Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Kenya: Archbishop Muheria urges government to settle billions owed to faith-based hospitals under NHIF and SHA
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Iran: Religious issues and persecution – Monthly digest February
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China’s Ministry of Public Security reports increased anti-religious repression in 2024
(Hu Zimo, Bitter Winter)
Japan: Then they came for Perfect Liberty Kyodan
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
India: Assam: Bodoland govt approves Bathouism as official religion option in forms
(Kanak Chandra Boro, India Today)
G20: More than 100 faith leaders around globe urge finance ministers to end debt crisis in Jubilee year
(Catholic Agency for Overseas Development)
Canada: Jewish organizations’ pre-budget meeting with government ‘important milestone,’ participant says
(Carol Sanders and John Longhurst, Winnipeg Free Press)
Syrians back freedoms, constitutional process at landmark dialogue
(Timour Azhari, Reuters)
Monday, 24 February 2025
Dilexit Nos: Getting to the heart of the matter with Pope Francis
(Greg Marcar, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Canada: Federal guide advises prayer spaces, limits handshakes for Muslim employees
(Amira Elghawaby, Western Standard)
In Canada, 'reasonable accommodations' ensure equity and religious freedom
(Alexis Gacon, La Croix International)
Ten years after Daesh killed 21 men on the Beach in Libya
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Israel to bar freed Palestinian prisoners from Al-Aqsa during Ramadan
(Middle East Eye)
Armenian church wants Israel to stop foreclosure of 1,700-year-old property in Jerusalem
(The Christian Post)
Australia: “Hate speech” and religious freedom- recent developments
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
Success in India: Human rights & business skills pilot
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Indian Christians stopped an anticonversion law. Until now.
(Christianity Today)
DRC: 70 Christians found beheaded in church
(Open Doors)
Five ways to advance religious engagement in 2025
(International Center for Religion & Diplomacy)
Religious leaders must work together to promote shared principles of human dignity and compassion – High Commissioner
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Interfaith engagement with Brazil's 2024 presidency of the G20: Looking back and looking ahead
(Katherine Marshall and Rodrigo Vitorino Souza Alves, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Ten brothers in Russia sentenced
(Jehovah's Witnesses)
Zambia: A witchcraft case involving Zambia’s president brings scrutiny of a colonial-era law and traditions
(Jacob Zimba, Associated Press)
Indonesia: Shariah court sentences 2 men to up to 85 lashes for having gay sex
(Yayan Zamzami, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 24 February 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Hind Kabawat appointed to Syria's National Dialogue Preparatory Committee
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Chinese liaison officer Sangay Kyab participates in protest against religious persecution inside China
(Central Tibetan Administration)
Zimbabwean Church calls for state partnership to uphold human sanctity
(Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, Vatican News)
Afghanistan: Taliban continues corporal punishment, flogging 20 Afghans over alleged adultery
(Voice of America)
Iranian FM stresses need to respect human rights and avoid double standards
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Brazil: Autonomy and religious freedom in medical decisions (Portuguese)
(Mychelli de Oliveira Pereira Fernandez and Ricardo Brito Costa, Migalhas)
Friday, 21 February 2025
Canada: In appeal to Muslims, Freeland pledges to scrap controversial CRA division
(Raffy Boudjikanian, CBC News)
Malaysia: JK Harmoni only discusses ways to strengthen unity in multi-religious Society - Mohd Na'im
(Bernama)
Uzbekistan: Prisoner of conscience facing extra third jail term?
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Saudi Arabia: USCIRF welcomes the release of two religious prisoners in Saudi Arabia
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Sudan: Christian entity petitions African Commission on Human Rights over religious, gender-based violations in Sudan
(Silas Isenjia, ACI Africa)
India: Under MP’s controversial anti-conversion law, Hindus & Jains among accused too
(Iram Siddique, The Print)
India: As Christian-Hindu tensions mount, Manipur’s ‘territorial integrity’ remains a risky narrative
(Vishal Arora, Religion Unplugged)
India: Kerala: Central government-funded programme inaugurated with Islamic prayers, stoking controversy
(T Satisan, Organiser)
Syrian Jews’ homecoming brings hope for reconstruction and a permanent return after decades in exile
(Omar Sanadiki and Abby Sewell, Associated Press)
Bangladesh: Freedom for secular thought still eludes Bangladesh, a decade after blogger’s murder
(Kamran Reza Chowdhury, Benar News)
Zimbabwe: Catholic bishops’ commission in Zimbabwe lauds President for abolishing death penalty
(ACI Africa)
International Mother Language Day: An appeal for Uyghur language by the Netherlands’ “Lonely Uyghur”
(Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Australian woman charged with assaulting two Muslims
(Joel Guinto, BBC)
Australia: Explainer: New national and NSW hate crime laws
(Australian Human Rights Commission)
As regards religious liberty in Jamaica, "We are moving forward," leader says
(Adventist Review)
Who are Ismaili Muslims and how do their beliefs relate to the Aga Khan’s work?
