Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 17 January 2022
Myanmar: Catholic Church in Kayah State attacked as fighting intensifies
(International Christian Concern)
New book: The Universe Is on Our Side: Restoring Faith in American Public Life
(Bruce Ledewitz, Oxford University Press)
Frankly Speaking: ‘I was attacked during the 2016 campaign simply because I was Muslim,’ says former Hillary Clinton staffer Huma Abedin
(Frank Kane, Arab News)
Two weeks in review, 3 – 16 January 2022
(Gail Lythgoe, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Friday, 14 January 2022
A Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day, 2022
(Joseph R. Biden Jr., The White House)
Supreme Court to hear case of praying ex-football coach
(Associated Press)
U.S. Supreme Court to hear dispute over football coach's on-field prayers
(Andrew Chung, Reuters)
Indonesia: Discrimination holds back religious minority children
(Andreas Harsono, Human Rights Watch)
Indonesian woman flogged 100 times for adultery, partner gets 15
(Channel News Asia)
Indonesian district to demolish Ahmadi house of worship
(Ryan Dagur, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Indonesian Muslim cleric gets 5 months for Bible bashing
(Konradus Epa, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Nigeria: ‘We all weep for these victims’: Nigerian cardinal responds after gunmen kill 200 people
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
Austria’s Catholic Church reports decline in membership, rise in income
(Catholic News Agency)
Turkish Netflix series turns cameras on pogroms, hidden Greeks
(Nazlan Ertan, Al-Monitor: Turkey Press)
Iran calls for US to unfreeze Afghan funds amid humanitarian crisis
(Al-Monitor: Iran)
Poverty forces Syrian children to skip school, collect ordnance
(Mouneb Taim, Al-Monitor: Syria)
American families fall deeper into debt as prices rise, median incomes slide: study
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)
Less than 10% of Evangelicals want shorter sermons; 30% want more in-depth teaching: survey
(Micheal Gryboski, The Christian Post)
Israel: Jerusalem church leader: Israeli radicals threatening Christian presence in Old City
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
Afghanistan: Catholic refugees from Afghanistan in ‘purgatory’ waiting for visas
(Mark Pattison, Catholic News Service)
Financial woes drive more Thais to suicide
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Politics, society and creed in the Arab world
(Mohamed Chtatou, The Times of Israel)
United States: Expect a momentous year ahead for the Supreme Court
(Erwin Chemerinsky, ABA Journal)
Scholar: America is still reacting to the religious right, in more ways than one
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Catholic leaders need to start listening to those who have left religion behind
(America: The Jesuit Review)
As COVID cases surge, religious leaders say faith is no barrier to getting vaccine
(Nicolette White, New Jersey Herald)
Parliament of the World Religions: Statement on Dharam Sansad and hate speech
(Parliament of the World's Religions)
Appeal sought in ruling against photographer who refused to shoot same-sex weddings
(Brooke Migdon, The Hill)
N.Y. wedding photographer to appeal court ruling compelling gay-wedding photoshoots
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Religious freedom at home—but not abroad
(Knox Thames)
Sudan: Interference in Church affairs continues under military rule
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Indigenous Mormons struggle to balance pride in the faith with LDS history
(Diana Kruzman, Religion News Service)
Spain: Christian message for Christmas censored in Barcelona
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Spain: Sex-education guides mock Virgin Mary and violate religious freedom
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Syrians dig for Islamic State left-behinds in eastern desert
(Al-Monitor)
Photos of the week: NYC deadly fire, Orthodox Christian New Year
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
On Jewish Earth Day, more Jewish groups take climate action
(Yonat Shimron, Associated Press)
India: Thousands gather at Hindu festival in India as virus surges
(Biswajeet Banerjee, Associated Press)
India: J&K parties, religious bodies hit out at govt for 'Surya Namaskar' order
(Hakeem Irfan Rashid, Economic Times)
India: Catholic religious question silence of Indian Church on violence
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Belgium: Victims seek definitive European ruling on Vatican immunity
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Polish diocese apologizes for asking if abuse victim is gay
(Vanessa Gera, Associated Press)
Court dismisses Louisiana pastor’s virus restrictions suit
(Kevin McGill, Associated Press)
7th Circuit: Church's suit against rescinded COVID order is moot
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Air Force officer asks Federal Court for relief from compulsory COVID-19 vaccines
(Thomas More Society)
6th Circuit tells district court to reconsider injunction denial against school mask order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Boston lawyers head to Washington for match up on cross flag at City Hall
(Thomas F. Harrison, Courthouse News Service)
S3, Ep. 08: Flying the flag and Christian nationalism: Previewing Shurtleff v. Boston (podcast)
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
France: Sammy Ghozlan, président du BNVCA: "Il est inconcevable et inadmissible que la France octroie l’asile aux époux Filali qui appellent à la haine"
(YouTube Video, Maghreb Intelligence)
France: FILALIGATE: Exclusive interview with President of the National Bureau of Vigilance Against Antisemitism
(The European Times)
King’s last full year of life: Protest, praise, ire, incarceration
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Black faith leaders’ proud legacy on civil rights should include LGBTQ rights
