Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 23 October 2023
Kazakhstan announces ban on hijabs in schools
(Anatolij Weisskopf, Deutsche Welle)
Articles of interest - 23 October 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Mexico: Violence forced them to flee. Now faith sustains these migrants on their journey to the US
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
Two weeks in review, 9–22 October 2023
(Justina Uriburu, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
10 things to know about China’s policies on religion
(Pew Research Center)
Mapping the religious landscape of Ukraine
(Denys Brylov, Tetiana Kalenychenko, and Andrii Kryshtal, The United States Institute of Peace)
T&T: NTA: Religious intolerance is a line no country should ever cross
(Loop News)
Friday, 20 October 2023
Historic St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church struck in deadly Gaza attack
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Hamas, Islamic jihad: Holding hostages is a war crime
(Human Rights Watch)
Australia: Faith leaders urge for religious freedom laws in wake of Israel conflict
(Sarah Ison, The Australian)
Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India
(Nadine Yousif, BBC News)
Canada: Judge dismisses prospective lawyer's challenge over mandatory oath to monarchy
(Stephen Cook, CBC News)
Statement on the targeting of a hospital in Gaza
(Muslim World League)
UN refugee chief seeks to mobilise support for Rohingya migrants
(TRT World)
Principal apologizes for asking student to remove Palestinian flag from online profile
(Nicole Williams, CBC News)
Colombia must finally reckon with the religious element of its decades long internal conflict
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Global Youth Summit unites 500+ youth from 77 countries to champion freedom of religion or belief
(Religion News Service)
Uzbekistan should investigate claims of ill-treatment, torture
(Mihra Rittmann, Human Rights Watch)
Ukraine’s parliament advances bill seen as targeting Orthodox church with historic ties to Moscow
(Peter Smith, Associated Press)
If Ukraine is truly committed to human rights, it must uphold its freedom of religion
(William W. Burke-White, The Hill)
China: APEC leaders can’t ignore Xi’s widening Uyghur genocide
(Omer Kanat, Real Clear Politics)
China: IRFBA statement on Chinese religious prisoner of conscience, Wang Yi
(International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), U.S. Department of State)
China: Government-controlled churches must establish “surveillance” boards
(ChinaAid)
Nicaragua releases 12 Catholic priests and sends them to Rome, following agreement with the Vatican
(Associated Press)
Argentina legalized abortion in 2020. Will this impact Evangelicals’ presidential vote?
(David Agren, Christianity Today)
Climate change and the importance of indigenous knowledge
(Arthur Lyon Dahl, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
ACN Report 2023: Religious freedom is violated in one in three countries (Spanish)
(Obispado Segorbe-Castellón)
Peru: Constitution Committee will analyze proposal that guarantees the religious freedom of employees and public servants (Spanish)
(Congreso de la República)
Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Gaza hospital where hundreds were killed is owned by Anglican Communion branch
(Michelle Boorstein and Ben Brasch, The Washington Post)
‘This is Israel’s 9/11’: Christians wage war against Hamas
(Erik Tryggestad, Religion Unplugged)
Canada: Markham Public Library apologizes after email suggests taking down Islamic Heritage Month displays
(Muriel Draaisma, CBC News)
Canada: Respect religious hospitals' conscience rights, says Canadians
(Cardus)
Canada: Religion vs creed: Dealing with religious accommodation requests
(Emily Douglas, Human Resources Director)
India: Celebrated novelist Arundhati Roy faces prosecution in India – for a speech she gave in 2010
(Priya Chacko, The Conversation)
India: From sati to interfaith marriages, institution of marriage has undergone sea change: SC
(Press Trust of India)
India: Minister Sekar Babu warns of action against persons speaking ill of other religions
(The Hindu)
India: SC refuses to entertain PIL seeking rights for Hindus, others to manage their religious places like Muslims
(Ashish Tripathi, Deccan Herald)
India: What's next for same-sex marriage in India
(Shruti Mahajan, The Washington Post)
Mexico: Religious minorities in Michoacán, Mexico just wanted to be treated equally
(Pablo Vargas, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Blasphemy: Nigerian singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu's death penalty case discussed at European Parliament
(Sahara Reporters)
What’s next after Hamas’ attack on Israel?
(Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, The United States Institute of Peace)
Why Israel’s Gaza evacuation order is so alarming
(Sari Bashi, Human Rights Watch)
China: UN Chief should denounce crimes against humanity
(Human Rights Watch)
Hundreds killed in explosion at a crowded Gaza hospital
(Jaclyn Diaz, Steve Inskeep, Bill Chappell, NPR)
Guatemala Church supports demonstrators, demands respect for election results
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest Oct 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Occupied Ukraine: Russian occupation forces continue to disappear religious leaders
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Mufti of Crimea: There are five Muslim chaplains in the ranks of the Armed Forces
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Sri Lanka: Church challenges Sri Lankan draft law to stifle social media
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Kenya: Shakahola must not drive State to undermine religious freedom
(Nyatundo George Oruongo, The Standard)
Brazil: For the first time, Dial 100 agents receive training on religious diversity (Portuguese)
(Ministério dos Direitos Humanos e da Cidadania)
Brazil: Globo [TV] is reported to the MPF for religious intolerance in soap operas (Portuguese)
(Miguel Araújo, O Povo)
Monday, 16 October 2023
Israel: White phosphorus used in Gaza, Lebanon
(Human Rights Watch)
Canada: Protesters urinated, defecated on church property, convoy trial hears
(David Fraser, CBC News)
Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem offers to be exchanged for hostages held by Hamas
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
Israel at war: Islamic world divided over Hamas massacres
(Gil Zohar, Religion Unplugged)
‘War knows no religion’: Gaza’s oldest church shelters Muslims, Christians
(Al Jazeera)
Australian parliament unites to condemn hate speech including antisemitism and Islamophobia
(Daniel Hurst, The Guardian)
Muslims gather at mosques for first Friday prayers since Israel-Hamas war started
(Associated Press)
India: ICC releases report on concerning trends in India
(International Christian Concern)
Nigeria: Religious activism for peace in Nigeria’s Northern Region
(Prince Charles Dickson and Sumayya Abubakar, Opinion Nigeria)
Ukrainian Muslims feeling destruction and rifts from the war
(Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Anti-war Russian clergy face punishment
(Maria Katamadze, Deutsche Welle)
Dealing with the Soviet past and democracy in the Russian Orthodox Church
(Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Global Interfaith Monitor No. 16
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Japan: The request for dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan: A tragic violation of freedom of religion or belief
(Bitter Winter)
Japan: Unification Church slams Japan’s dissolution request as a threat to religious freedom
(Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 16 October 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Punjab’s ‘Aeroplane’ temple: Where India-Canada tensions meet Sikh anxiety
(Yashraj Sharma, Religion News Service)
Bangladesh: Tension rising in Bangladesh ahead of major Hindu festival
(Emran Hossain, Union of Catholic Asian News)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly digest October 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
New book: Towards Jihad? Muslims and Politics in Postcolonial Mozambique
(Eric Morier-Genoud, Hurst)
Afghanistan: International Day of the Girl is a cruel irony for daughters in Afghanistan
(Belquis Ahmadi, The United States Institute of Peace)
Mexico: Segob and Prosecutor's Office accused of violating right to religious freedom in a CDMX church; corruption (Spanish)
(Carlos Ramírez, Reporte Indigo)
Brazil: Influencer who offended pastor in video on social network will pay R$12,000 for moral damages (Portuguese)
(Bom Dia Advogado)
Brazil: TRE-PI and OAB-PI promote debate on religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Tribunal Regional Eleitoral do Piauí)
Friday, 13 October 2023
Jerusalem Heads of Churches urge addressing humanitarian crisis in Gaza
(World Council of Churches)
Statement by Lantos Foundation President on Hamas' brutal attack on Israel
(Katrina Lantos Swett, The Lantos Foundation)
Africa’s religious leaders take sides in ongoing Israel-Hamas war
(Tom Osanjo, Religion Unplugged)
Iran calls on Islamic, Arab countries to confront Israel over its war on Hamas
(The Times of Israel)
Al-Azhar calls on Arabs and Muslims to take united stance against Israeli crimes
(Middle East Monitor)
Tens of thousands protest after Muslim prayers across Mideast over Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
(Isabel Debre and Jon Gambrell, Associated Press)
Obispos chilenos invitan a orar por la paz en el mundo
(Religión Digital)
Freedom House condemns heinous attack on Israel
(Michael J. Abramowitz, Freedom House)
Un mensaje de ánimo al Presidente Sisi para ir más allá en la promoción de la libertad de religión o creencia en Egipto
(Mervyn Thomas, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Canada: Man sought for hate crimes after second Toronto mosque vandalized
(Toronto Sun)
Canada: Man wanted after hate symbols painted on east Toronto mosque, police say
(CBC News)
Occupied Ukraine: Russian occupation forces close more churches, broadcast disinformation
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Nigeria: Death sentence and imprisonment under Nigerian blasphemy laws
(Georgia du Plessis, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Nigeria: "If he wins this case, every other blasphemy case would crumble!" - Yahaya Sharif-Aminu's death penalty blasphemy case highlighted at European Parliament
(ADF International)
Japan’s government asks a court to revoke the legal religious status of the Unification Church
(Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press)
New book: Religion, State, and Political Culture in Japan: Implications for the Post-Secular World
(Tokihisa Sumimoto, Rowman & Littlefield)
Nicaragua’s regime kidnaps 3 more priests
(Daniel Esparza, Aleteia)
Kyrgyz authorities shut down 32 mosques, 5 religious schools in southern Batken region
(Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)
Afghanistan: Suicide bombing at Shiite mosque during Friday prayers kills 7 worshippers in Afghanistan’s north
(Associated Press)
'Ethnic cleansing' of Armenian Christians: Time for the press to rethink persecution?
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
The role of the international community in promoting freedom of religion or belief
(Knox Thames, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
RFI’s Paul Marshall joins interview on hate speech and blasphemy laws
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Brazilian Church struggles for the rights of those living in favelas
(Eduardo Campos Lima, La Croix International)
Brazil: The need to combat religious intolerance (Portuguese)
(Diário da Amazônia)
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