Civic

Naval Academy to Build Jewish House of Worship

February 10, 2002

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On February 10, 2002, The Baltimore Sun featured an article on Judaism at the Naval Academy. The history began to change when "a Supreme Court ruling in 1972 ended mandatory Sunday prayer. An All Faiths Chapel was built on campus nearly a decade after that. And before long, the academy hired a full-time Jewish chaplain... But the quest for Jewish belonging at the officer-training school will reach its largest milestone next year, when workers are to break ground for the first Jewish chapel in the academy's 157-year history...

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Jewish Congregation Sues for Right to Use Former Convent

February 10, 2002

Source: The Jerusalem Post

On February 10, 2002, The Jerusalem Post reported that "the state attorney general's office and the American Civil Liberties Union are asking a suburban community to let a congregation of Reform Jews turn a former Roman Catholic convent into a synagogue... Congregation Kol Ami has been trying to move into the Abington Township site for two years. The group hopes to start a synagogue and school in the community north of Philadelphia... Its efforts have been held up by neighbors and officials, who argue the plan would...

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Tennessee Schools Ordered to Stop Holding Bible Classes

February 9, 2002

Source: The New York Times

On February 9, 2002, The New York Times reported that "the Tennessee county where the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 resulted in a verdict favoring the classroom teaching of biblical creationism over evolution was ordered today by a federal district judge here to stop holding Bible classes in its elementary schools... The classes, held in Rhea County for 51 years, violate the constitutional separation of church and state, said the judge, R. Allan Edgar...The 30-minute classes were held weekly for about 800 students in...

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Seattle Hosts Women of Wisdom Conference

February 9, 2002

Source: The Seattle Times

http://www.womenofwisdom.org

On February 9, 2002, The Seattle Times featured an article on the Women of Wisdom conference, whose participants are practitioners of "everything from earth-centered and goddess spirituality to Incan shamanic practices... About 2,000 people are expected to attend parts of the eight-day women's spirituality conference at Seattle Unity Church, a nondenominational metaphysical church. More than 90 events are planned, exploring...

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Sept 11 Awakens America to its Own Religious Diversity

February 9, 2002

Source: Star Tribune

On February 9, 2002, the Star Tribune reported that "ever since Sept. 11 the United States has seen a resurgence of sensitivity to and expressions of civil religion - we value service, cooperation, equality of justice and opportunity, respect for diversity and national symbols and ideas... The Rev. Peg Chemberlin, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Churches, said, 'Part of what we're seeing is a firm commitment to the celebration of religious pluralism. In that it's a central value of a democracy'... Chemberlin said, '...

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Bush Approves Faith-Based Initiative Compromise

February 8, 2002

Source: The Boston Globe

On February 8, 2002, The Boston Globe reported that "President Bush gave his blessing to a compromise version of his faith-based initiative yesterday that would deliver more private and public resources to religious charities over the next two years... The compromise, achieved by White House negotiators and a bipartisan group of senators, was a breakthrough for Bush. The bill would use tax incentives to spur charitable giving, while increasing the amount of grant money for groups that deliver social services... The bill's...

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Los Angeles City Schools Pull Copies of Quran from Shelves

February 7, 2002

Source: Los Angeles Times

On February 7, 2002, the Los Angeles Times reported that "Los Angeles city school officials have pulled nearly 300 translations of the Koran from school libraries after learning that commentary in the books was derogatory toward Jews... Copies of 'The Meaning of the Holy Quran' were donated in December to the Los Angeles Unified School District by a local Muslim foundation, said Jim Konantz, director of information technology for the district. Konantz said the books, offered as a goodwill gesture in response to the Sept....

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Atlanta Muslim Organization Struggles to Get New Cemetary Approved For Zoning

February 7, 2002

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On February 7, 2002, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "Bert Nasuti tried to set the record straight Tuesday night as the Gwinnett County Planning Commission heard impassioned arguments for and against a planned Islamic cemetery near Lawrenceville... 'We're not here to make decisions about religion,' said Nasuti, the panel's chairman. 'We're here to make land use decisions'... Dennis Still, an attorney for the Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious...

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Marlborough, MA Debates Closing Public Schools on Religious Holidays

February 7, 2002

Source: The Boston Globe

http://www.marlborough.com

On February 7, 2002, The Boston Globe reported that "Michelle Cohen doesn't hesitate to take her daughter out of school to observe the Jewish high holidays. The choice between practicing her faith and attending classes, she said, is clear-cut. But religious services, Cohen and other Marlborough [MA] parents say, shouldn't have to compete with assignments and tests... In response, the School Committee is considering closing school on...

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Senate Negotiators Agree on Modified Proposal

February 6, 2002

Source: The New York Times

On February 6, 2002, The New York Times reported that "Senate negotiators have reached agreement with the White House over President Bush's proposal to give federal money to religious charities, Congressional aides said tonight... The aides said details of the agreement between Senators Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, and Rick Santorum, Republican of Pennsylvania, will be announced Thursday by the lawmakers and President Bush... The aides said the most contentious elements of a bill adopted by the House last summer...

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University Chancellor Re-Examines Role of Religion in Higher Education

February 2, 2002

Source: The New York Times

On February 2, 2002, The New York Times featured an article on David K. Scott, "who until last spring was chancellor of the University of Massachusetts flagship campus in Amherst... Mr. Scott said he feared that constitutional prohibitions against promoting religion had been used to effectively banish religion from public universities, or at least to 'ghettoize' religion in departments where it can be safely ignored by those who do not study it... Mr. Scott said he would like to see universities revamp the general education...

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Day of Unity at Diverse Florida High School

February 1, 2002

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On February 1, 2002, the St. Petersburg Times featured an article on Unity Day at Chaberlain High School in Tampa, Florida. The Unity Day program was "a joint effort of Chamberlain's human relations department and facilitators from the National Conference for Community and Justice... The National Conference seeks to promote understanding and respect among diverse populations... [The] program was based on the National Council's Anytown Leadership Experience, which each summer brings diverse groups of teens together for a week to...

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Church and Gurdwara Work Together to Help Homeless in San Francisco

January 31, 2002

Source: Yahoo

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020131/sfth093_1.html

On January 31, 2002, a press release from Glide Memorial Church announced, "Sikhs Help Homeless Battle Freezing Nights: Distribute 250 Blankets at Glide Memorial." The press release stated, in part: "Tomorrow the Sikh community will join with Glide Memorial to distribute 250 blankets to the homeless. The Sikh Gurdwara Temple of El Sobrante donated all 250 blankets to Glide. The blanket give-away is a direct response...

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Man to Perform Community Service with Arab-American Agency He Threatened

January 31, 2002

Source: The Detroit Free Press

http://www.freep.com/news/metro/email31_20020131.htm

On January 31, 2002, The Detroit Free Press reported "E-mail threats lead to lesson." It noted, "A California man who sent hate-filled e-mail to an Arab services group in Dearborn on Sept. 11 received his sentence Wednesday: He must spend a week working with the group he targeted. ... After Snyder was charged with ethnic intimidation in October, directors at ACCESS [Arab Community...

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Muslim-American Woman Sues Florida DMV

January 30, 2002

Source: Yahoo News

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020130/ts/rights_veil_dc_1.html

On January 30, 2002, Yahoo News reported that "a Muslim woman in Florida [Sultaana Freeman] sued the state for revoking her driver's license because she refused to have her photo taken without the face-covering veil she wears for religious reasons, her lawyer said... Howard Marks, of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the license revocation violated U.S. and Florida...

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