Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 21 March 2025
Video: Religion and just peace: The fog of religious conflict: Can the fog lift?
(Religion and Public Life, Harvard Divinity School)
GOP legislators want religious chaplains in public schools
(Howard Fischer, Arizona Capitol Times)
Brazil: Combating religious intolerance: What is the role of schools? (Portuguese)
(Globo)
Brazil: Influencer is convicted for linking floods in RS to African-based religions (Portuguese)
(Conjur)
Violation of religious freedom and the rise of Islamophobia in Spain (Spanish)
(Malagaldia)
Thursday, 20 March 2025
EVENT, 20 March 2025 (11AM ET): The 26th Annual Dialogues on Nonviolence, Religion, and Peace (Notre Dame, IN, USA)
(Emilce Cuda, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies)
EVENT, 20 March 2025: Morton-Kenney Public Affairs Lecture (Carbondale, IL, USA)
(Paul A. Djupe, Southern Illinois University)
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
WEBINAR, 19 March 2025 (10:30AM ET): Religious Freedom Under Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
EVENT, 19 March 2025: Radicalization and Religious Responses Post-Global War on Terror (Washington, DC, USA)
(Adam Garfinkle and Ibrahim Anli, International Center for Religion & Diplomacy)
Why Muslims in war-torn Kosovo are turning to Catholicism
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)
Changing the conversation about religious freedom: An integral human development approach
(Fabio Petito, Scott Appleby, Silvio Ferrari, and Michael Driessen, Atlantic Council)
Suit asks to uphold religious freedom
(Michael Danner, Anabaptist World)
Religious freedom vs. health care access: How faith influences health care in Washington and Idaho
(Emma Maple, Northwest Public Broadcasting)
“California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation” Law: What qualifies as intimidation?
(Brooke A. Clarke, The National Law Review)
Freedom of Religion Roundtable set for May 1 in Kennesaw
(The Christian Index)
Supreme Court will take up state bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children, in a Colorado case
(Mark Sherman, Associated Press)
Ramadan behind bars should be a holy time, Muslim advocates say, not a fight for religious rights
(Fiona André, Religion News Service)
These nuns advocated for immigrant rights for 40 years — now in their 90s, they’re not slowing down
(Jessie Wardarski, Associated Press)
Why are Southern Baptists still arguing about women preachers?
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
"Russia uses religion as one of the key tools of hybrid warfare" - Resolution of International Conference
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Russia bans local church publication as "extremist"
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Protestant denominations try new ideas as they face declines in members and money
(Peter Smith, Associated Press)
Justices allow Louisiana to execute Buddhist over religious freedom claim
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
Louisiana executes inmate with nitrogen gas method after narrow Supreme Court decision
(Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today)
Mandatory prayer time in Texas public schools advances in Senate
(Nolan D. McCaskill, The Dallas Morning News)
Hungary's parliament passes law banning LGBTQ+ pride events
(Roshni Majumdar, Deutsche Welle)
US judge blocks Trump's transgender military ban
(Brendan Pierson and Jack Queen, Reuters)
Christian Nationalism and Hispanic Americans: unpacking the data
(Anita Huízar-Hernández, PRRI)
Charting new paths to pluralism
(Templeton Religion Trust)
Here's a look at the various legal battles faith groups are fighting against the Trump administration
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Nigerian faith leaders appeal to US to pressure their country on religious violence
(Fredrick Nzwili, Religion News Service)
Court upholds california's repeal of personal belief exemption from school vaccination mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Justice Department in policy change files amicus brief supporting religious charter school
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
RLUIPA and free exercise claims rejected in suit by Native American who held religious objections to blood alcohol test
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
At the king of Jordan's interfaith iftar, Orthodox and Catholic leaders attack Christian Zionism
(Daoud Kuttab, Religion News Service)
Canada: Important concerns regarding Recommendations 429 and 430 on charitable status
(Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops)
China: The repression of FoRB in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous region
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
China: Why the choice of the next Dalai Lama is such a sensitive issue for Beijing
(Yuanyue Dang, South China Morning Post)
Government extends Lord Mann’s role as antisemitism adviser for further six months
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)
Indonesian religious leaders oppose military law revision
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Response to Welfare Reform announcements
(The Church of England)
Justice Department condemns UCLA for Jew exclusion in groundbreaking court filing
(Becket)
EU: One in two Muslims are victims of discrimination in daily life
(United Nations)
The Committee of Ministers strongly urges Georgia to fight against discrimination and hate crime in line with its European Convention commitments
(Council of Europe)
South Korea's firebrand pastors flock to impeached president's cause
(Hyunsu Yim, Reuters)
Brazil: Municipal policy in Natal will address religious freedom and combats intolerance (Portuguese)
(Neilla Souza, Gazeta do RN)
Forging Paths to Peace: Safeguarding Heritage, Preserving Peace at Mafra Dialogues 2025
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Monday, 17 March 2025
Canadian officials, Muslim leaders call for action against Islamophobia
(Canadian Press)
Iraq’s representative statement to UN General Assembly on International Day to Combat Islamophobia
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Iraq)
Iraq: Addressing the precarious religious freedom in Iraq
(Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)
Ambassador Rashad Hussain joins the Institute for Global Engagement as Distinguished Senior Fellow
(Institute for Global Engagement)
Iran’s religious minorities face ‘systemic discrimination, arbitrary detention, unfair trials’ – UN Rapporteur
(Article 18)
Diverse coalition defends religious freedom at U.S. Supreme Court
(Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic, Notre Dame Law School)
Announcement of a visa restriction policy to address the forced return of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic or religious groups with protection concerns to China
(Marco Rubio, U.S. Department of State)
Around the web - 17 March 2025
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Public Reason and Injustice: Analysing Rawls’ and Habermas’ Requirements for the Introduction of Religious Arguments into Public Discourse
(Roberto Luppi, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Protecting Conscientious Choices in National Legislation and EU Non-Discrimination Law: The Case Study of Ireland
(Marta Lasek-Markey, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
‘Face of evil’: Catholic Church named after St. Patrick vandalized with Satanic message
(Peter Pinedo, Fox News)
Can charities serve both God and Trump?
