On Thursday, the Indiana Court of Appeals largely affirmed an injunction the trial court had placed on the state’s near-total abortion ban. The vote was unanimous. The Court of Appeals ruling will send the lawsuit back to the trial court to narrow the effect of the trial court injunction. The Court of Appeals stated that [...]
Search Results for: Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Recently, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC or Red Cross) has been accused of facilitating payments to accused terrorists captured and held by Israel in the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict. The ICRC denies this claim. The ICRC has a blemished record, disturbingly far from its professed humanitarian mandate. A journalistic investigation conducted by ProPublica [...]
As Taliban Celebrates Anniversary, Rights of Afghan Women and Girls Erode
As the Taliban marks the second anniversary of its rise to power in August 2021, they claim that things have gotten better for the people of Afghanistan, trumpeting what they see as their accomplishments in terms of safety, the economy, and peace, or at least the absence of war. But these claims are at odds [...]
‘Why Should We Have to Leave Afghanistan?’ — An Exploration of Women’s Rights Under Taliban Rule
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is tasked with investigating and prosecuting individuals responsible for the gravest of crimes — genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. While the struggles faced by Afghan women and girls have yet to be classified, their plight demands attention. As human beings, these women and girls have been callously [...]
A US federal judge in Texas Thursday ruled that private health insurance companies are not required to cover contraceptives, STD screenings or HIV prevention treatment (pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP). The court held that the preventative care minimum of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) violated the claimant’s rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This [...]
US federal court hears arguments in case that could overturn LGBTQ employment protections
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Tuesday held oral arguments in Braidwood Management v. EEOC. The case is a class-action lawsuit filed by a for-profit wellness business and a church. The plaintiffs are seeking declaratory judgment that the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) allow employment policies that [...]
Showing the Prophet Muhammad’s Paintings in a Classroom is Not Islamophobic
Hamline University in Minnesota has fired adjunct art professor Erika Lopez Prater for showing 14th-century paintings of the Prophet Muhammad in class. The University asserts that the professor’s act is Islamophobic and that bringing the artwork to the classroom with Muslim students breached the limits of academic freedom. The facts do not suggest that Professor [...]
US appeals court: religious organizations do not have to provide gender-affirming medical care
The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Friday issued a permanent injunction against the enforcement of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would require medical providers to provide gender-affirming medical services to transgender individuals. Two groups of Catholic employers and health care providers, the Religious Sisters of Mercy and the [...]
Over 160 organizations call on DHS to end religious discrimination at US border
Over 160 organizations Monday sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas calling for the end of religious discrimination against Sikh migrants at US border crossing points. The letter was signed by the Sikh Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona (ACLU-AZ) and the American Civil Liberties Union [...]
US senators introduce bipartisan bill to codify abortion rights
A bipartisan group of Senators Tuesday proposed legislation Tuesday to codify the right to abortion, formally established in Roe v. Wade, in federal law. The bill is sponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and is the first senatorial proposal to have broad bipartisan support. The [...]