools
(Interfax-Religion)
Will Canada protect the conscience rights of doctors who refuse to kill through euthanasia?
(Alex Scadenberg, LifeSite News)
Wednesday, 6 February 2019
Lunar New Year / Workplace
(Fact Sheet, Tannenbaum)
The evolution of Pew Research Center’s survey questions about the origins and development of life on earth
(Pew Research Center Religion & Public Life)
If religious freedom’s a process, why not name the elephant in the room?
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Hilaire Belloc and the heresy of our times
(Casey Chalk, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Russian court sends Jehovah’s Witness to prison for 6 years
(Associated Press)
Russia: "6-year jail sentence for believing in God"
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Danish Jehovah’s Witness sentenced to six years in prison in Russia
(Anton Ttoianovski, The Washington Post)
Dennis Christensen (Jehovah's WItness) found guilty – verdict to be appealed
(Jehovah's Witntesses in Russia)
Christensen's time served to be determined
(RIA Novosti, Russia Religion News)
Lawyers appeal sentence of Dane convicted for organizing Jehovah's Witnesses community in Oryol
(Interfax-Religion)
Danish citizen gets 6 years in penal colony for organizing Jehovah's Witnesses community in Oryol
(Interfax-Religion)
Orthodox church uses secular court to settle church governance dispute
(Interfax-Religiia, Russia Religion News)
Venezuelan bishops, religious sisters and laity call for free elections
(Catholic News Agency)
Burkina Faso’s bishops call for prayers and fasting for peace
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Top Iraqi cleric rejects Trump’s plan for US troops in Iraq
(Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press)
Greece calls for reopening of Istanbul’s Orthodox seminary
(Emrah Gurel, Associated Press)
Cardinal DiNardo speaks on ‘healing breach of trust’ caused by sex abuse crisis
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Vatican clarifies pope on issue of ‘sexual slavery’ of nuns
(Associated Press, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Tuesday, 5 February 2019
End Iranian and American garment coercion in sports and games
(Jennifer S. Bryson, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Why does the world hate Haredi Jews?
(Avi Shafran, Forward Opinion)
The UNDP working to empowering women in Jordan
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Russian Orthodoxy, a security issue in Ukraine
(Willy Fautré, Euractiv)
Wunderlich v. Germany: enforcing compulsory home-schooling
(Daniel Monk, Guest Blogger, Strasbourg Observers)
Iraq’s Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi visits St George’s Anglican Church in Baghdad
(Anglican Communion News Service)
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