Law and Religion Headlines

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Thursday, 23 November 2023

WEBINAR, 23 November 2023 (16:00 CET): Pathways to Peace: Webinar on Freedom of Religion and Belief
(Conference of European Churches)

Wednesday, 22 November 2023

Justice Department files statement of interest in religious land use case involving Oregon church that feeds people who are homeless or hungry
(U.S. Department of Justice)

Remarks at a UN Security Council meeting called by Russia on threats to international peace and security
(United States Mission to the United Nations)

Australian government heeds faith groups' concerns about misinformation bill
(David Goodwin, Christian Today)

Australia: Losing my religion: GP practice accused of discrimination wins legal fight with patient
(Paul Smith, AusDoc)

New York: Prisoner gets suit revived over denial of religious services
(Peter Hayes, Bloomberg Law)

Religious diversity supports more inclusive environment for employees and patients
(Penn State Health News)

Why interfaith activism needs to ditch 'we're all the same' slogans
(Mitchell Atencio and Tahil Sharma, Sojourners)

Canada: Humanist association calls out seven B.C. municipalities for violating 'duty' of religious neutrality
(Sarah Grochowski, Vancouver Sun)

For some Uyghur Americans, worries over detained family members loom over Biden-Xi summit
(Megan Lebowitz, NBC News)

Iran: Women’s activism in Iran continues, despite street protests dying down in face of state repression
(Mona Tajali, The Conversation)

Why the religious freedom of native Americans should make us all grateful this Thanksgiving
(Chelsea Langston Bombino, Religion Unplugged)

Why people switch churches and the high hopes that come with such changes
(Marissa Sullivan, Religion Unplugged)

New funding of up to £7m to tackle antisemitism
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)

Building Freedom of Religion or Belief Through Faith-and-Belief Friendly Workplaces
(All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief)

Bulk transborder surveillance, foreign nationals and the application of ECHR rights: Wieder and Guarnieri v. the UK– a seminal (but underwhelming) judgment
(Maria Tzanou, Strasbourg Observers)

Building freedom of religion or belief through faith-and-belief friendly workplaces: A call to action
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

For this group of trans women, the pope and his message of inclusivity are a welcome change
(Nicole Winfield and Trisha Thomas)

China: Mosques shuttered, razed, altered in Muslim areas
(Human Rights Watch)

Philippines: Lawmakers threaten rights body on abortion
(Human Rights Watch)

China is expanding its crackdown on mosques to regions outside Xinjiang, Human Rights Watch says
(Simina Mistreanu, Associated Press)

Finland: The trials of Päivi Räsänen
(Sean Nelson, First Things)

Nigeria’s kidnap epidemic targets Christians
(Andrew Boyd, Anglican Ink)

2nd Circuit remands free exercise claim of inmate who could not attend religious services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Pope calls Gaza war ‘terrorism,’ but Vatican denies he said ‘genocide’
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Guatemala: Catholic leaders urge US to protect Guatemala’s democracy
(John Lavenburg, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Argentina: Precedents for Argentina’s rebuke to the Pope are hard to find
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Illinois tax credit program for private schools set to end, upsetting Jewish advocates
(Andrew Lapin, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Two Catholic colleges promise ‘expedited’ admissions to Jewish students and a refuge from antisemitism
(Debrah Miszak, Forward)

Argentina: Religion ghost? No, the new president of Argentina has openly bashed Pope Francis
(Clemente Lisi, GetReligion)

Uganda: Non-justiciability of religious disputes: a Ugandan case note
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Orthodox Church of Ukraine activists implore leaders to condemn violence during parish transfers
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Freedom of religion must prevail in Ukraine, even as war drags on, senior UN human rights official tells Security Council
(United Nations)

Ukraine: The real threat to religious freedom in Ukraine
(Paul Marshall, Providence)

How civil rights law changed America
(Jesse Merriam, Law & Liberty)

Benin: Not everyone in Benin supports national Voodoo Festival
(Juste Hlannon, La Croix International)

Korean Catholics see "peace and reconciliation" as vocation
(La Croix International)

Korea: More rehab facilities sought to tackle Korean drug abuse
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Indonesia: Hundreds of Rohingya come ashore in Indonesia, joining about 1,000 this week
(Reuters)

Employer skepticism mounts as line blurs between faith, politics
(Khorri Atkinson, Bloomberg Law)

Turkey’s Diyanet religious directorate stands firm with Hamas, issues anti-Israel fatwa
(Nordic Monitor)

Vermont continues streak of hard fouls against Christian schools
(Alliance Defending Freedom)

Kazakhstan’s tribute to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(Eureporter)

Hair length policy at Kansas school sparks backlash after Native American boy, 8, forced to cut hair
(Saleen Martin, USA Today)

New Jersey drops requirement to swear “so help me God”
(John Burger, Aleteia)

Brazil: Bahia [soccer team] launches new shirt to combat religious intolerance (Portuguese)
(Mayara Nayllanne, Olá Bahia)

Italy illuminates monuments in honor of persecuted Christians (Portuguese)
(IstoÉ)

Brazil: Univali hosts 4th Brazilian Congress on Religious Law (Portuguese)
(Blog do Prisco)

