News

President and Pastor of Valparaiso University "Repent" for Interfaith Service

September 30, 2003

Source: Associated Press

http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2003/09/30/local.20030930-sbt-LOCL-D4-Valparaiso_leaders_r.sto

On September 30, 2003 Associated Press reported that "the president and pastor of Valparaiso University have "repented" to members of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for hosting an interfaith service in which Muslim and Jewish leaders offered prayers. The independent Lutheran university in...

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Muslim Activist Arrested On Charges of Illegal Dealings With Libya

September 29, 2003

Source: Beliefnet.com

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/133/story_13336_1.html

On September 29, 2003 Beliefnet.com posted a story by the Associated Press that reported, "A Muslim activist whose Virginia home was searched as part of a federal investigation of terrorist financing has been arrested on charges of having illegal dealings with Libya. A criminal complaint unsealed Monday alleges Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi violated U.S. law by accepting, either personally or...

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Zen Master Helps the Homeless Serve the Hungry

September 29, 2003

Source: The Kansas City Star

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/6890941.htm

On September 29, 2003 The Kansas City Star reported that "the Greyston Bakery, which was founded by a Zen master, hires the homeless and makes brownies for Ben and Jerry's ice cream, has a new bakery building designed by Maya Lin, architect of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial... Federal, county and local officials who spoke at the opening ceremony praised the...

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Sikhs Talk Tolerance With White House Aide

September 29, 2003

Source: Sikh Net

http://www.sikhnet.com/s/SikhsMeetWhiteHouse

On September 29, 2003 the Sikh Net reported that "several Sikhs from all across the United States met Monday with a top Bush aide at the White House to have a dialogue on issues of concern for the Sikh community and to offer the Sikh community's support. Tim Goeglein, director of the Public Liaison Office, met with Sikh leaders for over an hour to discuss several national issues including hate crimes and unity...

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Supreme Court to Consider "Under God" Petition

September 29, 2003

Source: Los Angeles Times

On September 29, 2003 the Los Angeles Times reported that "the Supreme Court meets behind closed doors today to consider more than 2,000 appeals that arrived during the summer, none messier or potentially more significant than the case of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Sacramento-area father who wants the words "under God" removed from it.    At one level, the pledge case asks the most basic questions about the role of religion in American public life: Is this indeed "one nation, under God?" And should schoolchildren be...

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Islam Meets Tex-Mex in Abiquiu, NM

September 29, 2003

Source: Newsweek

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_email.asp?/news/969706.asp

On September 29, 2003 Newsweek correspondent Carla Power reported on her visit to Dar al Islam, a mosque and madrasa outside the town of Abiquiu, New Mexico which was founded by American Muslims 20 years ago. She writes, "it’s at lunch, when a bunch of us go into the tiny town of El Rito for Tex-Mex food at the El Farolito cantina, that I realize how fully the...

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Update: Balbir Singh Sodhi

September 29, 2003

Source: Arizona Republic

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0929roque29-ON.html

On September 29, 2003 the Arizona Republic reported that the lawyers of Frank Silva Roque say he was insane at the time of the shooting Sikh Balbir Singh Sodhi. "Roque suffered from mental illness his entire life and didn't start using racial slurs until after the terrorist attacks, said defense attorney Dan Patterson during closing arguments.'Clearly there was lunacy at work in a grand...

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Arrest of James Yee Prompts Review of Military Chaplain Selection Process

September 28, 2003

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/09/28/MN98830.DTL

On September 28, 2003 The San Francisco Chronicle reported that "neither military nor civilian authorities have brought formal charges against [Chaplain James] Yee, but after his arrest the Pentagon says it has begun a review of the admittedly ad hoc process it has used for years to select and train chaplains of all faiths.

...

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Synagogues Offering New Forms of Worship

September 28, 2003

Source: The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/09/28ky/wir-front-services0928-12863.html

On September 28, 2003 The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) reported that "amid local and national worries that the Jewish population is stagnating, aging, tuning out to religion and intermarrying with non-Jews at high rates,...synagogues are offering broader menus of worship styles. The Temple and Adath...

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