Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 17 February 2025
Bills supporting religion in North Dakota public schools could test First Amendment
(Mary Steurer, North Dakota Monitor)
Theft at religious sites reaches record levels
(Sofia Christou, ekathimerini)
The imperative of religion in the study of international relations
(Narendra Pachkhédé, Open Canada)
Missouri House passes anti-lockdown bill to stop government closing houses of worship
(Evy Lewis, KBIA)
The failure of femicide: ideology without justice. A comparative analysis with Biblical law (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Friday, 14 February 2025
Next week, Estonian Parliament to consider the bill to ban Moscow Patriarchate
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Verkhovna Rada establishes the National Day of Prayer
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Germany: Munich car ramming suspect had 'Islamist motive'
(Rana Taha and Kalika Mehta, Deutsche Welle)
PC(USA) joins religious freedom lawsuit challenging ICE enforcement actions in churches
(Presbyterian News Service)
Given Christianity's dominance in US, Trump raises eyebrows with anti-Christian bias initiative
(Peter Smith, Associated Press)
Vance visits the Dachau concentration camp memorial with Holocaust survivor before Zelenskyy meeting
(Aamer Madhani, Associated Press)
Congolese church leaders meet Rwanda-backed rebels in the east in latest push for peace
(Ruth Alonga, Associated Press)
Iraq’s top court throws out challenge to new laws, including one increasing Islamic courts authority
(Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press)
The American Religious Landscape: Facts, Trends, and the Future
(Ryan P. Burge, Oxford University Press)
The state of antisemitism in America 2024
(American Jewish Committee)
Refusal to sell generic cake for same-sex wedding reception violates California anti-discrimination law
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Designation of Catholic church as historic structure is enjoined
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
School worker sacked for LGBT+ posts wins appeal
(BBC)
Conduct, dismissal from employment and Articles 9 & 10 ECHR: Higgs v Farmor’s School again
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Tories call for ‘lifetime ban’ on Islamist ‘hate-preacher’ entering UK
(Claudia Savage, Independent)
Lawmakers, faith groups push bill to prevent ICE raids on churches, sensitive locations
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
Turkmenistan: Second conscientious objector sentenced to corrective labour
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Azerbaijan’s textbooks show increasing support for Israel and respect for Jews
(Michelle Rosenberg, Jewish News)
Historic agreement between Italy and the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy: A step forward for religious freedom
(The European Times)
Kenya: “No idols in our town”: Competing for religious space in Kisumu
(Esha Faki Mwinyihaji, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
KAICIID strengthens multi-faith and UN partnerships during outreach mission to New York
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
CAIR joins interfaith working group on foreign assistance letter on dismantling of USAID
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)
Afghanistan: Taliban say four injured in Samangan mosque blast
(Siyar Sirat, Amu TV)
COMECE President calls for urgent EU action amid catastrophic crisis in DRC
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest February 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Continuing attacks on religious freedom in the West
(Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)
RFI President speaks at the Religious Freedom in America Conference
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Brazil: Project allows religious rites to be held in schools during class breaks (Portuguese)
(Murilo Souza, Agência Câmara de Notícias)
Brazil: Crimes of religious discrimination will have standardized investigations in the Federal District (Portuguese)
(SSPDF, EG News)
Brazil: Religious proselytism (Portuguese)
(Erick Wilson Pereira, Tribuna do Norte)
Nicaragua: Religious freedom: the fundamental right that autocrats fear most (Spanish)
(Felix Maradiaga, Mirada Sur)
HRC58: Written submission on FoRB in Mexico
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
HRC58: Written submission on FoRB and religious leaders in Colombia
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
How to cultivate religiously inclusive workplaces
(Interfaith America)
Patriarch of Serbia dicussed Kosovo and religious freedom with Jean-François Colosimo
(Orthodox Times)
Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Meir Soloveichik elected as USCIRF Vice Chair
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Government drops plan to remove faith cap for free school entry
(Simon Rocker, The Jewish Chronicle)
Now the UK has a new Special Envoy, what does that mean for freedom of religion or belief?
