Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 20 October 2023
5th Circuit: Religious objection to medications must be considered in forcible medication determination
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Employees' objections to covid vaccine were not religious
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Argentina legalized abortion in 2020. Will this impact Evangelicals’ presidential vote?
(David Agren, Christianity Today)
LGBTQ+ rights v. religious claims: Navigating the tensions between RFRA and Title VII
(Adelaide Madera, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Climate change and the importance of indigenous knowledge
(Arthur Lyon Dahl, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
The expulsion of migrants: The Court rules in four cases against Denmark this September
(Harriet Ní Chinnéide, Strasbourg Observers)
Oklahoma attorney general enters fight against would-be first religious charter school
(Andrea Eger, Tulsa World)
ACN Report 2023: Religious freedom is violated in one in three countries (Spanish)
(Obispado Segorbe-Castellón)
Peru: Constitution Committee will analyze proposal that guarantees the religious freedom of employees and public servants (Spanish)
(Congreso de la República)
Holy See: Human rights are still violated by wars and lack of religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Tiziana Campisi, Vatican News)
Thursday, 19 October 2023
WEBINAR, 19 October 2023 (11:30AM ET): The Religious Freedom Restoration Act at Thirty
(The Center for the Study of Law and Religion and Canopy Forum)
Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Gaza hospital where hundreds were killed is owned by Anglican Communion branch
(Michelle Boorstein and Ben Brasch, The Washington Post)
Mourners in heavily Palestinian Chicago suburb remember Muslim boy killed as kind and energetic
(Sophia Tareen, Claire Savage and Melissa Perez Winder, Associated Press)
Chicago rabbis attend funeral of Palestinian-American child killed in alleged Islamophobic hate crime
(Jackie Hajdenberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Israel-Gaza Conflict – UK faith leaders condemn antisemitism and call for solidarity between faith communities
(The Church of England)
Senior UK Muslim clerics condemn Hamas attacks on Israel in landmark statement
(Jewish News)
Steve Bell sacked by Guardian in antisemitism row over Netanyahu cartoon
(Emma Saunders, BBC News)
English bishop claims marriage ‘disappearing in Britain’
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Removal of plaque from church for safeguarding reasons
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
‘This is Israel’s 9/11’: Christians wage war against Hamas
(Erik Tryggestad, Religion Unplugged)
‘Anxiety and fear are high:’ US Palestinians, Muslims fear a return to post-9/11 Islamophobia
(Nicquel Terry Ellis and Chandelis Duster, CNN)
Canada: Markham Public Library apologizes after email suggests taking down Islamic Heritage Month displays
(Muriel Draaisma, CBC News)
WEBINAR, 18 October 2023 (12PM ET): Halal Preferences and Food Insufficiency among American Muslims
(Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU))
#UsToo: How antisemitism and Islamophobia make reporting sexual misconduct and abuse of power harder for Jewish and Muslim women
(Keren McGinit y, The Conversation)
Restaurant settles EEOC religious discrimination suit
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
EEOC’s workplace harassment guidance misses the mark on religion
(Jonathan Segal, Bloomberg Law)
Canada: Respect religious hospitals' conscience rights, says Canadians
(Cardus)
Canada: Religion vs creed: Dealing with religious accommodation requests
(Emily Douglas, Human Resources Director)
India: Celebrated novelist Arundhati Roy faces prosecution in India – for a speech she gave in 2010
(Priya Chacko, The Conversation)
India: From sati to interfaith marriages, institution of marriage has undergone sea change: SC
(Press Trust of India)
India: Minister Sekar Babu warns of action against persons speaking ill of other religions
(The Hindu)
India: SC refuses to entertain PIL seeking rights for Hindus, others to manage their religious places like Muslims
(Ashish Tripathi, Deccan Herald)
India: What's next for same-sex marriage in India
(Shruti Mahajan, The Washington Post)
Mexico: Religious minorities in Michoacán, Mexico just wanted to be treated equally
(Pablo Vargas, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
BYU study examines how religious faith bolsters family hope and unity
(Tyler Stahle, BYU News)
Why a Catholic nun sued the Louisiana Board of Pardons
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
6-year-old boy fatally stabbed in anti-Muslim attack, authorities say
(Johnny Diaz, Mitch Smith, and Robert Chiarito, The New York Times)
Spain: Jehovah’s Witnesses win important case against “El Mundo”
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Blasphemy: Nigerian singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu's death penalty case discussed at European Parliament
(Sahara Reporters)
Donald Trump and the exceptions of American evangelicalism
(John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Sightings, The University of Chicago Divinity School)
Istanbul police arrest 17 people suspected of financing Daesh/ISIS terrorist group
(Zeynep Yesildal, Anadolu Agency)
What’s next after Hamas’ attack on Israel?
(Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, The United States Institute of Peace)
Why Israel’s Gaza evacuation order is so alarming
(Sari Bashi, Human Rights Watch)
China: UN Chief should denounce crimes against humanity
(Human Rights Watch)
Uproar after 6-year-old Muslim boy killed in US Islamophobic attack
(Daily Sabah)
Hundreds killed in explosion at a crowded Gaza hospital
(Jaclyn Diaz, Steve Inskeep, Bill Chappell, NPR)
Catholic healthcare clinic fights to help pregnant women in need
(Becket Law)
FFRF gets prayer cards removed from Mississippi middle school
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
California: Prison religious clothing bill signed into law
(Contra Costa News)
Federal judge poses tough questions to state about Colorado’s abortion pill “reversal” law
(John Ingold, Colorado Sun)
The German chancellor condemns a firebomb attack on a Berlin synagogue and vows protection for Jews
(Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press)
School material on Islam did not violate current Establishment Clause test
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
FBI releases 2022 hate crime statistics
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Guatemala Church supports demonstrators, demands respect for election results
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Germany intensifies security around Jewish institutions (video)
(Emily Gordine, Philipp Falkenstein, Matthew Moore, Deutsche Welle)
How the Catholic Church’s crash in Poland brought down the Law and Justice party
(Anna Piela, Religion News Service)
A congressman’s ‘Dharma Caucus’ stirs suspicion for Hindu and Sikh organizations
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
Russia halts circulation of new ruble note after complaints from priests
(AFP, The Guardian)
Russia: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest Oct 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Occupied Ukraine: Russian occupation forces continue to disappear religious leaders
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Mufti of Crimea: There are five Muslim chaplains in the ranks of the Armed Forces
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Belarus: Repressive draft Religion Law awaits second reading
(Olga Glace and Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Christians shouldn’t celebrate Elenis: A perspective from the Missio Dei
(David W. Opderbeck, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Sri Lanka: Church challenges Sri Lankan draft law to stifle social media
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Kenya: Shakahola must not drive State to undermine religious freedom
(Nyatundo George Oruongo, The Standard)
Belarusian judge confirms the liquidation of the New Life Church in Minsk
(Christian Network Europe)
Brazil: For the first time, Dial 100 agents receive training on religious diversity (Portuguese)
(Ministério dos Direitos Humanos e da Cidadania)
Brazil: Globo [TV] is reported to the MPF for religious intolerance in soap operas (Portuguese)
(Miguel Araújo, O Povo)
Religious liberty may bar defendant's forced medication, US court says
(Nate Raymond, Reuters)
USAID wants to partner with more faith groups
(Jeff Brumley, Baptist News Global)
Portugal moves to end Sephardic Jewish citizenship law
(Orge Castellano, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Religion is intimately linked to the center of a person’s identity (Portuguese)
(Inês Granja, 7 Margens)
Tuesday, 17 October 2023
EVENT, 17 October 2023 (6PM): Securing Religious Freedom: Why British Leadership on FoRB Should Be Written into Law (London, UK)
(Marc Sidwell, Malcolm Evans, Fabio Petito, Mervyn Thomas, and Fiona Bruce, The Henry Jackson Society)
Monday, 16 October 2023
Israel: White phosphorus used in Gaza, Lebanon
(Human Rights Watch)
Canada: Protesters urinated, defecated on church property, convoy trial hears
(David Fraser, CBC News)
France raises security level after school knife attack
(Laurence Peter, BBC News)
MWL statement on stabbing crime in France
(Twitter, Muslim World League)
Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem offers to be exchanged for hostages held by Hamas
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
Israel at war: Islamic world divided over Hamas massacres
(Gil Zohar, Religion Unplugged)
‘War knows no religion’: Gaza’s oldest church shelters Muslims, Christians
(Al Jazeera)
Far from Israel, Jews grieve and pray for peace in Shabbat services held as Israel-Hamas war rages
(Associated Press)
Australian parliament unites to condemn hate speech including antisemitism and Islamophobia
(Daniel Hurst, The Guardian)
Muslims gather at mosques for first Friday prayers since Israel-Hamas war started
(Associated Press)
Italian lawmakers debate long-delayed Holocaust Museum revived by far-right-led government
(Colleen Barry, Associated Press)
Inclusion of religious minorities and development of multicultural dialogue for the growth of democracy. The potentialities of the Italian model in the Mediterranean area
(Fondazione per le scienze religiose)
India: ICC releases report on concerning trends in India
(International Christian Concern)
Statement from President Joe Biden [on violent Islamophobic attack in Illinois]
(The White House)
Detroit religious leaders discuss threats against Muslims after man arrested (video)
(CBS News)
Around the web - 16 October 2023
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Nigeria: Religious activism for peace in Nigeria’s Northern Region
(Prince Charles Dickson and Sumayya Abubakar, Opinion Nigeria)
Ukrainian Muslims feeling destruction and rifts from the war
(Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Anti-war Russian clergy face punishment
(Maria Katamadze, Deutsche Welle)
Dealing with the Soviet past and democracy in the Russian Orthodox Church
(Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Global Interfaith Monitor No. 16
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Japan: The request for dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan: A tragic violation of freedom of religion or belief
(Bitter Winter)
Japan: Unification Church slams Japan’s dissolution request as a threat to religious freedom
(Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 16 October 2023
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
State may regulate Health Care Sharing Ministries
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Punjab’s ‘Aeroplane’ temple: Where India-Canada tensions meet Sikh anxiety
(Yashraj Sharma, Religion News Service)
Hundreds of Germans form ‘human shield’ to protect synagogue as residents report antisemitic incidents
(Toby Axelrod, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
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