(Ken Chitwood, Foreign Policy)
Can it be five years? Reflecting on the living legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic
(Katherine Marshall, Wilma Z. Mui, Olivia Wilkinson, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
French bishops publish major study to boost interest in faith, help save churches
(Caroline de Sury, OSV News)
OIC General Secretariat welcomes negotiations between the Azerbaijan and Armenia
(Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)
Southern California Hindu temple desecrated with anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti calls for peace
(Deepa Bharath, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 17 March 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
World peace to be prayed for at Mass on Saint Patrick’s Day – Bishops
(Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference)
Religious, not political: Deported Brown University professor Rasha Alawieh on why she had Hezbollah leaders' photos on phone
(Times of India)
Rabbi Mirvis pulls out of Israel antisemitism conference over far-right participation
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)
Deregistration attempt of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway declared invalid by the Court of Appeal
(Willy Fautré, The European Times)
Senegal: Lent, Ramadan overlap becomes a call for unity in Senegal
(Charles Senghor, La Croix International)
As Islam grows in Russia, Muslim prisoners struggle to practise their faith
(Mansur Mirovalev, Al Jazeera)
IF20 FoRB meetings in South Africa
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution: Bimonthly Digest March 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China: The wolf in sheep’s skin: Promises and realities of religious freedom in China
(Grace Gaffet, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest March 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Idaho lawmaker wants to ‘cultivate’ morality through mandated public school Bible reading
(Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman)
"Sincere religious belief” is an evolving standard for psychedelic churches
(Jason Adelstone, Harris Sliwoski LLP)
India: Chhattisgarh assembly to intensify scrutiny on NGO-facilitated religious conversions
(Times of India)
Legal Journal Number 5 (20): March (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)
Religion and ideology: The irreducible as virtue (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Brazil: Christophobia is not a myth; it exists and needs to be fought in Brazil (Portuguese)
(Zizi Martins, Gazeta do Povo)
Saturday, 15 March 2025
CALL FOR PAPERS, deadline 15 March 2025: Cartographies of Conflict: Mapping New Pathways to Resolution
(Association for Conflict Resolution)
Friday, 14 March 2025
Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism to visit leadership of four big cities rocked by incidents of antisemitism
(U.S. Department of Justice)
Francesco. Twelve years later
(Antonio Autiero, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Reject bigotry and discrimination, UN chief says, urging everyone to combat Islamophobia
(UN News)
CALL FOR INPUTS, deadline 14 March 2025: Call for inputs for the country visit to Zambia
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Deputy Minister Prof. Muhammed Haron’s speech at the IF20 meetings in Pretoria
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
“Too much proximity to political power makes it impossible for the church to fulfil its role as a watchdog”
(Joel Forster, Evangelical Focus)
Vietnam: The Ministry of Public Security labeled BoatPeopleSOS as a terrorism-linked organization (video)
(Robert Řehák, X)
Christians denounce impact of mandatory church registrations in countries like Serbia and Turkey
(Evangelical Focus)
Ethics, Politics, and Natural Law: Principles for Human Flourishing
(Melissa Moschella, Notre Dame Press)
UN report warns Iran is stepping up electronic surveillance of women to enforce headscarf laws
(Jamey Keaten and Jon Gambrell, Associated Press)
Syrian leader signs constitution that puts the country under an Islamist group’s rule for 5 years
(Ghaith Alsayed and Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press)
The anniversary of the election of His Holiness Pope Francis
(Marco Rubio, U.S. Department of State)
Bishops in Africa object to ‘dirty money’ being given to churches
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Nigerian rights association petitions U.S. over Christian persecution
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Zelensky: Ukraine handed over a list of Ukrainian prisoners to the Vatican
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Supreme Court takes up challenge to Colorado ban on “conversion therapy”
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
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