Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 6 April 2026
Pakistan blocks Ahmadi Muslims from Eid prayers
(A. Sahara Alexander, Bitter Winter)
Religion Watch Volume 41 No. 4
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Managing Religion and Religious Changes in Iran: A Socio-Legal Analysis. Elements in New Religious Movements
(Sajjad Adeliyan Tous and James T. Richardson, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Q&A: Why Pakistan and Afghanistan are fighting and how Christians there survive
(with Knox Thames, Christianity Today)
Reflecting on 30 years of contributing to international discourse
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Religions for Peace announces recipients of the 2025 Women of Excellence in Multi-Religious Action Award
(Religions for Peace)
Broken open, not broken apart: A faith-based model of resilience for women leaders
(Margaret J. Weber, Institute for Global Engagement)
Navigating the new nuclear peril
(Religions for Peace)
Articles of interest - 6 April 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Pakistan’s bishops decry court ruling in child marriage case
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Indian court: No permit needed for home prayer meetings
(Michael Gonsalves, Union of Catholic Asian News)
No sacrilege law without inputs from us, Sikh bodies tell govt
(Times of India)
Friday, 3 April 2026
Christians in India Stage March to Protest New Law
(Persecution.org)
US should practice what it preaches on Vietnam religious freedom
(Lam Duc Vu, Asia Times)
Crackdown on Religious Freedom in Vietnam
(Genocide Watch)
Nepal court acquits pastor of religious conversion charge
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Christian in Pakistan awaits verdict in high-profile blasphemy case
(Christianity Daily)
Human rights must not be misused
(Vietnam News)
Italy calls preventing cardinal from entering Jerusalem church 'offence’ to religious freedom
(TRT World)
Hindu Mob Attacks 3 Christians in Nepal
(Persecution.org)
Escalating Persecution of Montagnards in Vietnam
(Hdok Phic Hdok, Genocide Watch)
Religious freedom must not be separated from civic responsibility
(Vietnam Pictorial)
Khmer people’s freedom of belief protected
(Ngoc Anh, Voice of Vietnam)
Nepal to apologise to ‘untouchable’ Dalits for first time
(South China Morning Post)
Herdsmen kill 13 Christians at wedding reception in Nigeria
(Christian Daily)
Bill would criminalize forced conversion in Punjab, Pakistan
(Christian Daily)
Zimbabwe churches ordered to halt worship and attend constitutional political rally
(Vincent Matinde, Christian Daily)
Beyond Common Ground: Embodying Covenantal Pluralism
(Boniuk Institute)
Egypt: We must protect Saint Catherine’s Monastery
(Giselle Soares, Orthodox Observer)
Turkish officials urge Muslims abroad to report Islamophobia to ECtHR
(Daily Sabah)
Revolution Leader: Yemeni people's mobilization across all activities & events embodies their faith-based identity
(Yemen News Agency)
Lebanon’s displaced Shiites face rising hostility as airstrikes fuel fear and evictions
(Bassem Mroue, Winnipeg Free Press)
Grand Ayatollah Sistani Affirms relief work in southern Lebanon as religious duty
(Shia Waves)
Christians in Lebanon southern villages brace for escalation amid Israeli-Hezbollah clashes
(Brussels Morning)
Israel’s message to a broad swath of Lebanon: Shiites must go
(Christina Golfbaum, New York Times)
The Libyan desert oasis that welcomes thousands of Sudanese: ‘The refugees are our guests. They are our brothers’
(Maryline Dumas, El País)
53 killed in Palm Sunday attacks In Nigeria’s Christian areas
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)
Christians in UAE pray for peace in churches and at home as Iran war upends Easter celebrations
(Vanessa Ghanem, Alexander Christou, Ramola Talwar Badam, The National)
Good Friday across Latin America brings faith into the streets
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 8 as Kyiv holds door open for Easter truce
(Volodymyr Yurchuk, Associated Press)
Cuba releasing 2,010 prisoners in connection with Holy Week, as the US pressures the island’s government
(Andrea Rodríguez, Associated Press)
Voicing sharp religious opposition to the war in Iran: A case study from the Roman Catholic Community
(Thomas Massaro, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
South African Council of Churches makes submission to African court on climate obligations and fossil fuel finance
(World Council of Churches)
Dialogue on faith and HIV in Nigeria yields strong commitment to reposition HIV in the public agenda
(World Council of Churches)
‘Cuba needs more than words’: Why neutrality is not an option for religious leaders on the island.
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
When courts interpret doctrine: A Japanese scholar’s concerns about the Unification Church decision
(Masaki Nakamasa, Bitter Winter)
Nigeria: Governor Adeleke preaches unity, assures religious freedom as Christians celebrate Easter
(Osun State Government)
Bangladesh religious aid plan draws mixed reactions
(Herald Malaysia Online)
Hindu temples in Canada seek govt protection amid Khalistan rally calls
(Anirudh Bhattacharyya, Hindustan Times)
Wednesday, 1 April 2026
Factum of the Intervenor, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (Bill 21)
(Supreme Court of Canada)
In South Sudan, a prophet’s sacred stick helps fuel a violent struggle for political power
(Rodney Muhumuza, Associated Press)
Azhar Grand Imam meets Saudi amb. in Cairo to discuss religious coop.
