Law and Religion Headlines
Sunday, 10 May 2020
TRO issued against Kentucky in-person worship service restriction
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Judge grants restraining order against Kentucky governor in dispute over in-person religious gatherings
(First Liberty)
Saturday, 9 May 2020
Prayers and statements for VE Day
(Churches Together in Britain and Ireland)
Celebrating midwives, unsung heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis
(United Nations Population Fund)
Free transport helps pregnant women in Madagascar safely deliver amid COVID-19 lockdown
(United Nations Population Fund)
Sri Lanka: President Rajapaksa’s Vesak Day Message
(Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka President, Eurasia Review)
COVID-19: The question of China and its accountability
(Deepak Sinha, Observer Research Foundation)
Father Benedict Kiely and religious liberty expert Tom Farr on the coronavirus crisis
(Podcast, The Catholic Association (TCA))
Another heartbreak for American Jews? The cancellation of summer camps.
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
On Mother’s Day, young Uighurs ask: Where are our moms?
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)
From Vietnam to the coronavirus pandemic, lies still kill
(Jim Wallis, Religion News Service Opinion)
An Old World Torah scroll unites a North Carolina synagogue in a time of pandemic
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
America leans in to faith
(Gregory Smith, Associate Director of Research at Pew Research Center, RNS Podcast)
Religious leaders decry, question death of Ahmaud Arbery after video surfaces
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Food insecurity set to become the bigger pandemic
(Ryan Heath, Politico)
Daily Highlight #52: How Might COVID-19 Affect Muslim Charitable Giving, Especially Zakat, During Ramadan?
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Black churches, via phones and Facebook, bridging digital divide amid COVID-19
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Educational seminar: Debrief of Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania
(Katie Bart, SCOTUSblog)
“A disaster within a disaster”—In Burkina Faso, terrorism and COVID-19 pose a double threat
(Maria Lozano, Aleteia)
Awkwardly timed issue: Should hard-pressed churches still want to be tax exempt?
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
Juries and Covid-19: protecting the right to a fair trial
(Sapan Maini-Thompson, The Justice Gap)
Investigation into Amish, Mennonite sex abuse honored as Pulitzer finalist
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
Friday, 8 May 2020
Radical reform of “religion, values and ethics” in Welsh schools
(Russell Sandberg, Law & Religion UK)
Newlsetter of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
(Churches Together in Britain and Ireland)
COVID-19: A Gender Lens - Protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights, and promoting gender equality
(United Nations Population Fund)
Protecting seasonal workers in Turkey’s tent settlements from COVID-19
(United Nations Population Fund)
Violence erupts as Chinese officials raid Christian church, drag out members
(Caleb Parke, Fox News)
Uncertain freedom for Laotian Christians
(Asia News)
24 NGOs call for the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Germany passes law banning 'gay conversion therapy' for minors
(BBC News)
Gender recognition reform taking place ‘under the radar’ across Europe
(Scottish Legal News)
NIO withdraws abortion regulations ahead of Westminster vote
(William Scholes, Irish News)
Argentine president vows to legalize abortion, despite pandemic shutdown
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
USCIRF condemns arrest of prominent Nigerian atheist, Mubarak Bala
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Church lacks standing to challenge state's insurance coverage mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
White House National Day of Prayer Service held
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
President Russell M. Nelson encourages caution as the Church looks lorward amid COVID-19 pandemic
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Remarks by President Trump at the White House National Day of Prayer Service
(The White House)
White House views CDC reopening guidelines as infringements on religious liberty
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
White House rejects C.D.C.’s coronavirus reopening plan
(Abby Goodnough and Maggie Haberman, The New York Times)
Virginia defends coronavirus restrictions in church lawsuit
(Denise Lavoie, Associated Press)
Merkel discusses pandemic with Pope Francis
(Associated Press)
Church/state deal means Mass will be back in Italy on May 18
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Churches in Europe reopening with restrictions to avoid contagion
(Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service)
New podcast: Do journalists doubt that the Little Sisters of the Poor are doing ministry work?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
RFI briefing for U.S. Army War College students on key elements of religion and national security strategy
(Religious Freedom Center, Freedom Forum Institute)
Opportunity for change in Algeria as USCIRF highlights religious freedom challenges
(Religious Freedom Center, Freedom Forum Institute)
Jehovah’s Witnesses, blood transfusions and the CJEU: AG’s Opinion in A v Veselības ministrija
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Police: Man did $25,000 of damage to Wyoming church
(Shane Sanderson, Fairfield Sun Times)
Pakistan: Ahmadis kept off minorities commission (New rights body should be inclusive, independent, empowered)
(Human Rights Watch)
U.S. Attorney’s Office urges Norman mayor to open places of worship
(Oklahoma's News 4)
Anti-religion activist wants Air Force colonel muzzled, punished for 'horrific', 'heinous', 'wretched' public worship
(Deborah Bunting, CBN News)
Tibetan foreign policy- A wrong throw of the dice
(Ravi Nair, The Citizen)
Religion can no longer claim moral superiority, and six other lessons from the coronavirus crisis
(Haaretz)
At 'government request', Twitter blocks tweet by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya
(Anuj Srivas, The Wire)
British Jews should stop attacking Netanyahu
(Ed Husain, Jewish Chronicle)
“Corona jihad”: India blame Muslims for the spread of Covid-19
(Irfan Mahar, Modern Diplomacy)
Pakistan’s identity crisis and social media’s role: a nation ‘lost in translation’ – OpEd
(Muhammad Yasir Ali, Eurasia Review)
The politics of Cardinal Dolan’s critics – OpEd
(William Donohue, Eurasia Review)
A “Schrödinger’s Cat” moment for co-perpetration liability? The Yekatom and Ngaïssona Decision on the Confirmation of Charges
(Marjolein Cupido and Lachezar Yanev, EJIL: Talk!)
