Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 13 November 2023
Global Faith Leaders Summit – Interfaith statement released in pre-COP28 event
(International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development)
Chile: Interreligious event in La Moneda in support of the delegation that will go to COP 28 (Spanish)
(Roberto Urbina Avendaño, Vida Nueva Digital)
Brazil: Misinformation fuels religious intolerance amid escalating violence (Portuguese)
(Carol Macário, Lupa)
Friday, 10 November 2023
Russia: Inadequate response to antisemitism in North Caucasus
(Human Rights Watch)
Russia hands Jehovah's Witness follower 7-year jail term for 'extremism'
(The Moscow Times)
Syria: Daesh attacks in Syria kill 34 government loyalists: monitor
(Arab News)
Nepal: ICC release report on religious freedom decline in Nepal
(International Christian Concern)
Nepalese Supreme Court sentences pastor to year in prison for sharing the gospel
(CBN)
Pope Francis to join other clergy at first ‘Faith Pavilion’ at climate summit
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Ethiopian troops force armed group out of Orthodox holy site of Lalibela
(Al Jazeera)
India: How India’s Hindu nationalist BJP seeks Muslim vote in 2024 election
(YP Rajesh, Reuters)
Indian Christians refute Hindu group's 'mass conversion' claim
(Bijay Kumar Minj, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Vatican’s Deepavali message: Interreligious collaboration essential for peacebuilding
(Joseph Tulloch, Vatican News)
WCC stands with “Confluence of Conscience: Uniting for Planetary Resurgence” interfaith statement
(World Council of Churches)
WEA submits recommendations to UN on hate speech and religion
(World Evangelical Alliance)
Sri Lanka: Unleashing the spirit of religious freedom
(The National Peace Council of Sri Lanka)
Congolese faith leaders step up efforts to promote dialogue among warring groups
(Tonny Onyulo, Religion News Service)
Canada: Rise in antisemitic, Islamophobic threats has Canadians 'scared in our own streets,' PM says
(Peter Zimonjic, CBC News)
Canada: Police say 2 Jewish schools in Montreal were hit by gunshots; no injuries reported
(Associated Press)
China’s new ‘Patriotic Education Law’ places further limits on religious instruction
(Matthew Santucci, Catholic News Agency)
China denies accusations of forced assimilation and curbs on religious freedom in Tibet
(Associated Press)
China: Pro-Beijing bishop backs China’s ‘sinicization of religion’
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Nigeria: Casualties of faith: Religious mob’s rule thrives as govt spares killers, forgets victims (2)
(Deji Lambo, Punch)
Kenya: Clergymen oppose Government attempts to regulate churches
(Loise Macharia, The Star)
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Secretary-General's video message to the “Confluence Of Conscience: Uniting Faith Leaders For Planetary Resurgence” Conference
(United Nations)
Nicaragua: UN experts urge freedom for Bishop Álvarez after 12 Catholic priests were released
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
The Church of Jesus Christ joins with Muslim communities in peace-building efforts in West Africa
(Church News)
Iran: UN experts shocked by new wave of attacks on girls and women
(United Nations)
India: Stop abusing counterterrorism regulations
(Human Rights Watch)
Canada: Police charge man for hate crime toward religious leader
(CBC News)
Analysis: In Central Asia is too much religious freedom a bad thing?
(James Durso, Eurasia Review)
Nigeria: Seventh-Day Adventist Church boss calls for religious liberty for Sabbath keepers
(Funmi Ogundare, This Day Live)
November 2023 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)
Sudan: Christian buildings targeted in military conflict in Sudan
(Morning Star News)
Sudan must not be allowed to slip off the international agenda
(Ellis Heasley, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Japan: Unification Church in Japan offers to set aside up to $67 million in a compensation fund
(Mari Yauchi, Associated Press)
What I’ve learned since the attacks on Israel: people don’t deem Jews worthy of solidarity and empathy
(Danny Cohen, The Telegraph)
India: Delhi High Court seeks government response on PIL to teach difference between dharma and religion in schools
(Prashant Jha, Bar and Bench)
India’s defiant pastor faces probe under anti-conversion law
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Anglican debates: Democracy, ecclesiology, or both?
(Elisabeth Rain Kincaid, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
CEC–CCEE Joint Committee issues declaration on the situation in the Middle East
(Conference of European Churches)
Former British PM Gordon Brown on human trafficking
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Vietnam releases 4 independent Protestants after 5 days’ detention
(Radio Free Asia)
Australia: Religious freedom is a path to peace, Archbishop Paul Gallagher says on Australian tour
(Marilyn Rodrigues, The Catholic Weekly)
Brazil: Reports of anti-Semitism in Brazil grow 1,000% after war in Israel, says Conib (Portuguese)
(Iuri Pitta, CNN Brasil)
Brazil: Tribuna Livre debates religious intolerance and religious racism (Portuguese)
(Bruno Almeida, Câmara Municipal de Aracaju)
Brazil: Religious racism is the theme of an ebook launched by NGOs (Portuguese)
(Redação, Observatório 3º Setor)
Monday, 6 November 2023
IGE and Uzbekistan embassy hold seminar on religious freedom and security
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Are the Apostolic Fathers relevant to twenty-first century readers?