(Sabrina E. Dent, Religion News Service)
New book examines the religious lives of people without homes
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Stay of removal issued for three immigrants who resided in ‘sanctuary’
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Guatemala: Bishops condemn conflict between two Guatemalan indigenous communities
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
‘Guilty, your honor’: Man who dressed as Captain Moroni for Jan. 6 Capitol breach makes plea deal
(Tad Walch, Deseret News)
A cryptic email, then a confession: How a Muslim group uncovered moles
(Michelle Boorstein and Hannah Allam, The Washington Post)
Russia: Appeals court defies instructions from Supreme Court in Jehovah's Witnesses case
(Kavkazskii Uzel, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Ukraine/Greece: Ambassador Pyatt’s remarks at 3rd International Conference on Religious Diplomacy
(U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Greece)
Ukrainian priests appeal for prayers, support as Russian threat grows
(Jonathan Luxmoore, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Russia: Prospects for religious freedom in Russian-occupied Ukraine
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Russia persecuting 130 Ukrainians for political and religious reasons
(Ukrinform)
Russia: Illegal prosecution of Jehovah's Witness in Russian-occupied region
(Credo.Press, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Kyrgyzstan: Religious freedom survey, January 2022
(Mushfig Bayram and John Kinahan, Forum 18 News Service)
Myanmar: Churches hit as Myanmar military escalates attacks, while claiming to support Christians
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Myanmar church sheltering families damaged by strikes
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Wales: guidance on Religion, Values and Ethics published
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
UK: Facebook censors ACN's campaign to help abused women
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
UK: COVID-19: Church in Wales update
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Canada: Tai Chi and religion in Canada: another view: FLK Institute of Taoism
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
The challenge of politics and faith
(Bettina Krause, Adventist Review)
Why the nation's top Episcopal bishop and a Vanderbilt historian talked democracy and religion
(Liam Adams, The Tennessean)
Pakistan slammed by HRW over dissent crackdown, alleged rights abuses
(Asad Hashim, Al Jazeera)
Pakistan: Report of a non-Muslim student beaten for not learning the Quranic Surah by heart
(Twitter, David Alton, Lord Alton of Liverpool)
Pakistan: Religion-based terrorism, extremism on the rise in 2021
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)
Holy See calls on OSCE to focus on protecting religious freedom
(Lisa Zengarini, Vatican News)
Chile: Religious, pro-life groups make proposals for Chilean constitutional convention
(Giselle Vargas, National Catholic Register)
CEC extends condolences on passing of EU Parliament President David Sassoli
(Conference of European Churches)
Brazil: In the state of Amazonas, entities organize debate on religion, philosophy and science in the face of radical denialism (Portuguese)
(Bruno Pacheco, Agencia Cenarium)
Portugal: Court accepts 16-year-old Jehovah's Witness to refuse blood transfusion (Portuguese)
(Manuel Pestana Machado, Observador)
Court rules in favor of Illinois Catholic church that fired gay music director
(Anne Stych, Religion Unplugged)
CAIR, Free Uyghur Now join 70+ groups in calling on Moroccan, Saudi Governments not to deport Uyghurs to China
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)
China: What the Uyghur legal action in Turkey against CCP leaders means
(Ruth Ingram, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
China jails Christians for attending religious event in Malaysia
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
China: Religious revival in China: ups and downs – Analysis
(P. K. Balachandran, Eurasiareview: Opinion)
Religious freedom: What it is – And what it is not
(Rob Boston, Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
Thursday, 13 January 2022
VIRTUAL EVENT, January - April 2022: What it means to be human: Implications for public policy & bioethics
(Bur Oak Foundation and the Program on Health, Spirituality & Religion at the University of Michigan Medical School)
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Colombia: Multi-religious collaborative effort in Colombia for positive peace
(Religions for Peace)
France: Mosque closures: What powers does the French government have?
(The Local)
France: Dealing with religion at work: words and deeds (in French)
(Hugo Gaillard, The Conversation)
What will be the top religion stories of 2022? Here are a few leading possibilities
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
Pope Francis rips ‘cancel culture,’ emphasizes need to combat climate change, global conflict
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Australia: Attorney general defends religious schools’ right to sack teachers for views on sexuality
(The Guardian)
Singapore: Offensive religious content: Singapore bans book on political cartoons
(Outlook India)
Bill would let Nebraska doctors deny care due to personal belief
(Sara Gentzler, Omaha World-Herald)
The challenges facing us: What the latest Pew report, and the muted response to it, actually reveal about the state of the American Jewish community
(Jack Wertheimer, Tablet Magazine)
Weekly Highlight #188: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: A push for moral imperatives to vaccinate
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Tajikistan country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Egypt: Jehovah’s Witnesses banned since 1960 defend their case at the UN
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
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