Law and Religion Headlines

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Tuesday, 26 May 2020

Do not play communal politics during lockdown: Congress MLA slams Karnataka govt for reopening only temples
(Nagarjun Dwarakanath, India Today)

KZN religious leaders call for relief aid or allowing churches to open
(Sakhiseni Nxumalo and Lyse Commins, IOL News)

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the call for a National Day of Prayer, which will take place on Sunday.
(The Citizen)

Reflections on the current COVID-19 crisis from CEC Thematic Group on Education, Democracy and Diversity
(Council of Europe)

Egypt makes major archaeological discovery amid coronavirus crisis
(Rasha Mahmoud, Al-Monitor: Egypt Pulse)

Bethlehem, Jerusalem churches reopen to limited number of worshipers
(Al-Monitor: Israel Pulse)

Cardinal Cupich: How Vatican II can help us navigate the politics of a pandemic
(Blase J. Cupich, America Magazine)

Monday, 25 May 2020

5th Circuit enjoins enforcement of city's COVID-19 order against church pending appeal
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

9th Circuit: Church loses challenge to California COVID-19 order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Federal court backs California Gov. Gavin Newsom's orders keeping churches closed
(Bill Hutchinson, ABC News)

8 Christians arrested in India while preparing relief packages for the poor
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)

Slowly, surely, US houses of worship emerge from lockdown
(Gary Fields and Sally Stap, Associated Press)

Next big pandemic news story: Missionaries brace for coronavirus in the Third World
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

Churches prepare to reopen during pandemic, but more than 100 COVID-19 cases reported after German service
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Requiring face masks to fight COVID-19 while upholding niqab bans shows irony lost on leaders ǀ View
(Marco Perolini, Euronews)

Saturday, 23 May 2020

Pandemic intrigue in Geneva: COVID-19 and the 73rd World Health Assembly
(Pedro A. Villarreal, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

COVID-19 response from WHO
(Seventy-third World Health Assembly, United Nations World Health Organization)

A world without human rights?
(Silvio Ferrari, Reset: Dialogues on Civilizations)

Faith, women, and human rights: A global dialogue on COVID-19
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

DAILY HIGHLIGHT #67: Migrants and Refugees Face New Threats and Challenges During COVID-19 Emergency
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

DAILY HIGHLIGHT #66: Religious Art, Plagues, and COVID-19
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

DAILY HIGHLIGHT #65: Faith, Women, and Human Rights: A Global Dialogue
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

The Sunday best... and worst of reopening
(Tony Perkins, Family Research Council)

Reruns of religious dramas comfort Indians in dire times
(Vineeta, Associated Press)

English diocese keeps Lourdes appointment: Virtual pilgrimage attracts hundreds
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

France allowing religious services to resume
(Associated Press, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

No violation of fundamental rights in keeping religious places closed: Punjab, Haryana HC
(Surender Sharma, Hindustan Times)

Diocese of Oxford: New technical advice papers
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Friday, 22 May 2020

Vatican urges health as a 'primary common good' at World Health Assembly
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Maryland stay-at-home orders upheld over Free Exercise and other challenges
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

CDC withholds guidance on reopening of churches
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Local Wisconsin covid-19 orders challenged on 1st Amendment grounds
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Federal lawsuit challenges local “Safer at Home” orders
(Jeramey Jannene, Urban Milwaukee)

Pastor sues over Delaware covid-19 restrictions on church services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Pastor sues Gov. Carney in attempt to more fully open places of worship across Delaware
(Esteban Parra, Delaware News Journal)

Federal Court: “There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution of the United States or the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.”
(Evan Seeman, RLUIPA-Defense)

In reversal, White House tells CDC to post church guidance
(Zeke Miller and Mike Stobbe, Associated Press)

Sikh kitchens feed New Delhi’s masses in virus lockdown
(Emily Schmall, Associated Press)

Congress may protect businesses from coronavirus lawsuits. Should it grant immunity to most churches, too?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)

Dutch parishes holding on financially for now, but are still suffering
(Katholiek Nieuwsblad, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

The First Amendment Faithful: Minnesota’s Governor courts a legal defeat over his church lockdown.
(Editoral Board, The Wall Street Journal - Opinion)

Russian church in Moldova clashes with civil government over pandemic
(Interfax-Religiia, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

The loneliest Ramadan
(Julie Zauzmer, The Washington Post)

Who knew? Who cares? Well, there is no such thing as the 'Catholic Church of Illinois'
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

BYU, other Latter-day Saint colleges and universities turn down $54 million from CARES Act, start private aid for students
(Tad Walch, Deseret News Faith)

The virus is accelerating dechurching in America
(The Economist)

More than 1,200 pastors say they'll defy California's state order and resume in-person services
(Allen Kim, CNN)

Covid 19 coronavirus: NZ Churches and places of worship allowed to open again, but restrictions remain
(New Zealand Herald)

Reopening guidance for churches delayed after White House and CDC disagree
(Lena H. Sun, Josh Dawsey, and Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)

Ukraine: Cabinet of Ministers approved the procedure of attending churches after easing the quarantine restrictions
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

COVID-19 pandemic gives 'glimmer of hope' for making systemic changes, Utah leaders say
(Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com)

Gov. Herbert creates multicultural task force to support Utah minorities hit by COVID-19
(Lauren Bennett, KSL.com)

What Xi knew: pressure builds on China’s leader | Free to read
(Tom Mitchell, Financial Times)

As COVID-19 kills Catholic Schools, Dems play politics
(Maureen Ferguson, Real Clear Politics)

