Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 8 July 2024
The relentless persecution of Christians in Latin America
(Antonio Graceffo, Mercator)
Pakistan: Christians face ‘devastating’ persecution under Pakistani blasphemy laws, expert says
(Kate Quiñones, Catholic News Agency)
Cuban Christians’ cry for religious freedom comes as pastor lingers in jail
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)
United Nations denounce discrimination and hate crimes against Jehovah's Witnesses and others in Japan
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
How to steal a school: Japan's persecution of the Unification Church extends to Senegal
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Pope to preside over interfaith meeting in Indonesian mosque during longest, most challenging trip
(Nicole Winfield and Niniek Karmini, Associated Press)
Is enforcing hijab crucial to Islam? The 18th session of the Tajikistan’s upper chamber of Parliament (Majlisi Mili) has finally approved the bill banning the hijab after years of unofficial law.
(Harshit Sharma, Modern Diplomacy)
Vietnam requests US to objectively assess religion and belief situation
(VietNam News)
Religion Watch, Volume 39 No. 8
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Experts alarmed by possible extradition of refugee and human rights defender Y Quynh Bdap from Thailand to Vietnam
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Fragmentation in the European and Inter-American Human Rights Courts Regarding the Scope of Religious Autonomy: An Analysis of the Use of Sources and Methodologies
(Gabriela García Escobar, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Articles of interest - 8 July 2024
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Nepal: Why Nepal had a religious monarchy − and why some people want it back
(Anne Mocko, The Conversation)
Uganda officially recognizes Muslim martyrs killed in the 1800s
(John Semakula, Religion Unplugged)
We don’t have to choose between the Enlightenment and religion
(Michael Reneau and Mustafa Akyol, The Dispatch)
Court decision protects religious rights of Jehovah's Witnesses to alternative service
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Malaysia: The rise of a new breed of Islamic preacher in Malaysia
(Vanitha Nadaraj, Union of Catholic Asian News)
China, “Strict governance of religion” imposed on Christians
(Zhang Chunhua, Bitter Winter)
Friday, 5 July 2024
Infinite, finite, and definite dignity: Reflections on the Catholic Church’s Dignitas Infinita
(Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Dignitas Infinita. A theological commentary
(Antonio Autiero, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Developing Our Understanding of Human Dignity for the Digital Age
(Paolo Carozza, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Dignitas Infinita—Infinite Dignity. A Compendium of Catholic Ethics—and a Missed Chance
(Ingeborg G. Gabriel, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Infinite Love and the (In)dignity of Christ: Reflections on Francis’s Theology of Infinite Human Dignity from Infinite Divine Love
(Greg Marcar, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Theological Perspectives on the Document Dignitas Infinita
(Thomas Massaro, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Why Should Human Dignity Be Defined as Infinite? Brief Reflections on Dignitas Infinita
(Benedetta Vimercati, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
What Does Dignitas Infinita Say about Gender?
(Francisca Pérez-Madrid, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
India: Stampede at religious event in India kills more than 100, mostly women and children
(Biswajeet Banerjee and Krutika Pathi, Associated Press)
Pakistani court sentences Christian man to death for posting hateful content against Muslims
(Asim Tanveer, Associated Press)
China accused the U.S. of defaming religious freedom report
(Prensa Latina)
Nigeria: Biden administration under fire in Nigeria over religious freedom report
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Kenya: ‘Politics in this country will have to change,’ says Nuncio Bert Van Megan after June 25 protests
(Wesley Omondi, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Syria: HRC56: Oral Statement during Interactive Dialogue with the COI on Syria
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Ghana: Orthodox Anglican Archbishop calls for effective cooperation between church and State
(Mildred Siabi-Mensah, Ghana News Agency)
Israel: New bill on funding religious councils raises concerns over revival of Rabbis Bill
(Sam Sokol, The Times of Israel)
Wednesday, 3 July 2024
China: Uyghurs in China: The most heavily jailed group in the world
(Ruth Ingram, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
China : Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly digest June 16-30
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Court of Rome: Church of Almighty God members deserve the “highest form of protection” as refugees
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Iraq - Ten years after the ISIS occupation: less than 50 Christian families have returned to Mosul
(Gianni Valente, Agenzia Fides)
Iraq: UNESCO finds Islamic State group-era bombs in Mosul mosque walls, years after the defeat of IS
(Abdulrahman Zeyad, Associated Press)
Brazilian Christian groups oppose bill punishing abortion similarly to homicide
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Religion News Service)
Brazil congressman censures archbishop for defending indigenous land claims
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
CAR: Bishops in Central African Republic say country will rise from ‘scars of history’
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Iran: Religious issues and persecution – Monthly digest June
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Iran must end harassment of Narges Mohammadi and release all women human rights defenders: Independent experts
(United Nations)
Rituals honoring deceased ancestors vary widely in East and Southeast Asia
(Kelsey Jo Starr, Pew Research Center)
Same-sex marriage around the world
(Pew Research Center)
Cuba: Declaration of the Alliance of Christians of Cuba June 2024
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Japan: Religious freedom under siege
(FOREF Europe)
Egypt: Christians in Egypt say ebbing persecution enables them to build churches again
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Moving beyond Russian and Armenian religious revanchism
(Taras Kuzio, Geopolitical Monitor)
Thailand: President of the WFB met the permanent observer of the Holy See and President of UNESCO African Committee of Memory of World
(The World Fellowship of Buddhists)
Thailand: Mr. Phallop Thaiaree, president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (The WFB) along with WFB executives, met with H.E. Sarun Charoensuwan, Thai Ambassador to France, at the Thai Embassy in Paris.
