Source: Religion...

Source: Senate.gov

http://durbin.senate.gov/~durbin/new2001/press/2003/05/2003502816.html

On May 1, 2003 Senate.gov reported that "Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Dick Durbin, Gordon Smith, Patrick Leahy, Charles Schumer and Arlen Specter today introduced the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, better known as the Hate Crimes bill, at a press conference in the Capitol lawn. The bill will give law enforcement the ability to prosecute to the fullest...

Source: The Interfaith Alliance News

Source: Contra Costa Times

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/5759119.htm

On May 1, 2003 Contra Costa Times reported that "some critics contend the [National Day of Prayer], which marks its 52nd year today, has become co-opted in recent years by evangelical Christians, who have transformed the national day into an event meant to further a socially conservative agenda... Even within the Christian community, some theologians contend that the day excludes those who don't...

Source: Sightings

On May 1, 2003 Sightings reported that "the Religion and Values department at Gallup recently initiated a new index called the 'Gallup Religious Tolerance Index,' which will now be part of Gallup's regular polling. To publicize this new initiative, Gallup organized an online seminar led by Al Winseman who described the format of the new index and some preliminary findings... Winseman and his team use five questions to categorize individuals into three 'levels' of religious tolerance: Isolated, Tolerant, and Integrated. The figures show...

Source: Indy Star

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/9/039773-9429-009.html

On May 1, 2003 the Indy Star reported that "a decision to ban Jews, Muslims and others who don't pray in the name of Jesus from fully participating in a National Day of Prayer service in downtown Muncie today has turned a communal expression of civic pride into a symbol of religious division... Even though everyone is welcome to pray outside City Hall at noon today, the evangelical...

Source: UC Berkeley News

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2003/04/30_toler.shtml

On April 30, 2003 UC Berkeley News reported that "for some students, Berkeley’s reputation as a place of tolerance and acceptance doesn’t quite match their reality... Last spring, Berkeley Hillel, a Jewish student center, was marked by anti-Jewish graffiti and had a brick thrown through one of its windows. On Christmas Eve, a swastika and Aryan Nation symbol...

Source: Boston Globe

On April 30, 2003 the Boston Globe reported that "the six Hare Krishna temples in California, along with several other Krishna organizations here and in West Virginia, took steps yesterday to identify minors who may have been sexually abused or mistreated at boarding schools during the 1970's and 80's. A lawsuit over the alleged abuse prompted the Krishna movement, known officially as the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, to file for bankruptcy last year to protect its assets and, the group said, to prevent closing of...

Source: The New York Times

Source: The Indy Star

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/2/038372-8262-102.html

On April 25, 2003 The Indy Star reported that "in a world in which religious identities too often divide, the Rev. Bob Edgar believes working to protect the environment might be one of the few places where faithful people can find unity... As general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ, Edgar is traveling the country promoting faith-based environmental...

Source: Gateway

http://www.unogateway.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/04/25/3ea80b28a09a1

On April 25, 2003 the Gateway reported that "more than 20 people attended 'From Justified Concern to Hateful Prejudice,' a discussion... led by Patrick McNamara, coordinator of the University of Nebraska Omaha Hate Crime Project... The open dialog focused on diversity in America... During the program, participants spent time brainstorming the kinds of prejudices and...

Source: The News-Times

Source: Civil Liberties Digest

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=8734ace218198363473a825cd1a7f438

On April 24, 2003 the Civil Liberties Digest reported that "Rita, one of the most popular singers in Israel, has been unable to get a visa to come on a concert tour of the U.S. Her problem is that she is Iranian born according to San Jose Iranian monthly Pezhvak of Persia (April 2003). The Israeli...

Source: KXLY

http://www.kxly.com/common/getStory.asp?id=28197

On April 23, 2003 KXLY reported that "a community outraged by the burglary and vandalism of a Sikh Temple in the Spokane Valley last weekend came together to repair the damage and provide information that led to the arrest of the 14-year-old suspect Tuesday afternoon. Sheriff’s detectives arrested the teenaged suspect who lives not far from the temple after residents called the sheriff’s office and...

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

On April 23, 2003 The Washington Post printed an editorial by Dana Milbank stating that "after 26 months of tussles over Bush's 'faith-based initiative,' the sponsor of the legislation in the Senate agreed to remove any mention of religion in a bill whose stated purpose was helping religious charities. All that was left was a package of charitable tax incentives -- and even those were barely 15 percent of the amount Bush had...