Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 19 April 2021
Why do restrictions on religious attendance cause “irreparable harm”? A Catholic reflection on Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo
(Edward A. David, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Christians in France worried as proposed French law designed to prevent Islamic extremism affects other faiths as well
(Ruth Aguantia, Christianity Daily)
Islamophobia, News media, identity: France’s need for critical lens
(Youssra El Badmoussi, Morocco World News)
Top French court upholds decision not to try suspect in Jewish woman’s murder
(France 24)
French top court says anti-Semitic murderer of Jewish woman is mentally unfit to stand trial
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Macron calls for change in law after killer of French Jewish woman avoids trial
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Forward)
The question that dictates how Christians approach culture and politics
(David French, Dispatch: The French Press)
Delivery man who refused to service French Jews deported back to his native Algeria
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Dutch soccer fans chant ‘Hamas, Jews to the gas’ before match against Ajax
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Ancient synagogue in Libya being turned into Islamic center, Jewish group says
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Joe Biden may unify the country. Don’t ask him to unify Catholics.
(Kenneth L. Woodward, Religion News Service)
Connecticut House debates a bill to eliminate religious exemption for required school vaccines; students with existing exemptions can remain unvaccinated
(Christopher Keating and Daniela Altimari, Hartford Courant)
Two weeks in review, 29 March – 11 April 2021
(Gail Lythgoe, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
China denies tearing down mosques, claims it's 'reconstructing' them for Muslims' safety
(Jon Jackson, Newsweek)
China: Special bimonthly newsletter freedom of religion (01.04 -15.04.2021)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Group urges UN to probe China for crimes against humanity
(Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press)
Residents of Xinjiang refrain from fasting during Ramadan despite ‘easing of restrictions’
(Shohret Hoshur and Joshua Lipes, Radio Free Asia)
Friday, 16 April 2021
Jewish sailor gets temporary reprieve from order to shave beard
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Judge grants Jewish sailor temporary reprieve after Navy orders him to shave beard
(Gina Harkins, Military.com)
Photos of the Week: Ramadan begins, Notre Dame fire anniversary
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Pakistan: Another Ahmadi mosque attacked
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
The emerging Jews of Colombia: Why are so many Christians in this South American country converting to Orthodox Judaism?
(Heidi Paster Harf, The Washington Post)
Behar and Budinova v. Bulgaria: The Rights of Others in Cases of Othering – Anti-victim bias in ECHR hate speech law?
(Margarita S. Ilieva, Strasbourg Observers)
The most wonderful time of the year: Responsibilities as citizens (including taxes) are a cause for gratitude.
(James Christie, Viewpoints: A blog of the G20 Interfaith Forum)
House committee advances anti-abortion bills, including ones aimed at outlawing the procedure in Texas
(Shannon Najmabadi, The Texas Tribune)
It's not just young white liberals who are leaving religion
(Ryan P. Burge and Perry Bacon Jr., FiveThirtyEight)
Anglican, Episcopal leaders call for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide
(Egan Millard, Episcopal News Service)
Compassionate courage moves beyond ‘cancel culture’ to challenge systemic racism – but it’s hard work
(Pushpa Iyer, The Conversation)
Mandatory vaccinations for care home workers – a slippery slope?
(Rosalind English, UK Human Rights Blog)
Turkey's Christians face increasingly dangerous persecution
(Lela Gilbert, Newsweek Opinion)
FDA lifts in-person dispensing requirement for abortion drug during covid emergency
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
HHS proposes reversal of Trump Administration Title X family planning grant rules
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Biden administration moves to undo Trump abortion rules for Title X
(Sarah McCammon, National Public Radio)
Michigan statute protecting parents' faith healing includes subjective religious interpretations
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
After 3 years in sanctuary, mother steps out of Utah church and into newfound freedom
(Annie Knox, Deseret News)
New Zealand: Up to three years in prison for hate speech under reforms
(Marc Daalder, Newsroom)
Poland’s vaccines chief not ruffled by church objections
(Associated Press)
Ramona’s World: The Quiet Christianity of Beverly Cleary’s Beloved Books
(Rebekah Curtis, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Abortion, Vaccines, and Moral Imagination
(Mark Perkins, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Vatican holds criminal trial for man accused of shoplifting
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Statement from Pro-Life Catholic Scholars on the Moral Acceptability of Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines
(Ethics & Public Policy Center)
Catholic aid agency condemns UK Prime Minister’s objection to ICC investigation of Israel
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Forced Islamization in Congo’s eastern provinces worries Catholic bishops
(Fredrick Nzwili, Catholic News Service)
Is it time Germany opened up its stores on Sundays?
