Good Without God in 2016
Source: US NEWS By Robyn Blumner Now that news editors have assembled and disseminated their end-of-year lists – Top 10 of This, Worst 5 of That – I’d like to […]
Millennials’ views of news media, religious organizations grow more negative
Source: Pew Research Center Younger generations tend to have more-positive views than their elders of a number of institutions that play a big part in American society. But for some […]
Electric power for an icon of the atomic age
Source: BBC In the world of postwar scooters, the Czechoslovakian Čezeta is not universally beloved. Its barrel-shaped body and snout of a front fairing — which made it more practical […]
Iran-Saudi Arabia row: Kuwait recalls ambassador from Tehran
Source: BBC Kuwait has announced it is recalling its ambassador to Iran as a regional row over the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia deepens. Saudi Arabia’s embassy […]
Western Pa. religious leaders extend hands to Muslims
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune Review By Natasha Lindstrom ISIS had just claimed credit for a deadly siege of Paris, and the Rev. David Carver felt perturbed by derogatory remarks about Muslims […]
Pakistan removes New York Times’ international edition report on bloggers killed in Bangladesh
Source: bdnews24.com An article on the killing of Bangladeshi bloggers has been removed by the Pakistani printers of the international edition of The New York Times. The censorship left swathes […]
The Shia-Sunni Schism is about Politics, Not about Islam
Written by Dr. Abdul Alim: Since the execution of the Shia Cleric Al-Nimr over the weekend, and the subsequent tensions that have worsened the relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, […]
Saudi Arabia’s Dangerous Sectarian Game
Source: The New York Times WHEN Saudi Arabia executed the Shiite cleric and political dissident Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr on Saturday, the country’s leaders were aware that doing so would upset […]
Greece’s parliament has voted to recognise Palestinian statehood – here are all the other countries that already do
Source: i100 Independent On 22 December, Greece’s parliament voted in a non-binding resolution to recognise the state of Palestine, making it the latest European country to do so. The parliamentary […]
Scalia’s Views on Religious Neutrality Reveal He Is Neutral on Sanity
Source: Huffington Post Speaking at a Catholic high school in New Orleans recently, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said, “To tell you the truth there is no place for that […]
The Periodic Table Has 4 Brand New Elements
Source: Huffington Post Four new elements have been added to the periodic table, making science textbooks across the world out of date. The elements were verified and added by the […]
Something Wicked: White Supremacy as 2016’s Urgent Faith Challenge
Huff Post: by Rev Dr. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite — Something Wicked This Way Comes is not only a sinister 1962 fantasy novel by Ray Bradbury, it is also descriptive of the malevolent and growing power of white supremacy in the United States. This accelerating menace is an urgent faith challenge […]
Nimr’s execution may compound Saudi Arabia’s problems
theguardian: by Ian Black — King Salman’s decision to enforce a death penalty his predecessor balked at reflects tougher line on Iran and internal dissent – and lack of a coherent strategy A man burns a picture of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman at a protest in Delhi over the execution […]
16 Ways You Can Support American Muslims in 2016
Source: Huffington Post By Qasim Rashid; Visiting Fellow, Harvard University’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal School of Islamic Studies In hindsight, 2015 had many great moments, but also many terrible things […]
Toward a Political Theory of Sectarianism in the Middle East: The Salience of Authoritarianism over Theology
mei.edu: Sectarian identities could not be politicized unless differences in beliefs, values, and historical memory compelled religious groups to collective action around particularistic identities. The critical question, however, that demands an answer in explaining sectarian conflict is: why now? Why do sectarian conflicts erupt at particular moments in time and […]
What if the Oregon Protesters Were Black or Muslim? Debate Ensues
NY Times: The Oregon protest at a federal wildlife refuge has reignited an already intense debate on social media about policing, race and terrorism. On Saturday, an armed group of […]
Canadian Kids Welcome Syrian Refugees With Friendship, Big Smiles In Video
“I’m gonna be your friend!” By Kimberly Yam; Associate Good News Editor, The Huffington Post These Canadian children welcomed Syrian refugees to their country with open arms. Nonprofit World Vision Canada, a Christian […]
Saudi Arabia recruits Sunni allies in row with Iran
Reuters International JAN 4, 2016 – swissinfo.ch By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia rallied Sunni allies to its side in a growing diplomatic row with Iran on Monday, deepening a sectarian split across the Middle East following the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shi’ite cleric. Bahrain and Sudan […]
Swiss summon Saudi diplomat over executions
JAN 4, 2016 – 17:56 Iranian anti-riot police stand guard during a demonstration near the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran. (Keystone) The Swiss foreign ministry has summoned the Saudi Arabian charge d’affaires to express its opposition to the mass execution of 47 people, including a prominent Shiite cleric. In a […]
Somali workers fired at Colorado packing plant in prayer dispute
Source: Reuters Nearly 200 workers, mostly Somali immigrants, have been fired from a meat-packing plant in Colorado after staging a walkout to protest what they said were insufficient prayer accommodations, the company and Islamic advocacy groups said on Thursday. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the workers were treated […]