Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 27 March 2026

Chinese priests, nuns study Xi Jinping’s vision for religion
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Pan-African leaders convene in Geneva to advance strategies for justice and transformation
(World Council of Churches)

Many Latin Americans – especially Protestants – see a role for religion in national leadership, identity and laws
(Pew Research Center)

ACN helps shape new report on Religious Freedom in Iraq
(Aid to the Church in Need)

“We will not be silent”: Catholic Bishops on “degrading security, humanitarian situation” in DR Congo
(Jude Atemanke, ACI Africa)

China criticises Czech Republic over Senate resolution on Dalai Lama
(Reuters)

Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Lebanon’s Sunnis feel trapped between Israel and Hezbollah
(5Pillars)

South Sudan, Sudan Muslim clerics ink deal to spread Islam
(Radio Tamazuj)

The secularism debate Morocco can no longer avoid
(Amine Belghazi, Bouchra El Azhari, TelQuel)

Nigeria’s First Lady sells ‘unity’ abroad as pressure builds over Christian killings
(Mary Kiara, Truth Nigeria)

Religious leader Sheikh Umar Tijjani arrested after hosting Peter Obi in Kaduna
(Nigerian Bulletin)

Humanist annual report spotlights religion’s global undermining of rights
(Freedom from Religion Foundation)

How Nigerian universities became centres of Islamic radicalism
(Wardah Abbas, The Republic)

Armed with whips and faith, Nigeria's women vigilantes fight crime
(Reuters)

Growing up during Sri Lanka’s civil war taught me that getting along with people across divides is a virtue we can learn
(Eranda Jayawickreme, The Conversation)

Call for women to participate in constitutional amendment process
(X, Zimbabwe Council of Churches)

Holy See urges renewed commitment to human dignity in fight against racism
(Vatican News)

India: Conversion beyond Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism ends SC status, rules Supreme Court
(The Federal)

Islam in Russia and Central Asia: “Instrumentalisation” vs “Limitation”
(Giuliano Bifolchi, Special Eurasia)

New law lets rabbinical courts arbitrate civil disputes; opposition head says Israel now a theocracy
(Sam Sokol, Times of Israel)

Iranian Duke scholar: War will increase religious fundamentalism around the world
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)

Pope: Religions can coexist and promote peace in a radicalized world
(Deborah Castellano Lubov, Vatican News)

Xi Jinping is targeting China’s Christians
(James Moules, Foreign Policy)

Anti-hate bill that provoked bitter debate over religious freedom passes the Commons
(Marie Woolf, The Globe and Mail)

Monday, 23 March 2026

Church leaders in India slam government’s dismissal of religious freedom report
(Anto Akkara, EWTN News)

1 year after Papua New Guinea declared itself Christian, bishops say little has changed
(Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves, EWTN News)

A blow to the temple: Clashes with Thailand have taken a heavy toll on Cambodia’s Preah Vihear complex, whose monks fear nothing will be left for the faithful
(Giammarco Sicuro, The Globe and Mail)

Cambodia Closes Diocesan Inquiry into Martyrs’ Cause for Beatification
(Kagnha Keo, Radio Veritas Asia)

Vietnam rejects assessments in US religious freedom report
(Vinh Tho - Duy Linh, Tuoi Tre News)

Hundreds gather in Nepal to celebrate Eid-Al-Fitr, offering mass Namaz
(Nepal News)

Vietnam’s new legislature includes prominent religious figures
(Hoai Thanh, Vietnam Net Global)

China got Nepal to ban a Tibetan Rinpoche last month, complains about burning of Xi’s books
(Tibetan Review)

New report warns of ‘erosion of citizenship’ in Egypt amid expanding religious governance
(Standard Newswire)

Designating the Muslim Brotherhood: a game changer in the fight against terrorism? – analysis
(Rohan Gunaratna, Eurasia Review)

How a ban on religious symbols has triggered a Canadian constitutional debate
(Jessica Murphy, BBC)

‘When we see the cross we feel safe’: Monks shelter Muslims from the war
(Tom Kington, The Times)

Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr around the world amid shadow of war
(Al Jazeera)

Syrian authorities’ new limits on alcohol sales in Damascus spark backlash
(Omar Sanadiki, Associated Press)

Articles of interest - 23 March 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Bangladesh Bishops decline government stipend for Catholic clerics
(Stephan Uttom Rozario, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

New index links interfaith dialogue to stronger, more investment-ready economies
(Vishal Arora, Religion Unplugged)

A view from Geneva: Exploring international polycrises and the G20 Interfaith Forum
(Katherine Marshall, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem remains closed
(Barb Fraze, OSV News)

Kenya: Archbishop Muhatia rebukes political leaders over public insults, calls for restraint
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)

Middle East: the mistake of reducing religion to pacifism (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen)

Church celebrates educational reform in Bolivia after years of being silenced
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Abolish death penalty for apostasy, humanists tells the Maldives at UN
(Humanists UK)

Lawyers challenging Quebec's Bill 21 tell Supreme Court it violates Constitution, sets dangerous precedent
(CBC News)

Maldives: Oral statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council
(International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH))

South African provincial govt applauds Hindu organisation for community work
(ABP Live)

