Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 3 June 2026
Climate change exacerbates religious conflicts, study indicates
(Kerstin Schneider, phys.org)
A pastor in a Chinese prison, a daughter holding onto hope
(Grace Jin Drexel, Real Clear Politics)
Religious leaders of Ukraine call on the world to step up sanctions against Russia
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Pakistani Dutch Christian community protests in Groningen over forced conversion and child marriage in Pakistan
(Kashif Nawab, Eurasia Review)
Elderly Christian among 31 sentenced in China church crackdown
(Gao Zhensai, Religion Unplugged)
The 'Abraham Accords' project threatens the sovereignty of states
(Taghrib News Agency)
Australia’s banking system locks many Muslims out of first home buyer schemes. Here’s how to fix it
(Maria Bhatti, The Conversation)
Ecumenical organizations launch “Fasting and Prayer to Awaken Consciences” campaign across Argentina
(World Council of Churches)
Churches in Fiji express concern over increasing reports of missing children
(World Council of Churches)
COMECE contributes to OSCE event on anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
Slovakia: Application to state recognition of new religious communities made impossible
(Hans Noot, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Religious freedom concerns grow over imprisoned Adventist pastor in Kyrgyzstan
(Adventist Today)
Unholy violence: Weaponizing religion against gender rights defenders in Myanmar
(James Gomez, The Diplomat)
Senate committee derails religious speech defence in Bill C-9
(Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register)
Representative Rigzin Genkhang joins Belgian Tibetan Buddhist Centre’s special prayer meet for world peace marking the Year of Compassion
(Central Tibetan Administration)
Palestine’s supreme judge: Israeli bill to restrict Muslim call to prayer an attack on freedom of worship
(Middle East Monitor)
Engaging with Parliament
(X, Zimbabwe Council of Churches)
Baylor joins multi-university consortium to launch first cross-faith AI benchmark
(Baylor University)
Americans judge the Good Book more positively, but still often by its cover
(Lifeway)
ACLJ’s CeCe Heil appointed as Commissioner for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
(American Center for Law and Justice)
Monday, 1 June 2026
In good faith? The federal government’s long road to rebuilding trust with faith-based partners
(Katie Thompson, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
New law would require priests to break seal of Confession
(Thomas Colsy, Catholic Herald)
Religion and the Russia-Ukraine War: A Primer
(Denys Brylov, Tetiana Kalenychenko, Peter Mandaville, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
The story of Pope Leo’s ‘landmark’ text on AI technology – by a member of its launch panel
(The Conversation)
Buddha's Birthday Celebration: A vivid testament to Vietnam's policy of religious freedom.
(Báo Quốc Tế)
A cathedral, Ho Chi Minh, and a Catholic backlash
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Christians arrested in Uttar Pradesh for holding prayer meeting
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
One arrested in Kathmandu for inciting religious hatred
(Nepal News)
Ultra-Orthodox protesters block roads and trains across Israel over military draft
(Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy, Associated Press)
New patriarch assumes role in Iraq in one of Middle East’s most important Christian churches
(Associated Press)
2nd Circuit: USCIS rejection of Yemeni guardianships as equivalent to adoption did not violate RFRA
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
The destruction of churches and the battle over a nation’s future
(Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News)
Chicago mayor sees Pope Leo XIV as key ally on social justice, migration after Vatican meeting
(Andrea Rosa and Giada Zampano, Religion News Service)
Trump’s designation of Brazilian criminal groups as terrorists concerns clergy
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
How the Alevi community came to thrive in Germany
(Ceyda Nurtsch, Deutsche Welle)
The Pope addressed AI. Can employees reject it for religious reasons?
(Greta Cross, USA Today)
Kyrgyzstan: Secret police's latest target: Baptists
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Germany’s church tax faces rights scrutiny
(The European Times)
Nicaraguan advocate laments ‘silence’ about Catholic persecution
(Madalaine Elhabbal, EWTN News)
A faith-based movement is destroying guns — and making them garden tools
(Alma Beauvais, Religion Unplugged)
How Democrats turned on religious freedom
(Thomas F. Farr, First Things)
Muslim voices on AI, human dignity, and the G20 USA agenda
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Christians slam ‘conversion’ remark by Nepali parliamentarian
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
WCC co-organizes Vatican conference on building interreligious fraternity in Europe
(World Council of Churches)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest May 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Montagnard pastor and congregant arrested for 'undermining national unity'
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Protection on paper: The situation of freedom of religion or belief in Mexico
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Rep. Tom Suozzi: Faith should be freely embraced, not politically imposed
(America: The Jesuit Review)
Why there are (and should be) Constitutional constraints on government religious speech
(Alan Brownstein and Vikram Amar, Justia)
Carney says Jewish Canadians are being 'brutally targeted' and the country is failing them
(Christopher Nardi, National Post)
Presidential message on Global Coptic Day
(The White House)
Sikhs 'demonised' after murder, says community leader
