Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 4 August 2023
Chinese persecution of the Uyghur: A case of genocide
(Ali Çaksu, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
India: Burkha controversy in Mumbai: Muslim students denied entry over dress code, ignites religious freedom debate
(Chota Khabari)
India: Nuh: Mosque set on fire, cleric killed in religious clashes in India's Haryana
(BBC News)
New publication: India's Communal Constitution: Law, Religion, and the Making of a People
(Mathew John, Cambridge University Press)
Indian court allows survey of a 17th-century mosque to see if it was built over a Hindu temple
(Biswajeet Banerjee, Associated Press)
India: What would Uniform Civil Code mean for Muslim women?
(Shakeel Sobhan, Deutsche Welle)
India: Muslims in fear in India’s Gurugram after attacks on mosque, businesses
(Arbab Ali, Al Jazeera)
India: Discriminatory policies trigger religious violence in India
(Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch)
Muslim missionaries accused of trafficking Amazon Indigenous boys to Turkey
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Religion News Service)
Nicaragua: Police and paramilitary infiltrate Nicaraguan churches
(Havana Times)
Iraq: A feud between a patriarch and a militia leader adds to the woes of Iraqi Christians
(Abby Sewell and Salar Salim, Associated Press)
Iran’s political agenda: Women’s bodies at the intersection of religion and law
(Faegheh Shirazi, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Malaysia: Woman convert fails to get High Court leave in bid to be declared Christian after divorcing Muslim man
(Ida Lim, Malay Mail)
Misconceptions of Religious Freedom: Toward an Empirical Study of Religious Freedom Awareness
(Anthony Blasi, Olga Breskaya, Giuseppe Giordan, MDPI)
Slaughter of Nigerian Christians warrants international attention
(Max Primorac, The Heritage Foundation)
Nigeria: 2023 elections was a charade-Catholic Church
(Fred Ezeh, The Sun Nigeria)
Wednesday, 2 August 2023
2023 Oxford Conference: Polarized Constitutionalism
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies, BYU Law)
2023 Oxford Conference: International Sermon Studies Association Conference: Sermons and Human Dignity
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies, BYU Law)
Philippines: Religious groups express support, concern on Religious Freedom bill
(Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News)
Philippines: ‘Red-tagging’ Christians to silence govt critics in the Philippines
(Tony Davenport, Vision)
WCC urges renewal of joint peace message on 70th anniversary of Korean War Armistice Agreement
(World Council of Churches)
Korean Catholics march for environment, social justice
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
KAICIID and WOSM to renew MoU and enhance youth leadership at the 25th Edition of World Scout Jamboree
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
The human rights backlash in criminal justice: The case of Russia’s exit from the European Convention on Human Rights
(Konstantin Skoblik, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Pakistan: ISIL claims responsibility for Pakistan bombing that killed 54 people
(Al Jazeera)
New Zealand: Muslim students report bullying starts at preschool, then it just gets worse
(Jody O'Callaghan, Stuff)
Nigeria: Music video controversy in Nigeria: Logos Olori misreads a religious time bomb
(Sanya Osha, The Conversation)
Denmark will continue close dialogue with Muslim countries over Quran burnings
(Middle East Monitor)
We must guard against the dangers of AI and religious extremism | Opinion
(Mohammad Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Newsweek)
Kyrgyzstan: Raids and fines on Catholics, Protestants, Hare Krishna devotees
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Photos: India’s Gurugram tense after Hindu-Muslim clashes
(Al Jazeera)
India: Imam killed after Hindu mob attacks mosque in India’s Gurugram
(Al Jazeera)
India’s northern Haryana state tense after 5 killed in communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims
(Piyush Nagpal, Associated Press)
India: Rights groups hail court order on India’s cow vigilantism
(Bijay Kumar Minj, Union of Catholic Asian News)
In letter to Pope, Ayatollah Sistani calls for inter-faith respect
(Islamic Republic News Agency)
South Africa’s new Marriage Bill raises many thorny issues - a balancing act is needed
(Anthony Diala, The Conversation)
Church in Mexico announces plan to accompany mothers of disappeared persons
(Ana Paula Morales, Catholic News Agency)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly digest July 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Uyghur woman confirmed detained for complaining about son’s sentence in Xinjiang
(Shohret Hoshur, Radio Free Asia)
China using families as 'hostages' to quash Uyghur dissent abroad
(Sam Judah, BBC News)
Iran: Religious persecution and issues – Monthly digest July
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
In Muslim-majority Indonesia, Islamic preacher under fire over unorthodox views
(Reuters)
Israeli Bedouin slam new anti-polygamy move as 'cultural apartheid'
(Moshe Cohen, The Jerusalem Post)
Israelis have polarized views of Netanyahu, reflecting conflicts many see in Israeli society
(Laura Silver and Sarah Austin, Pew Research Center)
Metal fence sign of worsening conditions for Holy Land Christians
(Judith Sudilovsky, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Recognizing antisemitism
(Alyza D. Lewin, Jewish News Syndicate)
Islamic group suggests that member nations downgrade ties with countries that allow Quran burnings
(Abby Sewell and David Keyton, Associated Press)
Monday, 31 July 2023
On the need for a new pluralism in South Asia
(Nilay Saiya, Institute for Global Engagement)
Building interreligious solidarity: Students embrace diversity in Human Fraternity Dialogues
(Nicholas Scrimenti, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
India: Cardinal denies that violence in India amounts to ‘religious conflict’
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Violence and Religious Change in the Pacific Islands
(Garry Trompf, Cambridge University Press)
Resolution on the repeated crimes of desecration and burning of copies of al-Mus’haf ash-Sharif in the Kingdom of Sweden and the Kingdom of Denmark approved by the 18th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC
(Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC))
Canada: Minister of Justice Arif Virani on Bill 21 (video)
(Twitter, National Council of Canadian Muslims)
Articles of interest - 31 July 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Ukraine moves official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25, denouncing Russian-imposed traditions
(Felipe Dana and Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press)
‘Word of God’: Why Muslims are opposed to the burning of the Quran
(Al Jazeera)
Holy Land: "Stop the show of contempt towards Christians in Jerusalem and Haifa".
