Law and Religion Headlines
Saturday, 17 January 2026
European Court case may determine the future of religious symbols in public institutions
(ADF International)
Thursday, 15 January 2026
WEBINAR, 15 January 2026: Religion and Mass Incarceration in El Salvador
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Herzog expresses concern over exodus of Christian families from Israel
(Greer Fay Cashman, The Jerusalem Post)
What to know about the Muslim Brotherhood after the US terrorist designation
(Sam Mednick and Abby Sewell, Associated Press)
Faith leaders are denied access to immigration detainees in Minnesota
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Oklahoma mosque project voted down after weeks of anti-Muslim pushback, zoning debate
(Ulaa Kuziez, Religion News Service)
As Uganda approaches a tense presidential election, faith leaders urge fairness, peace
(Tonny Onyulo, Religion News Service)
Chairman Risch gives remarks on international religious freedom, calls out persecution of Christians
(Jim Risch, Senate Foreign Relations Committee)
Supreme Court weighs push to redefine sex under federal law
(Becket)
World Watch List 2026
(Open Doors)
New DHS rule aims to shorten visa wait times abroad for religious workers serving US congregations
(Tiffany Stanley and Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)
UK government urges police official to quit over ban of Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans
(Pan Pylas, Associated Press)
Trump appoints State Department global religious freedom advisor
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
When religion and politics meet
(Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News)
New York’s governor is introducing a bill to curb synagogue protests. Now comes the hard part.
(Joseph Strauss, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Uzbekistan: No mosque visits for Muslim serving sentence under effective house arrest
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Jewish groups seek assurances after CPS draft suggests some circumcisions could be ‘child abuse’
(Annabel Sinclair, Jewish News)
The Church’s silence on China’s egregious violations of religious freedom
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Nigerian humanitarian calls for peaceful US response to religious persecution
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)
‘The 200-church gap’: Data shows closures eclipse openings in the US
(Aaron Earls, Religion Unplugged)
As hate spirals in India, Hindu extremists turn to Christian targets
(Kunal Purohit, Al Jazeera)
WCC: “people of Greenland have an inalienable right to self-determination”
(World Council of Churches)
Cardinal Pizzaballa: there is a longing for justice and human dignity in Iran
(Eduardo Berdejo, EWTN News)
Add Australia to the religious freedom watch list
(Michael Rubin, Middle East Forum)
'Just get rid of it': Call to scrap religious text carve-out in hate laws
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Religious groups in Maine push for bill to boost security at houses of worship
(Ari Snider, Maine Public)
UK Christian leaders oppose redefining ‘Islamophobia,’ warn gov't proposal seeks to shield Islamic beliefs from scrutiny
(Christian Post)
Labor may extend hate speech laws to religious, LGBTQ, disabled communities
(Nick Newling, Sydney Morning Herald)
“Poland open to its ethnic and religious minorities,” declares president at meeting of community leaders
(Notes from Poland)
Belgium halts consular services for citizens in Israeli settlements, sparking outrage from Jewish groups
(World Israel News)
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
EVENT, 13 January 2026: FoRB Violations Against Christians Abroad (Washington, DC, USA)
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Monday, 12 January 2026
HYBRID EVENT, 12 January 2026: Faith and freedom: Reviewing the Trump administration’s executive actions on religion
(The Brookings Institution)
ISIS tells Christians they can ‘spare their blood’ if they convert
(Jordan King, Newsweek)
Indiana lawmakers file slate of religion-related education and culture bills for 2026 session
(Sydney Byerly, Indiana Citizen)
Press wins as Europe’s rights court backs Spanish reporting on Islamist radicalization fears
(Eunseo Hong, Courthouse News Service)
Justice ministry seeks to end jail terms for blasphemy in Poland
(Notes from Poland)
George Gavriel and the Politics of Offence under Article 10 ECHR
(Natalie Alkiviadou, Verfassungsblog)
The strange case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah: How human rights law led the UK to roll out the red carpet for a man who expressed hatred of white people and support for killing civilians.
(Guy Baldwin, Quillette)
Polish school kids protest at teacher removing cross
(Krzysztof Mularczyk, Brussels Signal)
While President Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, other countries need to be called out as religious freedom violators as well
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Filipino Catholics express outrage over corruption scandal during massive religious procession
(Jim Gomez, Joeal Calupitan, and Aaron Favila, Associated Press)
Outside White House, faith leaders mourn Renee Good, call for accountability
(Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Religion News Service)
Warnock, declaring ‘spiritual crisis,’ urges public, private sectors to help meet needs
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Cardinal Nzapalainga says Central African Republic will not be built with weapons
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
US launches new retaliatory strikes against ISIS in Syria after deadly ambush
(AP, NPR)
Kazakhstan: Complaint against church "under pressure and dictation from police"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Yoder’s Rumspringa
(Aaron Walayat, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Pope raises alarm over human rights and a spreading “zeal for war”
(Vatican News)
Belgium, the black sheep of the European Court about systemic religious discrimination
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Paxton sues DPS over ban on religious ads in Texas Driver Handbook
(Cora Neas, KXAN News)
What will the Iranian clergy’s position be in a post-Islamic Republic future?
