IGE's Approach to Religion and Law
By IGE on 16 November 2010
Our collection of religion and law resources draws from IGE's various international conferences; web articles from IGE's main website, www.globalengage.org; print articles from IGE's flagship journal, The Review of Faith & International Affairs; and, web-exclusives first published on the journal's website, RFIAonline.org.
IGE's Approach to Religion and Law
IGE Selected International Conferences: 2006 to 2009
An in-depth compilation of IGE's international and domestic conferences which have delved into the legal protection of religious liberty in forums ranging from Central Asia to Eastern Africa.
9 October 2007
The Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) cosponsored the second-ever Religion and Rule of Law Conference on 3-4 November 2007 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
8 September 2006
The Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) convened the first-ever Religion and Rule of Law Conference where experts from within Southeast Asia and abroad addressed comparative Southeast Asian approaches to the regulation of religion through the rule of law.
Coptic Marriage Law and the Church-State Divide in Egypt
Katherine Kaiser, Web-Exclusive from RFIAonline.org, 17 September 2010
The current controversy over Christian marriage law in Egypt underscores the tension between collective and individual notions of religious freedom and offers an opportunity for the state to advance the civil liberties of all Egyptian citizens.
In Defense of Organized Religion
Dennis Hoover, The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Summer 2010)
Americans tend to think of the "free exercise of religion" as an individual endeavor. But the communal expression of religion—particularly in non-Western contexts—is at least as important as individual expression.
Legal Status of Religious Organizations: A Comparative Overview
W. Cole Durham, Jr., The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Summer 2010)
Modern societies are experiencing increased pluralism, and the need to respond in fair ways to different religious communities has created the need for neutral legal structures that are easily adaptable.
Sharia Criminal Courts and Nigeria's Constitution
Ellen Richardson, Web-Exclusive from RFIAonline.org, 6 May 2010
After ten years of criminal sharia law, the constitutional provisions for secularism and federal authority have been undermined, human rights have been violated, and the degradation of rule of law has divided and de-stabilized the Nigerian state.
Egypt's ID Cards and the Baha'i Struggle for Privacy
Jessica Smelser, Web-Exclusive from RFIAonline.org, 11 December 2009
In early 2009, the Egyptian Supreme Administrative court granted Baha'is and other religious groups the ability to insert a dash in the religious affiliation portion of the national ID card. There are important implications of this court case for the Baha'i community and for Egypt.
Updating the Old, Integrating the New: State Secularism and French Muslims
Stephen Wong, Web-Exclusive from RFIAonline.org, 29 June 2009
Localized change and a softer, updated version of France's policy of laïcité—or secularism—can honor the policy's historical significance and meet the current challenge of Muslim integration.
Protecting Religion Through Statute: The Mixed Case of the United States
Jay Wexler, The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Fall 2007)
Various legislatures of the United States and those of other countries have much to learn from U.S. Congress's mixed record of protecting religious freedom through statute.
Last updated 03 December 2010