Law and Religion Headlines

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Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Dialogue of Declarations Forum in Uzbekistan: path to interfaith peace and religious relief
(Trend News Agency)

Eritrea’s cruel imprisonment of two sisters over the age of 80 reaches one-year mark
(Jehovah's Witnesses)

Preventing mass atrocities targeting religious communities
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

How Christians are burdened with unjust stereotypes
(Iona Institute)

Court says Vermont Christian school banned for refusing to play against transgender athletes must be allowed to compete
(The Sun)

What Spence's England milestone means for Muslims
(BBC)

British Sikh MPs asked to preserve Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s legacy
(Pramod Thomas, Eastern Eye)

Revisiting the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association case and its legacy
(Christopher Grozdoski, Law & Religion UK)

French police investigate pigs’ heads found near Paris-area mosques
(Aurelien Breeden and Amelia Nierenberg, The New York Times)

McKinney community reacts to vandalism at proposed mosque site
(Katy Blakey, 5 NBC DFW)

Korean Catholics expand outreach to tackle record suicide rates
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Most Americans don’t believe God played a role in recent presidential election outcomes
(Chip Rotolo, Pew Research Center)

DESS asks court to terminate UOC (MP) activities, transfer its property, funds and other assets to state
(Interfax)

What Amy Coney Barrett said about her faith in CBS interview
(Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News)

‘Freedom of religion not freedom to force poor to convert’: Rajasthan Assembly passes anti-conversion Bill
(Hamza Khan, The Indian Express)

Young peace activists gather at Christian Conference of Asia to prepare as ambassadors of peace
(World Council of Churches)

Figeľ: “The Unification Church case highlights the threat to religious freedom in Japan”
(Bitter Winter)

Tuesday, 9 September 2025

WEBINAR, 9 September 2025: Laws Regulating Religion in Central Asia
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

HYBRID EVENT, 9 September 2025: Laws Regulating Foreign NGOs: Human Rights Implications
(Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, United States Congress)

Monday, 8 September 2025

Religious Liberty Commission Second Hearing (video)
(U.S. Department of Justice)

President Trump’s top 100 victories for people of faith
(The White House)

Chicago churches urge calm resistance ahead of expected federal intervention
(Sophia Tareen, Associated Press)

BJC statement on President Trump’s speech at the Religious Liberty Commission meeting
(Amanda Tyler, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

At public hearing of White House religion panel, Trump rails against anti-Christian bias
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

Clergy protest ICE and National Guard presence near DC churches
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)

Trump says he’ll direct Education Department to protect praying in public school
(Cheyanne M. Daniels, Politico)

Mitsotakis meets Archbishop to discuss common challenges
(e, ekathimerini)

EVENT SERIES: Religious and Civic Leader Gathering (Houston, TX, USA)
(Religion and Public Life Center, Rice University)

VIRTUAL EVENT, 8 September 2025: The Tri-Abrahamic Dialogue on the Climate Crisis: What Do Our Faiths Demand?
(Parliament of the World's Religions)

6th Circuit: Transgender bathroom rule did not violate objecting parents' or students' free exercise rights
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Russia: Protestant pastor jailed for 2022 anti-war sermon
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)

Freedom of worship, COVID-19 and actio popularis: Figel’ v Slovakia
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Democracy and religions in Italy beyond the Concordat and agreements: Towards a participatory model
(Davide Dimodugno, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

Pakistan’s persecution of Ahmadis: A human rights crisis with geopolitical costs
(Shashwat Gupta Ray, Eurasia Review)

Muslim law in Israel
(Pablo Lerner, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)

Holy See warns of risk of new nuclear weapons, deplores increase in military spending
(Victoria Cardiel, Catholic News Agency)

India offers relief to persecuted minorities in its neighborhood
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Quebec prayer ban would render freedom of religion meaningless
(André Pratte, National)

Around the web - 8 September 2025
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

Coca leaves remain a source of work, faith and identity in Bolivia
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)

11th Circuit: Government can insist on secular presenters in intervention program for domestic abusers
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Articles of interest - 8 September 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

3 states push to put the Ten Commandments back in school – banking on new guidance at the Supreme Court
(Charles J. Russo and Lydia Artz, The Conversation)

Forum in Africa sets faith-centered priorities to eradicate trafficking
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Polish monk arrested in Belarus
(The European Conservative)

Zelensky refutes Carlson's accusations of 'persecuting' UOC MP
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Uzbekistan: Samarkand Muslim to be tried for Shia Telegram chat group?
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)

Scrap Islamophobia definition because of free speech risks, Starmer told
(Charles Hymas, The Telegraph)

Law and religion roundup – 7th September
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

ECR MEPs call for urgent appointment of EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief
(The European Times)

Jirgas: Rogue agents of conflict resolution
(Jo Chitlik, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

Democracy without religion is dead: Part II
(Luma Simms, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

