Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 28 April 2023
USCIRF condemns Russia’s closure of the SOVA Center
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
The Guardian view on Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine: breaking with Moscow
(The Guardian)
What should Americans know about each others’ faiths?
(Richard Ostling, Religion Unplugged)
Japan: ‘Forbidden religion’ rites to be preserved on video
(Bu Naritomo Kai, Star Advertiser)
Legal Spirits 050: Groff v. DeJoy and Religious Accommodation in the Workplace
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
OAA and Patmos Institute make submission to Universal Periodic Review of Cuba
(Outreach Aid to the Americas)
Pope in Hungary urges Europe to unite to end war next door
(Nicole Winfield and Justin Spike, Associated Press)
Ukraine ask pope’s help in getting children back from Russia
(Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press)
Is modern prophecy leading its followers to a religious state?
(Paul A. Djupe, Religion in Public: exploring the mix of sacred and secular)
New book: New Religious Movements and Science
(Stefano Bigliardi, Cambridge University Press)
Former cantor's claims against synagogue are dismissed
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
An Arizona lawmaker was caught on camera hiding Bibles. Here’s what happened next
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
60 years on, King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ relevant as ever, say faith leaders
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
LA’s Atheist Street Pirates go national in efforts to remove illegal religious signs
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
RFI holds first Statesmanship and Religious Freedom Seminar in Iraq
(Religious Freedom Institute)
In the news: breaking religious freedom stories across the country - 28 April 2023
(First Liberty)
Kenya: Faith group supports Archbishop Muheria’s call for audit of religious leaders
(Arnold Neliba, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Switzerland to erect first national memorial honoring Nazi victims
(Jackie Hajdenberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Feminine wisdom, sustainable peace, and unsung agency: contemporary Tibetan Bhikkhunī Saṇgha in exile as faith-based healers of conflict trauma (PDF)
(Sourajit Ghosh, Mindful Peace: A Religions for Peace blogspace)
ISB Statement: Percy -v- ISB Case Resolved
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
How King Charles’ coronation will be unlike any seen in England
(Catherine Pepinster, Religion News Service)
Charedi ‘forced’ marriage misunderstood in government faith engagement report
(Michelle Rosenberg, Jewish News)
Canada: TDSB trustees vote to develop strategy to combat Islamophobia
(CBC News)
WCC, Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue release joint communique from annual meeting
(World Council of Churches)
ND Law’s Religious Liberty Clinic participates in oral argument before the en banc Ninth Circuit to defend Oak Flat
(Arienne Calingo, University of Notre Dame Law School)
BC Law hosts talk on religious liberty, school choice
(Ryne Meloy, Boston College's Catholic Newspaper)
India: Free Pandharpur Vitthal Rukmini temple from Maharashtra govt.’s control: Subramanian Swamy
(The Hindu)
India: Taken conscious decision to not continue with religion-based quota: Karnataka to SC
(Devdiscourse)
India: Religions are not to be tolerated, but respected equally: Tibetan scholar
(The Hindu)
Oklahoma bill expanding religious freedom to government contracts heads to governor’s desk
(Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency)
Buenos Aires: CALIR's review of 2022 and plan for 2023 (Spanish)
(Twitter, Centro de Estudios sobre Derecho y Religión)
Thursday, 27 April 2023
VIRTUAL EVENT, 27 April 2023: European book club “We Should All Be Feminist” - Mariz Tadros
(European Network on Religion and Belief)
Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Will Tajikistan meaningfully engage on religious freedom?
(Nury Turkel and Eric Ueland, The Diplomat)
Yasmin church dispute reveals the tensions in Indonesia’s religious policy
(Paul Marshall, The Diplomat)
Research: German politicians are open about their faith
(Christian Network Europe)
Iranian Christian rights activist wins German prize
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
At Ökumenetag in Karlsruhe, former WCC general secretary reflects on reconciliation and unity
(World Council of Churches)
Frankfurt must allow Roger Waters performance, court says
(Deutsche Welle)
Ambassador Hussain’s travel to Israel and the West Bank
(U.S. Department of State)
Missouri to restrict gender-affirming care for trans adults this week
(Jason Rosenbaum, NPR)
California’s caste bias bill clears first legislative hurdle
(Deepa Bharath, Associated Press)
U.S. bishops urge officials to tackle root causes of border crisis
(John Lavenburg, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Gorsuch gets it wrong: Religious liberty & moral complicity
(Bernard G. Prusak, Commonweal)
Polish-Jewish group releases antisemitism report that shows steep increase in incidents compared to EU tally
(DINAH SPRITZER, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Muslim girls at Stuyvesant High School protest ‘immodest’ co-ed swim classes
(Susan Edelman, Joaquin Contreras and Georgia Worrell, New York Post)
Families of jailed Chinese human rights leaders press Biden for meetings
(Susan Crabtree, Real Clear Politics)
The religious right has never been smaller or more powerful
(Eric Levitz, Intelligencer)
Islamist antisemitism in the United States
(Yehudit Barsky and Ehud Rosen, The Institute for National Security Studies)
What's behind the church vandalism in France?
