Source: Newsday

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/queens/nyc-mus0710,0,4454118.story

On July 9, 2003 Newsday reported that "a national Muslim organization demanded an apology Wednesday from a Flushing [NY] Buddhist priest who allegedly made disparaging remarks about Islam that were posted on the Internet... Ghazi Khankan, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-New York, said the Rev. Jisei Nagasaka made disparaging...

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2263-2003Jul3.html

On July 6, 2003 The Washington Post reported that "the 1,000-acre Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville on the James River in Buckingham, Va., schedules yoga classes, group meditations, vegetarian meals, and 10-day silent retreats several times a year. The nondenominational Mountain Light Retreat Center in Crozet, Va., specializes in Zen-based meditation. And the...

Source: Newsday

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--travel-greatbuddh0705jul05,0,3211482.story

On July 5, 2003 Newsday reported that "the Chuang Yen Monastery houses this statue, the largest Buddha in the Western Hemisphere, on its 225 acres in Carmel [NY]... With meditation programs in both English and Chinese, the monastery welcomes visitors to walk around the Seven Jewels Lake, meditate in its halls and learn about...

Source: India Abroad

On July 4, 2003 India Abroad reported that Gold Medal Hosiery Company put out a line of socks "with 'Om' displayed all over [them]... The designer who created the motifs for the socks conceded she was unaware of the religious sensibilities of putting the symbols on an article of footwear... Gaurang Desai, a Fremont, CA-based community activist... [said] 'It's ok for shirts or trousers or even caps to have these symbols, but footwear is demeaning; here it is okay to put symbols on shoes but in our culture, shoes are considered unclean...

Source: Register-Pajaronian