(Agenzia Fides)
Al Hassan Symposium – “Islam itself is not on trial”: Culture and religion in Al Hassan
(Julie Fraser, The Lieber Institute for Law & Warfare at West Point)
Morocco's Benzina becomes the first senior-level Women's World Cup player to compete in hijab
(Associated Press)
Iranian online retailer building, famed Tehran cafe closed amid reports of hijab infractions
(Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)
Two weeks in review, 17 July – 30 July 2023
(Tal Gross, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
WCC calls on Azerbaijan for immediate lifting of blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh
(World Council of Churches)
Friday, 28 July 2023
Indonesian human rights minister attends human dignity conference in Oxford
(TEMPO.CO)
Indian authorities allow Muslim procession in Kashmir’s main city for the first time in 3 decades
(Aijaz Hussain, Associated Press)
India: Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Dalit, Adivasi leaders meet in Delhi: ‘Will oppose UCC unitedly’
(Aslah Kayyalakkath, Maktoob media)
India: Badal warns Mann against interference in religious affairs of Sikhs
(Statesman News Service)
India: Empowering minorities: Smriti Irani's call for religious tolerance
(Asiana Times)
Prince Faisal renews Saudi rejection of Qur’an burnings in call with Swedish FM
(Arab News)
Israeli army kills 14-year-old Palestinian as an Israeli minister visits a flashpoint holy site
(Tia Goldenberg and Isaac Scharf, Associated Press)
Israelis fear new limits on Supreme Court will bolster Orthodox establishment’s sway
(Michele Chabin, Religion News Service)
Israeli far-right minister leads incursion of Al-Aqsa compound
(Al Jazeera)
The power of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox has peaked
(David E. Rosenberg, Foreign Policy)
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s ‘storming’ of Al-Aqsa mosque
(Arab News)
Syria: Defamation campaign against Syrian woman human rights defender Hiba Ezzideen Al-Hajji
(Front Line Defenders)
Syria: 6 killed in Damascus suburb bombing near Shiite Muslim shrine ahead of the holy day of Ashura
(Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press)
The World Medical Association subtly eviscerates conscience rights
(Wesley J. Smith, National Review)
Hundreds of Ukraine’s Russian-linked Orthodox priests call Moscow’s aggression ‘Satanic’
(Kyiv Post)
Việt Nam-Vatican relations see positive progress: diplomats
(Viet Nam News)
Vatican and Vietnam agree to open resident Holy See office in Hanoi, as relations improve
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
China: Catholic Church constrained by government directives
(FSSPX)
China: Police raid Zion Reformed Church’s youth summer camp
(ChinaAid)
China’s approach to foreign policy gets largely negative reviews in 24-country survey
(Laura Silver, Christine Huang and Laura Clancy, Pew Research Center)
China: Rights of both believers, non-believers are fully protected in Xinjiang
(The Financial Express)
Canada: Religious hospitals in Canada must remain free to refuse “Medical Assistance in Dying”
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Photos of the week: Muharram; Tisha B’Av
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Iranian delegation visits WCC to strengthen interreligious cooperation
(World Council of Churches)
Ancient word: Jews, Christians study shared past in Vatican manuscripts
(Carol Glatz, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Uganda: Archbishop urges govt not to impose import duties on donated medical supplies
(Anglican Ink)
Saudi Arabia summons Denmark’s charge d’affaires over Quran burnings
(Al Jazeera)
“Traditional values” are Russia’s geopolitical weapons
(Cyril Hovorun, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Kenya: ‘Our biggest challenge is simply to exist’: atheist society fights for legal recognition in God-fearing Kenya
(Caroline Kimeu, The Guardian)
Kenya: Garissa religious leaders call for self-regulation for churches, mosques
(Latifa Hassan and Erick Kyalo, Kenya News)
Zambian faith, civil societies urge government to provide clarity on electoral reforms
(Magdalene Kahiu, ACI Africa)
Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Legality of acts against religious symbols, books ignites contentious debate as General Assembly adopts resolution on culture of peace, five other texts
(United Nations)
Menkumham: Indonesia and Britain establish cooperation in religious freedom at the world level
(VOI English)
For interfaith couples in Indonesia, love is not all they need
(Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata, BenarNews)
Nigeria: Traditionalists seek better deal under Tinubu’s presidency
(Popoola Yaqoub, Independent Newspaper Nigeria)
Palestinian Islamic Jihad members attack worshippers at Joseph's Tomb
(The Jerusalem Post)
Disappeared by the state: Tracing Uyghur relatives in China
(The Rights Practice)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: LGBT people face bias
(Human Rights Watch)
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