(Egypt Independent)
Beirut International Conference on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue for sustainability
(International Society for Human Rights)
Nigerian leaders allegedly ignore intelligence as Christians slaughtered during Holy Week
(Derek Vanbuskirk, AOL)
Joint statement regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque by 8 Foreign ministers
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates)
Freedom in the World 2026
(Freedom House)
Committee approves work schedule change for religious reasons (Portuguese)
(Poder 360)
STF [Supreme Court] reviews rule prohibiting the use of religion as a technique in psychology (Portuguese)
(Redação, Migalhas)
Chile’s new President José Antonio Kast brings openly religious views to a changing country
(María Teresa Hernández and Nayara Batschke, Associated Press)
Shiite grief over attacks on Iran’s sacred cities has deep historical roots
(Mary Thurlkill, Conversation)
Kyrgyzstan: Freed, fined, to be deported
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
KAICIID statement – Closure of access to religious sites in Jerusalem
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Ecumenical delegation meets Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez
(World Council of Churches)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest March 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Iraq Report
(All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB))
Small steps to justice: Why recent assessments of Sudan’s warring parties are significant, and how the international community must respond
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Muslims in Iraq celebrate Easter with Christians to promote solidarity
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)
South Asian Christians demand Easter holiday, Holy Week exemption
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
The OIC welcomes the adoption by consensus of a UN Human Rights Council resolution on combating intolerance
(Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)
Statement by Minister Miller on Sikh Heritage Month
(Government of Canada)
Monday, 30 March 2026
Occupied Ukraine: Born in Krasnodon 66 years ago, now ordered expelled
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Stop Weaponizing Muslim Women: Against War Waged In Their Names – OpEd
(Firdous Azmat Siddiqui, Eurasia Review)
The Houthis: Understanding Iran’s strategic partners in Yemen
(Modern Diplomacy)
Ethnic, religious differences should not divide Nigerians, Akiolu reiterates
(Gbenga Salau, The Guardian Nigeria)
Tragic University Attack in Plateau: A Context of Ethno-Religious Conflict
(Devdiscourse)
Deport then depend on them: Israel’s Ethiopian non-Jewish migrants contradiction
(Shmuel Legesse, Times of Israel)
Recurrent Attacks on Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and Government Inaction
(Tekeleselassie W., Borkena)
Prime Minister's comment on Holy Sites in Jerusalem
(X, Mark Carney)
Church leaders decry closing of Church of the Holy Sepulchre as “a grave precedent”
(World Council of Churches)
Articles of interest - 30 March 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Israeli police say new framework aims to ‘enable freedom of worship’ in Jerusalem
(Melanie Lidman, Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
The last lifeline: Christian NGOs bridge gap in India’s post-USAID crisis
(Rishabh Jain, Religion Unplugged)
Preserving religious cultural heritage: Invoking perspectives on human dignity and the virtues of religious freedom
(Brett G. Scharffs, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Ecumenical delegation to visit Cuba as humanitarian crisis deepens
(World Council of Churches)
No Respite: Another Year of Increasing Repression in Nicaragua (English and Spanish)
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Despite growing crackdown, independent religious groups defy China’s Communist Party
(Daria Impiombato, The Diplomat)
Law widening religious courts’ role in civil disputes sparks debate over choice, rights - analysis
(Sarah Ben-Nun, The Jerusalem Post)
Europe slams Israel over death penalty bill and freedom of religion
(Ferdinand Knapp, Politico)
Canadian House of Commons passes 'hate speech' bill that would remove religious protections
(Ryan Foley, Christian Post)
Czech Parliament reaffirms commitment to the Tibetan cause with re-establishment of Tibet Support Group
(Central Tibetan Administration)
Toronto police escort protest past Jewish institutions as Demonstrators Chant ‘All Zionists Are Terrorists’
(Combat Antisemitism Movement)
Friday, 27 March 2026
Yemeni government condemns Houthis’ displacement of students from a mosque in Ibb
(Yemen Monitor)
CRL advances Section 22 process despite ongoing legal challenges
(Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA))
The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Volume 24, Issue 1 (2026)
(Institute for Global Engagement, Routledge)
1000+ Diaspora leaders call for action against ‘Jewish-extremist terror in the West Bank’
(Philissa Cramer, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
UN Syria Commission releases report on July massacres and other grave violations committed in Suwayda and calls for expanded accountability measures
(United Nations Human Rights Council)
Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in the AI age
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Islamists in Sudan: are they all Muslim Brotherhood?
(Ismail Sati, Sudan Horizon)
Australia’s post-Bondi crackdown accused of targeting pro-Palestinian voices
(Ali MC, Al Jazeera)
Email Subscription
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies maintains a Law and Religion Headlines service covering news about freedom of religion or belief internationally. All interested may subscribe to this service, free of charge, using the link below.
Subscribe