(Shariq Siddiqui, The Conversation)
Somalia: The Islamic State has regrouped in Somalia — and has global ambitions
(Katharine Houreld, The Washington Post)
Vatican praises Burkina Faso for fight against terrorism
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Canada: Montreal synagogue defaced with swastika on Shabbat
(Ben Sales, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Uzbekistan: Torturers' impunity "is mockery not justice"
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Freedom of conscience and religion in the Americas: Following OAS General Assembly resolutions to promote pluralism and strengthen communities
(Emily Cole, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Sri Lankan Muslims seek compensation for pandemic burial ground
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Palestine condemns Fiji's decision to open embassy to Israel in Jerusalem
(Middle East Monitor)
WCC calls for tax justice at Vatican high-level event
(World Council of Churches)
COMECE President calls for long-term peacebuilding in Syria: “Christians are an essential part of the country”
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
The Church Against the State: On Subsidiarity and Sovereignty
(Andrew Willard Jones, New Polity)
Philippines: Neutrality not a Christian option in polls
(Ruben C. Mendoza, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Philippines: Religious freedom and violations of law and public order
(Antonio Contreras, The Manila Times)
Iran: Christian convert arrested, Bibles and musical instruments confiscated during IRGC raid
(Article 18)
In audience with Burkina Faso’s President, Vatican Secretary of State says Holy See supports peace efforts
(Jude Atemanke, ACI Africa)
Tajikistan to publish new dress 'guidelines' for women
(AFP)
Ghana: Catholic Bishops, Christian Council decry exclusion from National Education Forum
(Ashiadey Dotse, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation)
The Islamist militant
(Rachel Chason, The Washington Post)
Uganda: Religious freedom in Uganda excites Orthodox pope
(Issa Aliga, Monitor)
Qatar earns respect with key role in global peace
(Gulf Times)
Congolese church leaders push for peace talks between government, rebels
(Giulia Paravicini, Reuters)
Egypt: USCIRF releases report on religious freedom in Egypt
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Monday, 17 February 2025
Taliban reject US report on presence of ISIS in Afghanistan
(Islamuddin Sajid, Anadolu Agency)
Faith vs rights: Cook Islands debates declaring itself a Christian nation
(Cook Islands News)
Religion Watch, ‘Volume 40 No. 3’
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Global Interfaith Monitor No. 32
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Mexico: Countering violence in neighborhoods through service
(Bahá’í World News Service)
The work begins to end global blasphemy laws: An interview with Mubarak Bala
(Scott Douglas Jacobsen, The Humanist)
IGE conducts lecture series on “Faith and Resilience in Conflict” for university students and professors in Myanmar
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Deeply religious African countries (surprisingly) provide little state support to religion – unlike countries in Europe
(David Jeffery-Schwikkard, The Conversation)
The first openly gay Muslim imam is killed in South Africa, prompting claims of an assassination
(Gerald Imray, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 17 February 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
NextGen Talks: Faith in Action – Empowering youth-led interfaith initiatives
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Hong Kong to become Muslim-friendly city for Asean businesses, tourists: John Lee
(South China Morning Post)
Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issue humanitarian plea for Gaza
(World Council of Churches)
Jewish population in West Bank keeps rising. Settlers hope Trump will accelerate growth
(Julia Frankel, Associated Press)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution: Bimonthly Digest February 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Jamaica: As regards religious liberty, “we are moving forward,” leader says
(Adventist Review)
The imperative of religion in the study of international relations
(Narendra Pachkhédé, Open Canada)
The failure of femicide: ideology without justice. A comparative analysis with Biblical law (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Friday, 14 February 2025
Congolese church leaders meet Rwanda-backed rebels in the east in latest push for peace
(Ruth Alonga, Associated Press)
Iraq’s top court throws out challenge to new laws, including one increasing Islamic courts authority
(Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press)
Turkmenistan: Second conscientious objector sentenced to corrective labour
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Kenya: “No idols in our town”: Competing for religious space in Kisumu
(Esha Faki Mwinyihaji, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
KAICIID strengthens multi-faith and UN partnerships during outreach mission to New York
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Afghanistan: Taliban say four injured in Samangan mosque blast
(Siyar Sirat, Amu TV)
COMECE President calls for urgent EU action amid catastrophic crisis in DRC
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest February 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Continuing attacks on religious freedom in the West
(Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)
Brazil: Project allows religious rites to be held in schools during class breaks (Portuguese)
(Murilo Souza, Agência Câmara de Notícias)
Brazil: Crimes of religious discrimination will have standardized investigations in the Federal District (Portuguese)
(SSPDF, EG News)
Brazil: Religious proselytism (Portuguese)
(Erick Wilson Pereira, Tribuna do Norte)
Nicaragua: Religious freedom: the fundamental right that autocrats fear most (Spanish)
(Felix Maradiaga, Mirada Sur)
HRC58: Written submission on FoRB in Mexico
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
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