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 Ahmadinejad Goes to the Hajj

December 19, 2007

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, blustering bumpkin with malice aforethought to most Western observers and the darling of Islamist militants elsewhere, did something this past week that got tongues wagging throughout the Islamic world. Yet he drew only a few jaded yawns and occasional mention on the back page among journalists in America and Europe. 

Ahmadinejad made the first pilgrimage (known as the hajj) in distant memory of a Shiite head of state to the Muslim holy sites in Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The hajj is the so-called "fifth pillar of Islam," a duty that every believer must perform at least once in his lifetime.

Millions of Muslim pilgrims make the trek every year.  So what was the big deal?

Well, for the last two centuries or so the holy sites have been controlled by the ultra-fundamentalist Wahabis, who detest Shiites.  Shiites have historically returned the favor.

No leader of Iran, which has been officially Shiite since the sixteenth century, would in the past have dared show up.  But this time Saudi King Abdullah personally extended an invitation to Iran's outspoken and controversial president, and Ahmadinejad accepted.

What makes the invitation so significant is that it came only days after the United States released the National Intelligence Estimate, which claimed Iran had stopped working on nuclear weapons.  Publication of the report, which turned out to be more tentative and ambiguous the international press headlines suggested, deflated overnight expectations that the United States might bomb Iran, and was acclaimed as a "victory" for his nation by Ahmadinejad.  

Immediately the Arab Gulf states, which have become increasingly nervous about Iran's growing regional clout and intentions while secretly hoping that US military muscle would forestall a push by their eastern neighbor into their oil-rich domains, immediately scurried to make nice with the man who has threatened more than once to destroy Israel. 

Global geopolitical analysts have tended to read these developments as a not-so-nuanced effort on America's part to trade enhanced Iranian prestige in the Middle East for an orderly withdrawal from Iraq, which only the latter's Shiite neighbor can guarantee.   The Israelis, who had counted on American protection from Iranian attack, are quietly fuming and perhaps secretly preparing to do what everybody has been expecting them to do eventually anyway - go it alone and launch some sort of pre-emptive strike. 

But all the subtle maneuvering on the Middle Eastern chessboard aside, what has been missed by the West - though not by the Israelis - is the religious interpretation that Iran's leadership seems to have suddenly placed on this turn of events. 

Both Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who according to conventional wisdom plays the "good cop" role to Ahmadinejad as the bad, have publically voiced the expectation during the hajj that Islam is poised to dominate the world.  Most Western newspapers have not even bothered to publish these remarks, preferring instead to focus on the American presidential election, including the flap over candidate Mike Huckabee's Christmas commerical or Hillary Clinton's eighty-fourth image makeover. 

On Wednesday, which was the Islamic holiday Al-Adha Eid that commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac while inspiring all Muslims to give up their lives for Allah, Ahmadenijad said "Haj can be defined merely through considering Islam's aim at establishment of a global government," reported an official Iranian website.

Friday the Supreme Leader predicted that Europe would soon fall to Islam, as it almost did in the eighth century. "In a dozen years, Europe will be an Islamic continent," said Rasul Jalilzadeh, one of   Khamenei's spokesperson, while addressing the Basiji, a volunteer organization in Tehran. "The Islamization of the European continent is imminent," he said, according to an Italian newspaper.

Ahmadinejad blamed the Europeans especially for the presence of Zionism because in the history of Islam "there has been no anti-Semitism."  However, "the U.S. and European governments have been seeking two goals: forcing the Jews to leave their countries, and dominating the Islamic world," he added. 

Links

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/936438.html

http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-24/0712207206000322.htm

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=1.0.1696552901

http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=608663

More Links

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article25212

            (Dec 17) Two Egyptians have been sentenced to six months in prison in Sudan for blasphemy. The two men were found guilty for selling a book that contains passages that are deemed offensive against Aisha, one of the Prophet Mohammed’s wives. The book, called “Aisha, mother of believers, devoured her sons,” was bought in Egypt before being taken to the country. The men were sentenced under article 125 of Sudan’s penal code – the same section under which Gillian Gibbons was recently convicted in the teddy bear incident.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/us/18witchcraft.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

            (Dec 18) A church in Washington D.C. seeks to help African immigrants by offering a Spiritual Warfare midnight service. The services attract Christians, many from French-speaking Africa, to intense prayer and singing to seek deliverance from lust, anger, fear and sadness. In addition, participants kick a shadowbox, in efforts to combat curses by witches and devils, which they believe are behind life’s problems. While some would call the services a dangerous pagan preoccupation from Africans’ old beliefs, scholars have described it as Christianity made profoundly African.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Saudi_king_pardons_rape_victim.html?siteSect=143&sid=8542442&cKey=1197919437000&ty=ti

            (Dec 17) Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has pardoned the victim of a gang-rape who was sentenced to 200 lashes.  The sentence, originally 90 lashes until the woman appealed it, was delivered according to a strict Saudi reading of Islamic law and caused international protest. According to law, it is illegal for a woman to be alone with an unrelated man. Despite the pardon, there was no indication that the court that delivered the guilty verdict was wrong in its decision.

