Law and Religion Headlines
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Be fearlessly authentic: “Open and honest discussion of core beliefs helps maintain a flourishing culture.”
(Kent Johnson, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Blasphemy victim Asia Bibi's brother-in-law killed in Pakistan's Sheikhupur
(ANI)
Hong Kong: What is really happening
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
Confession has long been a great cinematic tool
(Terry Mattingly, Religion Unplugged)
Why these Christian missionaries donated to a mosque in Indonesia
(Paul Marshall, Religion Unplugged)
Church sues challenging Nevada's covid-19 limits on in-person services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Nevada governor: People can gather in restaurants, stores, salons, but not in churches
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Nazi symbols on 75-year old POW gravestones in VA cemeteries raise protests
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Uighur activists celebrate religious freedom agency’s first Uighur commissioner
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)
USCIRF welcomes appointment of Nury Turkel to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
US warns Nevada governor about in-person worship limits
(Elana Schor, Associated Press)
Serbia criticizes Montenegro for keeping border ban on Serbs
(Predrag Milic, Associated Press)
WEBINAR, 26 May 2020 ( 2pm EDT): Democracy’s defenders — American diplomacy in the age of COVID-19
(Norman Eisen, Jeff Gedmin, Alina Polyakova, Brookings)
Search for Christian unity is making progress, pope says
(Cindy Wooden, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Anti-Semitism examined as a social virus in new PBS documentary
(Laura Paull, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Witnessing the growing rise of antisemitism in the US as a non Jew
(Lela Gilbert, The Jerusalem Post)
Fact and fiction about racism and the rise of the religious Right
(David French, The Dispatch)
Islam and the secular age: Q&A with Dr. Khalil Abdurrashid
(Traversing Tradition)
Grim anniversary in case of Danish Jehovah's Witness
(Amnest, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Defense team for Yakutia's shaman Gabyshev asks ECHR for urgent effort toward his release
(Interfax-Religion)
FX documentary on Norma McCorvey omits key Catholic sources who knew her best
(Julia Duin, GetReligion)
Justice Department raises concerns over Nevada restrictions on religious services
(Melissa Quinn, CBS News)
Why governments should not be deeming in-person worship essential
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Do not play communal politics during lockdown: Congress MLA slams Karnataka govt for reopening only temples
(Nagarjun Dwarakanath, India Today)
KZN religious leaders call for relief aid or allowing churches to open
(Sakhiseni Nxumalo and Lyse Commins, IOL News)
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the call for a National Day of Prayer, which will take place on Sunday.
(The Citizen)
Why, secular India is `of religious concern’ to USA
(Amjed Jaaved, Pakistan Today)
70 church buildings legalised, church and mosque demolished
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Iran: Baha'i citizen, Elaheh Samizadeh, sentenced to an extra year in prison
(HRANA: Human Rights Activist Network Association)
Ending abortion of Down-Syndrome children in the United Kingdom
(Alexandra DeSanctis, National Review)
Church Law Society Newsletter Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro, No. 5/2020
(Jiří Rajmund Tretera and Záboj Horák, eds., English Version)
Reflections on the current COVID-19 crisis from CEC Thematic Group on Education, Democracy and Diversity
(Council of Europe)
Egypt makes major archaeological discovery amid coronavirus crisis
(Rasha Mahmoud, Al-Monitor: Egypt Pulse)
Jordanian government employees return to work
(Al-Monitor: Jordan Pulse)
Bethlehem, Jerusalem churches reopen to limited number of worshipers
(Al-Monitor: Israel Pulse)
Cardinal Cupich: How Vatican II can help us navigate the politics of a pandemic
(Blase J. Cupich, America Magazine)
Monday, 25 May 2020
Eid 2020 in pictures: Muslims worldwide mark end of Ramadan as Shawwal arrives
(Amalie Henden, The Express)
Presidential Message on Eid al-Fitr, 2020
(Presdent Donald J. Trump, The White House)
Articles of interest - 25 May 2020
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
5th Circuit enjoins enforcement of city's COVID-19 order against church pending appeal
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
9th Circuit: Church loses challenge to California COVID-19 order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Federal court backs California Gov. Gavin Newsom's orders keeping churches closed
(Bill Hutchinson, ABC News)
8 Christians arrested in India while preparing relief packages for the poor
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)
Marie Cau: First transgender mayor elected in France
(BBC News)
Slowly, surely, US houses of worship emerge from lockdown
(Gary Fields and Sally Stap, Associated Press)
Ukrainian church tries to enlist president's support
(RISU, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Next big pandemic news story: Missionaries brace for coronavirus in the Third World
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Book review: The Contest for the Muslim World
(Robert R. Reilly, Law & Liberty)
Churches prepare to reopen during pandemic, but more than 100 COVID-19 cases reported after German service
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Ukrainian police suspend senior officer who asked for a city’s list of Jews
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Islamic terrorists win a convert: An Italian hostage returns home from 18 months in captivity—and sparks a debate.
