Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 13 January 2025
Around the web - 13 January 2025
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Bangladesh: Interim Bangladeshi government turns blind eye to religious persecution
(Uzay Bulut, The European Conservative)
Religion Watch, ‘Volume 40 No. 2’
(Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Mastering Mālikī Law: A Moroccan Case Study
(Asma Sayeed and Nour-Eddine Qaouar, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
Is Czechia slowly dying because of declining faith and family?
(Anna Nilsson, Isabel Vasquez and Mariana Alvarez, Religion Unplugged)
Church Reporter, Vol. 9, 31 December 2025
(Church Law Society Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Stříbro – České Budějovice – Mšeno)
Comment of the MFA of Ukraine regarding the situation with religious freedom in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine
(Institute for Religious Freedom, Ukraine)
Global Interfaith Monitor No. 31
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Putin seeks Christmas blessing, and support of Moscow Patriarchate for his war in Ukraine, and gets it
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
India's Maha Kumbh festival sees 15 million people take holy dip on first day
(Saurabh Sharma, Reuters)
America’s changing pews: Who shows up at church on Sunday?
(Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor)
University's rescission of agreement with church did not violate equal protection or free exercise clauses
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Articles of interest - 13 January 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Symbolic boundaries within Jewish-Muslim encounters in Germany
(London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Bishop criticizes AfD mayor of Jüterbog (German)
(Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland)
South Carolina doctors challenge abortion ban on Free Exercise grounds
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
In San Antonio, a pioneer of modern faith-based community organizing has deep roots
(Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Religion News Service)
Australia: 2 synagogues in Sydney graffitied with swastikas
(Ben Sales, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
How religious schools became a billion-dollar drain on public education
(Alec MacGillis, New Yorker)
OCU Metropolitan: UN turns a blind eye to the crimes Moscow religious structure commits in Crimea
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
King Charles to attend Auschwitz commemoration
(Sean Coughlan, BBC)
Egypt’s Coptic Christians deserve our attention — and our help
(Grace Bydalek, National Review)
Schools Bill isn’t about safeguarding, it attacks religious freedom and parental rights
(Asher Gratt, Jewish News)
The grooming gang debate: Navigating race, politics, and justice in the UK
(Tahir Abbas, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
Religion and Marriage Law: The Need for Reform
(Russel Sandberg, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)
British authorities chastise a Jewish charity for fundraising for an Israeli soldier
(Asaf Elia-Shalev, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Attorney General: I want a world where you can love Israel and care for Palestinians
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)
Filipino religious group gathers millions for ‘national rally for peace’
(Inday Espina-Varona and Ronald O. Reyes, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Malala Yousafzai asks Muslim leaders to reject Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women openly
(Ayaz Gul, Voice of America)
The GCR Red List [on persecution]
(Global Christian Relief)
Japan: Muslim cemetery in Miyagi Prefecture will proceed despite resistance
(Unseen Japan)
Texas argues at state Supreme Court to revive attempt to shut down migrant aid nonprofit
(Courthouse News Service)
Nigeria: Kaigama calls for government-church partnership to tackle hunger
(Radio Nigeria)
Canada: How religion’s brand became unpopular
(Galen Watts, The Conversation)
Health costs: A bioethical religious challenge (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Friday, 10 January 2025
Ghana: We’ll protect muslim women’s right to wear hijab freely — Mahama assures
(Modern Ghana)
Zimbabwe: Crossover vigils boost religious tourism
(Veronica Gwaze, Sunday Mail)
Kenya High Court declares criminalization of attempted suicide unconstitutional
(Ishrat Chahal, Jurist News)
Benin holidays for Indigenous religions celebrate tradition, spark debate on faith
(Juste Hlannon, La Croix International)
Malawi: ‘I’ve seen women suffer’: Malawi’s religious leaders fight for legal abortions
(Sarah Johnson, The Guardian)
EVENT, 10 January 2025: Religion and Emergency Rules. First point of a research (Pisa, Italy)
(Diritto e Religione nelle Società Multiculturali)
Bulgarian Supreme Court of Cassation: Patriarchate of Bulgaria has no monopoly on the use of “Orthodox Church”
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Experiments in virtue: Byron Johnson on religion in prisons
(Danielle Miller, The Standard)
The future of faith-driven diplomacy: ICRD’s commitment to sustainable peace
(Martine Miller, International Center for Religion & Diplomacy)
Indonesian court’s ‘unfortunate’ ruling on citizens’ religion sparks discrimination fears
(Resty Woro Yuniar, South China Morning Post)
LA wildfires destroy numerous houses of worship. Clergy and congregants vow to persevere
(Giovanna Dell’Orto, Luis Andres Henao and Peter Smith, Associated Press)
BJC urges federal appeals court to reject Louisiana law requiring public school classrooms to post the Ten Commandments
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
London Police ask upcoming pro-Palestinian rally to move away from synagogue
