Indonesia’s atheists face battle for religious freedomKate Hodal ("The Guardian," May 3, 2012) Padang, Indonesia – When Alex Aan picked up a copy of Karen Armstrong’s Holy War from his local library in west Sumatra in 2005, he had little inkling of his own religious battle to come. But after posting “God doesn’t exist” on [...]
Jeffs appealing to Texas high courtLindsay Whitehurst ("Salt Lake Tribune," April 25, 2012) USA – In the form of three so-called revelations from God, polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs has appealed his sexual assault of a child conviction to the highest criminal court in Texas. Jeffs, who is acting as his own attorney, filed a [...]
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – Actors Amit Jaiswal and Preeti Surin reportedly decided to kidnap Thapar after listening to her boast about her family’s wealth and status in the Himalayan foothills of northern India, according to newspaper reporters Indian police have been quoted as saying that Jaiswal and Surin allegedly lured Thapar on a trip [...]
Radical Islamist sect Boko Haram issues new video challenging Nigeria president amid violence("Associated Press," April 12, 2012) Lagos, Nigeria – The leader of a radical Islamist sect in Nigeria has challenged the nationâs president, saying he could never destroy the group blamed for hundreds of killings this year alone, according to an online video posted [...]
Story By: Fresh Air from WHYY by Sadakat Kadri Sadakat Kadri practices criminal and human rights law, and is the author of The Trial: A History, from Socrates to O.J. Simpson. On interpretations of the Shariah “There are interpretations which do justify stoning, which do justify the concealment of women behind hijabs, which do justify [...]
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – The FDA has identified 35 products, most of them manufactured overseas. Mercury poisoning can cause illness and even death, and while the amounts of mercury in the cosmetics is typically low, mercury, like lead and some other poisons, accumulates in the body. The element is also highly absorbable through [...]
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – Released last November, the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report catalogued dozens of problems with Bahrain’s legal system and security forces. According to the report, prisoners were routinely held incommunicado and denied access to their lawyers and families. According to groups like Amnesty International, torture was commonplace and military [...]
Association connects religion journalists worldwideRuth Eglash ("The Jerusalem Post," April 1, 2012) Jerusalem, Israel – It should have been a simple task: Establish a worldwide association to connect journalists who cover religious issues, boost their resources and encourage professionalism in reporting on this most sensitive of topics. However, as with most things connected to religion, [...]
Story By: by Nick Miroff Pope Benedict is in Cuba, Latin America’s least Catholic country. He arrived Monday in Santiago, where Cuba’s revolution began in 1953. He urged Cubans to seek unity and overcome their divisions, but his message wasn’t especially political.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Havana’s Revolution Plaza to hear the pontiff celebrate Mass. The event was the highlight of his three-day visit to the island. While Pope Benedict spoke frequently of “liberty,” government officials stepped up arrests and detentions of dissidents, including at least two women [...]