CAIR, CAIR-TX say Texas Muslims will continue “freely and openly” practicing Islam despite fearmongering by Texas Governor Abbott
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)

Courage amidst conflict & vulnerability: Ebrahim Rasool at IF20 South Africa
(Ebrahim Rasool, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)

Iran’s president calls for Islamic unity to confront genocide against Muslims
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Marriages continue to decline in New Zealand, evangelicals urge commitment to healthy unions
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)

Will Ghana pass Anti-Witchcraft Bill to restore dignity of women in the north?
(Ghana Web)

Erdogan continues to support Brotherhood ties to shape his image among Muslims
(Nordic Monitor)

Brazil: An independent country defends religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Ivanir dos Santos, ICL Notícias)

Friday, 5 September 2025

HHS reinforces religious and conscience exemptions from childhood vaccine mandates
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Many religious ‘Nones’ around the world hold spiritual beliefs
(Jonathan Evans, Kirsten Lesage, and Manolo Corichi, Pew Research Center)

Members of healthcare sharing ministry have standing to challenge insurance regulator
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

At Jesuit universities, the government’s D.E.I. crackdown is an attack on religious freedom
(William Michael Treanor and Amy Uelmen, America: The Jesuit Review)

Pakistan: Discrimination and abuse in prisons: a report by the Commission for "Justice and Peace"
(Agenzia Fides)

Pakistan: The EU should suspend its trade privileges. Why? Blasphemy in the dock
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Bridging the gap: The importance of finding common ground between religious groups and secular human rights organisations
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Do non-religious people actually hate religion?
(Ryan Burge, Religion Unplugged)

7 Catholic churches attacked in Spain last month
(Nicolás de Cárdenas, Catholic News Agency)

Adventist church advocates religious freedom in dialogue with Colombian Senate
(Adventist News Network)

SLPP turns to Buddhist monks to defend soldiers accused of genocide
(Tamil Guardian)

Fears of AI-driven global inequality spur faith leaders to call for 'spiritual revolution'
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Perspectives on the Pan-American Pope (essay series)
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Why religion strengthens families – and why policy should protect it
(William C. Duncan, Sutherland Institute)

Interfaith scholars appeal for calm, call to protect Indonesia’s democratic path
(Herald Malaysia)

European Court dismisses challenge to Slovakia’s COVID worship bans
(ADF International)

Indigenous inmates' religious exercise claims advance on appeal
(Alexia Waiss, Bloomberg Law)

3M beats ex-worker's religious bias claims over Covid-19 vaccine
(Mallory Culhane, Bloomberg Law)

California: Judge re-affirms St. Joseph's Hospital's obligation to uphold emergency services law
(Ryan Hutson, North Coast Journal of Politics, People & Art)

Stereotypes on screen: The effects of Muslim portrayals in entertainment media on attitudes toward democracy and policy
(ISPU)

Decline in Nicaragua church attacks attributed to clergy, religious not allowed to report them
(David Agren, OSV News)

India expels Rohingya refugees and Muslim citizens
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Rightists and Turkish secularists oppose shariah in Austria
(Jules Gomes, Middle East Forum)

Celebrating forty years of faith in the city
(Joseph Forde and Terry Drummond, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Wednesday, 3 September 2025

Islamic law in the United Kingdom
(Brandon Reece Taylorian, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)

HYBRID EVENT, 3 September 2025: Faith Under Fire: Legal repression, human rights violations, and the power of non-violent resistance based on faith (Miami, FL, USA)
(Florida International University)

New book: America’s Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State
(Randall Balmer, Steerforth Press)

Separate but complementary: Tocqueville’s counsels for church–state relations
(John F. Doherty, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Catholic social teaching reminds us work and human dignity are connected
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)

Norwegian bishops warn of euthanasia support ahead of parliamentary election
(AC Wimmer, Catholic News Agency)

Christian schools in Norway might face quite a heavy storm
(Evert van Vlastuin, Christian Network Europe)

UN experts warn of ‘scapegoating’ of minorities in Iran
(Article 18)

Hate crimes and opposition against Christians increase in Turkey
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)

Reflections from Río de la Plata focus on human rights and the church’s prophetic voice
(World Council of Churches)

A Buddhist charity has delivered new houses to cyclone survivors in Mozambique
(Macao News)

Tribal suite over sacred site show religious law shortcomings
(Shayna Greene, Bloomberg Law)

Majority of religious Jewish Israelis averse to their kids mixing with Arabs — survey
(Sue Surkes, Times of Israel)

Legal Spirits 070: Religion & Realism: The New US Role in Armenia
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

Philippines: DSWD: American pastor accused of child abuse on immigration watch list
(Faith Argosino, Inquirer)

9th Circuit upholds fire department's denial of religious exemptions from covid vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Courts wrestle with religious accommodation disputes, including teacher’s suit over school policy on transgender students’ preferred names
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

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