Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 24 November 2025
Iraq: Parliamentary elections: the vote system for Christian candidates questioned again
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
A tweet too far? The court reassesses online speech and reputation in Danish defamation case
(Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska, Strasbourg Observers)
From declaration to transformation: the Marrakesh Framework and the path to religious freedom in MENA
(Salah Saeed Ali, Religious Freedom Institute)
Government urged to keep VAT grants for repairs, amid survey showing millions in touch with their local churches
(The Church of England)
Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign against Muslim group faces challenges under Texas and federal law
(Andrew Schneider, Houston Public Media)
Behind Armenia’s prayer breakfast: Arrests and a church under siege
(Vishal Arora, Religion Unplugged)
United Nations resolution condemns Iran’s human rights record
(Bahá’í World News Service)
New secularism bill to ban prayer in schools, restrict offering of religion-based meals
(CBC News)
Attorney General Ken Paxton sues state housing agency for discriminating against Christian groups and other religious organizations
(Texas Attorney General)
Peace for Ukraine must be anchored in human rights
(Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe)
Halki Seminary: A beacon of hope for religious freedom
(Devdiscourse)
Trump signs order allowing foreign terrorist designation for Muslim Brotherhood chapters
(Brett Samuels, The Hill)
WCC leaders meet with Chinese religious affairs minister, focusing on peace and unity
(World Council of Churches)
No emergency order allowing worship service in possibly unsafe barn
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Australia senator condemned for burka stunt in parliament
(Ruth Comerford, BBC)
“Intent to destroy”: Reflections on the Swedish Yazidi genocide case
(Paola Gaeta, EJIL:Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Australian judge rules synagogue arsonist was motivated by mental illness, not antisemitism
(Rod McGuirk, Associated Press)
Building social capital through multi-faith engagement: Indonesia’s cross-cultural religious literacy initiative
(Matius Ho, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Islamophobia driven by nativism, not religion
(Eurasia Review)
Displaced Afghan Sikhs search for security before returning home
(Zaffar Iqbal, Religion Unplugged)
Constitutionally enshrined parental rights to religious education: A comparative analysis
(Kento Yamamoto, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
“Strong evangelical Christian beliefs” and the capacity to foster children: Smith
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Belarus: Will regime allow freed Catholic priests to return to ministry?
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
On ‘sacred places’ and scared Jews
(Yisrael Medad, Jewish News Syndicate)
The priest blessing Venezuela’s strongman, dividing the church
(Anatoly Kurmanaev, The New York Times)
Jewish group revives push for public funding for religious schools that stalled at Supreme Court
(Asaf Elia-Shalev, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Slovenians reject in a referendum a law on assisted dying for terminally ill patients
(Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 24 November 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Malaysia country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
In Tunisia, a church procession blends faith, nostalgia and migration
(Joseph Tulloch, Al Jazeera)
Microsoft says it will not discriminate against religious groups after investor criticism
(Amira Abuzeid, Catholic News Agency)
Saturday, 22 November 2025
EVENT, 21-22 November 2025: Cache Valley Interfaith Open House (Cache Valley, UT, USA)(Religious Freedom Alliance Council)
(J. Reuben Clark Law Society and Cache Community Connections)
Friday, 21 November 2025
Attorney General Ken Paxton sues to end unconstitutional taxpayer-funded higher education work program that discriminates against religious students, including Christians
(Texas Attorney General)
Most colleges score low on helping students of all faiths – or none – develop a sense of belonging. Faculty can help change that
(Matthew J. Mayhew, The Conversation)
Colorado needs another schooling on religious freedom
(Nicholas Reaves, First Things)
Supreme Court of Canada to look at request for religious records through B.C. law
(Jim Bronskill, CBC News)
Blaming ‘love jihad,’ Muslim shopkeepers are ousted from Indian market
(Zaffar Iqbal, Religion Unplugged)
New Yorkers turning to church, number of Catholic converts soaring
(Kirsten Fleming, New York Post)
Anti-Islam protesters, Muslims clash in Dearborn, Michigan, after man attempts to burn Quran
(Landon Mion, Fox News)
Freedom of religion vs Big Tech
(Gaetano Masciullo, The European Conservative)
Uzbekistan: Jailed, fined for uncensored religious materials
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
930 Islamophobic crimes committed in Germany from January to September: Government
(Oliver Towfigh Nia, Anadolu Ajansı)
COMECE reiterates need to appoint EU coordinator in Europe to combat anti-Christian hatred and protect faithful
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
Malawi: Religious leaders condemn high court abortion ruling, warn of “moral and spiritual battle”
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Ghana: Catholic bishops sound alarm on national peace, justice and Galamsey crisis in Damongo communiqué
(Paschal Norbert, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Religious freedom resources for schools launched at House of Lords
(Aili Winstanley Channer, The Tablet)
The final stage of research and future perspectives (religion and emergency rules)
(DiReSoM (Law and Religion in Multicultural Societies))
Ohio House passes bill that allows schools teach positive impacts of religion on American history
(Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal)
Judge blocks Ten Commandments law in some Texas school districts
(Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News)
