Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 10 March 2025
Pakistani Christian girl’s forced marriage annulled in win for religious freedom
(ADF International)
Supreme Court turns down religious discrimination case over 2 justices' objections
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Friday, 7 March 2025
WEBINAR, 7 March 2025 ( 3PM CET): Accelerating Action through Freedom of Religion or Belief: Empowering Women and Girls
(European Union & International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution: Bimonthly Digest February 16-28
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
60 years after 'Bloody Sunday,' faith leaders are still key to the fight against racism
(Timothy Adkins-Jones and Serene Jones, Religion News Service)
Occupied Ukraine: Religious freedom survey, March 2025
(Felix Corley and John Kinahan, Forum 18 News Service)
Commons debate on safeguarding in the Church of England
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Blueberries, constitutional values, and educational equality: Religious activists on the purpose of public education
(Karey Harwood, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Scrutinizing Christian nationalism
(Mark David Hall, Miles Smith IV, and Daniel K. Williams, Law & Liberty)
Cannavacciuolo and Others v Italy: Towards applying a precautionary approach to the right to life
(Katia Hamann, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Sri Lankans ask court to save elephants from accidental death
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Malaysia: MCMC launches probe as Era FM announcers apologise over clip mocking Hindus, Thaipusam
(Yiswaree Palansamy, Malay Mail)
Kosovo police detain suspect for defacing Quran near mosque in Prizren
(Memaga Caglič, Balkan EU)
Ethiopia: Faith and ethical communities unite in Addis Ababa to champion reparative justice for Africans and people of African descent
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Syria: Francophone Catholic schools, the ignored soft power of Europe
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Nicaragua: Where are they? Carmen María Sáenz Martínez and Lesbia del Socorro Gutiérrez Poveda are prisoners of a regime solely interested in its own survival
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Religious parents ask Supreme Court to restore opt-outs for Pride storybooks
(Becket)
The Iranians stormed this church and forced its closure. But I’ll never forget the Christians I met there
(Tara Jamali, Premier Christianity)
A sudden fondness for free exercise
(Daniel R. Suhr, World)
Churches push for Cook Islands to be declared a Christian nation after mosque discovery
(Caleb Fotheringham, Radio New Zealand)
Religious freedom is a reflection of our commitment to dignity and justice
(Kimberly Luste Maran, North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church)
Beyond binaries: Gender-based persecution and LGBTQI+ rights in the OTP’s case against Taliban leaders
(Vinícius Alexandre Fortes de Barros, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
Pakistan: Win for Christian fraudulently “converted” by employer in attempted enslavement
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
‘Covenantal thinking created an American national identity’: Religious freedom in America
(Sydney Jezik, Deseret News)
‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’ and protections for reporting drug overdoses among new laws
(Nicky Ouellet and Jeff Victor, Wyoming Public Radio)
The Vatican brought together world experts to reflect on the end of the world (Spanish)
(Infobae)
Thursday, 6 March 2025
WEBINAR, 6 March 2025 (7PM GMT +7): Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy Series in Celebration of International Women's Day (Indonesian and English)
(Masjid Istiqlal and Institut Leimena)
EVENT, 6 March 2025: Inter-Religious Conference: Religious Tourism as a Path to Peace and Human Fraternity (Fátima, Portugal)
(International Workshops on Religious Tourism)
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
EU bishops call for European unity and solidarity with Ukraine amid geopolitical uncertainty
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
Presidential message on Ramadan
(The White House)
Justice Department files statement of interest in religious land use case in Clarion, Pennsylvania, alleging unequal treatment of religious assembly uses
(U.S. Department of Justice)
Islam and Statecraft: Religious Soft Power in the Arab Gulf States
(Jon Hoffman, Bloomsbury)
“Our starting point is the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” - Vatican Secretary for International Affairs
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Vatican secretary of state, Lithuanian president discuss Ukraine crisis
(Catholic Standard)
Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs praises Muslim Council of Elders' efforts in promoting dialogue, tolerance, coexistence
(Emirates News Agency WAM)
Another woman takes over a top job at the Vatican, this time running the city state administration
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Leading Myanmar opposition organization blames local resistance group for killing of Catholic priest
(Associated Press)
Türkiye catches Daesh terrorist plotting attack on synagogues
(Daily Sabah)
Rights advocate decries terrorism charges against high school girls for associating with peers
(Turkish Minute)
Faith groups, leaders push back against Trump’s immigration moves
(Samuel Benson, Deseret News)
Conference attendees urged to celebrate and cultivate virtues of religious freedom
(Church Newsroom)
‘Going with God,’ conservative Amish sue Ohio over lights law
(Erin Gottsacker, The Ohio Newsroom)
Utah Legislature considers religious freedom resolution
(Eva Terry, Deseret News)
Arab and Muslim voters helped deliver Michigan to Trump. They're not all happy so far
(Sarah McCammon, NPR)
The Canadian Guide to Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia: For a more inclusive Canada
(Office of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, Government of Canada)
Zimbabwe: Statement on the Church and the public space
(Zimbabwe Council of Churches)
Religious persecution is part of Russia’s battle plan
(Knox Thames, The Dispatch)
The Supreme Case of Päivi Räsänen after 6 years
(ADF International)
Uzbekistan issues new law on religious freedom
