Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 11 April 2025

How the Orthodox church influences Russian families and Putin’s regime
(Thien Bui, Religion Unplugged)

Religious liberty, Putin, and Lukashenko
(Filip Styczynski, Providence)

The court as a watchdog of democracy: Separate opinion in Novaya Gazeta and Others v. Russia and proposal for stock-taking
(Burak Tahsin Bahce, Strasbourg Observers)

Public funding for religious schools is nothing new in America
(Kate Anderson, Alliance Defending Freedom)

NED Impact Report: Advancing religious freedom and human dignity
(National Endowment for Democracy)

Religious Workforce Protection Act would play pivotal role in advancing the religious exercise of Americans
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

Steube, Lankford Reintroduce the Safeguarding Charity Act
(Greg Steube, U.S. House of Representatives)

Trump announces picks for ambassadorships to combat antisemitism and promote religious freedom
(Louis Casiano, Fox News)

Canada: A wedge has emerged on religious freedom. Pierre Poilievre is on the right side of it
(Robyn Urback, Globe and Mail)

Brazil: CIJ promotes lecture on religious freedom of foster children (Portuguese)
(Comunicação Social, TJSP)

Brazil: Evangelicals in Brazil: the multiplication of churches and believers in the country (Portuguese)
(YouTube Video, G1)

Thursday, 10 April 2025

EVENT, 10 April 2025: 11th Annual Iowa Religious Freedom Day Celebration, "The Role of Religion in Peacemaking" (Des Moines, IA, USA)
(Iowareligiousfreedomday.org)

EVENT, 10 April 2025 (6PM ET): Justice For All: Faith Leaders and the Non-Violent Fight Against Poverty (Grand Rapids, MI, USA)
(Grand Valley State University)

EVENT, 10 April 2025: Religion in Southeast Asia: Buddhism and Islam (Killeen, TX, USA)
(Texas A&M-Central Texas)

Wednesday, 9 April 2025

Egypt: Why Christians face persecution in Egypt and how there’s hope
(Lizzie Francis Brink, ADF International)

Australia: Multi-faith cemetery hailed as important step
(Cath News)

VIRTUAL EVENT, 9 April 2025: Exploring Law, Religion, and Human Rights in Nigeria
(International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies)

EVENT, 9 April 2025 (7PM MT): Religion, Democracy and Truth: A Conversation with David French (Tempe AZ, USA)
(Arizona State University)

DHS to begin screening aliens’ social media activity for antisemitism
(U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

Arizona man convicted of crimes arising out of plot targeting Christian churches
(U.S. Department of Justice)

KS governor vetoes bill to protect families, organizations from religious discrimination in adoption and foster care
(Alliance Defending Freedom)

Sacred sites as a new way to advance pluralism and human rights
(Knox Thames, Open Global Rights)

The future is upon us: Faith & Civil Society in Global Solutions | 11th Annual Symposium
(YouTube Video, World Council of Churches)

The Taliban say the case of a detained British couple will be decided under Islamic law
(Associated Press)

Nicaragua’s crackdown on the Catholic Church is worsening, exiles and human rights advocates say
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)

Federal judge stops discriminatory action against Chinese- and Taiwanese-American church
(First Liberty)

Colombia appoints allegedly fake rabbi, an anti-Zionist, as director of religious affairs
(Grace Gilson, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The impossible task of defining religion
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future
(John Kasich, Zondervan)

Kazakhstan: 15-month criminal investigation of anti-war priest
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

Catholics now outnumber Anglicans among Gen Z in the UK, study suggests
(Jonah McKeown, Catholic News Agency)

King Charles and Queen Camilla pay recovering Pope Francis surprise visit
(Angela Giuffrida, The Guardian)

Far-right group visit to mosque site condemned
(BBC)

Faculty & planning requirements: illumination of churches
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Kazakhstan textbooks promote tolerance, respect for Judaism, Israel - IMPACT report finds
(The Jerusalem Post)

Estonia approves law obligating local Orthodox Church to sever relations with Moscow Patriarchate
(Interfax)

Catholic fraternal pluralism and respect for conscience
(Matthew P. Cavedon, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

5 religious freedom cases loom large as SCOTUS decisions draw closer
(Scott Barkley, Religion Unplugged)

Proposed Texas religious freedom commission appealing, but potentially harmful
(Paul Marshall, Religion Unplugged)

Pakistan: Religious minorities missing in Pakistan’s Islam-heavy textbooks
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Malaysian court affirms no unilateral conversion of Hindu mom’s kids
(Joseph Masilamany, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Nicaragua: No matter how hard it tries, the Nicaraguan government cannot make the evidence of its human rights violations disappear
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

How Americans view Israel and the Israel-Hamas war at the start of Trump’s second term
(Laura Silver, Pew Research Center)

Brazil: Moraes says that religious assistance to prisoners is provided for in the Constitution (Portuguese)
(Migalhas)

Puerto Rico: Senate approves religious freedom bill (Spanish)
(Telemundo)

Churches in Geneva struggle with new requirement on relation to state
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)

German politicians urged to heed role of religious freedom commissioner
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)

