Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 7 July 2023
Russia: Long jail terms for Moscow Nursi readers
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Report finds a growing exodus of Jews from Russia and Ukraine
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Japan’s bishops skeptical on plan to release radioactive water
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
'Trinity' that binds India, Nepal, Sri Lanka: Envoy Bagley cites Buddha, Lord Rama
(Devdiscourse)
Australia: Labor’s ideological war on faith a threat to dignity, morality
(Julian Leeser, The Australian)
Nicaragura: Ortega cancels and confiscates property from nuns of the Fraternidad Pobres de Jesucristo after expelling them (Spanish)
(Confidencial)
Angola: UNITA leader says democracy could collapse and warns of the danger of “excessive” religious denominations (Portuguese)
(Manuel José, Voa Portugues)
Brazil: TJ-SP confirms decision that refused compensation for blood transfusion against patient's will(Portuguese)
(Bom Dia Advogado)
Brazil: Religious issues cannot interfere with granddaughter's visits to grandparents (Portuguese)
(Bom Dia Advogado)
Wednesday, 5 July 2023
Myanmar: Tatmadaw targets religious and ethnic communities in Myanmar yet again
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Pope Francis ‘outraged and disgusted’ by burning of Quran
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Why Japan should guarantee religious liberty to the Unification Church/Family Federation: A letter to the government
(Bitter Winter)
Groups urge Indonesia to place moratorium on blasphemy
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Australia: Is taking over Calvary Hospital a religious freedom breach?
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
Iran: Rights violations against Christians in Iran in 2022
(YouTube Video, World Evangelical Alliance)
Photos of the Week: Hajj pilgrimage; Peru Fishermen Day; Eid al-Adha
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Türkiye must not deport members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light seeking asylum: UN experts
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Continuity and Change of Traditional Islamic Law in Modern Times: tarjīḥ as a Method of Adaptation and Development of Legal Doctrines
(Ahmed Gad Makhlouf, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Religion and Pluralism before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: From Individualizing Religious Freedom to Deregulating the Religious Market
(Moncef Chaibi, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Church of Scientology backs UN appeal to save lives with drug prevention
(Church of Scientology)
Global Ethic Symposium celebrates 30 years of the Global Ethic document
(Parliament of the World's Religions)
Azerbaijan: Envisioning a future beyond tolerance
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Articles of interest - 3 July 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Russia: Movement of conscientious objectors is “foreign agent”
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest June 16-30
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
USCIRF releases new reports on Russia’s religious freedom violations
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Afghanistan: Al-Qaeda is back in Afghanistan. It is a threat to Christians around the world
(Martin Parsons, Premier Christianity)
Canadian Anglican Church ratifies resolution for reconciliation with Jews
(Zvika Klein, The Jerusalem Post)
Christians in Pakistan risk greater persecution from blasphemy laws, while living in poverty
(Myriam Renaud, The Conversation)
Kazakhstan: fined, as "he had no basis for conducting a religious event"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Nigeria: Catholic bishops kick, reject bill for council on Christian education
(Christian Okpara, The Guardian)
Senegal: Muslim "holy city" in Senegal wants Vatican state-like status
(Charles Senghor, La Croix International)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest June 16-30
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
EU: An OSCE/ ODIHR point of view of the EU Guidelines on FoRB
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Iraq: Addressing challenges to tolerance and religious diversity in Iraq
(Shivan Fazil, Middle East Institute)
Sri Lankan government to frame new laws to promote religious harmony within country
(Republic World)
Malaysia: IKIM addresses Upholding Human Dignity through international symposium
(New Straits Times)
Brazil: Lawyer is prevented from acting in court for wearing candomblé costumes (Portuguese)
(Daniele Dutra, UoL)
Brazil: Clécio Luís signs a law that prohibits religious intolerance in Amapá (Portuguese)
(Redação, Diário do Amapá)
Mexico: Bishops of Mexico demand respect for religious freedom and the secular state (Spanish)
(Ana Paula Morales, ACI Prensa)
Colombia: Church in Colombia to collaborate with government in search for remains of ‘disappeared’
(Eduardo Berdejo, Catholic News Agency)
Monday, 3 July 2023
IRFBA chair’s statement on Nicaragua religious prisoner of conscience, Bishop Rolando Álvarez
(U.S. Department of State)
Pakistan: Defender of religious freedom single-handedly stops mob
(Aid to the Church in Need)
Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics (Third Edition)
(Edited By Jeffrey Haynes, Taylor & Francis)
With echoes of ‘the most difficult time in North Korean history’, the international community must do more to bring about change
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Vietnam: Imprisoned human rights defender and Protestant pastor denied medical treatment
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
India: Muslim man killed by cattle vigilantes in Maharashtra State
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Ethnic violence spirals in India’s northeastern Manipur state
(Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch)
Thousands protest in Iraq for a second day over burning of Quran in Sweden
