Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 14 June 2024

Kenya bishops say proposed tax increases would punish the poor
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Success of German far-right party in EU election has many Jews hearing echoes of Nazi past
(Toby Axelrod, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to address a G7 summit, raising alarm about AI. The G7 responds
(Nicole Winfield and Kelvin Chan, Associated Press)

Saudi Arabia: Hajj proves religion can inspire peace
(Shaykh M A Kholwadia, Al Jazeera)

Religious freedom is in danger around the world
(Frank R. Wolf, National Review)

Members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches meet with G7 ambassadors
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Professor Mar Leal, from University of Seville, stated that religious freedom must be protected and not given for granted
(The European Times)

India: Fresh wave of violence erupts against Christians in the Indian state of Manipur
(Ganesh Rajaraman, Religion Unplugged)

Defending Palestine a sacred jihad, Muslim scholars reiterate
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Australia: Proposed religious discrimination laws proving unpopular in Australia
(David Goodwin, Christian Today)

Top US bishop worries Catholic border services for migrants might be imperiled by government action
(Holly Meyer, Associated Press)

117th Congress IRF Congressional Scorecard
(IRF Secretariat)

Secret recording puts spotlight on Alito's strong conservative views on religious issues
(Lawrence Hurley, NBC News)

Thursday, 13 June 2024

EVENT, 13-14 June 2024: Annual Conference 2024: The Coptic Problem: Hatred based on Religion (Sprinfield, VA, USA)
(Coptic Solidarity)

Harvest Ministries seeks ruling its Charter rights infringed when rally cancelled
(Anna Farrow, The Catholic Register)

Wednesday, 12 June 2024

Catholic parish defends religious mission from state officials
(Becket)

French government accused of discrimination against its own athletes with Olympics hijab ban
(Maya Oppenheim, The Independent)

Israel’s Knesset advances contentious ultra-Orthodox conscription law
(Al Jazeera)

Israel: How a Palestinian/Jewish village in Israel changed after October 7th (on interfaith dialogue)
(Masha Gessen, The New Yorker)

Israel: Despite Israel’s isolation, large Christian delegation sees nations embrace the Jewish state
(Felice Friedson and Giorgia Valente, The Jerusalem Post)

WCC calls for a permanent ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access in Gaza
(World Council of Churches)

Sudan: WCC reiterates solidarity with Sudan, lifts up vulnerable people
(World Council of Churches)

EVENT, 12 June 2024 (6PM ET): RFI Open House: Launch of the 2023 Impact Report (Washington, DC, USA)
(Religious Freedom Institute)

HYBRID EVENT, 12 June 2024 (9AM GMT+2): Promoting Religious Freedom and Tolerance: A Discussion on the Danish Initiative in Indonesia (Copenhagen, Denmark)
(Ministry of Religious Affairs Indonesia, Center for Church-Based Development (CKU), Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI/CCI), International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD))

Nigeria: ‘They realised their guns weren’t fast enough’
(Jonathan Downing, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Pathways to peace: Responding to war in meaningful ways (video)
(Lydia Funck, Conference of European Churches)

Should faith groups have a say in the future of space travel?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

Calling faith critical to higher education, educators launch new Commission on Faith-based Universities
(Tad Walch, Deseret News)

Vatican official: Hundreds of millions of Christians ‘face high levels of persecution’
(Andrés Henríquez, Catholic News Agency)

Should states control religious liberty? A conference in Rome
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter)

New law mandates school release for religious classes, including Satanic Teachings
(Grant Palmer, Fox 25)

At second-ever global convening, Zoroastrian youth seek a more connected future
(Dina Katgara, Religion News Service)

Probe launched after Jewish student group omitted from New Jersey high school yearbook
(Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press)

How Wisconsin faith leaders are tending to complex interfaith work
(Phil Haslanger, Interfaith America)

Australia: The government is drafting anti-hate speech laws. Here are 4 things they should include
(Nicole Shackleton, The Conversation)

Pakistan army promotes first Christian woman to brigadier general
(Arshad Mehmood, The Jerusalem Post)

'Pedophile rabbi': UCLA Chabad rabbi assaulted, told to go back to Poland
(Michael Starr, The Jerusalem Post)

Around the web - 11 June 2024
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)

State funding of only secular home-school materials upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Georgia: Government's "real purpose" not to ensure public transparency "but to exert control"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

Indonesian court jails comedian for joking about the name Muhammad
(Reuters)

Maryland Parental Power Summit inspires and educates
(Religious Freedom Institute)

FFRF calls out Texas school district for bible distribution
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)

Bishops urge EU leaders to tackle voter disillusionment following elections
(AC Wimmer, Catholic News Agency)

Congressional leaders form task force to counter Project 2025 and defend democracy
(Jared Huffman, U.S. House of Representatives)

Canada: RCMP official calls for debate on hate speech law after probe of controversial imam ends without charges
(Daniel Leblanc, CBC News)

Religious Freedom Week 2024: Called to the Fullness of Dignity
(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

NZ: Auckland Tibetan Association calls on PM Luxon to raise Tibet during the Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to New Zealand
(Central Tibetan Administration)

Bolivia: Following forced closure of Catholic Teachers College, Bishops sue Bolivian state, take case to international human rights enforcer
(ADF International)

The EEOC’s disdain for religion
(Rachel N. Morrison, National Review)

