Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 12 May 2021
Bishops’ move to excommunicate Biden reflects power struggle in split Catholic church
(Steven P. Millies , Religion Unplugged)
Suit: Workers lured from India paid $1.20 per hour for years
(David Porter and Mallika Sen, Associated Press)
In India, Hindus fast in Ramadan for growth and solidarity with Muslim friends
(Bhavya Dore, Religion News Service)
In India’s Gujarat state, new anti-conversion law threatens Christians, Muslims
(Jose Kavi and Saji Thomas, Aid to the Church in Need)
UN experts: Islamic State committed genocide against Yazidis
(Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press)
Catholic leaders condemn deadly raid in Rio de Janeiro
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Central African republic must capitalize on lull in violence, cardinal says
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
UK bishops urge government to show more compassion to refugees
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Bishops urge Catholics to sign petition against Hyde Amendment’s repeal
(Catholic News Service)
Why George W. Bush is calling for a ‘religious awakening’ on immigration reform
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)
Catholic congregations rejoice at renegade blessing of same sex couples
(Christoph Strack, Deutsche Welle)
Religious liberty and economic freedom
(Christos A. Makridis, City Journal)
Church of England guidance on “contested heritage”
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Christian Finnish lawmaker who opposes same-sex marriage faces potential 6-year jail term
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
21Wilberforce releases International Religious Freedom Congressional Scorecard
(Religion News Service)
Saudi Arabia still treats Shiites as second-class citizens
(Antonella Caruso, Foreign Policy)
Religion's role in climate conversations
(Mohammad Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Newsweek)
Boko Haram: Religious based violence and portrayal of radical Islam
(Aiza Tanveer, Modern Diplomacy)
President Aliyev: Promotion of freedom of conscience and religion among Azerbaijan’s priorities
(AzerNews)
USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel adopts Uyghur religious prisoner of conscience
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Weekly highlight #155: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Raging pandemics; patent debates; cross-sector cooperation (and lack thereof)
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
New essays in The Bahá’í World highlight uniqueness of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s message in the West; survey agricultural achievements in Africa
(Baha'i World News Service)
Churches-EU Dialogue: Ecumenical delegation meets with Portuguese EU Presidency
(Conference of European Churches)
Religious, civil, and economic freedoms: what’s the chicken and what’s the egg?
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Summary judgment denied to plaintiffs challenging refusal of high school tournament to accommodate Sabbath observance
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
WEBINAR, 12 May 2021 (10:30AM ET): USCIRF Hearing: Ending Genocide: U.S. Government Determinations and Next Steps
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Schmitt lawsuit challenges St. Louis Co. COVID restrictions
(Jim Salter, Associated Press)
Missouri AG sues county over COVID restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Ahead of the G20: (Re-)building a post-covid society pursuing the sustainable development goals
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Voices of religious freedom: IGE 2020 Annual Report
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Missing Uyghur steals the show at embassy event on China’s ‘genocide’
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
China warns US, Germany and UK not to attend UN meeting on Uighur Oppression
(International Business Times)
Global Islamophobia: China, India, and beyond
(Mohamed Elshekh, International Policy Digest)
US hits China and others for repressing religious freedom
(Matthew Lee, Associated Press)
Germany's two biggest churches shift closer together in adversity
(Christoph Strack, Deutsche Welle)
German government makes hate-motivated insults a crime
(Associated Press)
German authorities impose ban on the activities of an Islamic humanitarian organization
(Religion News)
Bosnia police arrest woman for financing Islamic fighters
(Associated Press)
Worshippers banned from attending Eid al-Fitr prayers at mosques in Moscow due to Covid-19
(Interfax-Religion)
Russia: How will re-training of foreign-trained clergy be implemented?