Belarus frees 2 imprisoned Catholic priests after talks with Vatican
(Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press)
Catholic clergy, nuns sue Trump admin over Communion access for ICE detainees
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Democrats urge Trump administration to keep banning churches from endorsing politicians
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Ukraine asks Vatican to formalize mediation role for return of citizens taken by Russia
(Nicole Winfield and Illia Novikov, Associated Press)
Religious Education in Northern Ireland: the Supreme Court decision and its impact
(Russell Sandberg, Law & Religion UK)
In Catholic Italy, Protestants still face fascist-era land restrictions
(Jules Gomes, Religion Unplugged)
COMECE praises European Parliament’s red lighting in support of persecuted faithful around the world
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
Christ the King statue in Almada is lit up in red to mark religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Diario do Distrito, Sapo)
UN resolution highlights persecution of Christian converts in Iran
(Article 18)
From Mount Zion to Tai Ji Men: Freedom of religion or belief issues in Taiwan
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Religiousness varies a lot by race among Democrats, relatively little among Republicans
(Jeff Diamant, Pew Research Center)
The distorted secular state: Yet another anti-religious crusade by the federal public prosecutor's office (Portuguese)
(William Douglas, Migalhas)
Thursday, 20 November 2025
HYBRID EVENT, 20 November 2025: China’s War on Religion: The Threat to Religious Freedom and Why it Matters to the United States
(Congressional-Executive Commission on China)
Wednesday, 19 November 2025
EVENT, 19 November 2025: A Conversation on Facts, Faith, and the Future of American Politics (Washington, DC, USA)
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
EVENT, 19 November 2025: Religious Liberty: A Shared Constitutional Guarantee (Salt Lake City, UT, USA)
(Principles First)
Zambian interfaith dialogue explores religion’s role in building peace
(Winston Mwale, Africa Brief)
Systematic religious persecution in India
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
A triad repressing religious freedom is led by three Latin American authoritarian governments
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
CEC shares insights with high-level European Commission meeting
(Conference of European Churches)
OIDAC Europe Report 2025
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Neo-Nazi leader admits plot to give poisoned candy to Jewish kids in New York City
(Associated Press)
How Rutgers University became the battleground for Hindu inclusion
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
Manila archbishop asks military to ‘stay faithful to oath’ amid coup rumors
(Joseph San Mateo, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Trump says Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria. The reality is more complicated
(Chinedu Asadu, Associated Press)
White House to meet clergy with ties to pro-war Russian Orthodox Church
(Laura Kelly, The Hill)
South Africa creates religious oversight committee — and some Christians aren’t happy
(Cyril Zenda, Religion Unplugged)
Fordham's Pope Francis Global Poverty Report
(Fordham University)
W. Va. High Court on placing children with Amish foster families
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Sixty faith institutions announce fossil fuel divestment commitments
(World Council of Churches)
General briefings (Eritrea, Nigeria, Vietnam, Sudan, Tanzania)
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Texas governor declares Muslim civil rights group a ‘terrorist organization’
(J. David Goodman, The New York Times)
Federal judge orders more Texas school districts to remove Ten Commandments displays
(Lucio Vasquez, Houston Public Media)
Mom battles judge’s order banning her taking daughter to church
(Robert Alexander, Newsweek)
Why Trump's immigration crackdown may make America less Christian
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
Florida attorney general sparks debate on religious discrimination
(Stephany Matat, Herald-Tribune)
Judge blocks Texas law, orders schools to remove Ten Commandments displays
(S.E. Jenkins, CBS News)
‘Dignitatis Humanae’ at 60: Vatican II’s Decisive Stand for Religious Freedom
(Father Joseph Thomas, EWTN Vatican)
Texas: Gov. Abbott declares CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups
(Penelope Rivera, Kera, Houston Public Media)
Religious education in Northern Ireland schools ruled unlawful
(Irish Legal News)
Federal judge orders Conroe ISD, other Texas school districts to remove Ten Commandments displays
(Lucio Vasquez, Houston Public Media)
Is religion important to Americans?
(Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News)
How ‘campus climate’ affects students’ attitudes to people of different religions
(Kristine Aune, Mathew Guest, and Matthew J. Mayhew, The Conversation)
Ukraine: Supreme Court denies the right to alternative service during wartime
(Union of Orthodox Journalists)
China underground church pastors arrested, face up to 3 years in jail, NGO head says
(Reuters)
Jehovah’s Witnesses and state subsidies in Sweden. 4 part series
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Shenzhen’s anti-Xie Jiao week: VR headsets meet anti-religious propaganda
(Qi Junzao, Bitter Winter)
Tuesday, 18 November 2025
EVENT, 17-18 November 2025: Upholding Human Dignity in Turbulent Times: An Interreligious Convening (New York City, NY, USA)
(Jewish Theological Seminary)
The real genocide the world keeps silent (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen)
Texas governor calls CAIR a terrorist organization, says he will enforce penalties
(Ulaa Kuziez, Religion News Service)
Monday, 17 November 2025
Israeli FM condemns antisemitic slur targeting Mexican president
(Jewish News Syndicate)
‘Christ is King, not the oppressive state’: Mexico’s bishops recall Cristero legacy
(David Ramos, Catholic News Agency)
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