Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 17 April 2026
What happens when sacred and secular power collide?
(Joëlle Rollo-Koster, Religion Unplugged)
Europe: Some FORB news in Europe in brief in January-March 2026: Headlines
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest April 01-16
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Moms ask Ninth Circuit for religious exemption to California school vaccination requirement
(Edvard Pettersson, Courthouse News Service)
The Supreme Court’s religious liberty wins are civil rights wins - opinion
(Mark Rienzi, The Washington Post)
Churches to the rescue of Cuba's legions of poor
(France 24)
Why Korea’s new religion bill is rattling Protestant churches
(Korea Times)
Why many of Hungary’s religious groups will be celebrating Viktor Orbán’s election loss
(Marc Roscoe Loustau, Conversation)
Canada: Public funds don't make Catholic hospitals 'government actors', says lawyer in MAID case
(Darryl Greer, National Observer)
Turning Point USA’s high school push in GOP states meets free speech and religion concerns
(Margery A. Beck and Sahar Akbarzai, Associated Press)
LCCB invites people to put faith into action during legislative session
(Debbie Shelley, Diocese of Baton Rouge)
Costa Rica migrant agreement draws concern from Catholic Church immigration officials
(The Dialog)
How Islamophobic rhetoric leaves an impact on the mental health of Muslim Americans
(Anisah Bagasra, Conversation)
350,000‑ruble fine for faith
(Jehovah's Witnesses-Russia)
Thursday, 16 April 2026
EVENT, 16 April 2026: America 250: Cradle of Religious Freedom (Denver, CO, USA)(Religious Freedom Alliance Council)
(Colorado State Capitol)
EVENT, 16 April 2026 (12-4:30 PM MDT): 3rd Annual Bridging Religious Divides Symposium: Disrupting the Cycle of Genocide. Prevention in Practice (Salt Lake City, UT, USA)
(Bellwether International and Utah Global Diplomacy)
WEBINAR, 16 April 2026 (17:00 SA, 15:00 UTC, 16:00 NIG, 18:00 EAT): SACLARS Webinar Series: Law, Religion and Social Justice in Southern Africa
(Southern Africa Consortium for Law and Religion Studies)
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
China: Pressure on Catholics escalates
(Human Rights Watch)
CALL FOR PAPERS, abstracts due 15 April 2026: Religion as a Weapon of War: In the Past, Present and Future (Skopje, North Macedonia)
(Center for Intercultural Studies and Research)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 15 April 2026: How Society Cares for the Dead - A Matter of Freedom of Religion or Belief and Human Dignity
(missio Aachen, Justitia et Pax, Renovabis)
Control and fear inside the clergy
(Bangkok Post)
Faith leaders warn of 'chilling effect' of new protest clause
(Donna Birrell, Premier Christian News)
Vientiane to Hold Grand Lao New Year Procession of Sacred Buddha Images
(Lao News Agency)
Thai religious leaders rally behind papal call for global prayer vigil for peace
(Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, Licas News)
Cambodia Celebrates International Buddhist Day with Royal Message
(Raymond Lam, Buddhist Door Global)
Hun Manet Rings in New Year with Pledge of Stability, Reform and National Unity
(Teng Yalirozy, Cambodianess)
WCC general secretary meets state minister from Tuvalu
(World Council of Churches)
Outrage as Thais announce public tours of occupied temples
(Raksmey Hong, The Phnom Penh Post)
To Lam invites Pope Leo XIV: plans for the visit to Vietnam are back on track
(Asia News)
How a deeply Buddhist Bhutan keeps religion and politics from mixing
(Sushmita Pathak, The World)
Company ordered to compensate worker barred from observing the sabbath for religious reasons (Portuguese)
(Redação, Migalhas)
Statement of inputs to Parliament
(X, Zimbabwe Council of Churches)
Dutch mosque attack raises alarm over targeting of worship sites
(Anadolu Agency)
Pope Leo XIV should raise human rights issues during his visit to Algeria
(Human Rights Watch)
BIC explores justice as a shared capacity at UN Commission
(Bahá’í World News Service)
The transformative power of women of faith highlighted at CSW70
(Religions for Peace)
Egypt, Philippines boost interreligious ties with exchanges, trainings
(Nikko Balbedina, CBCP News)
Turkish identity, or Shiism? The choice that determines Azerbaijan's fate
(Elbeyi Hasanli, Media News Azerbaijan)
Turkey detains 60, including doctors and civil servants, over Gülen links
(Turkish Minute)
Top court overturns Karaca and others’ convictions in alleged plot against religious group
(Stockholm Center for Freedom)
Orbán's defeat is a defeat for Christian nationalism
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Israel demolishes UNESCO-protected shrine of Shamoun al-Safa in south Lebanon
(Fadia Jomaa, The New Arab)
Not forgotten: an interfaith call to kep Sudan in focus and demand peace
(Caritas International)
Nicaragua: A Holy Week with many restrictions, but more faith from local Catholics
(ZENIT)
The reality of biological sex in law- one step closer
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
SEMINAR: Statesmanship and Religious Freedom Seminar: Washington, D.C.