Päivi Räsänen: «The attitude towards Christianity is becoming increasingly hostile in Europe» (Spanish)
(Leticia Batista Cabanas, El Debate)

Religious freedom at risk (Spanish)
(Eva Maldonado, Diario16)

Monday, 20 November 2023

Reps. Omar, Casar lead letter calling on State Department to review whether U.S. security assistance has been used to violate human rights in Pakistan
(Ilhan Omar, U.S. House of Representatives)

How people in South and Southeast Asia view religious diversity and pluralism
(Manolo Corichi, Pew Research Center)

Cambodia: Protecting Harmony: Govt to crack down on religious, political extremism
(Khmer Times)

Taiwan’s religious success story
(Knox Thames, The Taipei Times)

EVENT, 20 November 2023 (5PM): Building FoRB through Faith-and-Belief Friendly Workplaces (London, UK)
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Education Department opens school probes over alleged antisemitism, Islamophobia
(Kevin Drew, NPR)

Church of England synod moves forward with a test of prayers for same-sex couples
(Catherine Pepinster, Religion News Service)

Canada: Submission to AMAD committee studying MAID for mental disorders
(Rebecca Vachon and Andreae Sennyah, Cardus)

Canada: Jewish high school closes early after bomb threat
(CBC News)

Police respond to 3 bomb threats at houses of worship in Mass.
(Katie Brace, and Timothy Nazzaro, Boston 25 News)

X ad boycott gathers pace amid antisemitism storm
(James Clayton, BBC News)

Malaysia: Mother-daughter duo challenge ‘stronger’ Sharia law – OpEd
(Vanitha Nadaraj, UCA News)

American evangelicals interpret Israel-Hamas War as a prelude to End Times
(Fiona André, Religion News Service)

Firing of law firm associate for anti-Israel letter
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)

USCIRF releases report on religious garb and international human rights law
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

“Double the commitment to persecuted Christians”
(Christian Network Europe)

US report highlights threats to religious sites in Turkey
(Tasos Kokkinidis, Greek Reporter)

Around the web - 20 November 2023
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

Catholic leaders meet with White House on climate change
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

ASG Brands Kehris briefs the Security Council on Ukraine
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Saying no to slave labor: Younger consumers are demanding the truth
(David Alton, America: The Jesuit Review)

Netanyahu’s genocidal religious rhetoric isn’t just an appeal to the Israeli right — he has another constituency in mind
(Brock Bahler, Religion Dispatches)

Articles of interest - 20 November 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Water utility imposes illegal, overly-inflated water service fee on local church
(First Liberty)

Pakistan: New leader of Pakistan bishops vows to challenge blasphemy laws
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Argentina: ‘Anti-Pope’ elected president in Francis’s native Argentina
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Outside APEC, complaints of intimidation, assaults
(Susan Crabtree, Real Clear Politics)

Russian diplomacy leverages Israel-Hamas war for moral high ground
(John Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera)

Two weeks in review, 6 – 19 November 2023
(Tal Gross, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly digest Nov. 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Column from Germany: Jews in Germany are afraid to show their identity
(Christian Network Europe)

Pro-life nuns celebrate win against New York probe: ‘Government never should have done that’
(Kristine Parks /Fox News, Fox News)

Britain’s NHS left Indi Gregory to die (pdf)
(Mark Rienzi, The Wall Street Journal)

Law and religion round-up – 19th November
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Guidance on Churchyard Regulations after Exhall
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Daisaku Ikeda, head of global Japanese Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai, dies at 95
(Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press)

Gen Z is moving away from traditional religion, but that doesn't mean they aren't spiritual
(Mark Brodie, KJZZ)

Cuban Christians call on the regime to respect freedom of religion
(Evangelical Focus)

France plans to make a bad law worse
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)

In America, national parks are more than scenic − they’re sacred. But they were created at a cost to Native Americans
(Thomas S. Bremer, The Conversation)

Japan, Tibet, Uyghur, and Southern Mongolia conduct seminar condemning China’s infamous religious order No. 19
(Central Tibetan Administration)

India's most populous state bans some Halal-certified products
(Reuters)

Jerusalem Christians rally round Armenian Church over land deal
(Crispian Balmer, Reuters)

Brazil: Podcast Faith, Politics & Citizenship 13-11-23 Dr Gilberto Garcia (Portuguese)
(YouTube Video, TV Metropolitana Rio 2)

Brazil: Paulinho, from the Brazilian [soccer] team, speaks out after suffering religious intolerance (Portuguese)
(Redação Jogada10, Terra)

Brazil: TJ/SP [Sao Paulo court of appeals]: Reading the Bible in a session of the Araraquara Chamber is unconstitutional (Portuguese)
(Redação, Migalhas)

Brazil: Project increases penalty for racial insults committed in sporting, religious and cultural activities (Portuguese)
(Bom Dia Advogado)

Sunday, 19 November 2023

WEBINAR, 19 November 2023 (9AM ET): Touro Talks: Artificial Intelligence and Antisemitism
(Touro University)

Friday, 17 November 2023

Joint statement on the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS Africa Focus Group meeting
(U.S. Department of State)

Canadian white nationalist found guilty of murdering four Muslims in truck attack
(David Ljunggren and Ismail Shakil, Reuters)

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