Health organization: Nicaragua won’t allow hospital access
(Associated Press)

Nicaragua closes Costa Rica border to protest virus testing
(Gabriela Selser and Javier Cordoba, Associated Press)

Trump presses for reopening of houses of worship
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Trump’s urging stokes furor in debate over in-person worship
(Elana Schor, Associated Press)

Friday prayers resume in Gaza despite new virus fears
(Fares Akram and Joseph Krauss, Associated Press)

6th Circuit sides with Kentucky church in first COVID-19 religious liberty case to reach federal appeals court
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

The four charts that show the UK is beating coronavirus
(Dominic Gilbert and Ashley Kirk, The Telegraph)

Religion and mental health in the age of covid-19 (Responding to: Religion and mental health care: ethics, pastoral care, and theology)
(Jeff Levin, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Italy: Study shows increase in prayer, religious fervor amid pandemic
(Junno Arocho Esteves, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

New podcast: The Atlantic needed to interview some evangelical leaders about QAnon heresy
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

Xi’s Regime Recasts China as the Good Samaritan during Pandemic
(Alan Dowd, Providence)

Trump demands governors allow churches to open
(Jessie Hellmann, The Hill)

Trump declares places of worship ‘essential,’ setting up standoff with governors
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

Why the Justice Department is backing this small Virginia church in the country's reopening debate
(Tessa Berenson, TIME)

Minnesota churches vow to violate the law
(Tyler Broker, Above the Law)

Covid-19 cuts into business of religion in India
(Sumit Sharma, Asia Times)

Muslim World celebrations in the uncertain times Of COVID-19 – Analysis
(Dr. Mohamed Chtatou, Eurasia Review)

The media's double standard on states' different approaches to COVID-19
(Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal - Commentary)

Anatomy of lies: Russia’s covid-19 outbreak is far worse than the Kremlin admits
(The Economist)

Oxford Statement on the International Law protections against cyber operations targeting the health care sector
(Dapo Akande, Duncan Hollis, Harold Hongju Koh and James O'Brien, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Chronicle of a pandemic foretold: Learning from the COVID-19 gailure—before the next outbreak arrives
(Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker, Foreign Affairs)

Muslims prepare for Eid al-Fitr in the age of COVID-19
(Benar News)

Thursday, 21 May 2020

COVID-19: How UAE is to celebrate Eid Al Fitr 2020
(Dona Cherian, Gulf News)

With mosques closed, NYC Muslims find new ways to observe Ramadan
(Samira Sadeque, Al Jazeera)

Eid 2020: The do’s and dont’s of celebrating Eid Al Fitr during the Covid-19 pandemic
(Yousra Zaki, Gulf News)

Freedom of religion at stake in the context of fighting against Covid-19
(Fr. Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE, The Catholic Church in the European Union)

Coronavirus battleground shifts to Latin America: Live updates
(Al Jazeera)

WHO reports record number of new daily coronavirus cases
(Al Jazeera)

There's good news for COVID-era church leaders amid all that familiar bad news
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)

‘Slum bishop’ of Buenos Aires says pandemic exposes pre-existing injustice
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

WEBINAR, 21 May 2020 (3 pm CEST / 9 am EDT): COVID-19, Religion and Belief: Webinar Series || EPISODE 7: Business, Religion, Economics
(Cole Durham, Brian Grim, Azza Karam, Jeffrey Franks)

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

Religious leaders, organisations in India urge Muslims to observe Eid at home
(Mahtab Alam, The Wire)

A reference to the ICJ for an Advisory Opinion over COVID-19 pandemic
(Sandrine De Herdt, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

ZOOM WEBINAR, 20 May 2020 (3 pm EDT): Faith, Freedom in Action in Troubled Times (Indiana Quakers and Rev. John Misao Yamazaki)
(Tom Meenan on Rev. Cotton Mather; Jackie Fishman on Rabbi Samuel Thurman, Religious Freedom Center, Freedom Forum Institute)

Religious Freedom in Spain during coronavirus pandemic: On the Abuses Committed by Spanish Public Authorities in the Implementation of Emergency Legislation against COVID-19 that Undermine Religious Freedom
(Dr. Jose Luis Bazan, Workind Paper)

Fraternity. A Proposal from Religions to States to Overcome the Covid-19 Emergency
(Maria Luisa Lo Giacco, DIRESOM Papers)

Guidance on construction work in churches
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

As COVID-19 spreads in ICE detention, oversight is more critical than ever
(John Hudak and Christine Stenglein, Brookings)

Social distancing in Black and white neighborhoods in Detroit: A data-driven look at vulnerable communities
(Makada Henry-Nickie and John Hudak, Brookings)

What can be done to protect front-line communities from COVID-19?
(John Hudak and Makada Henry-Nickie, Brookings)

First Presidency provides guidelines for safely returning to Church meetings and activities
(Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

White evangelicals among groups with slipping confidence in Trump’s handling of COVID-19
(Gregory A. Smith, Pew Research Center Fact Tank)

How Americans’ ‘tell it like it is’ attitude renders us vulnerable to conspiracy theories
(Tara Isabella Burton, RNS Column: Religion Remixed)

American Catholics, meet the Communion service
(Thomas Reese SJ, RNS Column: Signs of the Times)

Responding to COVID-19 is a marathon, not a sprint
(Thomas Reese, RNS Column: Signs of the Times)

Pandemic will alter Communion rituals for many US Christians
(David Crary, Religion News Service)

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