Recent Articles

1. Indian Court Strikes Down Quotas for Backward Classes of Muslims

   View all 2 articles » Explore Article Religion Clause (17 hours, 51 min ago)

   In India, by a vote of 5-2 the High Court of Andhra Pradesh has held that the Andhra Pradesh Reservation in Favor of socially and Educational Backward Classes of Muslims Act 2007 is unconstitutional. According to New Delhi's The Pioneer today, the court also struck down two government orders under the law that had granted a 4% reservation to fifteen backward classes of Muslims in educational institutions and in jobs. ... (Read Full Article)
   

   Hindu fundamentalists to oppose job quota proposals - Home Page  
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   New Delhi   Andhra Pradesh   BJP

2. Terror Rules In Pakistan - South Asia Intelligence Review

   View all 6 articles » Explore Article Eurasia Review (18 hours, 12 min ago) Terrorism

   The Hindu, February 8, 2010. Situation in Maoist-affected States continues to be grave, says Union Home Minster P. Chidambaram: The Union Government on ... (Read Full Article)
   

   Terrorists may hijack Indian plane, crash into Britain’ - ZeeNews  
   ‘Plot’ to hijack Indian plane sparks U.K. alert - The Hindu  
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   Mike Mullen   Syed Salahuddin   Rehman Malik

3. Lenient Sentence Imposed on Muslim Man By Britain's Cherie Blair Brings Complaints

   Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 6 2010)

   Britain's Judicial Complaints Office this week began an investigation into Cherie Blair, wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Ms. Blair, who practices employment law under her maiden name, Cherie Booth, also acts as a part-time judge in London. According to UAE's The National today, Britain's National Secular Society filed a formal complaint against Ms. Blair after she gave a suspended sentence to a Muslim man who was charged with ... (Read Full Article)
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   Britain   Tony Blair   London

4. Hindu temple vandalised in Bangladesh

   View all 2 articles » Explore Article Bangladeshi Hindu (Feb 6 2010)

   IANS | Dhaka An ancient Hindu temple in a village near the Bangladesh capital has been vandalised, the miscreants breaking six idols, police were quoted as saying on Saturday. Some 30-35 people attacked the Sri Sri Rahshakali temple in Ashrafdi village in Naranaganj district on Friday night, the bdnews24 web site quoted a police official as saying. They [...] (Read Full Article)
   

   11000 people convert to Buddhism in Ahmedabad - indianexpress.com  
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   Bangladesh   Dhaka

5. Trial of Geert Wilders Proceeds With Pared Down Witness List

   Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 5 2010)

   The trial of Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders for inciting hatred and and discrimination against Muslims and non-Western immigrants, and insulting Muslims will proceed in Amsterdam. (See prior related posting.) Al Jazerra reported Wednesday that a Dutch court rejected Wilders' claim of Parliamentary immunity, ruling that immunity does not extend to statements made outside of Parliamentary meetings. The court also cut down on the witnesses that Wilders may call. Part ... (Read Full Article)
   

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6. Groups Urge President To Beef Up Church-State Safeguards In Faith-Based Funding

   View all 3 articles » Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 5 2010)

   Yesterday, twenty-five national organizations wrote President Obama urging further church-state safeguards in faith-based social service programs receiving government aid. The letter (full text) said in part: On the one year anniversary of your Executive Order establishing the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the undersigned religious, education, civil rights, labor, and health organizations write to urge that you take additional actions to prevent government-funded religious discrimination and ... (Read Full Article)
   

   Americans United Joins Broad Coalition Of Groups Asking Obama To Reform ‘Faith-Based’ Initiative - Americans United  
   Church-State Watchdog Group Urges Obama To Keep Promise To Fix 'Faith-Based' Initiative - Americans United  
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   Americans United   White House

7. Indonesia's Constitutional Court Hearing Challenge To Blasphemy Law

   View all 2 articles » Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 5 2010) Human Rights

   Indonesia's Constitutional Court on Wednesday held its first hearings in a challenge to the constitutionality of Indonesia's Law on Prevention of Blasphemy and Abuse of Religion. Yesterday's Jakarta Post reports that the lawsuit was filed last year by the late President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and several human rights organizations. The suit alleges that the law is unconstitutional because it recognizes only six religions: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and ... (Read Full Article)
   

   NGOs request judicial review of religious blasphemy law - Home | The Jakarta Post  
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   Constitutional Court   Indonesia

8. Is The First Amendment for Monotheists Only? | Project X13

   View all 12 articles » Explore Article Project X13 By Pagans, For Pagans (Feb 4 2010)

