Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 8 September 2023
Nigeria: Attack on Catholic parish intended to ignite religious, ethnic tension — Kaduna Gov
(Muhammad Sabiu, Tribune Online)
Nigeria: Priest in Nigeria urges church leaders to be “articulate enough” on Christian persecution
(Agnes Aineah, ACI Africa)
Chile: The Catholic Church defended human rights during Chile’s dictatorship. An archive tells the story
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
Catholic-Jewish research backs reports Catholic convents sheltered 3,000-plus Roman Jews during WWII
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Brazil: Under the protection of God: Does the Preamble of the Brazilian Constitution of 1988 allow freedom of expression solely for Christians?
(Damião Benilson Gomes de Melo, Rafaela Albuquerque Fires & J. Ernesto Pimentel Filho, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Brazil: Furor erupts in Brazil after archbishop gives communion to Muslim sheikh
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
India could be renamed ‘Bharat’: A history of the Sanskrit word and its Hindu ties
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
India: 'Eradicate Sanatana Dharma' remark: After Hindus, Muslim clerics in UP join calls for Udhayanidhi Stalin's apology
(Abhay Rathore, Swarajya)
India: State will act against those hurting religious sentiments, warns Goa CM Pramod Sawant
(Murari Shetye, The Times of India)
India: Birth of Our Lady unites people of all faiths in India
(Prasanthi Mandapati, Herald Malaysia)
Nepal: Christians face violence over cow slaughter in Nepal
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Sri Lankan cardinal wants international Easter bombings probe
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Pakistan: Here we are: leading Shiite cleric arrested in Pakistan based on new blasphemy law
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Israelis, Moroccans gather in Jerusalem to celebrate top adviser to King
(Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman, The Jerusalem Post)
Israel: Thousands rally in support of Israel’s judicial overhaul before a major court hearing next week
(Julia Frankel, Associated Press)
12 buildings of the Lower Lavra returned under the reserve's control
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Russia: Second jail term for opposing Russia's war in Ukraine on religious grounds
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Vietnam tries to force ethnic minority church members to recant faith
(Radio Free Asia)
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, “Religious Freedom and the Ecumenical Patriarchate”, presentation of the Religious Freedom Report by ACN International
(Orthodox Observer)
Nicaragua: Alumni grieve for Jesuit-run university seized by Nicaraguan government that transformed their lives
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
Wednesday, 6 September 2023
G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) in Pune, India 2023
(G20 Interfaith Forum)
G20 Interfaith Forum kicks off in India
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
India: Supreme Court dismisses petition seeking curbs on religious conversions
(Matters India)
Taiwan hopes Pope's China engagement helps 'worsening' religious freedom
(Reuters)
Chinese Communist Party promotes atheism, but many members still partake in religious customs
(Pew Research Center)
China: Uyghur design director working in Turkey arrested in China during family visit
(Stockholm Center for Freedom)
Myanmar: The brutal ‘Four Cuts’ strategy is causing untold suffering in Myanmar, yet the international community remains slow to react
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Canada: 'I am guilty': Plea by controversial pastor resolves all COVID-related charges
(Heather Rivers, The London Free Press)
UN says Daesh/ISIS terror group continues to pose significant threat in conflict zones
(Firdevs Bulut Kartal, Anadolu Agency)
The UN and international coordination is key to countering terrorism: UK statement at the Security Council
(James Kariuki, GOV.UK)
Daesh almost doubled the territory they control in Mali in under a year – UN experts
(Arab News)
Iraq hangs 3 for Daesh-claimed blast that killed hundreds
(Arab News Pakistan)
Pope Francis’ visit underscores Mongolia’s religious freedom
(Bolor Lkhaajav, The Diplomat)
‘Hope is possible.’ Pope Francis joins religious leaders in Mongolia to promote harmony
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Vietnam: Ahead of Biden visit, US watchdog says Vietnam backsliding on religious freedoms
(Reuters)
Vietnam: USCIRF releases new report on religious freedom in Vietnam
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
September 2023 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)
Bahrain touts 2 states at 67 lines, as Israel opens embassy in Manama
(Tovah Lazaroff, The Jerusalem Post)
Latter-day Saint testifies of Jesus Christ at interfaith event in Mongolia hosted by Pope Francis
(Christine Rappleye, Church News)
B.C. school district cuts ties with summer camp over staff agreement that prohibits 'homosexual behaviour'
(Maryse Zeidler, CBC News)
Uganda: As oil activities encroach on sacred natural sites, a small Ugandan community feels besieged
(Rodney Muhumuza, Associated Press)
Volume 1 (2023): Issue 1 (Jun 2023)
(Journal of Religious Minorities under Muslim Rule)
What good religion can do with Katherine Marshall
(State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance Foundation podcast: State of Belief)
At African climate summit, faith leaders join demands for climate justice
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
Turkmenistan: Pensioner's pilgrimage departure blocked for five months
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Jewish president picks Muslim defense minister: Ukraine’s diverse leadership debunks Russia’s “Nazi” slurs
(Peter Dickinson, Atlantic Council)
Indonesia: Uproar over plan to control Indonesia’s worship places
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Japan seeks court order to dissolve Unification Church
