Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 16 February 2024

WCC general secretary visits Holy Land to strengthen call for just peace
(World Council of Churches)

EU is challenged to stand by those persecuted for changing their faith in MENA and beyond
(Open Doors, The European Times)

Nicaragua shuts down scouting association and several other social and religious groups
(Maryam Habib, Associated Press)

Wednesday, 14 February 2024

Is religious freedom a forgotten freedom within the human security framework?
(Elena López Ruf, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)

Hong Kong activist: Proposed law could worsen religious liberty, persecute Catholics
(Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency)

Kenya: Faith leaders unite for peace
(Twitter, Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI))

Uzbekistan: Report: Beard-wearers singled out for harassment in Uzbekistan
(Eurasianet)

Canada: Police investigating hate-motivated graffiti at Islamic Centre of Cambridge
(CambridgeToday)

Mexico: From faith to exile in Guerrero, Mexico
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Nicaragua: New report finds worsening violations of freedom of religion or belief
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

India: Authorities raid premises of prominent social activist
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Libya: Internal Security Agency must end abuses in name of ‘guarding virtue’
(Amnesty International)

Monday, 12 February 2024

Australian Jews on high alert after public list of ‘Zionists’ fuels harassment
(Philissa Cramer, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

India: Mosque demolition sparks deadly protests in India (video)
(Al Jazeera)

Indian town sets a curfew and orders police to shoot violators after deadly clashes over a mosque
(Biswajeet Banerjee, Associated Press)

India: Muslim organization challenges mandatory Surya Namaskar in Rajasthan schools
(Dil Bar Irshad, BNN)

India: Balancing Faith and Equality: Examining the Adequacy of the Doctrine of Essential Religious Practices from Gender Perspectives in India
(Sumit Sonkar, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)

Canada: Quebec wants Criminal Code exemption so people can request MAID in advance
(The Globe and Mail)

Leaders warned of varied threats to religious freedom
(Ellen Teague and Patrick Hudson, The Tablet)

The rise of African prophets: the unchecked power of the leaders of Pentecostal churches
(Josiah Taru, The Conversation)

Webinar review: Ubuntu: traditional southern African philosophy
(JoAnne Wadsworth, Viewpoints, a blog of the G20 Interfaith Forum Association)

Pakistan: A good Supreme Court decision for the Ahmadis--but what's next? The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ordered the release of a man who had distributed an Ahmadi commentary to the Holy Quran.
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)

Anticipated challenges to online free expression and international religious freedom in 2024
(YouTube Video, Pepperdine School of Public Policy)

Iran: Religious freedom no where to be found after 45 years of 'revolution' in Iran
(Katie O'Malley, Mission Network News)

Indonesia: Tale of two cities: Religious tolerance in Bekasi & Depok
(Nur Janti, The Jakarta Post)

Indonesia: Faith, democracy, and politics in Indonesia: Explaining the lack of Islamic mobilisation in 2024
(Chris Chaplin and Syarifuddin Jurdi, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

United Nations’ experts call for immediate release of Jimmy Lai
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

Recognizing the extraordinary courage of victims/survivors of the holocaust and others
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

Kazakhstan: Spiritual principles basis for strengthening the family
(Bahá’í World News Service)

UAE: First stone-built Hindu temple in the Middle East rises in the UAE ahead of Modi’s latest visit
(Jon Gambrell, Associated Press)

Nicaragua’s crackdown on Catholic Church spreads fear among the faithful, there and in exile
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)

Nicaragua: Exile and resistance: An interview with Félix Maradiaga
(Freedom House)

Argentina: After rough start, pope and Argentina’s Milei meet amid speculation Francis might finally go home
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)

Articles and books of interest - 12 February 2024
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Bolivia: Church’s pleas fall on deaf ears amid Bolivia’s political crisis
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Lebanon’s sectarian dynamics and the Israel-Hezbollah war
(Antonio Graceffo, Providence)

Two weeks in review, 29 January – 11 February 2024
(Tal Gross, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

WCC submits comments on draft UN “Pact for the Future”
(World Council of Churches)

Japan’s Shinto religion contributes to global dialogue at Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions
(The Astana Times)

Brazil: MP calls for religious freedom to be guaranteed in schools after case in São Luís de Montes Belos (Portuguese)
(Barbara Noleto, Jornal Opção)

The questionable safeguarding of religious liberty (Spanish)
(Javier Porras Belarra, ABC Sociedad)

Costa Rica: Chamber IV: Judiciary violated the religious freedom of an official by forcing him to work on Saturdays (Spanish)
(Yeryis Salas, La Nación)

Friday, 9 February 2024

IRFBA Chair’s statement on Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan religious prisoners of conscience the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, writer Go Sherab Gyatso, and separation of Tibetan children from their heritage and language
(International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), U.S. Department of State)

Malaysia’s top court invalidates state’s Islam-based laws on incest, sodomy and other offenses
(Eileen Ng, Associated Press)

India: Haldwani: Uttarakhand on alert after four dead in clashes over mosque demolition
(BBC News)

India: Small Indian state passes landmark civil code opposed by Muslims
(Rupam Jain, Reuters)

Ecuador becomes second Latin American state to decriminalise euthanasia
(Patrick Jackson, BBC News)

Thailand, Muslim separatists agree on new plan to end violence
(Al Jazeera)

