Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 23 February 2026
Montenegro: Balancing religious obligations and practices: recommendations of the Ombudsman regarding the right to freedom of religion
(Damira Kalac, Vijesti)
South Korea: A law to dissolve churches at will
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Court clears way for Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms to take effect
(Hannah Schoenbaum and Rebecca Boone, Associated Press)
How a simple request sparked interfaith connection at BYU
(Interfaith America)
Commission on Interfaith Relations: UK Faith Groups and Global Conflicts
(Woolf Institute)
A fight over circumcision is giving Europe a taste of the new US diplomacy
(Christian Edwards, CNN)
US envoy Mike Huckabee says it would be ‘fine’ if Israel took all Middle East land
(Edward Helmore, The Guardian)
US says ambassador’s comments on Israel and the Middle East were taken out of context
(Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy, Associated Press)
Catholic Italy’s Olympic host cities offer different access for Muslims to observe Ramadan
(María Teresa Hernández and Jalal Bwaitel, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 23 February 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
City's regulation of donation boxes violates Christian nonprofit's free speech rights
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
At Brazil's Carnival, the country's religions fight for respect on a global stage
(Helen Teixeira, Religion News Service)
Senior Italian cardinal’s remarks may be valuable advice for U.S. political hopefuls
(Christopher R. Altieri, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
7 years in prison for praying at the Western Wall? Netanyahu’s coalition is threatening a war on Jewish unity.
(Jacob Blumenthal and Rick Jacobs, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Law and religion roundup – 22nd February
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Church, civil society urge Indonesia to halt military operations in Papua
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Bishop for Interreligious Dialogue welcomes Vatican message to Muslims for Ramadan
(Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales)
Ukrainian churches hold National Day of Prayer for just peace
(World Council of Churches)
State Deputy from the Novo Party takes legal action against Peninha for hate speech against evangelicals (Portuguese)
(Pedro Pupulim, Veja Magazine)
Sectarianism and Nawaf Salam’s speech
(Hicham Bou Nassif, SyriacPress)
Faith, freedom, and fair play: South Africa's churches and Parliament have to get it right
(Bert Pretorius, IOL)
President Aoun hails beatification of Father Bechara Abou Mrad: A milestone in the history of the Eastern Church & Lebanon
(Lebanon National News Agency)
Ukraine’s denial of alternative service for believers violates international law — UN
(ZMINA)
UP anti-conversion law doesn't prohibit interfaith marriage, live-in relationship: Allahabad HC
(Devdiscourse)
Iran’s crackdown on Christians undermines Trump’s emphasis on religious freedom
(Janatan Sayeh and Samuel Ben-Ur, Foundation for Defense of Democracies)
Appropriators deliver joint report on Christian persecution in Nigeria to White House
(Mario Díaz-Balart, U.S. House of Representatives)
VT abandons gender-ideology mandate, allows Christians and other religious families to care for foster children
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Israel imposes restrictions on prisoners regarding religious rituals
(Jordan News)
Notre Dame professor's appointment pits academic freedom against bishops' authority
(Karen E. Park, Religion News Service)
Friday, 20 February 2026
WEBINAR, 20 February 2026 (10 am HST, 12 pm PST, 3 pm EST): The Golden Rule: Foundational ethics for contemporary times
(URI, IAMC, Global Security Initiative, Interfaith 'Ohana of Hawaii,)
The United States should pay attention to South Asia
(Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau, George W. Bush Presidential Center)
Azerbaijan, Egypt discuss exchange of experience in religious affairs
(Azerbaycan24, Azerbaycan)
Bill to make English an official language of NZ introduced to Parliament
(Giles Dexter, Radio New Zealand)
Lakemba Mosque calls for more security after third threatening letter as Ramadan begins
(Rhiannon Soliman-Marron, ABC News Australia)
Allama Muftah affirms full solidarity with Palestinians & all Arab & Islamic Nations
(Yemen News Agency)
Head of world churches body meets Sudan's prime minister, urging peace
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Breaking down NC’s 10-point pledge ahead of March 05 elections
(Nepal News)
Watchdogs say Russian church helped recruit young Kenyans who have fought in Ukraine
(Fredrick Nzwili, Word & Way)
Nigerian governor’s decision to spare Catholic cathedral in flyover project hailed as landmark of interfaith tolerance
(Abah Anthony John, Aciafrica)
Beyond conflict: Africa's interfaith reality
(DW)
“You can’t impose religion on us!” – Niger Christians reject Bago’s Hisbah Commission
(Mfonobong Daniel, Politics Nigeria)
RFI files amicus brief in case of Youth 71Five Ministries v. Williams II
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Anti-Christian incidents January 2026
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Buddhist monks rally in Sri Lanka to pressure the government for a wider role in affairs of state
(Associated Press)
Presidential message on Ash Wednesday
(The White House)
Hegseth frames Trump policies as ‘biblical’ in address to Christian broadcasters
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
Israel’s highest court rebukes government for blocking egalitarian prayer at Western Wall
(Asaf Elia-Shalev, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Religious education and collective worship in Northern Ireland schools
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Record funding to protect faith communities