(Vladimir Rozanskij, Asia News)
March 2025 Newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)
Missouri regulation of church-run child care homes upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Government launches working group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia definition
(Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, GOV.UK)
The UK Government and defining “Islamophobia”
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Religion or Belief
(Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and David Smith, GOV.UK)
Nigerian Bishops call attention to school closures in some northern states during Ramadan
(Paul Samasumo, Vatican News)
Pakistan, Three Ahmadi mosques attacked in Punjab within ten days
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Texas Senate panel advances bill requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms
(Robert Downen, The Texas Tribune)
Georgia Senate Republicans pass religious freedom law, raising concerns about discrimination
(Ty Tagami, Marietta Daily Journal)
Alabama House committee to consider bill requiring academic credit for religious instruction
(Anna Barrett, Alabama Reflector)
Reason and values: The art of balance in religion, law and politics (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Monday, 3 March 2025
How Davos 2025 uncovered three big moments for religion, spirituality and values
(World Economic Forum)
How Christians are suffering extreme persecution around the world
(Jordan King, Newsweek)
Ex-Tory MP to lead review of Islamophobia definition
(Sam Francis, BBC)
Church leaders say increase in defence spending should not be at the cost of slashing international development assistance
(The Church of Scotland)
Law and religion roundup – 2nd March
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
NZ: Inspirational Muslim leader, mosque terror attack survivor announces move to Australia
(Anna Leask, New Zealand Herald)
Australia: NT's CLP government confirms plans to scrap Labor's hate speech changes
(Matt Garrick and Tilda Colling, Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Turkish Muslim council urges stronger mosque security in France
(Anadolu Agency)
Joint interfaith statement to the third meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
(Parliament of the World's Religions)
Canada: A new Ramadan sign went up at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. Here’s the story behind it
(Asma Sahebzada, The Toronto Star)
For Syria’s religious minorities, new freedoms, yet lingering insecurity
(Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor)
A Special Partnership: The Aga Khan and James D. Wolfensohn
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Articles of interest - 3 March 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
VP Vance prays for Pope Francis, turns cheek on political disputes
(Bart Jansen, USA Today)
A review of Vice President J.D. Vance’s remarks at the IRF Summit
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Indonesia: Flogging of gay men a horrifying act of discrimination
(Amnesty International)
France bans Muslim players from fasting during Ramadan
(Aymen Alami, Morocco World News)
China: Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly digest February 16-28
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Liberia: Supreme Court intervenes in United Methodist Church dispute, summons Judge Konto for conference
(Gerald C. Koinyeneh, Front Page Africa)
Nicaragua: New report finds situation of freedom of religion or belief continues to deteriorate
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Opinion: Miller v. McDonald (Amish vaccine ruling)
(Second Circuit Court of Appeals)
South Africa: State regulation of religion not the way to go: Freedom of Religion SA
(Ernest Mabuza, Times Live)
The debate over religion and football at Boise State University
(Gemma Gaudette, Boise State Public Radio)
IRFBA – The Article 18 Alliance Chair Statement: Three years of the devastating impact of the Russian war on Ukrainian individuals and faith communities
(The Article 18 Alliance)
Ukrainian religious leaders in the United States: We support meaningful dialogue, not as a concession to aggression, but as a necessary step toward securing a just peace
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Rhode Island man admits to setting multiple fires around the exterior of a church; assaulting federal officers
(U.S. Department of Justice)
Saturday, 1 March 2025
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS, deadline 1 March 2025: JRCLS Religious Liberty Fellowship
(J. Reuben Clark Law Society)
CALL FOR PAPERS, abstracts due 1 March 2025: Entangled Otherings (antisemitism, islamophobia, and other kinds of racism and discrimination)
(Cambridge Interfaith Programme)
Friday, 28 February 2025
Preaching hate: free speech, religion and the Human Rights Act
(Leo Kirby, UK Human Rights Blog)
CALL FOR INPUT, deadline 28 February 2025: Report on freedom of religion or belief and migrants, IDPs, and refugees
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
USCIRF releases updated recommendations on asylum seekers in expedited removal
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
On Theocratic Criminal Law: The Rule of Religion and Punishment in Iran
(Bahman Khodadadi, Oxford University Press)
Scottish police were right to arrest pro-lifer outside abortion facility, lawmaker says
(Matthew McDonald, National Catholic Register)
Arrest for vandalising a roadside cross and insulting religious feelings
(Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe)
Ohio ministry helping girls work through trauma of sex trafficking asks court to affirm its religious freedom
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
2025 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
(Council on Foreign Relations)
Iraq stresses ban on publicly breaking fast in Ramadan
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Pakistan: Suicide bomber kills senior cleric at pro-Taliban seminary in northwest Pakistan on eve of Ramadan
(Riaz Khan, Associated Press)
A German court sentences 2 Afghans to prison for plotting to attack the Swedish parliament
(Associated Press)
A Tunisian extremist is imprisoned for life for killing 3 people in a French basilica in 2020
(Nicolas Vaux-Montagny, Associated Press)
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