(Pierre Bienvault, La Croix International)
Catholics and evangelicals plan to pray for, not protest against, ‘SatanCon’ in Boston
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Israeli Police disrupt interrupt prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque
(Al Quds)
Swedish EU Presidency | COMECE participates in high-level meeting on loneliness held by Minister Forssmed
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
SatanCon, poking at religion and government, opens this weekend in Boston
(Dennis Romero, NBC News)
ND Law’s Religious Liberty Clinic files amicus brief in the Colombian Constitutional Court
(University of Notre Dame Law School)
Unpacking peace: CEC webinar fosters an honest exchange about the war in Ukraine
(Conference of European Churches)
As Danish law proposing mandatory translation of sermons is scrapped, CEC sees a win for human rights
(Conference of European Churches)
Foreign mining giants enter legal fight to seize sacred Native land
(Becket)
CCP establishes committee to advance the Sinicization of Christianity
(ChinaAid)
Australia: It’s ‘Groundhog Day’ for the Religious Discrimination Bill
(Greg Bondar, The Spectator)
Bankruptcy court rejects sex abuse claims arising outside boundaries of diocese
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Here’s how the Corps will accommodate a Sikh recruit in boot camp
(Irene Loewenson, Marine Corps Times)
Russia: Jailed for meetings "to understand the Koran [and] strengthen his faith"
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Patriarch says Russians who don't serve country are 'internal enemies'
(Reuters)
Russian Baptist pastor convicted for “illegal missionary work”
(Evangelical Focus)
Do we have an obligation to address injustices abroad?
(Jakub Grygiel, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Philippine archbishop to promote peace in troubled region
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Netherlands: Muslims file UN complaint against parliament, citing discrimination
(Areeb Ullah, Middle East Eye)
WCC Annual Review 2022
(World Council of Churches)
The Respect for Marriage Act: Living Together Despite Our Deepest Differences
(Doug Laycock, Carl Esbeck, Robin Wilson, and Thomas Berg, SSRN)
Maine’s “massive resistance” to religious freedom continues
(Thomas Jipping, The Heritage Foundation)
Pitting religious freedom against Sunday mail goes back to the founding
(Rebecca Graham, The Washington Post)
Kenyan bishops call for tighter religious regulations after ‘starvation cult’ deaths
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Government needs to better understand faith, independent review claims
(Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, GOV.UK)
Judgment: Trustees of the Barry Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Appellant) v BXB (Respondent)
(The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom)
Vicarious liability: Trustees of the Barry Congregation in the Supreme Court
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Does government ‘do God?’: recommendations of the Westminster Government’s Independent Faith Engagement Adviser
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Coffin sliding – urban myths vs the law
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
India: 'Religion-based quota unconstitutional': Karnataka government defends move to end Muslim quota in SC
(Ashish Tripathi, Deccan Herald)
Chile: Builders of peace, sowers of hope (Spanish)
(Conferencia Episcopal de Chile)
Paraguay: Church urges citizens to vote and not sell their conscience (Spanish)
(ABC)
Tuesday, 25 April 2023
VIRTUAL EVENT, 25-27 April 2023: Swords into Plowshares: Achieving Enough for All & Pursuing Peace
(Ecumenical Advocacy Days)
EVENT, 25 April 2023 (5:30PM in London): Freedom of Religion or Belief in Tibet
(UK Parliament)
Monday, 24 April 2023
Sacralization of AI
(Yulia Razmetaeva, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
WEBINAR, 24 April 2023 (3PM in Brussels): The role of faith-based actors in political processes – comparative experiences and implications regarding Ukraine and Russia
(Conference of European Churches)
EVENT, 24 April 2023 (6PM EDT): Human Dignity and the Migration Crisis at the U.S. Southern Border (Washington, DC)
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 24 April 2023: The Ecumenical Day for the Abducted and the Forcibly Absented
(The Middle East Council of Churches)
MOTION for a resolution on the risk of death penalty and execution of singer Yahaya Sharif Aminu for blasphemy in Nigeria
(Pedro Marques and Carlos Zorrinho, European Parliament)
Treasury sanctions three Nicaraguan judicial officials involved in human rights abuses
(U.S. Department of the Treasury)
Rolando José Álvarez Lagos regarding Nicaragua
(Inter-American Commission on Human Rights)
Marriage equality could bring women autonomy and safety
(Erin Kilbride, Human Rights Watch)
UN: More groups address ‘antisemitism’ issue
(Human Rights Watch)
Eid traditions in the United States
(Amirah Ismail, Share America, U.S. Department of State)
Canada says it could offer access to mifepristone if the abortion drug is banned in the US
(Mary Kekatos, ABC News)
Supreme Court blocks lower court decision in case on FDA approval of abortion pill
(Nina Totenberg, NPR)
Canada: Water is sacred to Indigenous people. They have been fighting to protect it for decades
(CBC News)
Supreme Court: Historic India same sex marriage hearing enters day two
(Geeta Pandey, BBC News)
American religion is becoming less exceptional
(The Economist)
Indian police arrest Sikh separatist leader after long hunt
(Ashok Sharma and Prabhjot Gill, Associated Press)
At least 21 killed as Somalia battles jihadis in remote area
(Omar Faruk, Associated Press)
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