(Ali Jabar and Nabil Al-Jurani, Associated Press)
Holy See: Cardinal Zuppi in Moscow to open paths of peace
(Vatican News)
African church leaders warn of new genocide risks in Sudan
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
The competition for believers in Africa is transforming Christianity and Islam
(Francis X. Rocca, Nicholas Bariyo, and Gbenga Akingbule, The Wall Street Journal)
The majority of Ukrainians haven't faced criticism based on religious affiliation - survey results
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Kazakhstan: parish ousted from church after 31 years
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Religious leaders urged to enhance China’s ‘soft power’
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Iran: Religious persecution and issues – Monthly digest June
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
USCIRF hearing on deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Cuba
(YouTube Video, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Religious freedom for all: The experience of minority faith groups in Cuba (Spanish)
(YouTube Video, Outreach Aid to the Americas)
Mexico: Presentation of the Tzotzil translation of the Law of Religious Associations and Public Worship (Spanish)
(El Heraldo)
Friday, 30 June 2023
David H. Moore named dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School
(Brigham Young University)
Protesters briefly storm the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in protest over Quran burning
(Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Ali Jabar, Associated Press)
UN anti-discrimination report proposes to limit religious freedom
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Sweden: Muslim countries denounce Iraqi man's Quran burning
(Deutsche Welle)
WCC signs joint ecumenical statement on Sudan
(World Council of Churches)
Interactive dialogue/presentation of the annual report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
(U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Geneva)
Indonesia: Blasphemy or religious persecution?
(The Jakarta Post)
UKPNP chief voices concern over oppression of religious minorities in PoK, China
(Devdiscourse)
Russian patriarch tells papal envoy their Churches should work together for peace
(Reuters)
Burkina Faso: Unlawful killings, ‘disappearances’ by the army
(Human Rights Watch)
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Right to freedom of religion and belief
(Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI))
What we are seeing in India is a religious freedom crisis”—Human rights advocates call for end to religious persecution in India following Modi’s visit to US
(ADF International)
Multinationals in India benefit from country’s diversity
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
India: National Day of Prayer after sectarian violence against Christians
(La Croix International)
Uniting faith and compassion: Kashmir’s inspiring battle against drug addiction
(Zaffar Iqbal, Religion Unplugged)
Canada: Cardus chaplaincy presentation to National Defence Committee
(YouTube Video, Cardus)
Holy See at UN: International solidarity required to protect dignity of migrants
(Francesca Merlo, Vatican News)
The continued imprisonment of Reverend Dr Hkalam Samson is proof that no one is safe in Myanmar
(Benedict Rogers, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Türkiye to oppose any threat to Al-Aqsa Mosque's sanctity, status: President Erdogan
(Dilara Hamit, Anadolu Agency)
Congo president and bishops at odds over democracy, electoral reform
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Egyptian Christians still await their "personal status" law
(La Croix International)
Manuela et al. v. El Salvador: The pitfalls of a landmark case for reproductive justice from a torture perspective
(María Fernanda Perico and María Camila Castellanos, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
‘Try again, fail again, fail better’: The International Law Commission is back on international organizations
(Lorenzo Gasbarri, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Yunnan, “Sinicization” of mosques, temporarily suspended after protests, started again
(Chen Tao, Bitter Winter)
How China is using folk religion to woo Taiwan
(Drum Tower, The Economist)
China asks Tibetan monks to cut ties with Dalai Lama
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Islamists wield hidden hand in Sudan conflict, military sources say
(Khalid Abdelaziz, Reuters)
Civil society leaders in Nepal convene seminar on interfaith tolerance and religious freedom
(International Christian Concern)
Monday, 26 June 2023
The Biden-Modi meeting was a failure for democracy
(Knox Thames, Time)
Weaponization of Hindu festivals: A catalyst for anti-Muslim violence in India
(Rishabh Jain, Religion Unplugged)
Indian minister mocks Obama comment on protecting Muslims
(Al Jazeera)
Risk of “state intervention in Christian doctrine” if recommendations of UN expert on LGBT issues are followed, warns WEA
(Evangelical Focus)
Churches in South Africa have a critical role in halting the cancer of corruption
(Jonatán Soriano, Evangelical Focus)
Azerbaijan converts church in Lachin into mosque
(Asbarez)
Ahmadi Muslims barred by law from celebrating Eid-ul-Adha in Pakistan
(Twitter, International Human Rights Committee (IHRC))
Saudi Arabia wants tourists. It didn’t expect Christians.
(Vivian Nereim, The New York Times)
Religion Watch, Volume 38 No. 7
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
The provocation by witchcraft defence in anglophone Africa: Origins and historical development
(Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Insights from the field: Podcast explores FUNDAEC’s agricultural initiatives
(Bahá’í World News Service)
Articles of interest - 26 June 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Nigeria human rights group files ICC complaint over anti-Christian violence
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
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