Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 8 January 2025
The global outrage machine skips the Uyghurs
(Michael Schuman, The Atlantic)
Iran’s judiciary boasts about Christmas leave for Christian prisoners, as arrests continue
(Article 18)
Arsonist accused of hate crimes sentenced for fire that destroyed Arizona Episcopal church
(Melodie Woerman, Episcopal News Service)
Mozambique: Church promotes peace amid political unrest
(João Filimone Sambo, UM News)
PM of Bulgaria: The Orthodox Church of Bulgaria is the representative of the traditional faith in our country
(Orthodox Times)
Freedom from Religion Foundation dissolves honorary board in spat over trans issues
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
The 19th Explains: Can trans rights survive in a Republican-controlled Congress?
(Orion Rummler, The 19th News)
Bridging divides: Covenantal pluralism as a path to religious freedom and LGBT inclusion
(Marian Edmonds-Allen, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Advancing religious freedom with refugee resettlement
(Knox Thames, Deseret News)
Monday, 6 January 2025
European ministers press new Syrian rulers for inclusion of minorities, women in process
(Arab Weekly)
Iraq: Armenian community in Zakho celebrates Christmas amid Kurdistan's religious harmony
(Kurdistan 24)
ESSAY COMPETITION, deadline 6 January 2025: William Kessler Essay Prize (UK Undergraduate and Graduate students)
(Woolf Institute)
The government allowed the reservation of clergy considering the specific characteristics of religious organizations
(Institute for Religious Freedom, Ukraine)
Everyone has a plan to fight antisemitism. Few have studied what actually works.
(Asaf Elia-Shalev, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Israel: First 50 ultra-Orthodox soldiers drafted to IDF’s new Haredi brigade
(Emanuel Fabian, Times of Israel)
Church of Satanology's suit to display banner in schools moves ahead
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
H.B. 71 guidance for Louisiana schools
(Attorney General Liz Murrill)
Buddhist group says Army Corps’ Everglades project violates religious freedom
(Kathryn Post, Religion News Service)
Vatican decides not to put keffiyeh back in Nativity
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Private Catholic schools in Britain against new tax imposed on Jan. 1
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Pope appoints Trump critic to be archbishop of Washington, DC
(Christopher Lamb, CNN)
Religious freedom research: The impediment of two words
(James C. Wallace, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Law and religion roundup – 5 January
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Archbishop of York – Ad Clerum
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Christians face continued persecution as Africa remains jihadi hotbed
(Diana Chandler, Religion Unplugged)
Salvadoran cardinal urges 'resistance' to metal mining as matter of life and death
(Rhina Guidos, National Catholic Reporter)
Indonesia: Government lowers hajj pilgrimage costs to Rp 89 million per person
(Yustinus Paat, Jakarta Globe)
Indonesian court upholds law stressing citizens' religion
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Ethiopia: Tigray Muslims protest ban of hijab in schools
(Garowe Online)
Sudan: General Al-Burhan joins Catholic community in Sudan for Christmas celebration
(Catholic Information Service for Africa)
Malaysia: Unilaterally-converted Selangor woman fails final court bid to be declared not Muslim
(Malay Mail)
Afterschool programs, supplies, and more: Faith groups partner with public schools to serve students
(Hannah Vinueza McClellan, EducationNC)
Canada Evangelicals concerned about tax status
(Decision Magazine)
China: Hubei, CCP salutes January 1 with a party denouncing “cults and illegal religion”
(Wu Guoxuan, Bitter Winter)
Egypt: Turning the page on intolerance: Egypt’s textbook reforms
(Mariam Wahba, Foundation for Defense of Democracies)
Politics and State: sacrificial communities (Spanish)
(Fishel Szlajen, Infobae)
Colombia: Evangelical Confederation of Colombia demands religious freedom from the government after the Aguachica massacre (Spanish)
(Francy Agudelo, Infobae)
New proposal for the protection of religious freedom in Puerto Rico (Spanish)
(Microjuris al dia)
Brazil: The modern inquisitor: The collectivists' new crusade against freedom of belief (Portuguese)
(Revista Oeste)
Brazil: The expansion of drug traffickers who see themselves as 'soldiers of Jesus' across Brazil (Portuguese)
(Lebo Diseko and Júlia Dias Carneiro, BBC News Brasil)
Friday, 3 January 2025
The abuse of extremism laws in Central Asia
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Rutgers settles federal antisemitism investigation as colleges race to close post-Oct. 7 complaints
(Andrew Lapin, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 119th Congress
(Jeff Diamant, Pew Research Center)
Why an International Day Against Judicial Persecution by State Power is needed
(Karolina Maria Kotkowska, Bitter Winter)
Iraq: Resurrection of al-Hadba: Mosul’s minaret rises again
(Ismael Adnan, TRT World)
Abortion lawsuits, Ten Commandments displays and other key religious freedom developments in 2024
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Menorah lit next to the Alamo, celebrating religious freedom
(Texas Public Radio)
India: SC to hear Owaisi’s plea seeking implementation of Places of Worship Act
(Clarion India)
Canada: Shopping on Sundays was illegal until this Calgary drug mart fought a $40 fine to the Supreme Court (40th Anniversary)
(Joel Dryden and Allison Dempster, CBC News)
Indian cardinal slams proposal to control religious places
(Michael Gonsalves, Union of Catholic Asian News)
India state official announces plans to revive dormant Freedom of Religion Act
(Arnav Laroia, Jurist News)
2024: The year of religious disputes and legal battles over sacred spaced in India
(TwoCircles.net)
When is criticism of Israel antisemitic? A scholar of modern Jewish history explains
(Joshua Shanes, The Conversation)
Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate crimes rising
(BBC News)
Japan: The global religious liberty community gathers to denounce religious liberty crisis in Japan
(Bitter Winter)
Made in Japan: No FoRB for the Family Federation. 4. Weaponizing Non-Existing Crimes
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
The year ahead: 5 religion news trends to watch in 2025
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Can a lack of religion be a recipe for loneliness?
