Source: The Plain Dealer

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/106207423574610.xml

On August 28, 2003 The Plain Dealer reported on a controversy over a Muslim student wearing the hijab, or headscarf, that violated a Cleveland, OH Catholic school's dress code. Sister Maureen Burke, president of Regina High School, said of the policy: "'It's a broad-based policy. It's certainly not just about do-rags or...

Source: Reuters

On August 19, 2003 Reuters reported that "being gay and Muslim, especially after Sept. 11, 2001, is a unique act of defiance requiring homosexuals to defend their religious identity in the face of an increasingly suspicious U.S. government and sexual orientation amid hostility from the conservative Islamic community... Many would rather deny their sexuality than sacrifice family, friends, culture or religion by coming out of the closet... But some gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Muslims are finding a safe haven in Al-Fatiha, a...

Source: Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/religion/stories/081603dnrelconnect.8c9be.html

On August 15, 2003 the Dallas Morning News reported that "the opinions of 30 Dallas-area Jewish women will help a New York-based national organization set its priorities for the next decade... Ma'yan ('wellspring' in Hebrew), headquartered in the Manhattan Jewish Community Center, was founded 10 years ago "as a catalyst for change in the Jewish...

Source: The Dallas Morning News

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/6522371.htm

On August 13, 2003 The Dallas Morning News reported that "when Mary Kappes is feeling stressed, or wrestling with a problem, she often finds herself walking in circles... She goes to small clearing in a wooded area behind the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, Texas. There, to the buzz of cicadas, she walks the circular pathway of a labyrinth built by members three years ago...

Source: Tech MIT

http://www-tech.mit.edu/V123/N30/shankar30.30c.html

On August 6, 2003 Tech MIT printed an editorial by Shankar Mukherji stating that "as a religious person, I am deeply offended at the thought that such an inspirational part of my life could be hijacked for such a destructive, mean-spirited purpose. As a practising Hindu, a religion that represents nearly one-sixth of humanity, I can humbly assert that God couldn’t care less about the gender of...

Source: The Associated Press

http://www.caller.com/ccct/state_texas_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_876_2156428,00.html

On August 3, 2003 The Associated Press reported that "a self-proclaimed witch in the eastern Hill Country is accusing a Christian pastor of leading a harassment campaign aimed at ruining her business and driving her out of the region... Margie Allen, who practices the pagan religion Wicca, also charges that the Llano County...

Source: Toledo Blade

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030802/NEWS10/108020120

On August 2, 2003 the Toledo Blade reported that "a Toledo couple known for their efforts in promoting interfaith programs have launched a new organization, the Multifaith Council of Northwest Ohio, to better facilitate understanding and acceptance among the area’s diverse religious communities... 'What’s so different about us? We...

Source: Indian Country Today

http://www.indiancountry.com/?1059748335

On August 1, 2003 Indian Country Today printed an editorial by Suzan Shown Harjo stating that "the American Indian Religious Freedom Act turns 25 on Aug. 11, and there is every reason to both celebrate it and complete its unfinished agenda... AIRFA articulates the policy of the United States to 'protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the...

Source: MSNBC

http://www.msnbc.com/news/944564.asp

On July 31, 2003 MSNBC reported that "since 9/11, domestic violence has been on the rise in the American Muslim community, according to social-service agencies nationwide. The weak economy, an insulated culture and intense scrutiny from law enforcement and locals alike have created a powder keg that’s all the more frightening because there are so few resources to deal with the problem; only three shelters in the United States...

Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen

http://www.press-citizen.com/news/072803swim.htm

On July 28, 2003 the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported that "a group of women and their children from the University of Iowa Association of Muslims in America enjoyed a rare delight Sunday night - swimming... Workers at the Coralville Recreation Center taped up the windows to give the women privacy required by their religious and cultural dogmas. When the summer heat soars above 90 degrees,...

Source: Whittier Daily News

On July 27, 2003 the Whittier Daily News reported that "Louvenia Ortega came to the Hsi Lai Temple [CA] for a one-week monastic retreat to learn more about Buddhism... She started out by getting mad and failing as a group leader. She discovered that is a good way to learn... Everybody wanted to tell her what to do, so she lost her temper, the Hacienda Heights resident said... They came from as far as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vancouver and as close as Monrovia and Whittier, each paying an $80 registration fee. The retreat is open to...

Source: Toledo Blade

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030726/NEWS10/107260103

On July 26, 2003 the Toledo Blade reported that "they met in college in Houston, a Hindu from Toledo and a Conservative Jew from Port St. Lucie, Fla. They fell in love, broke the news gently to their devoutly religious parents, and tied the wedding knot - twice - in separate ceremonies in Toledo last weekend... Now Minal and Gary Kopel face...

Source: Gwinnett Daily Post

http://www.gwinnettdailyonline.com/GDP/archive/article3EC8571A82704292A40E0519890F2B7D.asp

On July 24, 2003 the Gwinnett Daily Post reported that "The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors is violating the U.S. Constitution by refusing to allow a self-proclaimed witch to open meetings with a prayer, the woman’s lawyer told a federal magistrate Tuesday... A lawyer for the county disagreed,...

Source: Star-Tribune

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2003/07/23/news/casper/f9764d0fd6cd49bf42cfef62cc04eb59.txt

On July 23, 2003 the Star-Tribune reported that "Cheryl Fraine beats the drum as participants file in and settle themselves for their shamanic journey... Fraine asks each person to think of a favorite place, whether it be a mountain top or a tropical beach, and as the drum beat continues, each...

Source: Record-Journal

http://www.record-journal.com/articles/2003/07/23/news/news04.txt

On July 23, 2003 the Record-Journal reported that Jacqueline "Glen, 37, a city native, left Catholicism three years ago and found she fit in with Wicca... Wicca, the practice of witchcraft, is a fast growing religion with hundreds of organizations and covens throughout the state, according to the Connecticut Wiccan and Pagan Network... The religion has been around...