Books: Religious Freedom Around the Globe

Cesari, Jocelyne. When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and the United States. New York: Palgrave, 2004.
This book compares the experiences and interactions between Muslims and nonMuslims in Europe and the United States.

Ellis, Stephen and Gerrie ter Haar. Worlds of Power: Religious Thought and Political Practice in Africa. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
The authors explores the ways in which in Africa religious belief impacts politics and the political significance of religion in Africa today.

Fetzer, Joel S., and J. Christopher Soper. Muslims and the State in Britain, France, and Germany. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
The authors analyzes state accommodation of Muslims' religious practices in Britain, France, and Germany and trace the approach of each to their historical roots.

Klausen, Jytte. The Islamic Challenge:Politics and Religion in Western Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
The book is based on interviews with 300 European Muslim leaders in Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom in which she tries to find out what European Muslims think about the policies by European governments policies to integrate or assimilate their Muslim populations and whether they believe there is a 'clash of civilizations' between religious Muslims and secular Europeans.

Nielsen, J ørgen. Towards a European Islam. London: Macmillan, 1999.
The author describes and explores how Muslims immigrants to Europe integrate religious values and practices into new social and political cultures.

Schrag, Philip G. A Well-Founded Fear: The Congressional Battle to Save Political Asylum in America. New York: Routledge, 2000.

Web Sites: Religious Freedom Around the Globe

100th Anniversary of Secularism in France
December 9, 2005, marked the 100th anniversary of secularism in France, known as "laïcité." In 1905 the French government passed a law stipulating "the separation of churches and the state." In light of the anniversary of the law, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life collected resources about the significance of the original law and more recent debates about its implementation. The resources include links to Pew Forum transcripts and related resource pages, as well as links to official statements on secularism and accredited news and commentary.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Americans United for Separation of Church and State is an advocacy organization that works to "protect separation of church and state by working on a wide range of pressing political and social issues." It opposes the use of public funds for religious schools.

Anti Defamation League
The Anti Defamation League works against defamation of the Jewish people and discrimination "against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens." Its pages on the separation of church and state explore its position supporting a strict separation of church and state on the grounds that separation allows all religions to flourish.

BBC News: Africa
See this section of the BBC News web site for general news about conditions and conflicts on the African continent, and access concise profiles of African nations and chronologies of historic events.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a "legal and educational institute dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions." It supports the use of public funds for religious schools. See in particular its pages on Blaine Amendments, provisions in many state constitutions that prohibit the use of state funds at religious schools.

First Amendment Center
This site features research of key First Amendment issues and topics, daily First Amendment news, a First Amendment Library guest analyses by respected legal specialists, and lesson plans on First Amendment issues. Of particular interest is the section devoted to Religious Liberty in the Public Schools.

The Heritage Foundation
This conservative think tank offers a number of resources on religion and civil society through its DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society.

Hijab
This brochure, reproduced on the University of Southern California Muslim Student Association Compendium of Muslim Texts web site, answers the question, why do Muslim women have to cover their heads?

The Hudson Institute/Center for Religious Freedom
This non-partisan policy research organization focuses on research and analysis to promote global security, prosperity, and freedom. One of its research areas is religion.

Human Rights First
This legal organization works to influence refugee and asylum policy and protect refugees and asylum seekers through the courts. The site provides news and updates and an e-newsletter called Asylum News.

Human Rights Watch
This advocacy organization is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. One of its area of emphases is religious freedom .

Human Rights Watch: Asia-Afghanistan
This site provides reports, briefings, and commentary on the human rights situation in the country.

Human Rights Watch: Religious Freedom
This section of this advocacy organization web site offers reports and essays about religious freedom around the globe, including an "Overview: Religious Freedom in Peril."

International Coalition for Religious Freedom
This non-sectarian, organization dedicated to defending the religious freedom offers educational and informational resources including a World Report section with country by country information through 2004. The News section is up to date, through April 2007.

International Law International Human Rights and Universal Rights Instruments
Maintained by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, this site links to many human and universal rights instruments.

Islam and the West
This special section on the BBC web site is devoted to Islam and the West. It includes commentary and news stories.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
This is the official site of the government of Afghanistan. You'll find useful links to the president's office and cabinet departments.

The Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life
The Center publishes Religion in the News, a magazine that covers media reporting of religion. It is published three times a year and archived articles are available online.

Muslims in Europe
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has resources on Muslims in Europe, including reports, event transcripts, polling data and news clips.

Religion and the Public Schools
The U.S. Department of Education provides an overview of guidelines on prayer in the public school, as well as archived directives on religion and the public schools.

Religious Liberty in the Public Schools
This overview is provided by the Foundation for American Communications (FACS), a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to improving the quality of information reaching the public through the news.

Religion and Ethics
This BBC sponsored web site gives you information about religions, essentially "A to Z" from Bah'ai to Judaism to Zoroastrianism. You'll also find commentary designed to dispel misconceptions and myths.

Sharia
This overview of sharia on the BBC web site defines sharia and explains its underlying philosophy and common misconceptions about it.

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University Asylum Law, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees: A Primer
This report describes the laws that govern asylum in the U.S. and how the U.S. fits into the global picture.

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library, Country Conditions
The library has collected links to for most countries to country reports from the United States Department of State, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch on conditions in countries relevant to asylum and refugee seekers.

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom:
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress. See the Countries & Issues section for reports and information.

U.S. Department of State/Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
This federal agency leads the U.S. efforts to promote democracy, protect human rights and international religious freedom, and advance labor rights globally.

"Well-Founded Fear," P.O.V.
This PBS documentary film by Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini, originally aired on P.O.V., June 5, 2000.

The World FactBook: Afghanistan
This site provides a listing from the U.S. CIA of key political, economic, and cultural information about the country.

Law-Related Education Resources

These resources are of special use to teachers of civics, government, history, and law. Some are presented as .pdf files so that you will need Adobe's Acrobat reader in order to view them. If you don't already have this program on your computer, you can download a free copy from Adobe's site.

Essentials of Law-Related Education
Concepts and subject matter; attitudes, beliefs, and values; skills; instructional practices and contexts that provide optimal opportunities for students to learn about their roles and responsibilities as citizens. Compiled during the 1992 National LRE Essentials Initiative coordinated by the ABA Division for Public Education, Essentials reflects the input, commitment, and expertise of the diverse constituents of the LRE field.

Glossary of Legal Terms for Secondary Students
Specially prepared vocabulary of legal and law-related terms for adolescent learners.

LLRX.COM
Free Web journal that provides legal and library professionals with the most up-to-date information on a wide range of Internet research and technology-related issues, applications, resources, and tools.

Update on the Courts Index, 1992-1997
Index of the ABA Division for Public Education's Update on the Courts, published to help classroom teachers and LRE program developers educate students about important Supreme Court decisions and other key judicial rulings, the legal issues they involve, and their impact on students' lives; thematically arranged entries include case summaries and teaching strategies available at through the division.

Update on Law-Related Education Index, 1979-2000
Index of the ABA Division for Public Education's Update on Law-Related Education, published to help secondary teachers of civics, government, history, and law, as well as law-related-education program developers, to educate students about the law and legal issues; thematically arranged entries include articles, teaching strategies, classroom activities, resources, and other informational and instructional tools available through the division.