(Ben Sales, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Estonian Orthodox Church given two months to sever ties with the ROC
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Human trafficking under the spotlight
(The European Times)
Syria: Stampede kills four people, injures 16 in Umayyad Mosque in Damascus
(Reuters)
Syrian intelligence says it thwarted ISIL attempt to blow up Shia shrine
(Al Jazeera)
WCC, with India Peace Centre, launches Interfaith Coalition on Land, Water, and Food
(World Council of Churches)
Jamaica: WCC visit to Jamaica will focus on empowering faith communities
(World Council of Churches)
Some US lawmakers want more Christianity in the classroom. Trump could embolden their plans
(Moriah Balingit, Associated Press)
Spain eyes repeal of blasphemy law amid debate over free expression
(Reuters)
Biden gives Pope Francis highest civilian honor before leaving office
(Alex Gangitano, The Hill)
Dalai Lama says no reason to be angry at China over Tibet quake
(Radio Free Asia)
China: Uyghur woman sentenced to 17 years for teaching Islam to her kids and a neighbor
(Shohret Hoshur, Radio Free Asia)
Turkish court rules against restrictions on Greek Orthodox clerics serving on foundations
(Bill Kouras, Greek City Times)
Sri Lanka: Controversial Buddhist monk jailed for insulting Islam
(Fan Wang, BBC)
Nicaragua's regime wages war on religious freedom
(Reason)
Hungarian government helped building church near Amman, Jordan
(Daily News)
New publication: Autonomia Constitucional do Direito Religioso (Portuguese)
(Comissão de Direito e Liberdade Religiosa, Instituto dos Advogados Brasileiros)
President Biden awards Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to His Holiness Pope Francis
(The White House)
Wednesday, 8 January 2025
VIRTUAL EVENT, 8 January 2025 (2PM ET): The Role of Religion and Spirituality in U.S. Security Assistance
(Center for Strategic & International Studies)
Pakistan court rules Ahmadis cannot inherit property from their Muslim parents
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Lawyers are watching these 3 Texas cases
(Adolfo Pesquera, Law.com)
A decade after ‘Charlie Hebdo’ killings, we are still failing blasphemers
(Sarah McLaughlin, The Fire)
Czech Republic in the footsteps of Russia? Jehovah's Witnesses threatened with liquidation
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Religious schools challenge antidiscrimination law at federal appeals court
(Kaitlyn Budion, Maine Public)
Religious schools appeal decision requiring adherence to Maine’s anti-discrimination law
(Eesha Pendharkar, Maine Morning Star)
Parents & Catholic school take state to court for punishing faith-based education
(Becket)
The true cost of Maine’s religious education ban on families
(YouTube Video, Becket)
Religious freedom, Maine anti-bias law clash at First Circuit
(Allie Reed, Bloomberg Law)
USCIRF welcomes news of Mubarak Bala’s release from prison in Nigeria
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
'In here we have only one leader, Jesus Christ'
(Eve Webster, BBC)
World religion - National/regional profiles
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)
Gender identity, religion and political ideology in 2023
(Ryan Burge, The Association of Religion Data Archives)
What would Bonhoeffer do? Anti-Nazi pastor’s legacy claimed, debated across political spectrum
(Peter Smith, Associated Press)
Statement from President Joe Biden on Orthodox Christmas
(The White House)
4th Circuit: Covid vaccine religious accommodation suit should not have been dismissed
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Cameroon Bishops tell President Biya to not seek another term
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Afghanistan: Haqqani warns religious leaders against alienating people from Islam
(Siyar Sirat, Amu TV)
Turkmenistan: First conscientious objector punishment since 2021
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Lessons from the current Scottish consultation on religious observance in schools
(Russell Sandberg, Law & Religion UK)
The mask askew: How the Turkish Protestant movement recognized and surmounted religious discrimination
(James Bultema, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Behind the new Italian ban on surrogacy
(Marianna Orlandi, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
How ‘So help me God’ entered the Presidential oath of office
(David B. Parker, Religion Unplugged)
Georgia: Christian college students gain access to state aid
(Liam Knox, Inside Higher Ed)
CAIR-NY condemns vandalism of a menorah in the Bronx
(Ismail Allison, Council on American-Islamic Relations)
Rural hospital says religious law supersedes state in California abortion case
(Matt LaFever, SFGate)
Lithuania’s Constitutional Court rules seeing same-sex relationships won’t turn kids gay
(Sarthak Gupta, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
National Council of Jewish Women leads multi-faith amicus brief against Ten Commandments mandate in Louisiana
(Natonal Council of Jewish Women)
Libyan authorities confiscate over 1,000 Quran copies over irregular content
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Nicaragua: A 50-page report about the persecution of Christians
(A report by European Center for Law & Justice, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Ukraine: Religious freedom in Ukraine under Moscow’s rule and Kyiv’s rule
(Liudmyla Fylypovych, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Georgia: About the role of the Georgian Orthodox Church after the elections
(Tolerance and Diversity Institute, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
China’s middle class searches for faith and meaning
(John Osburg, Asia Society)
General briefing: China
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
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