Law and Religion Headlines

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Wednesday, 21 January 2026

Islamic State group claims blast on Chinese restaurant in Kabul that killed 7
(Abdul Qahar Afghan, Associated Press)

Church says limits on bell tower are religious discrimination, sues town
(Ben Brasch, The Washington Post)

Legal Spirits 072: Religion at the “Constitutional Court of Europe” (podcast)
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

Faith is under fire in Ethiopia— Congress must act
(Mesfin Tegenu, The Hill)

Why Islamic State group prisoners in northeast Syria are being transferred to Iraq
(Bassem Mroue, Associated Press)

Catholicism has declined in Latin America over the past decade
(Kirsten Lesage, Jonathan Evans, Manolo Corichi, and Skylar Thomas, Pew Research Center)

Hare Krishna group to file lawsuit over Florida prison ban on Hindu holy text
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)

Vatican weighs Trump's Board of Peace invitation but calls for respect for international law
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

US ambassador to Israel issues response to Holy Land patriarchs’ concerns over ‘Christian Zionism’
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Zimbabwe bishops oppose changes to abortion law
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Penn calls Trump administration demand for list of Jewish employees ‘disturbing and unconstitutional’
(Grace Gilson, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Kazakhstan: Wife to be jailed for advocating for husband jailed in Xinjiang?
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

CEC voices concern over Greenland, affirms self-determination and international law
(Conference of European Churches)

Third iteration of training for ASEAN officials on interreligious and intercultural dialogue
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

‘De-Islamization’ is rapidly gaining momentum in Iran – Analysis
(Anbound, Eurasia Review)

‘Faces, not numbers’: Interfaith gathering in Prague stands with refugees
(Martina Mašková, Religion Unplugged)

What is Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party? Could it lead the country next?
(Masum Billah, Al Jazeera)

IF20 Environment Working Group 2025 policy brief: Addressing the debt-climate nexus
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Bobrowicz Ryszard, Scala Giuseppina (a cura di) Legalising Religious Communities. On the Implications of State Funding for Religion, Religious Communities and Faith-Based Organisations
(DiReSoM (Law and Religion in Multicultural Societies))

Archbishop Caccia delivers statement at the General Debate of the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity
(Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations)

£8.7 million a year - how much churches in a single community give the nation through social support
(The Church of England)

Norway: Statement at the International Religious Freedom webinar held in Washington DC
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

New York gives up fight against nuns over abortion mandate
(Becket)

Louisiana urges federal appeals court to defend Ten Commandments
(Becket)

South Korea: President Lee condemns churches preaching 'Kill Lee Jae-myung'
(Joo Hee-yeon, The Chosun Daily)

When established religions turn to state power: Korea's dangerous precedent
(Thomas Ward, Korea Times)

Australia: New hate laws have passed parliament. What do they actually do?
(Sara Tomevska, Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Shincheonji Church decries government interference on freedom of Worship
(KBC Digital)

Bill allowing high school social studies classes to teach religion advances to Iowa Senate committee
(KCCI News)

Gibson Dunn announces First Amendment and Free Expression practice, building on decades of trailblazing work
(Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP)

Colombia’s religious violence: Pastors need protection before politics turns faith into target
(Latin American Post)

Azerbaijan, Egypt enhance religious cooperation
(The Azerbaijan State News Agency)

US troops could disobey questionable orders, Catholic archbishop says
(Reuters)

Valadao, Gottheimer introduce bipartisan bill to fight discrimination against Sikh community
(David Valadao, U.S. House of Representatives)

Monday, 19 January 2026

The growing role of media narratives for freedom of religion and belief in Germany (German)
(Forum for Religious Freedom Europe)

Religion Watch Volume 41 No. 2
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)

America’s top Catholic clerics denounce militaristic US foreign policy
(Max Rego, The Hill)

January/February 2026
(Liberty Magazine)

Christianity, nationalism, and ideology in a globalized world
(The University of Chicago)

Brazil: National hearing examines efforts to address societal violence
(Bahá’í World News Service)

Webinar, 21 January 2026: Interfaith Prayer for Shared Sacred Flourishing
(Religions for Peace)

Syria: Statement on the ceasefire
(X, Muslim World League)

First responder reaches $400,000 settlement securing right to live according to his faith
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)

Gunmen abduct over 150 worshippers from 3 churches in Nigeria
(Dyepkazah Shibayan, Associated Press)

Articles of interest - 19 January 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Mexican priest moves to undisclosed location after death threats in Guerrero
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

An undercover reporter joined France’s anti-Israel movement. Here’s what she found
(Robert Sarner, Times of Israel)

Romanian Patriarchate: The Church pays taxes and does not enjoy unjustified privileges
(Orthodox Times)

Romania’s religious leaders and Government meet to tackle antisemitism and hate speech
(Aurelian Iftimiu, Basilica)

India is profiling Kashmir mosques, raising new surveillance fears
(Al Jazeera)

Service marks 80th anniversary of inaugural meeting of UN General Assembly
(World Council of Churches)

