Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
White House Issues Greetings To Muslims Celebrating Eid al-Adha
Reports Of Chinese Arrests Of Priests Loyal To Vatican Denied
Church-State Relations Being Redefined In Europe
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Invasive Fish Regulations Said To Violate Fish Owner's Free Exercise Rights
Soccer League Permits Sikhs To Play Wearing Patkas
Another Indian State Passes Anti-Conversion Law
California Supreme Court Rejects Murderer's Complaint On Use Of Bible In Jury Deliberations
Saddam's Execution Hurried To Miss Muslim Holiday
Iraqi law, written during Saddam’s regime, prohibits executions during a religious holiday. The International Herald Tribune reports that some confusion existed on timing because the Eid does not begin until Sunday for Shiites—who now control the Iraqi government. So the official holiday in Iraq did not begin until then. However for Sunnis—Saddam's sect—the holiday began on Saturday. An Iraqi official expressed some frustration at the confusion: "According to the law, no execution can be carried out during the holidays. After all the hard work we have done, why would we break the law and ruin what we have built?" CBS News reports that the Iraqi government consulted Muslim clerics on the timing issue. In the end, according the International Herald Tribune: "the hanging was carried out with such haste that an ad hoc air at times overshadowed the historical import."
According to Pakistan's The International News, two other defendants sentenced to death along with Saddam will not be executed until after the holiday ends-- Tuesday for Sunnis and Wednesday for Shiites.
To those looking for historical analogues, the hurried execution in the face of an upcoming religious celebration brings to mind the circumstances surrounding the execution 53 years ago of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in the United States. The convicted atom spies' execution was hurriedly advanced from 11:00 p.m. on Friday night to 8:00 p.m. after the Rosenberg's lawyers—seeking a 24 hour delay—argued that it would be a sacrilege to kill the Rosenberg's—who were Jewish—on their Sabbath. (from Natl. Comm. to Reopen Rosenberg Case).
UPDATE: Governments in a number of Sunni Muslim countries have criticized the decision to execute Saddam Hussein on Eid al-Adha. Sunday's Chicago Tribune reports that leaders in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan criticized the timing of the execution. Among Arab countries, only Kuwait welcomed the developments. Saad bin Tafla al-Ajmi, former information minister of Kuwait, said "This is the best Eid gift for humanity." Meanwhile, Reuters reports that a number of European leaders, as well as the Vatican, have criticized use of the death penalty even for Saddam.
4th Circuit Decides Two RLUIPA Cases
In Madison v. Commonwealth of Virginia, (4th Cir., Dec. 29, 2006), the 4th Circuit upheld the constitutionality of RLUIPA as a valid exercise of Congress’ spending power. It rejected Virginia’s broad sovereign immunity defense, finding that Congress conditioned Virginia’s acceptance of federal correctional funds on the state’s consent to be sued under RLUIPA. However, the court held that because RLUIPA does not unequivocally indicate that the waiver of sovereign immunity extends to money damages, the Eleventh Amendment bars claims for monetary relief against Virginia.
The case was brought by a Virginia inmate seeking the prison’s “Common Fare” meals. He claimed that his “Hebrew Israelite” religion directs him to eat a kosher diet. The United States had intervened in the case on the side of the inmate, and amicus briefs in support of the prisoner’s position had been filed by the ACLU, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and the Coalition of Prison Chaplain Associations. The Associated Press reported on the decision.
In Lovelace v. Lee, (4th Cir., Dec. 29,2006), the 4th Circuit in a 2-1 decision held that Virginia prison officials had not adequately justified their policy on Ramadan observance that resulted in a disciplinary denial of a Nation of Islam prisoner's participation in the Ramadan fast and weekly prayer services. It held that under RLUIPA, prison officials had the burden of showing that their actions were the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interest. The court held that mere negligent deprivations did not violate RLUIPA, but that here plaintiff’s claim against the correctional officer alleged intentional conduct. The majority also permitted plaintiff's free exercise and due process claims to proceed and refused, on the present state of the evidence, to find that a correctional officer defendant had qualified immunity.
Judge Wilkinson, dissenting, said "not content to recognize this case for what it is — a possibly legitimate complaint by a Muslim prison inmate that his Ramadan fasting rights were deliberately and maliciously violated by a prison guard — the majority expands it to what it is not, an excuse for top-to-bottom fine tuning of an accommodating policy designed to foster the very values of religious expression set forth in RLUIPA."
Friday, December 29, 2006
Top Ten 2006 Free Exercise- Church/State Developments
1. Muslim nations react strongly to publication of Muhammad caricatures by Danish newspaper.
2. Fundamentalist Christian clergy work to energize conservative voters for November elections, walking fine line on IRS limits.
3. Military chaplains split on support for guidelines emphasizing inclusive prayer at military events.
4. A federal district court strikes down Iowa’s faith-based prison rehabilitation program.
5. Muslim women around the world find increasing resistance by government agencies, courts and politicians to their wearing of niqab (veil), or even hijab (headscarf).
6. Polygamy begins to regain respectability despite prosecution of FLDS leader.
7. Supreme Court holds religious use of hallucinogens is protected by RFRA.
8. Attempts in courts and Congress to save the Mt. Soledad Cross continue.
9. The Rahman case in Afghanistan and the punishment of proselytization and conversion in Asia and the Middle East capture world attention.
10. Politicians and commentators object to swearing-in on Koran for first Muslim member of Congress.
You can compare the top ten picks for 2006 by the Religious Newswriters Association. Their poll looks to all the year's "religion stories", not just the ones that involve legal or church-state issues. Interestingly, we agree on the top story, but not on many of the others. And if you want to review my 2005 picks, they are still online from a year ago.
UPDATE: Here is another top ten list posted just this morning by Don Byrd at Blog from the Capitol.
Utah Cities Change New Years Celebrations Because Of Mormon Traditions
U.S. Military Seeking To Recruit More Muslims
Thailand Bars "Coyote Ugly" Dancers As Religiously Offensive
TSA Trains Agents In Cultural Sensitivity For Hajj Pilgrims
Court Requires Church To Comply With Amended Zoning Law
Thursday, December 28, 2006
6th Circuit Awards Attorneys' Fees In RLUIPA Case
Gerald Ford Remembered For Helping Soviet Jews Gain Freedom
Keith Ellison Speaks Out On His Muslim Faith and Politics
I'm not a religious leader, I've never led religious services of any kind. I'm not here to be a preacher, but in terms of political agenda items, my faith informs me....
I'm a little incredulous about why anyone would care about what I'm going to swear on. In fact, if I swore on a book that wasn't of my tradition ... would you trust me?
Many people see their religion as an identity thing, much in the same way Crips or Bloods might say, "I'm this, this is the set I'm rolling with". They've never actually tried to explore how religion should connect us, they're into how religion divides us. .... They haven't really explored ... how my faith connects me to you.