Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 25 February 2022
Russia keeps punishing Evangelicals in Crimea
(Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today)
Pakistan: Celebrating the life of Shahbaz Bhatti and continuing his legacy in the struggle for religious freedom in Pakistan
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
New Zealand: Mosque terror attacks: Muslims still at risk of being targets for violence, coronial hearing told
(Radio New Zealand)
Sudan: Church elder killed and religious buildings destroyed in Abyei attack
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Americans United: Kennedy’s attorneys present deceitful narrative to Supreme Court in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District
(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
Archdiocese sues insurers over sexual abuse coverage
(Associated Press)
Preacher can move ahead with selective enforcement challenge to U.S. Capitol demonstration limits
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Americans United applauds nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to U.S. Supreme Court
(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
New lawsuit challenges CT repeal of religious exemption for school vaccines
(Julia Bergman, CT Insider)
‘Pray for Ukraine’: Religious leaders call for peace and God’s protection
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
Jocelyne Cesari offers new view of religion and nationalism, world affairs in latest book
(Jocelyne Cesari, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Faith communities see urgent challenges and opportunities as children lose parents and caregivers to COVID-19
(Gerard J. McGlone and Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
European prelates urge using religion for peace as Russia invades Ukraine
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Top Vatican official pleas for peace, negotiation in Ukraine crisis
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Do schools respect student-athletes’ modesty and religious freedom? Resolution encourages uniform accommodations
(Bridger Beal-Cvetko, Deseret News)
Declaring war on Ukraine, Russia’s Putin cites goal of ‘denazification’ of country with Jewish president
(Shira Hanau, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The enigmatic role of anti-Semitism in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
(Katherine Kelaidis, Religion Dispatches)
Colleyville, Texas, is among dozens of U.S. cities blanketed with antisemitic flyers
(Rachel Treisman, National Public Radio)
Moscow church in Ukraine breaks with Putin
(RISU, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Patriarch Kirill calls on conflict parties in Ukraine to avoid civilian casualties
(Interfax-Religion)
Ukrainian Metropolitan Onufry blesses to use the basements of churches in Kiev as bomb shelters
(Interfax-Religion)
Podcast: What's the SCOTUS story? New Colorado case focuses on free speech, not religious liberty
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
RFI’s Islam team joins Supreme Court brief supporting Quaker prisoners
(Ismail Royer, Religious Freedom Institute)
Evangelical and ecumenical church groupings denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Amid attacks, Ukrainians seek shelter in a subterranean church
(Liz Cookman, Al Jazeera)
7 ways the Biden Administration advanced religious liberty during its first year
(Maggie Siddiqi, Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Lucía Falcón Palomar, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/7-ways-the-biden-administration-advanced-religious-liberty-during-its-first-year/)
Russia attacks Ukraine: Why some experts insist Putin is motivated by religion
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
Why supporters of religious liberty should care about Ukraine
(Bob Smietana, The Washington Post)
Council at War: Russia, Ukraine and the UN Security Council
(Devika Hovell, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
The religion of secularism reexamined
(Leigh Eric Schmidt, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Ukraine: CEC together with global Christian organisations condemns assault, calls for peace, invites to prayer
(Conference of European Churches)
India: What does India's hijab ban row mean for the Muslim community?
(YouTube Video, Al Jazeera)
No, Putin isn't a defender of 'Christian values'
(Billy Binion, Reason)
Putin’s war on Ukraine and us all
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Eastern Orthodox spiritual leader condemns Russian invasion
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
WCC urges President Putin to stop war, restore peace to Ukraine
(World Council of Churches)
Cardinal Hollerich’s statement on the situation in Ukraine and in Europe
(The Catholic Church in the European Union)
UCCRO appeal on Russia's military aggression against Ukraine
(Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations)
Tajikistan: USCIRF Vice Chair Nury Turkel calls on Tajikistan to release Shamil Khakimov
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Church Reporter, Vol. 7/2, 19 February 2022 - Newsletter for the English speaking members and friends of the Church Law Society
(Jiří Rajmund Tretera and Záboj Horák, eds., Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice)
Kosovo: Religious communities in Kosovo urge lawmakers not to legalise same-sex marriage
(Željko Trkanjec, Euractiv)
Italy: Bishops, mayors say Europe can’t ignore Mediterranean region
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Italy: Mediterranean summit says cities can be instruments of peace, understanding
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
France: A secular look at the contours of religious tolerance
(Élise Descamps, La Croix International)
UK: Liverpool mosque wins community outreach award
(Harun Nasrullah, Muslim News)
UK: Baptismal fonts – wanted, unwanted and re-discovered
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
CEC president calls for peace in Ukraine at the European Regional Pre-Assembly
(Conference of European Churches)
Attacked, harassed and ostracised: Christians in India continue to suffer as the country slides further still into ethno-religious nationalism
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Thursday, 24 February 2022
VIRTUAL EVENT, 20-24 February 2022: Week of Neighbours: Strengthening interreligious relations between faith-based actors working with and for migrants and refugees in Europe
(A World of Neighbours)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 24 February 2022 (14.00 CET): Climate change and FORB: Protecting our environment and needs of all
(International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB))
VIRTUAL EVENT, 24 February 2022 (12:10PM ET): Faith & Native Communities: Fighting for freedom of/from religion
(The Law, Rights, and Religion Project, Columbia Law School)
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
South Sudan: WCC expresses appreciation for peace-building efforts in South Sudan—but calls for better lives for the people
(World Council of Churches)
South Sudan: Peace talks still shaky, archbishop says asking for prayers
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Ukraine: WCC gravely concerned for people of Ukraine amid escalating tensions
(World Council of Churches)
Ukraine: Pope Francis decries ‘folly’ of war as tensions grow in Ukraine
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Ukrainian religious leaders seek peacemaking dialogue
(Religiina Pravda, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
For Ukraine’s Jews, the threat of war stirs memories of past horrors
(Michael Schwirtz, The New York Times)
Ukraine: How should Jews think about Ukraine?