(Religious Freedom Institute)
UNESCO-listed shrine destroyed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon
(Middle East Monitor)
Religious Liberty Commission holds final hearing on the past, present, and future of religious liberty in America
(U.S. Department of Justice)
Christians and Muslims can ‘live together in peace’ – Pope Leo says on plane leaving Algeria
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Germany’s far-right targets church funding
(Fionn Shiner, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Orthodox groups ask Supreme Court to hear case of Ohio man barred from hosting home prayer services
(Grace Gilson, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Belarus: Supreme Court rejects last-ditch challenge to Greek Catholic parish liquidation
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
“Universal” pre-K causes court to re-re-reconsider major religious precedent
(John Elwood, SCOTUSblog)
The global crisis of human trafficking and financial crime
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
New “Mapping Migration” report views trends, role of churches across Europe
(World Council of Churches)
Supreme Court decisions affirm rights of parents
(Rich Osborne, AG News)
Mike Johnson ‘taken aback’ by pope’s comments about war
(Sarah Davis, The Hill)
Why Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon prayer services challenge traditional notions of separation of church and state – but might be blessed by the Roberts Supreme Court
(John E. Jones III, Conversation)
Hardest task is declaring belief of millions as wrong: Supreme Court in Sabarimala reference case
(Debayan Roy, Bar and Bench)
Federations call on Congress to protect communities and institutions
(Jewish Federations of North America)
T&T: Muslim groups slam Govt terror listing as islamophobic
(Vivian Bowen and Michelle Loubon, Daily Express)
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
EVENT, 14 April 2026: Multi-faith presentation and breakfast (Des Moines, IA, USA)(Religious Freedom Alliance Council)
(Iowa State Capitol Rotunda, Iowa Religious Freedom Day)
Monday, 13 April 2026
Lawmakers seek to perfect legal framework for online religious activities
(Vietnam Plus)
Central Tibetan Administration pays tribute to Tibetan monk Thupten Nyendak, recalls sacrifice for religious freedom
(ANI, Lokmat Times)
Chhattisgarh governor signs freedom of religion bill, introduces strict penalties for illegal conversions
(Akashvani)
Drawing a distinction between religion and law
(Hindustan Times)
Anti-conversion Regimes and the Unmaking of Secular India
(Ranjan Solomon, Clarion India)
A meeting of shared values between Vietnam and Bhutan
(Pham Thi Thanh Huyen, Vietnam Net Global)
From tolerance to hospitality: lessons in interfaith understanding from Oman
(Kate Eubanks, Boniak Institute)
Egypt refers Christian convert to terrorism court
(Coptic Solidarity)
Sisi congratulates Christians, says Egypt will remain a model of coexistence
(Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypt Independent)
Attack on Israeli consulate in Istanbul reflects policies of Erdogan that enabled ISIS
(Abdullah Bozkurt, Nordic Monitor)
A brief history of Lebanon and how its religious dynamics changed
(First Post)
How do people cope during war?
(Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times)
Pope says he is 'closer than ever' to Lebanese people
(Le Monde)
U.S. imposes visa ban on Nigerians over religious freedom violations
(Mustapha Bature Sallama, Modern Ghana)
Kimbanguism: The church shaping faith and politics in DR Congo
(Africa News)
Preserving what makes us human in the age of AI
(Center for Humane Technology)
Antisemitic attacks in 2025 caused highest number of deaths in 30 years, study finds
(Melanie Lidman, Associated Press)
Pope says he will continue to speak out against war after Trump attack
(Joshua McElwee, Reuters)
Articles of interest - 13 April 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating Putin’s Easter ceasefire
(Derek Gatopoulos and Vasilisa Stepanenko, Religion News Service)
In criticizing Leo and posting image of himself resembling Jesus, Trump sparks outcry from religious allies
(Jack Jenkins and Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Religion News Service)
Senegal: This Muslim nation is one of the most religiously inclusive in the world
(Tamba Jean-Matthew III, Religion Unplugged)
Israel is trying to change Jerusalem’s religious identity - opinion
(Xavier Abu Eid, Al Jazeera)
Faith, Africa, and the courage to change the narrative
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Webinar: New European Bauhaus Lab – Renovation, transformation and renewal of church buildings and religious heritage in the EU (16 April 2026)
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
Federal commission holds hearing on religious liberty in U.S.
(C-SPAN)
Kansas gov. allows bill for protections of religious assemblies to become law without her signature
(Matthew Self, KSNT News)
Sino-Vatican relations, the two-China question, and religious freedom: a geopolitics of religion analysis
(Giovanni Pirozzi, Istituto Analisi Relazioni Internazionali)
Korean Church Law Association urges withdrawal of "Bill to Prevent Church-State Collusion"
(Kim Heeyun, The Asia Business Daily)
Just war, holy war and the crisis of language: What is lost when we lose a moral framework for conflict? - opinion
(Darius von Güttner-Sporzyński, ABC News Australia)
Jehovah's Witnesses followers sue Japanese government
(Japan Times)
Uganda: Alupo reaffirms government commitment to faith-based partnerships in service delivery
(Muhamadi Matovu, Nile Post)
AU denounces ‘Religious Liberty’ Commission’s attacks on church-state separation
(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
Court strikes down Catholicos Karekin II’s travel ban
(Asbarez)
Lafarge ex-CEO sentenced to six years in prison for funding jihadists in Syria
(Le Monde)
Trump deletes social media post depicting him as Jesus but refuses to apologize amid tension with pope
(Adam Cancryn, CNN)
Friday, 10 April 2026
European governments tighten controls on Turkey’s politicized religious authority Diyanet
(Levent Kenez, Nordic Monitor)
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