Pakistan: Ahmadi community in Pakistan boycotts national elections amid resurgent violence
(Rizwan Shah, BNN)

European Parliament “strongly condemns” Christmas Eve massacre of Christians in Nigeria, but blames climate change
(ADF International)

Canadian court upholds denial of tax exemption for island owned by Shinto organization
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Canada: Jewish groups decry Robinson's cabinet exit, as Eby slams 'hateful messages' on constituency office
(CBC News)

Argentina: Amid church/state clashes in Argentina, prelate says pope ‘plays in the major leagues’
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

How did the Irish women’s basketball team become embroiled in controversy over Israel?
(Mary Hannigan, The Irish Times)

Faith agendas at the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, January 2024
(Katherine Marshall, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Iraq's Basra marathon bars women after online row
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Boosting Islam-Christianity interfaith dialogue discussed in Yerevan
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Rwanda: Polish President visits Kibeho shrine, praises work done by Catholic nuns in education
(Arnold Neliba, Catholic Information Service for Africa)

RFI co-hosts 35th Annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference
(Religious Freedom Institute)

Sri Lanka: Prison overcrowding in Sri Lanka: Repurposing religious spaces as makeshift detention areas
(Ebenezer Mensah, BNN)

Brazil: STF [Supreme Court] judges religious freedom in photo for identification documents (Portuguese)
(Redação, Migalhas)

Brazil: Religious freedom and Western civilization (Portuguese)
(Bruno Irion Colleto, Gazeta do Povo)

Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Hatred on the basis of religion or belief (Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief)
(Nazila Ghanea, United Nations)

Turkey plans to convert another iconic Byzantine era church into a mosque
(Turkish Minute)

Children held in B.C. Doukhobor camp in 1950s offered $10M compensation package
(CBC News)

Canada: War in Gaza taking heavy toll on Manitoba Muslims
(John Longhurst, The Free Press)

Canada: Pro-euthanasia activists to sue Catholic hospital in Canada
(Thomas McKenna, National Review)

Canada needs time for 'deeper conversation' on assisted dying, mental health: Holland
(Laura Osman, The Canadian Press)

Canada: Catholic Church challenging Quebec MAID law in court on religious freedom grounds
(The Globe and Mail)

Canada: B.C. math instructor fired for 'deeply intolerant' YouTube videos loses human rights complaint
(Bethany Lindsay, CBC News)

Canada faces hate crime headache 7 years since mosque shooting
(Daily Sabah)

Canada appoints first representative to fight Islamophobia
(Al Jazeera)

China, pro-government Buddhist abbott defrocked after a sexual scandal
(Ding Bohai, Bitter Winter)

China urges religious leaders to be more purposeful in the Sinicization drive in New Year greetings
(Tibetan Review)

China: Elderly Uyghur women imprisoned in China for decades-old religious ‘crimes’, leaked files reveal
(The Guardian)

Erasing Tibet: Chinese boarding schools and the indoctrination of a generation
(Tenzin Dorjee and Gyal Lo, Foreign Affairs)

Religious freedom in Africa: The launch of the African Forum for Religious & Spiritual Liberty
(YouTube Video, FOREF Europe)

Kenya: As femicide cases rises, Kenyan religious leaders move to act
(World Council of Churches)

Kenya: NCCK asks Ruto to ease tax burden on Kenyans
(The Star)

CAR: Transforming conflict resolution in Central Africa Republic: KAICIID's pioneering initiative with Bangui University
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Jordan: Arrests, harassment of pro-Palestine protesters
(Human Rights Watch)

Paul Mackenzie: Kenyan cult leader charged with 191 murders
(Anne Soy, BBC News)

Malaysia: Dozens of Rohingya refugees flee Malaysian immigration detention centre
(Al Jazeera)

Language and traditions are considered central to national identity: Publics around the world divided on birthplace and religion as requirements for national belonging
(Christine Huang, Laura Clancy, and Sarah Austin, Pew Research Center)

8 facts about atheists
(Michael Lipka, Patricia Tevington, and Kelsey Jo Starr, Pew Research Center)

How international recognition of cultural practices could be a new way to protect refugees
(The Conversation)

Uzbekistan: Documentary renews focus on religious freedom in Uzbekistan
(Navbahor Imamova, VOA News)

February 2024 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)

India: Authorities must immediately stop unjust targeted demolition of Muslim properties – new reports
(Amnesty International)

India: Interference in religious issues, will go to court, says AIMPLB
(The Times of India)

Is India targeting Muslims, with population growth committee as ‘camouflage’?
(Vasudevan Sridharan, South China Morning Post)

Colombia: Constitutional Court orders removal of Virgin Mary statue from public office
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)

ECHR delivers judgment in Hamzayan v. Armenia case
(Panorama.am)

A life of struggle and survival: the reality of religious oppression in Cuba
(Alberto Reyes Pias, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Indonesia’s presidential elections: How have human rights fared under Jokowi?
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Noted Muslims condemn Hamas as Israel continues to seek release of hostages
(Gil Zohar, Religion Unplugged)

Bishops of Evangelical Churches in Ukraine held a meeting with a fellow believer, - Mike Johnson, US Congress speaker
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Philippines: Filipinos embrace unity through religious diversity
(Jerico Joshua M. Kahulugan, Religion Unplugged)

Iraq: Yazidi woman rescued from Islamic State captivity
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Laos: Bible burning, church destruction dismay Lao Christians
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

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