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Iran: Religious persecution and issues – Monthly Digest August
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
For Brazilian administrators, church and state aren’t so separate
(André Kanasiro, Spectrum Magazine)
Guyana: Religious tolerance
(Guayana Chronicle)
Chile: A month of prayer for Chile, 50 years after the coup (Spanish)
(Conferencia Episcopal de Chile)
Monday, 4 September 2023
Hybrid neutrality as the deadlock: The Pope’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine war
(Regina Elsner, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Pope insists Vatican-China relations are on track but says more work is needed
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Pope starts Mongolia visit by praising the country’s religious freedom dating back to Genghis Khan
(Nicole Winfield and Saruul Enkhbold, Associated Press)
Mongolian faith leaders join pope to stress world peace
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
China objects to India’s G20 logo
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
India: UN experts alarmed by continuing abuses in Manipur
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
India: Muslim Law Board’s stand sought on nikah halala
(Ziya Us Salam, The Hindu)
India: Religion that promotes inequality is as good as disease: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on ‘Sanatana Dharma’ row
(Pathi Venkata Thadhagath, Hindustan Times)
Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega turns against the Jesuits
(Mary Anastasia O'Grady, The Wall Street Journal)
Pakistan: Mob attacks on Christian churches and homes in Pakistan set off by false implication, police say
(Asim Tanveer, Associated Press)
Iran’s proposed hijab law could amount to “gender apartheid”: UN experts
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Articles and books of interest - 4 September 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Patriarch Bartholomew firmly denied the possibility of "reconsidering" the granting of autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
PAX peacebuilding organization continues to help churches in Ukraine
(Institute for Religious Freedom, Ukraine)
WCC signs joint letter urging G20 leaders toward New International Financial and Economic Architecture
(World Council of Churches)
Christians worldwide increasingly persecuted, perpetrators go unpunished
(Christian Network Europe)
People across 24 countries continue to view UN favorably
(Moira Fagan, Pew Research Center)
Australia: Senate inquiry examining if ACT government should hold inquiry into Calvary Hospital takeover hears from church representatives
(Harry Frost, ABC News Australia)
Friday, 1 September 2023
Center welcomes new Associate Director Hannah Clayson Smith
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University)
2023 Oxford Conference: Civilizational Perspectives on Human Dignity
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies, BYU Law)
The revelation of the Book of Mormon at 200 [podcast]
(Steven Filippi, Sarah Butcher, and Jack Dugan, OUPblog: Religion)
Iraq: A Patriarch flees Baghdad: Sako’s departure shocks Christians in the Middle East
(Joseph Amar, Commonweal)
Iraq: Demolition of iconic centuries-old minaret triggers outrage in Iraq
(Scientology Religious Freedom Blog)
Episode 3 - FoRB and society: Sierra Leone's path to religious coexistence (podcast)
(Spotify, International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB))
New book: Religious Accommodation and its Limits
(Farrah Raza, Bloomsbury Publishing)
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest Aug 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral. 1. After the Russian bombing, help is needed for reconstruction
(Ievgeniia Gidulianova with Willy Fautré, Bitter Winter)
Ukrainian Association of Jewish Studies strongly condemns Russia's theft of Jewish artifacts in Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Vatican seeks to tamp down outrage over pope’s words of praise for Russian imperial past
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
“Chain of torture chambers is the most important legacy of the Russian Empire" - Bishop Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk on the Pope's statement
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Uganda: Pastor’s conviction highlights Uganda's growing problem of ritual sacrifice
(John Semakula, Religion Unplugged)
China: Buddhists a majority in China as Christianity’s growth struggles
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
China issues new requirements for religious groups
(Yang Ming, Voice of America)
China: Dismay over China’s clampdown on folk religious practices
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
China bars Chinese bishops from traveling to see pope in Mongolia
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Liberia: Bishops in Liberia caution Catholic lawmakers against “inaction” to oppose abortion
(Magdalene Kahiu, ACI Africa)
Interfaith resilience in the face of existential threats
(United Religions Initiative)
In Nicaragua, Catholicism is being extinguished
(John I. Jenkins, The Washington Post)
Myanmar's Cardinal Bo calls for ecological justice
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Malaysia: My roots as a Tamil Muslim and the MIC interfaith event
(Hamid Sultan Abu Backer, Free Malaysia Today)
Iran: Top cleric decries Iran’s discrimination against Sunnis
(Iran International)
Mongolia missioners mull challenges to religious freedom
(Cristian Martini Grimaldi, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Faith, trade behind Papua New Guinea’s Jerusalem embassy
(Kirsty Needham and Dan Williams, Reuters)
South Australian prisoner will die through ‘voluntary assisted dying’
(Michael Cook, BioEdge)
Wednesday, 30 August 2023
UN criticises France for banning abaya in schools
(Middle East Monitor)
China: Measuring religion in China
(Pew Research Center)
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