   From an Amicus Brief submitted by Americans United For Separation of Church and State, The Anti-Defamation League, The American Jewish Committee, The Interfaith Alliance, and The Hindu American Foundation ... (Read Full Article)
   

   Is The First Amendment for Monotheists Only? - Project X13 By Pagans, For Pagans  
   Ohio Judge Has No Right To Push Religion In Courtroom, Says ... - WordPress.com  
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   California   Interfaith Alliance   American Jewish Committee

9. Secretary of State, President Speak At National Prayer Breakfast

   View all 3 articles » Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 4 2010) Human Rights

   This morning the 58th Annual National Prayer Breakfast was held in Washington, D.C. One of the keynote speakers was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. (Full text of speech.) Her remarks included some rather blunt criticism of the misuse of religion: All religions have their version of the Golden Rule and direct us to love our neighbor and welcome the stranger and visit the prisoner.... Yet across the world, we see ... (Read Full Article)
   

   Obama Urged To Use Prayer Breakfast To Denounce Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill - Religion Clause  
   Americans United Speaks Out Against Intolerant Agenda Of National Prayer Breakfast Sponsor - Americans United  
   

   Comment on Article Mentions:   Iran   Pakistan   White House

10. Court Says Divorced Parents Must Share Religious Decisions For Children

    View all 2 articles » Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 4 2010)

    In In re Marriage of Balashov, (WA Ct. App., Feb. 1, 2010), a Washington state appellate court reversed the portion of a trial court's parenting plan entered in a divorce action. The trial court ordered that the major decisions regarding each of the two children are to be made jointly by the parents, except that the mother alone was to make decisions regarding their religious upbringing. The mother had raised ... (Read Full Article)
    

    European Human Rights Court Says Religion on Identity Cards Violates ECHR - Religion Clause  
    

    Comment on Article Mentions:   Washington   Court of Appeals

11. BBC Follows Indonesian Sharia Police On Patrol

    Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 4 2010)

    BBC News on Tuesday posted an interesting 3 minute account by reporter Karishma Vaswani as she joined the Sharia police on patrol in Aceh, Indonesia one Saturday evening as they hunted out immoral activities. (Read Full Article)
    

    Comment on Article Mentions:   Indonesia

12. France Denies Citizenship To Muslim Man Who Forces Wife To Wear Face Veil

    View all 3 articles » Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 4 2010)

    France's minister for immigration Eric Besson has issued a decree denying an application for French citizenship from a Muslim man because he does not respect the values of the Republic. Yesterday's Irish Times reports that the man needed citizenship to settle in France with his French wife. Besson said in a statement: It became apparent during the investigation and the prior interview that this person was compelling his wife to ... (Read Full Article)
    

    French Parliamentary Report Urges Ban of Full Face Veil In Public Buildings and Transport - Religion Clause  
    Ban Muslim face veils, France told - stuff.co.nz  
    

    Comment on Article Mentions:   France

13. Brizilian Court Overturns Ban on Religious Symbols In Rio's Carnival

    View all 2 articles » Explore Article Religion Clause (Feb 4 2010)

    In 2007, municipal officials in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil banned the display of religious symbols during the city's annual Carnival that marks the beginning of Lent. The Carnival's street parade, which draws thousands of tourists, has regularly featured near-naked women and fantasy images. AFP reported yesterday that judges in Rio have overturned the ban on religious symbols holding that it violates freedom of expression and is a form of censorship. ... (Read Full Article)
    

    Joan Smith: Nothing liberal about defending burkas - The Independent  
    

    Comment on Article Mentions:   Brazil

14. Nepal urged to investigate 'sacrificial murder' of 8-year-old girl

    Explore Article Asiaone (Feb 4 2010) Human Rights

    Harijan of Maryadpur in Rupanedhi was found on the morning of December 4 with her throat silted, near a brick kiln. The circumstances of the crime have lead ... (Read Full Article)
    

    Comment on Article Mentions:   Asian Human Rights Commission   Nepal   Kathmandu

15. Ravidassia sect sends shockwaves across world's Sikh community

    View all 2 articles » Explore Article Times Online (Feb 3 2010)

    Ravidassia was founded by a radical Sikh sect called Dera Sachkhand Ballan, which consists mainly of “Untouchables”, or Dalits, who come at the bottom of ... (Read Full Article)
    

    India's 'untouchables' declare own religion - CNN.com  
    

    Comment on Article Mentions:   Punjab   Southall   Golden Temple

16. See all articles >>