(Ryan Burge, Religion Unplugged)
Syria: Religion will be crucial as post-Assad Syria seeks restoration
(Richard Ostling, Religion Unplugged)
Why attending church may actually be good for your health
(Angela Youngman, Religion Unplugged)
Crossroads podcast: Were there any actual religion-news stories in 2024?
(Terry Mattingly, Religion Unplugged)
Arizona bishops, faith leaders denounce spectre of immigration raids on churches
(Kimberly Heatherington, Angelus)
North Texas lawmakers lead push to require display of Ten Commandments in public schools
(Marissa Greene, Fort Worth Report)
Politically diverse congregations are getting rarer. One aims to endure.
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)
Syria: Changes to Syria’s school curriculum spark online outrage
(Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN)
Sudan: SAF airstrike on church in Khartoum North kills 11 including eight children
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Religious freedom ‘getting worse’ in Russia, Belarus and central Asia, says expert
(Gina Christian, OSV News)
Australia: The new Federal privacy tort and religious freedom
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
Spanish public television mocks the Sacred Heart of Jesus on New Year’s Eve
(OSV News)
Spanish evangelicals: “Much remains to be done on religious freedom in Spain”
(Carmen Sánchez, Evangelical Focus)
On Donald Trump’s “Go to Hell” theology
(Daniel Philpott, Arc of the Universe Blog)
Pakistan: Elders in Pakistan broker a peace deal between Sunni and Shiite tribes after deadly clashes
(Riaz Khan, Associated Press)
9th Circuit: Ministerial exception bars claim by mashgiach for wages and promotion
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
On US-Mexico border, Catholic leaders prepare for return of Trump anti-migrant regime
(Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Religion News Service)
Charedi leaders step up protests against Schools Bill ahead of Commons debate
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)
The attack in New Orleans reveals ISIS' influence lingers, experts say
(Jaclyn Diaz, NPR)
Claim against school board that refused to display "Satan Loves the First Amendment" banner can go forward
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Russia: Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly Digest December 16-30
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
10 years after attack, Charlie Hebdo is uncowed and still provoking
(AFP, Courthouse News Service)
France: When state-funded anti-cult groups think they are above the law (EN/ FR)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Answering the religious liberty claim to abortion
(Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)
Parents & Catholic school in court to stop Maine’s attack on faith-based education
(Becket Law)
Bulgaria: Court decision on the Orthodox Church sparks division – Patriarchate responds
(Orthodox Times)
Cuba's Santeria priests urge followers to hunker down amid crisis
(Marc Frank, Reuters)
Non-delegation theory as an ethical imperative for mastering AI
(Fishel Szlajen, Editora Fundação Fênix)
2nd Circuit reinstates religious groups' claim seeking freedom to hire according to faith
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Monday, 30 December 2024
International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance declared undesirable in Russia
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Statistics about the harsh repression of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia in 2024
(Willy Fautré, The European Times)
Malaysia’s Mufti Bill sparks debate on religious plurality and accountability
(Mong Palatino, Global Voices)
Malaysian man publicly caned for Islamic crime of close proximity
(Reuters)
USCIRF welcomes the acquittal of Rhoda Jatau
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Former President Jimmy Carter, beloved Sunday School teacher and humanitarian, dies at 100
(Erin Roach, Religion Unplugged)
Jimmy Carter’s commitment to religious liberty should guide us all
(Amanda Tyler, Time)
EEOC sues Rex Healthcare, Inc. for religious discrimination
(U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
New Ohio law allows Hindu students 3 religious holiday absences per year
(WHIO)
China: Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly Digest December 16-31
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Canada condemns China's steps against Canadian institutions over Uyghurs, Tibet
(Kanishka Singh, Reuters)
China increases military presence and tightens control at Larung Gar Buddhist Academy
(The Economic Times)
Brazil’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue is caught in a battle between church and state
(Julia Vargas Jones, CNN)
All the Little Sisters want for Christmas is religious liberty
(William McGurn, The Wall Street Journal)
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