(Shay Khatiri, Middle East Forum)
Three arrested after alleged racially motivated attack on Muslim religious leader in Victoria
(Benita Kolovos, The Guardian)
Florida lawmakers push religious expression bills for 2026
(Stephany Matat, Tallahassee Democrat)
Civil liberties groups say Catholic ministry should not discriminate
(Jeff Brumley, Baptist News Global)
Charter challenge of religious exemption to assisted dying law heads to court in B.C.
(Sarah Ritchie, Global News)
Arson engulfs Mississippi synagogue, a congregation once bombed by Ku Klux Klan
(Kristin Wright, NPR)
The ouster of Nicolás Maduro will bring both fresh and familiar challenges for religious leaders in Venezuela
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
FBI says arson suspect targeted Mississippi synagogue because it’s a Jewish house of worship
(Sophie Bates, Jeff Martin and Mike Schneider, Associated Press)
Machado seeks Pope Leo’s support for Venezuela’s transition during Vatican meeting
(Giada Zampano, Religion News Service)
Not so secular Sweden
(Joel Halldorf, Comment)
Never in the pews: Are America’s non-attenders growing more secular?
(Ryan Burge, Religion Unplugged)
Balancing reputation and press freedom under the ECHR: Tafzi El Hadri
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Jehovah’s Witnesses, the most persecuted religious minority in Putin’s country
(Willy Fautré, The European Times)
Nigeria, China and Mexico among top 5 persecutors of Christians
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)
Afghanistan: Gender apartheid and the limits of criminalisation
(Nora Jaber, EJIL:Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
The ouster of Nicolás Maduro will bring both fresh and familiar challenges for religious leaders in Venezuela
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Jewish charter school takes center stage at Oklahoma school board meeting
(Becket)
The distorted secular state: Yet another anti-religious crusade by the federal public prosecutor's office (Portuguese)
(William Douglas, Migalhas)
Armenia’s state is now the greatest threat to its own official Christian church
(David A. Grigorian, The Hill)
B.C. court to hear Charter challenge over religious exemptions to assisted dying law
(Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press)
Articles of interest - 12 January 2026
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 9 January 2026
EVENT, 8 January 2026: South Carolina Religious Liberty Conference (Columbia, SC, USA)
(South Carolina Religious Liberty Conference)
Australia’s leader announces a royal commission into antisemitism after Bondi mass shooting
(Charlotte Graham-McLay, Associated Press)
Sacred land returned to North Carolina Cherokee Indians after 200 years
(Praveena Somasundaram, The Washington Post)
What’s religion got to do with it? A British approach to religious engagement
(Andrew Dickson, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Beyond indifference and denialism: Brazilian Pentecostals and the climate question
(Priscilla Cagnoni Garcia, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Research on religious freedom and security: What we know—and don’t know
(Scott Gustafson, Institute for Global Engagement)
Two more brothers imprisoned for conscientious objection in Ukraine
(Jehovah's Witnesses)
India: Amid a violent fight for statehood, one community finds interfaith solidarity
(Rishabh Jain, Religion Unplugged)
Poll finds faith divide over Mamdani’s criticism of Israel
(Jacob Kornbluh, Religion Unplugged)
From the pulpit to prison: The fight for religious freedom in South Korea
(Ryan Helfenbein, Standing for Freedom)
Korean religious groups vow to promote unity, harmony
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Colombia: Protestant pastor assassinated during New Year's Eve celebrations
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
World Iranian Christian Alliance ‘deeply concerned’ by suppression of protests
(Article 18)
Washington church revisits challenge to state abortion insurance requirement
(Monique Merrill, Courthouse News Service)
More than 160 Texas faith leaders urge school districts to reject prayer policy under new state law
(Haajrah Gilani, Houston Chronicle)
Why religion still matters in Polish politics
(Adela Cerna, Transitions)
Protests erupt after Polish teacher ‘throws classroom cross into a bin’
(Maria Kamińska, TVP World)
Understanding debanking (religious, etc)
(Nicholas Anthony, Cato Institute)
Euthanasia in France: Catholic institutions seriously threatened
(FSSPX)
Equality in love: why wedding law reform must include independent celebrants
(National Secular Society)
Faith as statecraft: How Morocco turned religion into strategic power
(Adil Faouzi, Morocco World News)
Pennsylvania township applies unlawful double standard to Ukrainian Catholic Church
(First Liberty)
Fighting back: Legal challenge filed against unconstitutional ordinance targeting ministry to the homeless
(Nathan Moelker and Liam Harrell, American Center for Law and Justice)
In Armenia, trampling on religious freedom and democratic values
(Richard D. Heideman and John Eibner, Jewish News Syndicate)
Hindu American Foundation raises alarm over rising violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh ahead of elections
(South Asian Herald)
UAE limiting students coming to UK over Muslim Brotherhood concerns
(Charlie Parker and Nicola Woolcock, The Times)
Surrey temple joins protest of B.C. premier’s India visit
(Alex Browne, Cloverdale Reporter)
New York appellate court reverses lower court’s meddling in church affairs
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Spanish bishops will allow government to oversee compensation for sexual abuse victims
(Joseph Wilson and Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
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