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
How we got to the Equality Act
(Matthew Lee Anderson, Christianity Today)
Secretary Blinken to release 2020 international religious freedom report
(U.S. Department of State)
The U.S. Census story and its hooks for religion news (plus a personal note about Rachel Zoll)
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
Church of England: National Register of Clergy
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
South Carolina lawsuit challenges state’s Blaine Amendment bias against religious, private schools
(John Malcolm, The Heritage Foundation)
This lawsuit over religious education is really about race
(Hassan Kanu, Reuters)
Religion plays a role in the renewed conflict in Israel, but it may not be what you think
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Freedoms, religion, family, and public policy: A global perspective
(Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
ISIL crimes against Yazidis constitute genocide, UN investigation team finds
(Lindsay Mackenzie, UN News)
About the persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Monday, 10 May 2021
World churches body urges end to violence, respect for status quo of Jerusalem holy sites
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Israeli police cancel Jerusalem flag parade through Muslim quarter
(Michael Daventry, Jewish News)
Religious customs considered as charities push to ban under-18 marriage in UK
(Ellie Price, BBC News)
‘Brutality shown to Palestinian worshippers’ condemned by Jewish group
(Michael Daventry, Jewish News)
Palestinians report several killed in Israeli air raids on Gaza
(Linah Alsaafin and Arwa Ibrahim, Aljazeera)
Iran’s oppression of Baha’is is unfolding with greater intensity
(Baha'i International Community)
USCIRF condemns Iran’s crackdown on Baha’i community
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
11th Circuit: Juror who heard from Holy Spirit should not have been removed
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Federal appeals court overturns conviction of former Rep. Corrine Brown
(Gary Fineout, Politico)
Antigua & Barbuda doctor says religion should not be grounds for vaccine exemption
(Kadeem Joseph, The Observer)
Indiana trial court dismisses Catholic school teacher's suit against archdiocese
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Indiana court dismisses lawsuit filed by gay Catholic teacher
(Ryan J. Farrick, Legal Reader)
Articles of interest - 10 May 2021
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Who tried to kill Maldives’ ex-president Mohamed Nasheed?
(Zaheena Rasheed and Ahmed Naish, Al Jazeera)
Päivi Räsänen case in Finland leads to heated freedom of speech debate both in media and churches
(Joel Forster, Evangelical Focus)
Pakistan: Do not forget victims of blasphemy laws who are behind bars (European Parliament)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Swiss doctor wins legal challenge to unlawful ban on public worship
(ADF International)
Thousand take to Brisbane city streets to promote the dignity of all life
(Mark Bowling, The Catholic Leader)
Irish people of faith call for government commitment to religious freedom
(ADF International)
Is there still a place for the “religious voice” within our national conversation? (Australia)
(Mark Fowler, ABC News Australia)
Freedom of religion or belief in Russia: Restrictions and challenges in 2020
(Olga Sibireva, SOVA Center for News and Analysis)
South Africa: even religion has limits on its rights
(Johann van der Westhuizen, Mail & Guardian)
America and Armenia
(Mark Movsesian, First Things)
What we’ve lost in rejecting the Sabbath
(Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
What we’ve lost in rejecting the Sabbath
(Sohrab Ahmari, The Wall Street Journal)
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK - April 2021 Newsletter (PDF)
Video: What you need to know about the Supreme Court’s biggest religion case this term
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)
Vatican warns US bishops over get-tough Communion proposals
(David Crary, Associated Press)
US hosts Ethiopian Orthodox Church head after Tigray warning
(Cara Anna, Associated Press)
German Catholics to bless gay unions despite Vatican ban
(Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press)
Egypt executes defrocked monk convicted of abbot’s killing
(Samy Magdy, Associated Press)
Burkina Faso’s army chaplains tested by extremist conflict
(Sam Mednick, Associated Press)
In recent land cases applying RLUIPA, Baltimore County to pay $1.1 million for discrimination, Supreme Court asked to intervene in Minnesota
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Mixed marriage patterns of non-Muslims challenge sociopolitical and cultural structures in Turkey
(Anna Maria Beylunioğlu and Özgür Kaymak, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
‘At least’ 78 priests ‘massacred’ in one zone of Tigray, leaked letter claims
(Lucy Kassa, The Telegraph)
Vatican dicastery forms working group on ‘excommunication of mafias’
(Catholic News Service)
Amazon bishops say bill threatens Brazil’s Indigenous peoples, forest
(Lise Alves, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Bishops urge Mexicans to vote in elections, but some see warning signs
(David Agren, Catholic News Service)
On LGBTQ rights and religion, we don’t need another militant campaign
(Christian Sagers, Deseret News Faith)
As COVID-19 infections and deaths surge in India, faith groups try to help
(Mya Jaradat, Deseret News Faith)
Hindu temple in UAE ships oxygen aid to crisis-hit India
(Associated Press)
President Trump failed to challenge India on religious freedom. Will Biden follow suit?
(David Curry, Religion News Service)
Moscow church in Ukraine criticizes visit by American official
(Union of Orthodox Journalists, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Secretary Blinkin's visit to Ukraine stirs religious controversy
(RISU, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Russian Orthodox Church hopes third world war won't happen, despite aggressive rhetoric
(Interfax-Religion)
Turkmenistan: 16 conscientious objectors freed, Muslim prisoners of conscience remain
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
COVID-19 legislation and guidance: update to 15 May
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Brexit marriage requirements, England and Wales – 1st July 2021
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Law and religion round-up – 9th May
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Colorado Christian school seeking broad 'ministerial exception' from 10th Circuit
(Daniel Wiessner, Reuters)
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