Some interesting law & religion stories from around the web this week:

• At a federal appeals court on Thursday, American Atheists argued the World Trade Center Cross does not belong in a museum on government leased property. Lawyers for the 9/11 museum argued that the steel beam cross is an artifact, not a religious display.
• A Purdue University donor alleged his First Amendment rights were violated when the school rejected his written dedication because it included the phrase “God’s physical laws.” The university stated that including the word “God” amounted to a government endorsement of religion. On Wednesday, an agreement was reached, amending the dedication slightly to clarify that it reflects the words of the donor, not the university
• The Department of Justice sued the Philadelphia city school district, alleging that the district’s policy on beards discriminates against Muslims
• Jerusalem’s grand mufti objected to legislation that would require mosques to lower the volume on loudspeakers during the call to prayer
• Thousands of Orthodox Jews gathered at the entrance to Jerusalem for a massive protest against plans to introduce compulsory military service to the Haredi community
• London Mayor Boris Johnson stated that Muslim children at risk of radicalization at the hands of their parents are victims of child abuse and should be taken into care
• North Korea released John Short, an Australian missionary who had been arrested for “secretly spreading his Bible tracts around a Buddhist temple in Pyongyang.”
• The former Tennessee magistrate who changed a baby’s first name from Messiah to Martin was censured for bias