COMECE encourages MEPs to adopt report on a Just transition
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))

Luxembourg to host high-level conference on peacebuilding
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))

Christian leaders urge protecting worshippers’ rights after protesters interrupt service
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)

DOJ vows to press charges after activists disrupt Minnesota church service
(Brandon Porter, Religion Unplugged)

Catholic Church in Mexico convokes National Dialogue for Peace
(David Ramos, Catholic News Agency)

US State Dept official discusses Ukraine's religious liberty with Phanar Exarch
(Union of Orthodox Journalists)

Congressman Self and Congressman Roy’s Sharia Free America Caucus surges in Congress, adding twenty-four members in under one month
(Keith Self, U.S. House of Representatives)

Nigeria: Advocacy for Alleged Witches condemns police invasion of traditional worshippers in Imo, demands rights protection
(Sahara Reporters)

Indonesia’s new Criminal Code offers hope for religious minorities
(Jacobus E. Lato, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Bangladesh records 645 minority incidents in 2025, interim government says most were non-communal crimes
(Sumit Kumar, Sunday Guardian)

Tanzania: PM calls for faith-led action to safeguard peace
(Daily News)

Malaysia: Court declares 76-year-old man ‘Christian’
(Free Malaysia Today)

Samoa's former leader says PM doesn't have power to restrict religious freedom (podcast)
(Agnes Tupou, ABC Pacific)

Evangelical Swiss chaplains discuss spiritual care for modern army
(Christian Daily)

Fiji Minister calls for CCTV and community responsibility after attacks on Hindu temples
(Jai Bharadwaj, The Australia Today)

'U.K. no longer safe for Jews' Trump Administration reportedly mulls U.S. asylum for British Jews (Ben Kroll, Haaretz)
(Ben Kroll, Haaretz)

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul says ICE is making people afraid to attend church in MLK Day speech
(Leonardo Blair, Christian Post)

Kathy Hochul proposed a 25-foot buffer zone around synagogues. Julie Menin wants to quadruple that.
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.
(X, International Center for Law and Religion Studies)

Sunday, 18 January 2026

Texas schools wait as law on Ten Commandments reaches appeals court
(Pooja Salhotra, The New York Times)

Saturday, 17 January 2026

Motivations, Attitudes & Practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses in six countries
(Silvio Ferrari, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Generations on generations of human rights
(M. Christian Green, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

EVENT, 16-17 January 2026: Religious Pluralism: Promoting Mutual Respect, Human Dignity, and Multi-faith Harmony in Africa (Harare, Zimbabwe)
(International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS), Brigham Young University)

Syria: Accountability lacking for Sweida abuses
(Human Rights Watch)

Religious Freedom Day, 2026
(The White House)

Religious Freedom Day 2026: America’s first freedom, why then and why now?
(David K. Trimble, Religious Freedom Institute)

7th Circuit: Muslim inmate loses RLUIPA challenge to Ramadan meal policy
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Two Episcopal bishops say clergy may have to put 'bodies on the line' to resist ICE
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

Black church leaders aid Minneapolis, seek laws curtailing federal agents' mask usage
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)

Assisted Suicide bill opposed by Catholic bishops in Wales
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

After synagogue arson, Jackson’s Jews find solidarity, and complexity, at interfaith prayer service
(Grace Gilson, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

How big is ‘The God Gap’ on college campuses?
(Ryan Burge, Religion Unplugged)

Regulatory action against dioceses over safeguarding failures
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

West Midlands police chief retires after Maccabi fan ban row, blaming 'political and media frenzy'
(BBC)

Justice before formality: Reframing women’s right to maintenance in Pakistan
(Jo Chitlik, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

2026 Call for Proposals: Arab Region Dialogue360 Initiatives
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Egypt: Imprisoned Christian convert denied permission to attend Orthodox Christmas mass
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

‘Our Lady of Arabia’ in Kuwait elevated to minor basilica in presence of Cardinal Parolin
(Elias Turk, Catholic News Agency)

Cameroon: Catholic Bishops call for dialogue, peace and renewed communion
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)

Nigeria: Northern CAN mourns Imam who sheltered over 200 Christians during attack
(Godwin Isenyo, Punch NG)

China banned [Falun Gong] — And now it’s coming for Hong Kong
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)

China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest January 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Threat to the religious defense in Canada’s hate speech law
(Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)

Becket releases seventh edition of the Religious Freedom Index
(Becket)

Backdoor blasphemy laws ‘will never happen’, says Cabinet minister amid row over Labour’s redefinition of Islamophobia
(Alastair Lockhart, The Standard)

U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Jim Risch, colleagues call for continued protection of religious freedoms
(Katie Britt, U.S. Senate)

Report reveals religious and political shifts in UK
(Christian Today)

The ouster of Nicolás Maduro will bring both fresh and familiar challenges for religious leaders in Venezuela (Spanish)
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Russia: Four administrative fines for anti-war articles, criminal investigation underway
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)

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