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Saudi Arabia: Personal Status Law and the end of secret divorce
(Beata Polok and Zubair Abbasi, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Saudi Arabia: Cultural and religious influences in Saudi Arabia’s state law: A case study on countering drug trafficking
(London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Iraq: The monastery healing religious divides
(Joseph Tulloch, Vatican News)
Iraq: When dignity, not labels, defines a people
(Christian Science Monitor)
The Head of the UGCC and Timothy Snyder to give a lecture on war, religion and ethics in Toronto
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Sri Lanka: Muslims fail to return to their homes in war-torn provinces
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)
Training empowers churches for legal action to accelerate climate solutions
(World Council of Churches)
Germany sees rise in Islamophobic crimes
(Anadolu Agency)
A Supreme Court case could pave the way for publicly funded Jewish day schools
(Asaf Elia-Shalev, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Russian church in Czechia transferred into ownership of Hungarian Diocese
(HungaryToday)
India: Urdu-speaking Muslims and their linguistic marginality in Kolkata
(London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
India: Report 2024: Hate speech events
(India Hate Lab, Centre for the Study of Organized Hate)
India: The Anti-Conversion Law of Rajasthan: A threat to individual liberty and religious freedom
(Citizens for Justice and Peace)
Australia: The new laws designed to curb hate speech in NSW and why they have sparked criticism
(Alexander Lewis, ABC News Australia)
Incoming Austrian government to crack down on those “unwilling to integrate”
(Zoltán Kottász, The European Conservative)
US needs to recognize China’s genocide in Tibet
(Tenzin Dickyi and Tenzin Pema, Radio Free Asia)
Programme connects European cities to better manage religious tolerance
(Evangelical Focus)
Japan should stop persecuting the Family Federation: Voices from the IRF Summit 2025
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)
A call to action: upholding human dignity in a changing world
(El Hassan Bin Talal, Modern Diplomacy)
Public schools, transgender rights and religious freedom
(Freedom Forum)
Venezuela: Evangelical Council of Venezuela reaffirms commitment to religious freedom, separation of Church and state
(Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily)
Uzbekistan advances draft law on religious policy
(Sadokat Jalolova, The Times of Central Asia)
The contradictions of religion and politics in Southeast Asia
(David Hutt, The Diplomat)
Monday, 10 February 2025
Nepalese oppose multi-million cable car project on sacred hill
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Nepalese government detains, questions 17 U.S citizens on proselytization charges
(International Christian Concern)
Never again, but not for the Uyghurs: a shameful omission
(Rahima Mahmut, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Why the Ninth Circuit unanimously tossed the Huntsman tithing lawsuit
(William C. Duncan, Sutherland Institute)
Christian Nationalism across all 50 states: Insights from PRRI's 2024 American Values Atlas
(PRRI)
Attacks on Catholics, Lutherans suggest new Trump approach on religion
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)
Antisemitism goes beyond overt acts of hate – subtle forms of bias take their toll, too
(Mareike Riedel, The Conversation)
Around the web - 10 February 2025
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
What’s religion got to do with it? A British approach to religious engagement
(London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Law and religion roundup – 9th February
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Voodoo, religion and employment law: Wint v Walsall MBC
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Church of England due to begin overhaul of safeguarding system
(Reuters)
Aiding the Amish
(Harvard Law School)
Statement regarding the people of the Gaza Strip
(Muslim World League)
Ukraine sentences Vitalii Kryushenko to three years in prison for conscientious objection
(Jehovah's Witnesses)
Trump won’t block immigration arrests in houses of worship. Now these 27 religious groups are suing
(David Crary, Associated Press)
Pope rebukes Trump administration over migrant deportations, and appears to take direct aim at Vance
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Evangelist can move ahead with free speech claim against officer who arrested him at pride festival
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Differential school bussing for parochial school students does not violate Free Exercise or Equal Protection clauses
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court rules on pre-trial motions by defendant charged with obstruction by force of religious free exercise
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Articles of interest - 10 February 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Pope Francis reminds armed forces only to act for defense and always respect international laws
(Associated Press)
Russia: Multiple trials, convictions, for criticising invasion of Ukraine
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
China: Hui Christian pastor charged and tried for 'organising illegal gatherings'
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
China hopes Dalai Lama can 'return to right path', his team rejects preconditions
(Colleen Howe and Krishna N. Das, Reuters)
Trial of 2020 deadly church attack in Nice opens
(Christophe Ayad, Le Monde)
WCC welcomes decision by Israel’s Supreme Court as a sign of hope and that peace is Possible
(World Council of Churches)
Bangladesh: Islamic resurgence, shift in national identity and rising tensions with India – analysis
(Allen David Simon, Eurasia Review)
India: IAS officers’ religious role raises secular concerns
(Sabrang)
Irish Bishops: Healthcare should never lose sight of human dignity
(Lisa Zengarini, Vatican News)
Argentina: Trials in absentia: why should the Jewish community support it? (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Lusophone Alliance wants to fight for religious freedom where it still suffers limitations (Portuguese)
(António Marujo, 7 Margens)
Brazil: Entity wants inclusion of Yoruba symbol in the STF, after approval of crucifix in public buildings (Portuguese)
(Lauro Jardim, Bom Dia Advogado)
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