So reports one of the Dutch chief rabbis, because Queen Beatrix’s retirement celebration is happening Sept. 14, which will be Yom Kippur. (“Beatrix, who celebrated her 75th birthday on Jan. 31, announced in January that she was abdicating and handing the crown over to her oldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander. The abdication officially takes effect this […]
Archive | Religious Freedom
Religious Marriages for Religions Without Official Clergy
For centuries, American law has allowed clergy to solemnize marriages, though of course judges can do it, too. But what about religions that don’t have official clergy? In re Dhanoa (Va. Cir. Ct. Mar. 29, 2013) holds unconstitutional a Virginia statute that allowed only one religious group member per “religious society” to solemnize such marriages, […]
Christian Missionaries Arrested in Libya, Face Potential Death Penalty
The Guardian (UK) reports (thanks to Prof. Howard Friedman (Religion Clause) for the pointer): Four foreigners have been arrested in Libya on suspicion of being missionaries and distributing Christian literature, a charge that could carry the death penalty…. Libya retains a law from the Muammar Gaddafi era that makes proselytising a criminal offence potentially punishable […]
Attempted Assassination of Critic of Islam in Denmark
Fortunately the target, Lars Hedegaard, was not injured. The BBC reported Feb. 5: Mr Hedegaard heads Denmark’s Free Press Society, which argues that religious and ideological interests are threatening freedom of expression. He also heads the International Free Press Society, founded in 2009, which launched an international campaign to support the Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert […]
North Great Neck Principal Says He Was Mistaken, Apologizes
Last week, I blogged about a letter sent by the principal of North Great Neck High School, a public high school on Long Island: We write this letter to inform you of a situation in our community about which we have deep concerns. There is a store front temple that serves kids free food and […]
Pastor Jailed for Refusing to Testify Against Co-Religionist
1. So reports the Rutland Herald: A pastor was taken back to jail Thursday for continuing to refuse to tell a [federal] grand jury what he knows about a woman who fled the country to escape a custody dispute with her former lesbian partner…. Miller told the judge that the week he has spent in […]
Public High School Complaining About Off-Campus Proselytizing (During Lunch Hour)
[UPDATE: A week later, the principal said he had erred, and apologized.] Here’s a letter from the principal of Great Neck North High School, on Long Island: January 31, 2013 We write this letter to inform you of a situation in our community about which we have deep concerns. There is a store front temple […]
15-Year Prison Sentence in Egypt for Converting from Islam
So reports Fox News, citing a story in “the Arabic-language Egyptian paper Al-Masry Al-Youm”; the Vatican’s AsiaNews.it runs a similar story. From the Fox News account: Nadia Mohamed Ali, who was raised a Christian, converted to Islam when she married Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab Mustafa, a Muslim, 23 years ago. He later died, and his widow planned […]
“Bahais Cannot Enroll in Public Schools, [Egypt’s] Education Minister Says”
So reports the Egypt Independent: “The Constitution only recognizes the three Abrahamic religions,” Ibrahim Ghoneim told Akbar Al-Youm newspaper Saturday. “And as religion is a subject taught in schools, they do not meet the requirements for enrollment.” Thanks to Louis Offen for the pointer.
“Plotting to Celebrate Christmas”
Al-Bawaba reports: Saudi religious police stormed a house in the Saudi Arabian province of al-Jouf, detaining more than 41 guests for “plotting to celebrate Christmas,” a statement from the police branch released Wednesday night said. The raid is the latest in a string of religious crackdowns against residents perceived to threaten the country’s strict religious […]
Contraception Mandate Faces Justice Sotomayor and Seventh Circuit
It’s been a significant week for litigation over the contraception mandate. On December 20, a motions panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied employer Hobby Lobby’s motion for an injunction pending appeal. As a private employer, Hobby Lobby is not eligible for the safe harbor from enforcement, and will be […]
Contraception Mandate Taking on Water
Yesterday, Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSBlog reports, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit effectively overturned a district court’s dismissal of a challenge to the so-called “contraception mandate,” a regulation issued by the Department of Health and Human Services that employer-provided health care plans include coverage for all FDA-approved forms of contraception without cost-sharing. […]
3-Year Sentence for Blasphemy in Egypt
Al Arabiya reports: An Egyptian Copt arrested on suspicion of posting online an anti-Islam film that ignited Muslim protests around the world was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison, a court source said Computer science graduate Alber Saber, 27, was arrested at his Cairo home on Sept. 13 after neighbours accused him of […]
Liberal and Conservative American Attitudes Towards Letting Anti-American Muslim Clergy Speak
By Eugene Volokh on November 18, 2012 8:18 pm in Freedom of Speech, Liberal vs. Conservative Attitudes on Free Speech, Religion and the Law, Religious Freedom
Also from the General Social Survey, though this time with a question that was only asked in 2008 and 2010, yielding a total of 2500 respondents: “Now consider a Muslim clergyman who preaches hatred of the United States. If such a person wanted to make a speech in your community preaching hatred of the United […]
Odd Arizona Court of Appeals Decision
Fortunately it’s unpublished, and the defendant likely deserved to lose on this claim, but I was still surprised by the court’s analysis. The case is State v. Merrick (Ariz. Ct. App. Oct. 30, 2012), and the relevant portion reads: Defendant also contends that the court abused its discretion by granting the State’s motion in limine […]