Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 25 August 2023
California must stop discriminating against religious schools to serve special needs students
(Maury Litwack and Michael A. Helfand, Jewish Journal)
Russian occupants seized a Roman Catholic chapel in Skadovsk
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Russian persecution of evangelicals exceeding that of Soviet era, Mission Eurasia president says
(Scott Barkley, Baptist Press)
Russia: Freedom of religion and belief monitoring group to be liquidated
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
The Supreme Court’s refreshing unity on religious freedom
(Holly Hollman, Baptist news Global)
British judge says life support treatment can end for a brain-damaged pastor who’s in a coma
(Associated Press)
Employment status of Church of England curates: Green v Lichfield DBF
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
“Due regard” and statutory guidance (II)
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Fostering unity and celebrating diversity, Scientology representative addresses European Sikh Organization inauguration
(The European Times)
CEC-CCEE issue statement on Season of Creation focusing on theme “Let justice and peace flow”
(Conference of European Churches)
Republican presidential contenders make faith and family a central issue
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
India: Distressing trend of ‘reverse dowry’: shattering families and challenging values
(Zaffar Iqbal, Religion Unplugged)
Providing refuge for climate refugees in international law
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Catholic bishops appeal for debt relief to help Africa
(Fredrick Nzwili, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Korean religious groups to support suicide victims’ kin
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Malaysian interfaith body slams Islamic module in schools
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Nigeria: Religious freedom in Nigeria: Ilorin in perspective
(Ifaseesin Ifagbemi, Foundation For Investigative Journalism)
Nigeria: Amidst death threats, Nigerian Court rules Christian convert is free to change her religion
(ADF International)
Bridging the divide: Nigeria’s Interfaith Code of Conduct ushers in a new era of religious harmony
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Nigeria: NGO providing relief to Nigeria’s persecuted Christians
(Ekpali Saint, Religion Unplugged)
In Nigeria, WCC promotes interfaith dialogue between religious and community leaders toward eliminating HIV stigma
(World Council of Churches)
Attacks on Catholic institutions should concern all of us
(Daniel Mark, Real Clear Religion)
Column from Spain: Evangelical migrants from Latin America change the country
(Jorge Ruiz Ortiz, Christian Network Europe)
Deportation, mental illness and Article 8 ECHR: a discussion of Azzaqui v the Netherlands
(Mark Klaassen, Strasbourg Observers)
The global crisis of religious persecution
(Lord David Alton, Geopolitical Intelligence Services)
Pakistan: Religious intolerance is burning Pakistan
(Mariyam Suleman Anees, The Diplomat)
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are misused and in need of reform
(Knox Thames, The Washington Post)
In Pakistan, religious freedom is withering
(Knox Thames, The Hill)
Christian persecution on the rise in Asia, world
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Wednesday, 23 August 2023
More than 100 chaplains urge Texans not to hire school chaplains
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Resolve to expose violence based on religion or belief: UN experts
(United Nations)
International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence based on Religion or Belief (22 August 2023): Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU
(Council of the European Union)
Stopping violence based on religion must be a priority
(Janet Epp Buckingham, Evangelical Focus)
On the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, spotlight on violence in Pakistan
(ADF International)
How Pakistan's blasphemy laws stir vigilante violence
(Haroon Janjua, Deutsche Welle)
Pakistan hands out cash to Christians who lost homes in rioting over alleged desecration of Quran
(Asim Tanveer and Munir Ahmed, Associated Press)
Today, stand with victims of blasphemy laws
(Sean Nelson, Real Clear Religion)
Pakistan: 'The fear is not going away': Christians in Pakistan afraid to return home
(Charlotte Greenfield, Reuters)
Letter to Texas school boards re: Unconstitutional proposals to allow chaplains in public schools
(American Civil Liberties Union)
A new puritanism is turning Catholics into Salem’s witches
(Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post)
Costa Rican evangelicals reject UN request to decriminalise abortion in the country
(Evangelical Focus)
African faith leaders statement on how Africa can emerge from today's multiple crises
(Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network Africa (JENA))
IGE launches new Eastern Europe religious engagement initiative in Tbilisi, Georgia
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Nicaragua: Jesuit residence in Nicaragua seized by Ortega regime
(Kevin Clarke, America: The Jesuit Review)
Regional advisory group workshop on faith actors for child rights and well-being
(Asian Conference of Religions for Peace)
Enforcing agreement to cooperate with Jewish religious court does not violate Establishment Clause
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Israel: Ultra-Orthodox push for draft exemption law strains the coalition’s docile unanimity
(David Horovitz, The Times of Israel)
OIC affirms the rejection of any decision to change the geographical or demographic character of the City of Al-Quds
(Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)
WCC calls on Israeli government to allow access to holy site
(World Council of Churches)
Church leaders plead with Israeli government as anti-Christian incidents increase in Holy Land
(Michele Chabin, Religion News Service)
Lawmaker warns of Chinese communists changing the Bible
(Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency)
Courts weigh protections for LGBTQ+ workers fired by religious employers
(Leah Shepherd, Society for Human Resource Management)
India: Assam government has invited public comments on proposed law banning polygamy
(Bikash Singh, The Economic Times)
Excluding farmer's market vendor for refusing to host same-sex weddings on its land violates Free Exercise Clause
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Catholic apple farmer unfairly barred from Michigan public market, judge rules
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
India: HC seeks Maha govt response on Swamy’s PIL against Pandharpur Temples Act
(Hindustan Times)
Pope Francis to European lawyers: Be at service of truth and justice
(Edoardo Giribaldi, Vatican News)
Massachusetts cities and towns have spent millions restoring historic religious sites. They don’t know if it was constitutional.
(Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Magazine)
Opinion: When it comes to drag queen storytime in schools, Ontario should look to its long history of compromise
(Jason Ellis, The Globe and Mail)
Kenya closes churches over ‘starvation massacre’ that has killed 427
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
San Diego Nazarene pastor fired for same-sex marriage stance
(Paul Sisson, The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Afghanistan: Policy options for preventing mass atrocities in Afghanistan (PDF)
(United States Holocaust Memorial Musuem)
Maryland man charged with ISIS-inspired plot pleads guilty to planning separate airport attack
(Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press)
Maryland man charged with Daesh-inspired plot pleads guilty to planning separate airport attack
(Arab News)
How Americans view Israel, Netanyahu and U.S.-Israel relations in 5 charts
(Shradha Dinesh and Laura Silver, Pew Research Center)
Two histories, one future: The legacy of Confederate memorials and the promise of public spaces
(PRRI)
Future bleak for Rohingya in Bangladesh, Myanmar
(Human Rights Watch)
Mozambique: Southern African leaders silent over abuses in Mozambique
(Zenaida Machado, Human Rights Watch)
Uzbekistan: Agenda for change on human rights
(Human Rights Watch)
Sweden ups terror alert after countless Quran desecrations
(Daily Sabah)
Put simply, the Bible is on trial (Finland)
(Chip Roy, Member of Congress)
From MLK to today, the March on Washington highlights the evolution of activism by Black churches
(David Crary, Associated Press)
Pope Francis calls for peaceful end to the Niger crisis
(Associated Press)
Ghana: Combatting accusations of witches in Ghana
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Ghana: Don’t compromise bill for LGBTQ+ investors, clerics tell Parliament
(Arnold Neliba, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Religious-freedom conservatism
(Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, Law & Liberty)
Should the Muslim call to prayer be broadcast in American cities?
(Cory Stockwell, First Things)
Imam Chaplain: There are no interreligious conflicts in the Ukrainian military
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Ukrainian Orthodox churches purge vestiges of Russian influence
(Meagan Saliashvili, Religion News Service)
Interfaith dialogue is vital for building inclusive and peaceful societies free from religious hatred, OSCE human rights head says
(Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE))
Fostering peace, OSCE human rights boss stresses interfaith dialogue’s vital role
(Juan Sanchez Gil, The European Times)
2 minutes for believers of all faiths in prison in Russia
(Willy Fautré, The European Times)
Türkiye summons Danish, Dutch envoys over continued Quran desecration
(TRT World)
Muslim girls forced to recite Hindu prayers in IIOJK school
(Kashmir Media Service)
Belgium: Media fabrication of religious hostility: the example of Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Taiwan: No anti-cult activity, no religious intolerance: the example of Taiwan
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
RFI president presents agenda for action against violent persecution at “9th World Congress”
(Religious Freedom Institute)
The UK and the European Convention on Human Rights (podcast)
(The Briefing Room, BBC)
Synagogue ‘appalled’ by cemetery vandalism
(Christian Fuller, BBC News)
High Court win for humanist leads to new Government guidance for local authorities
(Humanists UK)
Law and religion round-up – 20th August
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Tunisia: Will inheritance equality ever be up for debate in Tunisia?
(Al Jazeera)
Religion in the workplace: Understanding religious accommodations
(Freedom Forum)
Tuesday, 22 August 2023
VIRTUAL EVENT, 22 August 2023 (15:00 GMT): The International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief - Action for Lasting Change
(International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA))
Monday, 21 August 2023
Churches must lead development in Black communities — if they want it to get done
(Quintin E. Primo, Religion News Service)
Pope Francis’s humanitarian diplomacy for Ukraine: Between peacemaking and geopolitics
(Pavlo Smytsnyuk, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
UAE: Ministers and senior officials hail UAE’s humanitarian commitment
(Gulf News)
EVENT, 21-23 August 2023: 9th IRLA World Congress on Religious Freedom - 130 Years of Advocacy (Washington, DC)
(International Religious Liberty Association)
Is all fair in war? Innocent blood, armed conflict, and King David
(David J. Shepherd, OUPblog: Religion)
Church Reporter, Vol. 8/8, 15 August 2023 - Newsletter for the English speaking members and friends of the Church Law Society (PDF)
(Jiří Rajmund Tretera, Záboj Horák, et al., eds., Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice)
Email Subscription
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies maintains a Law and Religion Headlines service covering news about freedom of religion or belief internationally. All interested may subscribe to this service, free of charge, using the link below.
Subscribe