(William Varner, OUPblog: Religion)
Faith is a call to dialogue and peacemaking, pope tells rabbis
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic Review)
Iran: Prominent Iranian religious scholar says hijab law should be abolished, urges authorities to stop inciting violence
(Mohammad Zarghami and Michael Scollon, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)
Antisemitism envoys from 24 countries call on governments to ensure ‘necessary security assistance’ for Jews following Hamas attack on Israel
(Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Jews, Semites, and Antisemitism
(Simeon Chavel, Sightings, The University of Chicago Divinity School)
Voice, engagement, and learning: The Catholic Church Synod and the United Nations Summit of the Future
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Pakistan: USCIRF concerned by Pakistan’s expulsion of refugees and attacks against Ahmadiyya Muslims
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest 16-31 October
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Police assault Early Rain Christians during detention
(China Aid)
The battle for the soul of the Dalai Lama
(Lobsang Sangay, Foreign Affairs)
Canada: Military prayer ban on Remembrance Day lifted amid public outcry
(The Western Standard)
What is a woman faith-based mediator?
(Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers)
Indonesia: Inside Indonesia’s Religious Courts: An Argument for Domestic and Family Violence Screening and Exemption from Compulsory Mediation
(Balawyn Jones and Amira Aftab, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Nigeria Islamic court sentences cross-dressers to flogging
(AFP, Barron's)
Articles of interest - 6 November 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
How the Israel-Hamas war has brought together Arab Christians and Muslims
(Daoud Kuttab, Religion News Service)
The SBU served notice of suspicion on the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
UNESCO mission to study damage to cultural monuments caused by Russian shelling launches in Chernihiv
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Two weeks in review, 23 October – 5 November 2023
(Tal Gross, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
A special kind of hatred
(Ian Speir, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)
A Brazilian plea for science, religious freedom and the right to samba as you wish
(Daniel Gontijo E Pirula, WorldCrunch)
Malaysia: PN MP: Expedite law to curb spread of other religions to Muslims
(Malaysiakini)
India: Kerala government to challenge High Court ban on crackers at religious places
(India Today)
Legal Journal Number 1 (19): October (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)
Friday, 3 November 2023
Iranian Jews threatened, told to break contact with Israeli relatives - report
(The Jerusalem Post)
Iran: Religious persecution and issues – Monthly digest October
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Indonesia: What’s in a name? Terminology for Christian holidays in the spotlight
(Muhammad Ahalla Tsauro and Rezza Prasetyo Setiawan, The University of Melbourne)
Mali: Islamist armed groups, army target civilians
(Human Rights Watch)
US sanctions Myanmar junta’s gas revenue
(Shayna Bauchner, Human Rights Watch)
Kerala blasts: Man arrested after deadly attack on Jehovah's Witnesses
(Meryl Sebastian and Ashraf Padanna, BBC News)
Faith leaders highlight Russian religious persecution in occupied Ukraine
(Shelby Magid and Mercedes Sapuppo, Atlantic Council)
A Russian singer who condemned the war in Ukraine is back home. The Orthodox Church wants an apology
(Associated Press)
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest Oct. 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Violence rages in Gaza, but a meeting of Jewish and Muslim women has given me hope
(Remona Aly, The Guardian)
Ukraine: Three years' jail for Adventist conscientious objector to mobilisation
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Tunisia’s Islamist party leader is sentenced to 15 months in prison for supporting terrorism
(Bouazza Ben Bouazza, Associated Press)
Myanmar seeking to repatriate Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh
(Al Jazeera)
USCIRF alarmed by attacks on religious sites during armed conflict
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Argentina's Jewish community rattled by rise in antisemitism (video)
(Deutsche Welle)
Canada: Senate report on Islamophobia says urgent action needed to reverse rising tide of hate
(Peter Zimonjic, CBC News)
Colombia advisor to the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace shares insights on the importance of WCC’s accompaniment
(World Council of Churches)
Cuba: WCC voices support of UN resolution condemning ongoing blockade imposed on Cuba
(World Council of Churches)
Holy See on deportation: Human rights come before national interests
(Nina Benedikta Krapić, Vatican News)
China: Beijing bishop to make rare visit to Hong Kong amid broader tensions
(Greg Torode, Reuters)
Brazil bishops say land disputes, Indigenous frustrations continue under Lula
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Brazil: Understand how religions permeate war and the importance of reciprocal respect for different beliefs (Portuguese)
(Fernanda Bastos, G1)
Brazil: Collaborative secularism in practice (Portuguese video)
(Direito Religioso)
Guatemala: Authorities promote religious freedom (Spanish)
(Redacción DCA, Diario de Centro America)
Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Advocacy letters to authorities in Cuba, Brazil, Malawi, and Ghana - October 2023
(International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB))
Cuba: Why are Cubas religious leaders going into exile?
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Sri Lanka: USCIRF delegation travels to Sri Lanka to assess religious freedom conditions
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Vietnam: IRFBA Chair’s statement on Vietnamese religious prisoners of conscience: Lê Tùng Vân, Lê Thanh Trùng Dương, Lê Thanh Hoàn Nguyên, Lê Thanh Nhất Nguyên, Cao Thị Cúc, and Lê Thanh Nhị Nguyên
(U.S. Department of State)
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