(Jeffrey Salkin, RNS Column: Martini Judaism)
Eastern Ukraine’s Jews brace for food shortages and antisemitic provocations
(Sam Sokol and Nastya Shub, Haaretz)
Russia: How Putin is exploiting Orthodox rivalries in Ukraine
(Marguerite de Lasa, La Croix International)
UK's Chief Rabbi backs emergency appeal for Ukrainian Jews as tensions escalate
(Jewish News)
Ukraine-Russia: NATO membership, human rights and peace
(Aaron Rhodes, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russia: Mufti of Moscow backs Putin decision on East Ukraine regions
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Russia: Lavrov calls what's happening in eastern Ukraine an attack on Orthodoxy and on "everything that is Russian"
(Interfax-Religion)
Catholics in Poland, Western Ukraine welcome people fleeing threat of war
(Catholic News Service)
As Russian threat escalates, prominent US faith leaders hold vigil for peace in Ukraine
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)
Russia is censured for religious freedom violations against Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Kathryn Post, Religion News Service)
Russia: ECHR rules Russia authorities violated Jehovah’s Witnesses freedom of religion and liberty
(Ananaya Agrawal, Jurist)
Russia: Approval of Putin voiced in Moscow church
(Credo.Press, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Russia: Two judgments in favour of 14 Jehovah’s Witnesses against Russia
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Crimea: 23 fines under Russia's "anti-missionary" laws in 2021
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Donbas: Luhansk: Religious freedom survey, February 2022
(Felix Corley and John Kinahan, Forum 18 News Service)
Update from CEC General Secretary: CEC’s role in European political discourse
(YouTube Video, Conference of European Churches)
Bishop Nick Baines reflects on how CEC can help churches amplify its collective voice
(Susan Kim, Conference of European Churches)
Not by counterterrorism alone: Root causes and the defeat of the Islamic State group
(Steven Heydemann, Brookings)
Justices will hear free-speech claim from website designer who opposes same-sex marriage
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
High court takes case involving refusal to serve gay couples
(Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)
Can a web designer be forced to make gay wedding pages? The Supreme Court will decide
(Scott Shackford, Reason)
Justices to weigh web designer's no-LGBTQ wedding policy
(Jimmy Hoover, Law360)
VA Bible lawsuit dismissed; separate display proposed
(Kathy McCormack, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Legislators fight to control the content of civic education
(Carl Smith, Governing)
Could Novavax win over some religious vaccine skeptics?
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Myanmar: Military violence emboldens Myanmar's ethnic resistance
(Alex McBride, Foreign Policy)
Jim Wallis is on a mission to make voting rights the religious issue of our time
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)
Arab-Israelis, ultra-Orthodox, Palestinians shape future of Israeli tech
(Afif Abu Much, Al-Monitor: Israel Pulse)
Vatican statistics show global imbalance in ratio of Catholics per priest
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service)
Evangelical Christian radio broadcaster details Orthodox rift amid Russia-Ukraine conflict, calls for Christian unity
(Ryan Foley, The Christian Post)
Hundreds of Catholic baptisms may be invalidated in Michigan over incorrect 'formula'
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)
Biden enacts sanctions on Russia, vows to 'go further' if Putin continues 'invasion' of Ukraine
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)
Credibility of pastors waning as influence of Christianity loses cultural dominance: study
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)
Israeli gov’t ditches Mount of Olives park expansion plan amid outcry from Christian leaders
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)
Americans increasingly ditching religious marriages for secular, interfaith relationships: study
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)
China: Panshi church raided and preacher arrested
(China Aid)
China: Court jails Christian pastor for eight years
(Eurasia Review)
Appeal Made For UNESCO To Ensure Protection Of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Historic Christian Sites
(Eurasia Review)
India: Persecution of Christians and religious minorities in India
(House of Commons Library, UK Parliament)
Indian bishops campaign for Dalit Christians' rights
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
South Korea: Buddhist monks accuse Korean govt of anti-Buddhist bias
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
For clergy, COVID-19 has brought both burnout and breakthrough
(Elizabeth E. Evans, Religion News Service)
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