South African provincial govt applauds Hindu organisation for community work
(Press Trust of India)

Friday, 20 March 2026

Muslim Council of Elders calls for global campaign to confront extremism, hate speech, promote coexistence
(Gulf News)

Faith in Action: Imam Mohamed Magid awarded the Karamah Institute’s Distinguished UMM Salamah Award
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

World: The Freedom of Thought Report 2025, a Humanist Perspective
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest March 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

A pastor arrested over YouTube videos, a child detained for days, a country in crisis. What is happening in Cuba?
(Ellis Heasley, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Pakistan: Court challenges the bias that confines minorities to sanitation work
(A. Sahara Alexander, Bitter Winter)

Police investigates the agressors of Amsterdam's lonely Uyghur
(Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur, Bitter Winter)

Between law and reality: media and religious discrimination. When religious freedom faces a new threat in media reports that obscure and distort reality.
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)

A Sociology of Religious Freedom
(Olga Breskaya, Giuseppe Giordan, and James T. Richardson, Oxford University Press)

Colombia: Why are there religious symbols in court offices? Learn the historical reasons. (Spanish)
(Brayan Silva Hernandez, Portafolio)

Shuttered stores, canceled pilgrimages: Can Bethlehem's Christians survive another Easter?
(Michele Chabin, Religion News Service)

Christian democracy is facing regime change
(Jan-Werner Müller, Foreign Policy)

Combating hate speech through dialogue: KAICIID participates at UN human rights conference
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Russian Orthodox Church to open religious community in UAE capital, according to Center for Countering Disinformation
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Database launched on anti-Christian violations of religious freedom in Australia
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)

Argentina’s Church leaders says ‘never again’ as coup anniversary nears
(Buenos Aires Times)

Wednesday, 18 March 2026

BYU law professor at the U.N.: ‘The most significant obstacle to peace is people or interests who do not want peace’
(Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News)

Ibrahim Mrad: Lebanon’s current centralized political structure is incapable of governing a country with such religious and ethnic diversity
(Syriac Press)

Vatican envoy visits Lebanese church after priest killed in shelling
(Al Jazeera)

Addis Ababa held productive discussion with Islamic religious leaders, followers
(Addis Media Network)

Hate speech: At the UN, Morocco advocates for interfaith dialogue
(Mohamed Ezzouak, Yabiladi)

Pope to visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea in Africa
(Francisco Otamendi, Omnes)

Designation of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization and opportunities to end the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
(Nile Post)

An ‘Entity of Particular Concern’ whose actions bear the ‘hallmarks of genocide’ – why does the United Arab Emirates continue to support the RSF?
(Ellis Heasley, Sight Magazine)

Starmer urged to challenge Nigerian president over Christian persecution
(James Lewis, Premier Christian News)

Thousands of Christians are being evicted in Pakistan’s capital
(Al Jazeera)

Innovation and religion with Dr. Marco Ventura
(YouTube Video, Brandon Vaidyanathan)

Don’t let the cradle of Christianity become its graveyard
(Frank R. Wolf, The Hill)

Religious minorities in Bangladesh blame Islamist hardliners for recent violence
(Stephan Uttom Rozario, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

The US-Israel war on Iran is shaped by religion as much as strategy
(Riaz Khokhar, Al Jazeera)

Targeted atrocities against Orthodox Amharas in Arsi, Oromia, Ethiopia – analysis
(Girma Berhanu, Eurasia Review)

7-year jail, heavy fines: Maharashtra passes freedom of religion bill
(NDTV)

Whether as president or army chief, Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing isn’t going anywhere. What are his credentials?
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Cuba: Pastor arrested after recording and uploading Bible teaching video to YouTube
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Colombia: HRC61: Oral Statement during General Debate under Agenda Item 4
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

‘Khamenei was supporter of minorities, especially Christians’ – cleric
(Article 18)

Faith restored? The evolving relationship between religion and young Canadians
(Cardus)

Hundreds to rally at Japanese Embassy in Washington in support of Family Federation Japan
(Religion News Service)

Egypt’s ‘economic woes’ distract from religious extremist reality
(Seth J. Frantzman, Jewish News Syndicate)

Faith amidst conflict: the resilient Ramadan of displaced Lebanese
(Devdiscourse)

Campaign aids Lebanon Christians in crossfire
(Susan Korah, The Catholic Register)

Nigerian bishops demand constitution overhaul amid rising religious violence
(Adeola Badru, Vanguard Nigeria)

Monday, 16 March 2026

International Day to Combat Islamophobia 2026
(YouTube Video, United Nations)

Hon. Paulina Nuñez, IPPFoRB steering group member, elected President of the Senate of Chile
(International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB))

Brazilian court issues nationwide order requiring federal hospitals to provide non-blood treatment options
(Jehovah's Witnesses)

The global landscape of state bans on religion and belief systems
(Brandon Taylorian, European Federation for Freedom of Belief)

Articles of interest - 16 March 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Does religious social capital succeed where environmental bureaucracy fails?
(Siddhant Sarang, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Amid uncertainty, diverse communities find common ground at gathering during intercalary days
(Bahá’í World News Service)

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