(Arthur Sullivan, Deutsche Welle)
In Yemen, antisemitism is rampant even though few Jews actually live there
(David Ian Klein, Forward)
German Catholics plan huge blessing of gay unions on May 10
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Where Islam and reason meet
(Mustafa Akyol, The Wall Street Journal)
Utah’s new law could be part of winning pro-life strategy
(Lauretta Brown, National Catholic Register)
Jehovah's Witness faces longest prison term
(OVD.Info, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Tandon steals Fulton’s thunder: The most important free exercise decision since 1990
(Jim Oleske, SCOTUSblog)
Kazakhstan: Targeting ethnic Dungan Koran teachers
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Recent CDM determinations – II
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Istanbul Convention - Symbol of cultural division of Europe
(Sofia News Agency)
Hungarian mayor wants to keep Jews away from rabbi’s tomb — Chasidic leader
(Michael Daventry, Jewish News)
French row over mosque isn’t simply about state financing – it runs deep into Islamophobia and French secularism
(Carol Ferrara, The Conversation)
A public funding ban for private colleges ‘born in bigotry’?
(Elizabeth Redden, Inside Higher Ed)
The Daily: Who is really winning in the Supreme Court?
(Lauren Jackson, The New York Times)
Got trouble? Have faith, say residents of America’s most religious state -- Alabama
(Nia Hightower, National Geographic)
Biden reverses course on refugee cap after faith groups express outrage
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Legal critiques of WWWR: A reply to Napel & Hill QC
(Nigel Biggar, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
America, Liberalism, and Catholicism
(Ryan T. Anderson, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Despite China's vast religious and political repression, 2022 Olympic boycott still unlikely
(Ira Rifkin, GetReligion)
Argument: Yes, the atrocities in Xinjiang constitute a genocide
(Peter Mattis, Foreign Policy)
Macron visits Notre Dame 2 years after devastating fire
(Thomas Adamson and Jeffrey Schaeffer, Associated Press)
Wednesday, 14 April 2021
Court orders residents of Sredneuralsky Convent to leave its premises
(Interfax-Religion)
Detention of Jehovah's Witnesses enters a new region
(Yaroslavl Moskovskii Komsomolets, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
WEBINAR, 14 April 2021 (10:30AM Eastern): USCIRF Conversation: New Report on Antisemitism in the OSCE Region and U.S. Policy Responses
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
WEBINAR, 14 Apri 2021 (5PM Eastern): Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State
(Religious Liberty Has Been White Too Long: Voices of Black Scholars featuring Dr. Teresa Smallwood, Dr. Anthony Pinn, Dr. Nicole Turner and Dr. David Goatley., Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Statement from the President on the Beginning of Ramadan
(The White House)
For interfaith couples, Ramadan can deepen ties to faith and each other
(Silma Suba, Religion News Service)
Ramadan began Monday night; Minnesota gives religious exemption from curfew order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Russian opposition leader Navalny sues prison officials to obtain a Quran
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Putin foe Navalny says he sues prison for withholding Quran
(Daria Litvinova, Associated Press)
Navalny sues Russian prison for withholding Quran
(Lexi Lonas, The Hill)
Official claims that Russian church agitates in Estonia for Kremlin goals
(Credo.Press, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Jehovah's Witnesses cell busted in Russia's Tula
(Interfax-Religion)
Russia: Flagship Protestant colleges stripped of right to offer higher education
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Multi-faith group issues statement questioning religious exemptions from covid orders
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
'Sex over religion': Legal scholars discuss America's shifting religious freedom landscape
(Emily Wood, The Christian Post)
China's communist regime is detaining Christians in mobile brainwashing camps: report
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
Faith organizations' statement regarding state legislation granting religious exemptions to emergency orders (PDF)
(Interfaith Alliance)
Hasidic, devout, and mad as hell about COVID-19: Op-Ed
(Emma Green, The Atlantic)
A small victory for Christians in communist Laos
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
6th Circuit en banc upholds Ohio's ban on doctors knowingly performing abortions because of Down syndrome
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Judges cite Holocaust, eugenics in divided ruling allowing Ohio to enforce Down Syndrome abortion ban
(Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer)
6th Circuit judges debate eugenics in yesterday's abortion decision
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
US Catholic educators seek ways to tackle racism in the Church
(Carol Zimmermann, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Christians decry Myanmar military's search of churches
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Civil rights group sues Facebook over anti-Muslim posts
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Pope Francis and Mario Draghi could become a powerful duo in shaping Europe’s future
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
New book explores how Desmond Tutu’s Christian mysticism helped unite a nation
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
As policies shift, Protestants and other faith groups join Catholics in helping immigrants at the border
(Jack Jenkins and Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Muslims open Ramadan with social distanced prayers, vaccines
(Niniek Karmini, Religion News Service)
Haitian archbishop demands release of abducted Catholics
(Catholic News Agency)
Abducted priest freed in Nigeria
(International Christian Concern)
USCIRF alarmed by deteriorating religious freedom conditions & security in Nigeria
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Christian leaders in Nigeria allege Islamization attempt after recent judicial appointments
(Catholic News Agency)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: bishops warn of threat of Islamism
(Aid to the Church in Need)
Catholic bishops in DR Congo worried by killings, forced conversions in east
(Jude Atemanke, Catholic News Agency)
COMECE and CEC: “Churches have an important message and value to add to the Conference on the Future of Europe”
(Conference of European Churches)
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