Civic

New Jersey Indian Cultural Center Preserves Hindu Traditions

June 12, 2001

Source: The Record

On June 12, 2001, The Record published a letter to the editor that responded to its June 4 article on the inauguration of Hindu Samaj temple and community center by saying that "the article...gives an inaccurate depiction of the vibrant Hindu scene in Bergen County by saying that 'the only other temple is in Lodi.' I am aware of at least three other incorporated Hindu temples."

Supreme Court Ruling Permits Religious Groups to Use Classroom Space

June 12, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On June 12, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "the Supreme Court strengthened the free-speech rights of religious groups...ruling that a Christian youth group must be permitted to hold an after-school Bible study class in a public elementary school...The court's opinion stressing the rights of religious advocates should give a boost to President Bush's 'faith-based' initiative...In dissent, Justice David H. Souter said the ruling appears to stand 'for the remarkable proposition that any public school opened for civil...

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Supreme Court Ruling Permits Religious Groups to Use Classroom Space

June 12, 2001

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On June 12, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "the U.S. Supreme Court...ruled that schools cannot prohibit religious groups from using their classrooms after students have been dismissed for the day...The justices ruled against the Milford school district in upstate New York [which] had rejected a request from a local religious organization, the Good News Club," to use one of its classrooms after school hours.

Amish Fight Pennsylvania Traffic Code

June 11, 2001

Source: The Washington Times

On June 11, 2001, The Washington Times reported that "accidents have become all too common in Amish communities across the country. Speeding cars...travel on the same roads as buggies going 5 to 10 mph...Although they do display the required white tape and battery-operated lights, the Camden [Pennsylvania] Amish have refused to use the orange signs, saying the brightly colored symbol violates their religious beliefs...In Ohio, home to approximately 48,000 Amish, law enforcement agencies and government agencies are taking action...

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Iranian Jew Helps Iranian Muslim Despite Political Differences

June 10, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On June 10, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on Iranian immigrant and Muslim Dariush Farshidian, who was "weary of four years in INS detention both on Terminal Island and in Bakersfield, [California]...He needed $5,000 to post bond." In a letter to fellow Iranian Pooya Dayanim, Farshidian asked for help, conveying his "anger at U.S. treatment of INS detainees and his fear of imprisonment, if not execution, by Iranian officials...Several members of the Iranian Jewish community [including Pooya] quickly rallied to Farshidian's...

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Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee Finds New Executive Director

June 9, 2001

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On June 9, 2001, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee has announced that Marcus White has succeeded Jack Murtaugh as executive director...11 different denominations and faith groups collaborated through the Interfaith Conference to address social concerns and promote understanding among faith traditions...White's goals include building on interfaith relations, creating opportunities for congregations to address racism, and providing new ways for people to learn about...

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Two Utah Universities to Jointly Host International Conference on Religion

June 9, 2001

Source: The Deseret News

On June 9, 2001, The Deseret News reported that "the University of Utah and Brigham Young University are working together to bring an international conference to Utah next year" called "Minority Religions, Social Change and Freedom of Conscience." At the conference religion scholars from around the world will "share their insights and perceptions concerning the reaction and adaptation of individuals, religions and secular institutions to the growing diversity in many countries...The thrust behind the international nature of the...

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Church Movement Tolls Bells in Protest of Death Penalty

June 9, 2001

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On June 9, 2001, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that about 30 St. Louis area churches tolled their bells during the executions of Timothy McVeigh and Juan Raul Garza, as a "'reminder to all who hear them that all of us are diminished by continuing acts of murder in our names.'...Some Catholic, United Methodist and United Church of Christ churches in this region are joining a nationwide grass-roots anti-capital punishment movement called 'For Whom the Bells Toll.'"

Poll Measures Public Opinion on Hiring in Government-Funded Religious Programs

June 9, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On June 9, 2001, The New York Times reported that "a poll this spring by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that while three-quarters of those polled supported [Bush's faith-based initiative], 78 percent said that religious organizations getting government dollars should not 'be allowed to only hire people who share their religious beliefs.'...The Supreme Court has upheld the Title VII exemption allowing primarily religious groups to hire on the basis of...

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ACLU Will Not Take Ohio State Motto Case to Supreme Court

June 8, 2001

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On June 8, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "the American Civil Liberties Union said...that it won't take its challenge of Ohio's motto -- 'With God, All Things Are Possible' -- to the U. S. Supreme Court. Winning the 4-year-old case, ACLU officials said, seemed improbable...The ACLU sued the state in 1997 on behalf of the Rev. Matthew Peterson, a minister of Fairmount Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights, charging that the motto improperly links government with religion."

Clergy and Law Enforcement Officials Unite to Fight Gun Violence

June 8, 2001

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On June 8, 2001, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "clergy, law enforcement officials and families of gunshot victims [will] try to bring home the hard realities of violence by mounting Milwaukee County's first 'Ceasefire Sabbath.' More than 60 churches, synagogues and mosques will hold services or events where lay and ordained speakers will talk about the need to curb gun violence."

New Interfaith Group: Religious Witness for the Earth

June 7, 2001

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

On June 7, 2001, The Christian Science Monitor reported that "religious groups are responding [to Bush's policies] in active voice...seeking to bring shared moral concerns to bear on a range of public issues...A group of 165 Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist clergy recently formed Religious Witness for the Earth to urge action on global warming, oppose drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, and seek a conservation-friendly energy policy."

Students Hold Rally to Protest Taliban's Discrimination Against Hindus

June 7, 2001

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On June 7, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on "the Davis Academy students who held a rally last week to protest a Taliban requirement that minority Hindus wear yellow armbands to distinguish them from Muslims." Davis is a Reform Jewish school in Atlanta.

University of Illinois Backs Down on Requirements for Opponents of School Mascot

June 7, 2001

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On June 7, 2001, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "the University of Illinois has rescinded an earlier requirement that faculty and students get permission from the athletic department before talking with athletic recruits about their opposition to the Chief Illiniwek mascot...With the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union, seven faculty members and students [had] sued the university in federal court" for violating their right to free speech.

Bush Attacks Critics of Faith-Based Initiative and Holds Habitat for Humanity as Example

June 6, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On June 6, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "President Bush today struck back at critics of his plan to fund religious charities, saying that opponents 'don't understand the power of faith' and suggesting that they would cut off popular efforts such as the Habitat for Humanity home-building program...The targets of Bush's criticism reacted angrily...And Habitat for Humanity's founder and president...said...that his organization is thriving under current law," which allows the organization to use government funds to buy...

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