EEOC’s disdain for religion — Part II
(Rachel N. Morrison, National Review)

In the eyes of the Cuban government, leading a church can make you a threat to national security
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Monday, 10 June 2024

Essay series: Obama’s Cairo speech at 15
(Katherine Marshall, Rob Lalka, Afeefa Syeed, Mustafa Akyol, Judd Birdsall, and H. A. Hellyer, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

South Africa: Saffron in the rainbow nation: Hindu nationalism’s presence in South Africa
(Nikhil Mandalaparthy, Religion Unplugged)

S. African bishops urge politicians - 'work together' - after governing party loses 30-year long majority
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Ombudsman warns jails to protect inmates’ religious rights
(Jack O'Connor, Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Vol 3 No 1 (2024): January-June, 2024
(The Contemporary Issues on Interfaith Law and Society)

Canada: Muslim advocacy group blasts Quebec secularism law in front of Commons committee
(Raffy Boudjikanian, CBC News)

Saudi Arabia condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials, and extremist settlers
(Arab News)

Statement on storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
(X, Muslim World League)

Pakistan: USCIRF troubled by violence against Christians in Pakistan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Canada: Proposals to Strengthen MAiD Safeguards and Oversight
(Cardus)

India: Anti-conversion acts and the criminalisation of interfaith marriages
(Acharaj Kaur Tuteja, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Religiophobia or Islamophobia? Deciphering India’s inconsistency
(Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Shafaq Zernab, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

The function of legal ritual in the Peace Palace
(Valentin Jeutner, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)

Church Reporter, Vol. 9, 27 May 2024
(Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice)

Myanmar: Forging genuine unity amidst deep conflict in Myanmar: Prospects and challenges
(Naw Dii, Institute for Global Engagement)

Airline lawyers spared religious liberty training in case about flight attendant’s abortion views
(Kevin McGill, Associated Press)

Judge dismisses Native American challenge to $10B SunZia energy transmission project in Arizona
(Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press)

The Supreme Mufti of Crimea and the Mufti of the RAMU "Ummah" of Ukraine called on Muslim countries to support the Peace Summit
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Uzbekistan: No religious freedom for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Protestants & Muslims denied registration
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Judges on social media: freedom of expression versus duty of judicial restraint – lessons from Danilet v. Romania
(Koen Lemmens, Strasbourg Observers)

Catholic parish stands up for its religious mission in court
(Becket)

Notre Dame Religious Liberty Clinic represents coalition of faiths in support of rights of prisoners before U.S. Supreme Court
(University of Notre Dame Law School)

Founding of the Ireland InterFaith Business Network
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Mozambique: Locals tell stories of Christians killed for their faith: “They are our martyrs”
(João Vissesse, ACI Africa)

In secular France, chaplains prepare to provide Olympians with spiritual support during the Games
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)

Articles of interest
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Foster-care and the paramountcy of child welfare in religious disputes
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Bishop of Shrewsbury urges Catholics to vote against assisted suicide
(Diocese of Shrewsbury)

Law and religion roundup – 9th June
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

UN: Uzbek atrocity apologist elected to UN Human Rights Committee
(Aaron Rhodes, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Christian party loses one seat in EP elections
(Christian Network Europe)

Australia: Archbishop warns of religious freedom erosion in Australia, calls for ‘saints for our time’
(AC Wimmer, Catholic News Agency)

Los Angeles County gives fire captain partial religious exemption in gay pride flag dispute
(Daniel Payne, Catholic News Agency)

Turkey, Constitutional Court: Expulsion of Protestant leaders does not violate freedom of faith
(Asia News)

Cuba: PCC prohibits Corpus Christi procession in Nueva Paz, Mayabeque (Spanish)
(Kike Perdomo, Cuba Trendings)

Cuba: Priest banned from ringing bells in protest over Cuban crisis (Spanish)
(Eduardo Berdejo, ACI Prensa)

Indonesia: Leimena Institute participates in Raimuna V BPK Penabur (Indonesian)
(Institut Leimena News)

Indonesia promotes cross-cultural religious literacy at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague (Indonesian)
(Institut Leimena News)

Friday, 7 June 2024

WEBINAR, 7 June 2024 (11AM ET): Addressing Polarisation through Interfaith Dialogue
(United Religions Initiative)

Faith-based funding can help protect democracy
(Kristen Cambell, Aaron Dorfman and Josh Rolnick, Inside Philanthropy)

Rice’s Boniuk Institute hosts global scholars to promote religious tolerance
(Rice University)

Nigeria: Faith leaders and community in Nigeria: An antidote to violent extremism
(Shefiu Abdulkareem Majemu and Olimma Adinwenka Nueka, The United States Institute of Peace)

European students are calling on their colleges to divest from Israel. In many cases, they’re winning.
(Shira Li Bartov, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Interreligious friendships are consolation amid wars, pope says
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic Review)

Indonesia law giving religious groups mining permits slammed
(AFP, Union of Catholic Asian News)

Australia: Facing religious discrimination at work? These are your options
(SBS)

Turkish man officially changes religion to exempt child from mandatory Islamic lessons
(Stockholm Center for Freedom)

Egypt: Religious freedom advocates call on Egypt to release detained Christians accused of ‘terrorism’ for peaceful engagement on Facebook
(ADF International)

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