(Home Office and The Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, GOV.UK)
The unique resilience of Iran’s theocracy
(Max J. Prowant, Law & Liberty)
Iran’s religious minorities face escalating persecution
(Cassidy Grom, Religion Unplugged)
Israel blocks Palestinians from attending Ramadan Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa
(Al Jazeera)
Arsonist who set fire to two Minnesota mosques sentenced to seventy months in federal prison
(U.S. Department of Justice)
India's top court bars exhumation of tribal Christians’ bodies
(Michael Gonsalves, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Statement by Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Knestout on outcome of 2026 assisted suicide legislation
(Catholic Diocese of Arlington)
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights testimony on anti-Semitism on college campuses and the First Amendment
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
COMECE hosts annual meeting of Catholic organisations engaged with EU institutions
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
Federal appeals court allows Louisiana to display Ten Commandments
(Becket)
“Baseless allegations”: Turkey denies expelling foreign Christians
(Joel Forster, Evangelical Focus)
Kosovo’s Catholics and Muslims mark Ash Wednesday and Ramadan in one week
(Zana Cimili, AP News)
When prayer meets police: why the law must bind us all
(Nick Dyrenfurth, The Australian)
Paris's Grand Mosque releases guide on adapting Islam to France
(Sarah Belouezzane, Le Monde)
EPPC scholar amicus brief urges Supreme Court to protect religious organizations from unconstituional government intrusion
(Rachel N. Morrison, Ethics and Public Policy Center)
Restoring human dignity and lives – A Lenten call to love
(Peter Loy Chong, The Fiji Times)
On Kings: Trump and Political Theology From a “God-Emperor” meme to the “No Kings” protests, Trump’s kingly image exposes a clash at the heart of America’s republican tradition.
(Justin Smolin, Sightings: Martin Marty Center, The University of Chicago Divinity School)
Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Spanish archbishop calls burqa ‘discrimination against women’ while urging respect of religious beliefs
(Fionn Shiner, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Illiberal democracies and religion: Interview with Renáta Uitz
(Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Freedom, family, and faith: Introduction to IRF Summit 2026 (Part 1)
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Global democracies and the responsibility to promote religious freedom: Introduction to IRF Summit 2026 (Part 2)
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly news digest February 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Scottish religious observance bill is a major blow to Children’s rights
(Humanists UK)
Place of worship targeted with faeces and threats
(Sarah Turnnidge, BBC)
Event: Religions and Peacebuilding: the state of the data
(King's College London)
Muslim leaders seek dialogue after mosque denial in Broken Arrow
(John Dobberstein, Broken Arrow Sentinel)
U.S. House bill seeks tougher oversight of religious freedom abuses in Nigeria
(Vincent Matinde, Christian Daily)
Russia resorts to religion for sway in Africa
(Antony Sguazzin, Bloomberg)
Belgium summons U.S. ambassador over tweet accusing kingdom of antisemitism
(Associated Press)
Australia has ruled out repatriation for ISIS families. This isn’t a safe or coherent plan
(Se Youn Park, The Conversation)
El-Sisi extends Ramadan greetings to Egyptians and the Arab and Islamic nations
(Egypt Today)
Egypt to provide 1M meals to Gaza during Ramadan
(Egypt Today)
Bahrain launches renovation of 60 mosques across kingdom
(News of Bahrain)
A dispute over words points to the need for Christian diplomacy in Lebanon
(Katie O'Malley, Mission Network News)
Turkish government denies targeted deportation of Christian missionaries; Accuses European Parliament of ‘interference’
(ADF International)
Pope laments ‘ashes of international law’ left by today’s conflicts in Ash Wednesday liturgy
(Associated Press)
7th Circuit: "Moral" objections not protected by Title VII
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Palestinian Authority unveils new draft constitution
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
How should Muslims talk to their youth about the risks of activism?
(Dilshad Ali, Religion News Service)
400 Christian leaders urge resistance to Trump administration on Ash Wednesday
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Vatican’s top diplomat says Holy See won’t join Board of Peace
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
HUD launches fair housing investigation into East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC)
(U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Uzbekistan: Mosque prayers for sick mother to lead to former prisoner of conscience re-jailing?
(Forum 18 News Service)
Andorra’s Jewish community reels after local carnival features mock execution of Israeli effigy
(Grace Gilson, The Jerusalem Post)
The Ninth Circuit’s religious freedom coup
(Frank DeVito, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Fostering cultures of peace in Latin America and the Caribbean: KAICIID co-organizes regional dialogue in Costa Rica
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Presidential message on Ramadan
(The White House)
Toronto mosque boosts security for Ramadan after receiving threats of violence
(CBC News)
Christianophobia: European Parliament breaks the taboo
(FSSPX)
France: About a fake news of AFP saying a Jehovah’s Witness killed her five-year-old son
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Sudan: Local authority halts reconstruction and worship in Coptic church
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
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