UGCC Head Meets with Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine
(Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)

Freedom of conscience and democratic depth
(X. Manuel Suárez, Evangelical Focus)

‘Finding bridges’: Rome conference looks at religion and social cohesion
(Joseph Tulloch, Vatican News)

Religious freedom must be maintained during protests
(Editorial Board, Seattle Times)

EU scraps equality law in win for freedom of conscience
(Adina Portaru, The European Conservative)

Religious freedom: Vera Jardim calls for interfaith worship spaces in Lisbon's urban planning (Portuguese)
(Ecclesia)

Monday, 7 April 2025

After Trump funding cuts, U.S. Catholic Church ends resettlement work
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)

Around the web - 7 April 2025
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

Religious studies might enter Bulgaria’s school curriculum
(Sofia News Agency)

United Arab Emirates: Recognizing youth as protagonists of social change
(Bahá’í World News Service)

UN Commission for Social Development: BIC highlights spiritual foundations necessary for social prosperity
(Bahá’í World News Service)

Ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths: a call to interfaith action
(Religions for Peace)

Articles of interest - 7 April 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Pennsylvania faith groups build altar at ICE office in protest of immigration arrests
(Reina Coulibaly, Religion News Service)

Exposing the hidden web of religious discrimination in government funding
(Michael A. Helfand and Nicole Stelle Garnett, City Journal, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research)

China’s new religion laws a ‘pretext’ for arrests, clerics say
(Ed Condon, The Pillar)

Polish EU Presidency: European churches meet with Adam Szłapka
(Conference of European Churches)

DR Congo’s religious ID drive sparks clash between clergy, justice ministry
(Prisca Materanya, La Croix International)

CAIR-DFW, Muslim, Jewish, Christian faith leaders to condemn attacks on Muslim community development in N. Texas
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)

AG Campbell asks U.S. Supreme Court to reject taxpayer-funded religious charter school
(John L. Micek, Mass Live)

Oklahoma faith leaders, education advocates, and parents urge Supreme Court to block nation’s first religious public charter school
(ACLU)

Metropolitan of Chalcedon condemns total alignment of Patriarch of Moscow with the Kremlin
(Orthodox Times)

India: What Supreme Court said on request for urgent listing of petitions against Waqf Amendment Act
(Bar and Bench)

Attorney General Mayes joins coalition urging U.S. Supreme Court to reject the creation of a taxpayer-funded religious charter school
(Arizona Attorney General)

Czech state comes knocking on door of Jehovah’s Witnesses with deregistration threat
(Jules Eisenchteter, Balkan Insight)

Church Reporter, Vol. 10, 29 March 2025
(Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice – Mšeno)

Miami delegation meets with legislators in Tallahassee to raise awareness about human life and dignity
(Priscilla Greear, Archdiocese of Miami)

Australia: Religious leaders in cry for freedoms
(The Australian)

The UK and global freedom of religion or belief
(House of Commons Library)

Law and religion roundup – 6th April
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Equality regulator engages Scottish Government and NHS Fife regarding staff access to single sex facilities
(Equality and Human Rights Commission)

Campaigner defiant over abortion clinic breach
(BBC)

Friday, 4 April 2025

EVENT, 4 April 2025 (12PM ET): Is Religious Liberty Compatible with Progress? (Washington, DC, USA)
(Richard Samuelson, Faith & Law)

Trial court's refusal to delay civil trial because of Yom Kippur is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Peru: Church criticizes “anti-NGO” bill in Peru
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Philippines: Bishops join case at Philippines’ top court to stop political dynasties
(Joseph San Mateo, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

The religious significance of Trump’s tariffs
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

The Trump Administration must defend Syria’s Christians
(Luma Simms, First Things)

Post-election data shows nonreligious population in U.S. has plateaued
(Tessa Gervasini, Catholic News Agency)

U.S. Justice Department files statement supporting Anchor Stone Christian Church
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)

Religious elements of the Sudanese civil war
(Christopher Tounsel, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

Harvard Divinity School pauses religion and conflict educational initiative, cuts its staff
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)

European Parliament urges the unconditional release of Baha’i prisoner of conscience Mahvash Sabet
(Bahá’í International Community)

Turkiye condemns Israel's raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque
(Middle East Monitor)

The Muslim World League condemns Israeli Minister’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and attack on UNRWA clinic
(Muslim World League)

Malaysia avoids a religious firestorm
(Lim Teck Ghee, Eurasia Review)

International law cannot endure without human rights
(Diane Desierto, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Athletes frustrated as France mulls Muslim headscarf ban in sport
(France 24)

NZ: Chief Human Rights Commissioner apologises to Muslim community
(Radio New Zealand)

At symposium, faith actors and global institutions “find the sun” together
(World Council of Churches)

Polish RC bishops resist new restrictions on voluntary school religion
(Jonathan Luxmoore, Church Times)

Judge skeptical of multi-faith coalition effort to block ICE raids on places of worship
(Ryan Knappenberger, Courthouse News Service)

China’s new religious restrictions severely limit foreign missionary activity
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

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