Islam

Draft Iranian Law Threatens Gross Human Rights Violations

February 22, 2008

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/606

The Iranian Parliament is considering legislation that would institutionalize a series of gross human rights violations, affecting not only Baha'is but many others, even outside of Iran, the Baha'i International Community said today.

Of greatest concern is a section that would mandate the death penalty for anyone who converts from Islam to another religion, a...

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'Most Britons Belong to No Religion'

February 22, 2008

Author: Ruth Gledhill

Source: The Times

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3412734.ece

Freedom from religion in Britain is becoming as important as freedom of religion, according to a United Nations investigation.

A 23-page report by Asma Jahangir, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, says that the 2001 census findings that nearly 72 per cent of the population is Christian can no...

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Shops Raided in Azerbaijan’s Southern Region

February 22, 2008

Author: P. Aliyeva

Source: Trend News

http://news.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1141326&lang=EN

Eighteen Muslim Shops in the south regions of Azerbaijan – Bilasuvar, Jalilabad, Masalli and Lankaran, have been raided, Miryahya Badirov, the head of the South Office of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Religious Organizations, said to Trend News.

Last year, the State Committee for Religious Organizations...

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Faith Unites Jewish, Muslim Students

February 21, 2008

Author: Gregg Krupa

Source: The Detroit News

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/SCHOOLS/802210392

Even on this famously liberal campus, some University of Michigan students wonder what Muslims wearing head scarves and beards are doing hanging out with some of the Jews wearing yarmulkes. Why are they spending so much time together? Are they supposed to be doing that?

I mean, like, is it even...

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For Muslim Students, a Debate on Inclusion

February 21, 2008

Author: NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Source: The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/education/21muslim.html?

Amir Mertaban vividly recalls sitting at his university’s recruitment table for the Muslim Students Association a few years ago when an attractive undergraduate flounced up in a decidedly un-Islamic miniskirt, saying “Salamu aleykum,” or “Peace be upon you,” a standard Arabic greeting, and asked to sign up...

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Pop Preacher Sings of a Tolerant Islam

February 21, 2008

Author: MARK MACKINNON

Source: The Globe and Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080221.wegypt21/BNStory/International/home/

'Here comes the story of the world today," sings the young man with the gentle voice, oblivious to the stares he earns from passing gaggles of tourists. "A world in which religion has learned to hate, a world in which justice has become a cliché."

The...

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Anglican Archbishop: Too Intellectual to Lead?

February 20, 2008

Author: Mark Rice-Oxley

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0220/p07s01-woeu.html

When it comes to leadership in the Church of England, the former Bishop of Norwich once reportedly said: "If you want to lead someone in this part of the world, find out where they're going. And walk in front of them."

Rowan Williams, who celebrates five years as Archbishop of Canterbury next week, could never be accused of...

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Muslim Leader Decries American 'Bigotry' Against Islam

February 20, 2008

Author: Bruce Nolan

Source: Religion News Service

http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=15001

American culture's view of American Muslims and Islam is steadily deteriorating under an onslaught of "bigotry" on cable news shows, newspaper op-ed pages and in the blogosphere, an Arab-American activist told an audience at Tulane University here Tuesday.

That's a significant shift, said Hussein Ibish, founder of the Foundation for Arab-...

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China Official Explains Religion Policy

February 20, 2008

Author: FOSTER KLUG

Source: AP

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIY_47Y6UfWb4U9DqcLsYDJzAfAwD8UUB5NG0

A senior Chinese official is trying to calm U.S. misgivings ahead of Beijing's coming Olympic Games about what the Bush administration sees as religious intolerance.

In Washington, the director of China's religious affairs bureau met with U.S. officials and spoke at Georgetown University.

Ye Xiaowen told...

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Kosovo Touts 'Islam Lite'

February 20, 2008

Author: WILLIAM J. KOLE

Source: AP

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPG24fVmi0a_uUbMtmF_X4iX_4hQD8UU9BP00

Kastriot Sadiku has a confession: Like a good Muslim, he was near a mosque when Kosovo declared independence. But like a good Kosovar, he was just around the corner, sipping suds at his favorite pub.

As minaret loudspeakers broadcast afternoon prayers, "I was having a beer," said Sadiku, 25. "In the entire Muslim...

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Nepal to Recognise Buddhist and Muslim Religious Schools

February 19, 2008

Author: Kalpit Parajuli

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Asia News

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=39,5924,0,0,1,0

Hundreds of Muslim and Buddhist schools want to join the public school system after the government signalled its intention of recognising religious schools, but has set some conditions to do so, namely that such schools also use non-religious textbooks recommended by the government’s Education Board rather than rely...

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