(Ethan Gudge, BBC)
Friday, 29 May 2026
HYBRID EVENT, 29 May 2026: 12th Annual Law and Religious Freedom Conference (Kansas City, MO, USA)(Religious Freedom Alliance Council)
(University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law)
Religious persecution in Europe and the Americas has become a trend
(Filipe d’Avillez, Aid to the Church in Need)
Wartime Origins of China’s Protestant Policy
(Quan Li, Institute for Global Engagement, Routledge)
Religion and Addiction Recovery in Vietnam: An Exploratory Study of Two Faith-Based Institutions
(Ngan Nguyen Duy Ha & Giao Vu Cong, Institute for Global Engagement, Routledge)
State Governance of Religion in Vietnam: A Legal–Institutional Approach to Unrecognized Faith Groups
(Do Lan Hien & Pham Thanh Hang, Institute for Global Engagement, Routledge)
From Declaring to Doing? An Examination of Recent Muslim Declarations on Religious Pluralism and Freedom
(Mustafa Akyol, Institute for Global Engagement, Routledge)
After refugee aid cuts, faith groups help Afghan women connect through sewing
(Yonat Shimron, Associated Press)
Title VI does not bar religious discrimination
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Becket urges appeals court to protect St. Louis teachers punished for their faith
(Becket)
Man who admitted making series of antisemitic threats near a synagogue sentenced
(Crown Prosecution Service)
Israel orders expropriation of religious site near Jerusalem run by Muslim Waqf
(Nir Hasson, Haaretz)
Latin American and Caribbean ambassadors meet KAICIID in Lisbon to explore dialogue-based approaches to peace and social cohesion
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Hegseth praises U.S. military efforts to protect Nigerian Christians from ISIS
(U.S. Department of War)
Indiana lieutenant governor says he 'hates' Islam, deems it 'a demonic death cult'
(Peter Curi, Fox 32 News)
Indian religious leaders voice concerns over Assam UCC
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
‘ISIS bride’ charged with terror offences as AFP reveals eight investigations
(Michael Bachelard, Lachlan Abbott, Matthew Knott and Brittany Busch, Sydney Morning Herald)
Russia: EU sanctioned those who sent a pacifist Orthodox priest to prison
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Patriarch of Georgia received representatives of U.S. State Department
(Orthodox Times)
Rethinking the ‘absolute bar’ on scheduled caste status in India
(Shashank Shekhar and Divya Sridhar, The Diplomat)
EBCO new Annual Report on Conscientious Objection in Europe 2025
(European Bureau for Conscientious Objection)
Trump administration pledges $100M in aid for Cuba, but only if Catholic or other faith‑based groups distribute it
(Dulce Suarez, The Conversation)
Do the ABC and SBS understand antisemitism? It isn’t clear from their decision to reject the IHRA definition
(Ronald Sackville, Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Egypt’s religious freedom tradition an asset to America, the world
(Motaz Zahran, Washington Times)
Australian Christian Freedom Index
Yelensky assures U.S. Hasidim of religious freedom during Uman pilgrimage
(Union of Orthodox Journalists)
Ottawa Parliament Hill hosts historic gathering advocating Canadian Buddhist Heritage Month
(Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto)
Yad Vashem chooses Germany for first overseas education centers
(Toby Axelrod, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Taliban Defence Chief invites Afghan Sikh & Hindu minorities to return to Afghanistan
(Afghanistan International)
Thursday, 28 May 2026
After protests outside synagogues, New York makes it a crime to block entry to a house of worship
(Anthony Izaguirre, Associated Press)
Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Minority rights protest in Haryana’s Nuh demands release of jailed Muslim youth
(Clarion India)
Religious freedom should not inconvenience others, but rules must be same for all: Cong backs CM Yogi on roadside prayers
(Punjab News Express)
Nigeria memo to UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom
(Genocide Watch)
Vesak and Vietnam’s consistent message on religious freedom
(Nguyen Duc Toan, Vietnam Net Global)
'The Sun and Wind Are Willing': Faith and indigenous leaders make moral case for energy justice
(G20 Interfaith Forum, National Law Review)
Chattanooga faith leaders gather for unity forum at Bessie Smith Cultural Center
(WDEF News)
‘Coerced faith is no faith at all’: Local Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders talk religious freedom
(Kailee Shores, Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Coalition confirms support for religious freedom in schools
(CathNews)
Australian police plan to form a heavily armed team in response to Bondi Beach massacre
(Rod McGuirk, Associated Press)
After a Minnesota church protest, states are toughening penalties for disrupting services
(Jack Brook and Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press)
Justice Department sues University of California for antisemitic hostile educational environment
(U.S. Department of Justice)
Pope Leo XIV compares AI to the Industrial Revolution – as new alternatives to big AI firms take shape
(The Conversation)
Uncovering coded antisemitism online takes both human expertise and AI automation
(Wendy Melillo, Jeff Gill, Nathalie Japkowicz, The Conversation)
San Diego mosque shooting reflects how online rhetoric, media depictions and political discourse contribute to increased Islamophobia
(Anisah Bagasra, The Conversation)
To combat polarization, a Houston interfaith group embraces riskier dialogue
(Kyle Desrosiers-Levine, Religion News Service)
Philippine bishop and ex-ICC judge lead new inquiry into thousands of Duterte-era killings
(Jim Gomez and Joeal Calupitan, Associated Press)
Address to European Parliament’s Demography Intergroup
(The Holy See)
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