Spain-China relations and COVID-19: The bright and dark sides of a necessary partnership for Spain – Analysis
(Mario Esteban and Ugo Armanini, Elcano Royal Institute via Eurasia Review (English translation))
When governments switched their story from ‘flatten the curve’ to ‘lockdown until vaccine’ – OpEd
(Ryan McMaken, Mises Institute)
Fewer than 50 percent of Russians say they'll vote for constitutional amendments – OpEd
(Paul Goble, Eurasia Review)
America’s stark ‘liberty or death’ conundrum – OpEd
(Theodore Karasik, Eurasia Review)
COVID-19: Urgent need for African governments to upgrade health systems – OpEd
(Kester Kenn Klomegah, Eurasia Review)
White House tells CDC to butt out of religion
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Pedersen et al v. Norway: Progress towards child-centrism at the European Court of Human Rights?
(Katre Luhamaa and Jenny Krutzinna, Strasbourg Observers)
Thursday, 7 May 2020
WEBINAR, 7 May 2020 (3 pm Brussels - GMT+2)—COVID-19, RELIGION, and BELIEF Series: Episode 5, COVID-19 and FoRB: Multilateral Organisations' Perspective
(Judd Birdsall, Meret Bilde, H.E. Mrs. Ismat Jahan, Kishan Manocha, Ibrahim Salama)
WEBINAR, 7 May 2020 (9 am EDT)—COVID-19, RELIGION, and BELIEF Series: Episode 5, COVID-19 and FoRB: Multilateral Organisations' Perspective
(Judd Birdsall, Meret Bilde, H.E. Mrs. Ismat Jahan, Kishan Manocha, Ibrahim Salama)
WEBINAR, 7 May 2020 (3 pm Brussels)—COVID-19, RELIGION, and BELIEF Series: Episode 5, COVID-19 and FoRB: Multilateral Organisations' Perspective
(Judd Birdsall, Meret Bilde, H.E. Mrs. Ismat Jahan, Kishan Manocha, Ibrahim Salama)
Pandemic piety
(William B. Lawrence, Sightings: The Martin Marty Center, University of Chicago Divinity School)
You might have the right to gather, but you can choose otherwise
(Benjamin Marcus, Freedom Forum Institute)
New report finds nonreligious people face stigma and discrimination
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Church's challenge to California stay-at-home orders is rejected
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Churches sue Michigan governor over COVID-19 orders despite their exemption from penalties
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Churches sue Whitmer, claim coronavirus orders hinder religious gatherings despite exceptions
(Gus Burns, M Live)
Kentucky governor sued by church and state AG over covid-19 restrictions on services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Nicholasville church files lawsuit against Beshear over in-person services
(WKYT News)
Church sues Maine governor over COVID-19 restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Orrington church sues Janet Mills over order barring in-person worship services
(Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News)
Yesterday's National Day of Prayer proclamation
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Proclamation on National Day of Prayer, 2020
(The White House)
Italy to soon celebrate first public masses since coronavirus outbreak
(Melissa Butz, New Evangelization Television TV)
10 arrested in Argentina for clandestine Mass violating corona-lockdown rules
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Many causes to recent decline in American religiosity; but U.S. more religious now than at Founding
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Bishop warns police against ‘heavy-handedness’ in enforcing lockdown measures in UK
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Catholic leaders in England decry racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Beyond the public gatherings debate: religious freedom during covid-19
(Chelsea Langston Bombino, Religion Unplugged)
Muslim doctors fight COVID-19 — and Islamophobia — on the front lines
(Rowaida Abdelaziz, Huffington Post)
Kazakhstan: Conviction annulled, yet still jailed on trial
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
There are religion angles with a presidential run by Michigan Libertarian Justin Amash
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
Sadiq Khan joins Chief Rabbi Mirvis and other faith leaders for virtual Iftar
(Mathilde Frot, Jewish News)
Public Masses in Italy to resume May 18, ending bitter Church-state rift
(Philip Pullella, Reuters)
USCIRF 2020: Why India should introspect
(Prakhar Raghuvanshi, Modern Diplomacy)
Turkey investigates those who object to homophobia
(The Economist)
Under this doctor’s care, most COVID-19 patients are recovering. Here’s his unusual approach.
(Kevin Pham, The Daily Signal)
Wednesday, 6 May 2020
COVID-19 restrictions & (re)definition of gender roles in Nigeria
(Azizat Omotoyosi Amoloye-Adebayo, Institute for African Women in Law)
Making great advances in building safer communities for people of all beliefs
(Hardwired)
Lantos Foundation Statement : Saudi Arabia abolishes flogging
(Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice)
Illegally adopted constitutional changes will create a vacuum of state power in Russia
((vote postponed due to pandemic), Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice)
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