Switzerland: Intel chief: general surveillance of mosques ‘unlawful’
Source: Swiss Info There is neither a reason nor a legal basis to monitor all mosques and imams as a preventative measure, the head of the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) […]
15 Hindu temples in Bangladesh vandalised
Source: TOI A group of madrasa students demonstrated on the premises of Brahmanbarhia Press Club while hundreds of people blocked Sarail-Nasirnagar-Lakhai road by torching tyres on Sunday. After the mayhem […]
Baptisms on the football field: Church-and-state separation advocates see a troubling trend at public schools
Source: The Washington Post By Julie Zauzmer One sunny afternoon last month, Newton High School football coach Ryan Smith gave his players a different sort of pep talk. “This world’s […]
Channel 4 presenter says hijab ruling means it’s ‘open season’ on Muslims
Source: The Guardian By Matthew Weaver The presenter Fatima Manji has questioned whether the press regulator will ever prohibit hate speech on the grounds of religion after it cleared the Sun […]
Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi set to open in 2017
Source: MSN By Neha Bhatia A Hindu temple currently under construction in Abu Dhabi will be completed in 2017, its development team has announced. B R Shetty, vice chairman and […]
The desire for theocracy in the Muslim world can be partly understood through the failures of Western secularism.
The Atlantic Monthly: Ben Affleck has become an unlikely spokesman for a view on Islam held by many on the American left. In 2014, the actor made a now-famous stand against Bill Maher and Sam Harris in defense of Muslims, arguing that it’s wrong to make generalizations about the religion based on ideological extremists and […]
How America’s separation of church and state is fraying
Economist: “THE wall between state and church”, Justice Hugo Black wrote in Everson v Board of Education, a case from 1947, “must be kept high and impregnable”. Justice Black was […]
Religion contributes more to economy than many giant corporations
Dawn: Religion is big business. Just how big? A new study, published Wednesday by a father-daughter researcher team, says religion is bigger than Facebook, Google and Apple — combined. The article in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion said that the annual revenues of faith-based enterprises — not just […]
How Being Muslim In America Has Changed Since 9/11
Huff Post: by Antonia Blumberg — For many Muslims, especially those born after Sept. 11, Islamophobia seems to be a fact of life. ANDREW BIRAJ VIA GETTY IMAGES A woman holds banners and a flag as she takes part in the Americans Against Terrorism, Hate and Violence rally on the […]
Emails reveal mosque debate within Newton County government
Source: AJC By Chris Joyner The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Two days after news broke of a proposed mosque outside of Covington, Newton County Commission Chairman Keith Ellis confided to a constituent […]
Son had 36 bruises. Mom quoted the Bible as defense.
Source: THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR By Vic Ryckaert An Indianapolis woman who beat her 7-year-old son with a coat hanger is citing Indiana’s religious freedom law as a defense against felony child abuse charges, saying her choice of discipline comes straight from her evangelical Christian beliefs. The woman quoted biblical Scripture in court documents. She said that […]
Food stamp fraud trial postponed amid disputes over polygamists’ religious beliefs
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune By NATE CARLISLE A federal judge on Tuesday postponed the trial for 11 members of a polygamous sect who are accused of misusing food stamp benefits. […]