(The World Fellowship of Buddhists)
Monday, 1 July 2024
Afghanistan: What to expect as Taliban joins third UN-held talks on Afghanistan in Qatar
(Osama Bin Javaid, Al Jazeera)
Afghanistan: With Doha III, U.N. risks being complicit in normalizing gender apartheid
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Philippines: ‘Trust and respect’ feeds interfaith rice growing success in the Philippines
(Daniel Dickinson, UN News)
Singapore: Proposed workplace fairness legislation signals ethnic, religious discrimination unacceptable: Shanmugam
(Fabian Koh, Channel News Asia)
Around the web - 1 July 2024
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Articles of interest - 1 July 2024
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Israel: Ultra-Orthodox protest against order to enlist in Israeli military turns violent in Jerusalem
(Ohad Zwigenberg, Associated Press)
South Sudan bishops blast government over lack of election preparation
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Why did Putin visit a tiny Orthodox church in North Korea?
(Katherine Kelaidis, Religion News Service)
Bangladesh: Islamist mob attack on Bangladeshi mystic singer sparks uproar
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Tajikistan: Muslim scholars urges Tajikistan to respect Islamic identity and religious freedom
(İlke Haber Ajansı)
India: Rahul Gandhi's 'Hindu' remark creates uproar in Lok Sabha, invites sharp reactions from BJP leaders: Who said what?
(The Economic Times)
Oceanian unity: Dignity & freedom
(John Andrew Quizana, Ke Alaka'i)
Guatemala: 2023 report on international religious freedom
(U.S. Embassy Guatemala)
Saturday, 29 June 2024
Israel: Torah, war, politics, and the Supreme Court: The 2024 military service of Ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students bill
(Moshe Jaffe, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Friday, 28 June 2024
Ultra-Orthodox Jews block highway to protest Israel’s new mandatory military service ruling
(Ami Bentov, Associated Press)
Secretary Antony J. Blinken 2023 International Religious Freedom Report rollout
(U.S. Department of State)
India says it rejects "deeply biased" US religious freedom report
(Reuters)
China: Report: Sinicization drive pervades China’s religious repression in Tibet
(Tibetan Review)
China: Pastor Sun Hongguang detained during church service
(China Aid)
Canada: MAID lawsuit shines spotlight on faith-based health organizations
(Katie DeRosa, CBC News)
Canadian interfaith conversation: Standing together against hate based on religious identity
(The Canadian Council of Churches)
US religious freedom report notes violence against Indian minorities
(Kanishka Singh and Simon Lewis, Reuters)
Thailand: Funeral for monk shot by soldiers highlights Myanmar army’s delicate relationship to Buddhist clergy
(Grant Peck, Associated Press)
Egypt: Christians in Egypt embark on construction of churches as persecution ebbs
(Catholic News Agency)
Sri Lanka blocks exam results over Muslim head coverings
(Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch)
Sri Lanka country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Nicaragua country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Religions, Beliefs, and Legal Norms: The Tai Ji Men case
(Claudia Huang, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Morocco's religious minorities struggle with government bureaucracy and societal fear
(Latifa Babas, Yabiladi)
US urged to stop using religion to smear China after latest report
(Global Times)
Singapore: New Asia-wide partnership announced
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Kenya: After anti-tax protests, Kenyan churches urge government to focus more on youth
(World Council of Churches)
Kenya: Religious leaders in solidarity with ‘Gen-Z’ led protests rejecting Finance Bill 2024, condemn use of excessive force by police
(Wesley Omondi, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Cuba: Religious groups call for protections for freedom of religion or belief
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Holy See calls for global action against trafficking of women and girls
(Deborah Castellano Lubov, Vatican News)
Nigeria: Oyo govt seeks deeper commitment from religious, traditional leaders
(Rukiyat Ogunwade, Tribune Online)
Iran: Religious minorities overlooked in Iran’s presidential campaigns
(Ashkan Khosropour, Iran Wire)
Wednesday, 26 June 2024
2023 Report on International Religious Freedom
(U.S. Department of State)
The right to be proselytized under international law
(Ryan Cheney, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Tajikistan: USCIRF calls on the U.S. Government to impose consequences on Tajikistan due to increasing repression
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Israel’s military must enlist the ultra-Orthodox. What will that mean for Netanyahu and the war?
(Melanie Lidman, Associated Press)
Mali: ICC convicts al-Qaeda-linked leader of war crimes in Mali’s Timbuktu
(Al Jazeera)
Uzbekistan: New amendments target parents seeking Islamic education for children in Uzbekistan
(Niginakhon Saida, The Diplomat)
Pope: All people should be free to choose and practice religion
(Deborah Castellano Lubov, Vatican News)
Pope at Audience: 'Moral duty to stop production, trafficking of drugs'
(Deborah Castellano Lubov, Vatican News)
Monday, 24 June 2024
At least 20 killed in synagogue, church attacks in Russia’s Dagestan
(Al Jazeera)
Russia: Further jail term for answering fellow prisoners' questions about faith?
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
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