(Alessandra Bocchi, The Wall Street Journal - Opinion)
Belgium plans to end army protection for Antwerp synagogues
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Australian golf course vandalized with swastikas
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Requiring face masks to fight COVID-19 while upholding niqab bans shows irony lost on leaders ǀ View
(Marco Perolini, Euronews)
ICJ calls for Myanmar to do more to protect Rohingya population
(BNI Multimedia Group)
Turkish gov’t portal allows citizens to change religion online
(Ahval)
Lebanon’s economic crisis is decimating its middle class
(Michal Kranz, Al-Monitor: Lebanon Pulse)
Sunday, 24 May 2020
Law and religion round-up – 24th May
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Saturday, 23 May 2020
A Memorial Day Message of Gratitude
(Graham B. Glover, Religious Freedom Institute)
Religion Photos of the Week - 22 May 2020
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Pandemic intrigue in Geneva: COVID-19 and the 73rd World Health Assembly
(Pedro A. Villarreal, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
COVID-19 response from WHO
(Seventy-third World Health Assembly, United Nations World Health Organization)
A world without human rights?
(Silvio Ferrari, Reset: Dialogues on Civilizations)
Faith, women, and human rights: A global dialogue on COVID-19
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Investigators build a case for IS crimes against Yazidis
(Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #67: Migrants and Refugees Face New Threats and Challenges During COVID-19 Emergency
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #66: Religious Art, Plagues, and COVID-19
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #65: Faith, Women, and Human Rights: A Global Dialogue
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Women’s rights in Islam: Fighting for equality before the law
(Dina Elbasnaly, Lewis Sanders IV, Deutsche Welle)
Despite the coronavirus, Mexican women are fighting femicide
(Ann Deslandes, Foreign Policy)
The Sunday best... and worst of reopening
(Tony Perkins, Family Research Council)
Reruns of religious dramas comfort Indians in dire times
(Vineeta, Associated Press)
English diocese keeps Lourdes appointment: Virtual pilgrimage attracts hundreds
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
France allowing religious services to resume
(Associated Press, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Rabbi joins imam and reverend in Gospel Oak (north London) to hand out free Iftar meals
(Jewish News)
Why does Pakistan not crack down on its own religious extremists?
(Tara Kartha, The Quint)
BJP’s Swamy to drag UN official to court over Muslim ‘comment’ row
(Mangalorean)
Bihar law college puts its original Urdu signboard back after students and activists protest
(Parvathi Benu, Edex Live)
No violation of fundamental rights in keeping religious places closed: Punjab, Haryana HC
(Surender Sharma, Hindustan Times)
Scottish census to list pagans for the first time
(Marc Horne, The Times)
Turkey envoy slams US senators for Uyghurs comments
(Yeni Şafak)
Diocese of Oxford: New technical advice papers
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Pandemic worsening existing food crises across the Middle East, UN agencies warn
(Al-Monitor)
Friday, 22 May 2020
Vatican urges health as a 'primary common good' at World Health Assembly
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Defamation suit dismissed under Ecclesiastical Entanglement doctrine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Maryland stay-at-home orders upheld over Free Exercise and other challenges
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
CDC withholds guidance on reopening of churches
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Local Wisconsin covid-19 orders challenged on 1st Amendment grounds
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Federal lawsuit challenges local “Safer at Home” orders
(Jeramey Jannene, Urban Milwaukee)
Pastor sues over Delaware covid-19 restrictions on church services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Pastor sues Gov. Carney in attempt to more fully open places of worship across Delaware
(Esteban Parra, Delaware News Journal)
Jehovah’s Witnesses case spotlights religious freedom issue in Russia
(Catholic News Service)
Religious freedom receives a small boost in Sudan
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Federal Court: “There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution of the United States or the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.”
(Evan Seeman, RLUIPA-Defense)
In reversal, White House tells CDC to post church guidance
(Zeke Miller and Mike Stobbe, Associated Press)
Sikh kitchens feed New Delhi’s masses in virus lockdown
(Emily Schmall, Associated Press)
Czech court upholds former Prague Muslim leader’s conviction
(Associated Press)
India-Nepal territorial dispute flares over road to Tibet
(Ashok Sharma, Associated Press)
Congress may protect businesses from coronavirus lawsuits. Should it grant immunity to most churches, too?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)
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