http://www.persecution.org/suffering/ICCnews/newsdetail.php?newscode=6643&title=kenyan-citizens-to-be-subjected-to-sharia

            (Dec 17) Mr. Raila Odinga, the front runner in the upcoming presidential election in Kenya, has promised to implement Sharia for Kenyan Muslims if he is elected. The statement comes from a public memorandum of understanding signed in August and made public a few weeks ago. However, there were actually two versions of the statement, and the two are very different. In the privately signed version, there is a promise to re-write the Constitution of Kenya to recognize Shariah as the only true law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared regions.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071217/30530_English_Churches_Expect_Higher_Worshiper_Turnout_this_Christmas.htm

            (Dec 17) The Church of England is expecting more than 140,000 people for this year’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. Last year, cathedrals were filled with 130,000 worshipers, marking a 37% increase since 2000, and attendance throughout the year has risen by a rate of about three percent each year since 2000. The predicted numbers contradict claims that Christianity is disappearing in the country.

http://christiannewswire.com/news/769645105.html

            (Dec 17) A nativity scene was on display this past weekend as part of “The Nativity Project,” a nationwide campaign encouraging citizens to set up nativity displays outside of public buildings, city halls, state capitols and other well-traveled locations. According to the Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and organizer of the campaign, the display serves in part as a reminder of the Constitutional promise of freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071217/30522_Muslim_Rioters_Destroy_Christian_Stores_in_Egypt.htm

            (Dec 17) A angry mob of Muslims in Egypt destroyed Coptic Christian shops this past Sunday. In total, at least thirteen shops were destroyed and the windows of a church ere damaged. Reuters claims that the riot started after a Muslim girl was suspected of having sexual relations with two Christian boys. In addition, another report claims that a Muslim woman had had her veil forcefully removed by two Coptic Christians in a parking lot on Saturday. Coptic Christians make up 10% of Egypt’s population.

http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=19265

            (Dec 16) Israel’s cabinet has finally recognized Theofilos III as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in the Holy Land. Theofiols was sworn into office more than two years ago. Theofilos’ predecessor, Irineos, was ousted by the church in May 2005 after allegations that he sold church land in East Jerusalem to right-wing Jewish groups, but Israel did not recognize a leadership change and continued to invite Irineos to official events. Under church rules, a new patriarch must be recognized by Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=47168

            (Dec 17) Up to two million Muslims are expected to be in Mecca for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. The five-day event started Monday. Security has been hightened, considering that both Shia and Sunni Muslims attend the pilgrimage and there is hostility between the groups. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be performing the hajj this year, marking the first time an Iranian leader has taken part in the pilgrimage in the history of the Islamic republic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/world/europe/17hajj.html?hp

            (Dec 17) The number of Russian Muslims traveling to Saudi Arabia for the hajj has swelled over the past several years, thinks to Russia’s growing wealth, increased stability, and the fading of Soviet-rule into the past. The Soviet government allowed only 18 people to make the trip each year, but now the only restriction on the number that can go is set by the Saudi Arabian government, which has set this year’s quota at 26,000. There are currently between fourteen and twenty-three million Muslims living in Russia.

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11055&size=A

            (Dec 17) Authorities in China have been accused of violating the country’s birth control policies during their efforts to help a number of disabled children abandoned by their parents. The local government wants to shut the orphanage down and expel the residents, and have threatened fines for every new child it takes in. Authorities have also started preventing donations and visitors to the orphanage. According to the article, the efforts are in order to get back at Mgr Jia Zhiguo, an underground bishop who has spent many years in prison. 

http://lubavitch.com/article/2021434/Chabad-Rabbi-Represents-Judaism-at-Singapores-IRO.html

            (Dec 17) 10,000 individuals from different religious groups met at the Singapore Expo this past week for a celebration sponsored by the Lorong Koo chye Sheng Hong Temple and the Inter-Religious Organization. Representatives joined in a universal prayer for world peace. The IRO is dedicated to “religious harmony through mutual tolerance, confidence, respect and understanding.”

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swissinfo.html?siteSect=204&sid=8543452&cKey=1197964494000&ty=nd

            (Dec 17) According to a new international survey, religion has a more significant role in Switzerland than in other European countries. Results from more than 1,000 participants suggest that four out of five Swiss consider themselves to be religious, and twenty-two percent of those consider themselves very religious. On the other end of the spectrum, less than twenty percent say their identity is in no part defined by questions of faith. The study claims that there is no movement towards a more secular society in Switzerland.

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/dec/07121805.html     

            (Dec 18) A mayor in Quebec has suggested that all religions should be put under control of the state and made to submit to the fundamental values of the society. Mayor Stephane Gendron made the statement in his blog, and concluded by questioning why people should live in accordance with the religious values of those living millenniums before us.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071218/GPG0101/712180648/1206/GPGnews

            (Dec 18) Green Bay’s mayor has declared a moratorium on religious displays at City Hall after a Wiccan display was stolen and damaged. The mayor said that the display will not be replaced and no other displays will be added until the City Council has debated the issue. The nativity scene, currently on the roof over one of the City Hall’s entrances, is now the only display.  The mayor and a city attorney have developed proposed guidelines concerning the size and style of future religious displays, which he will present to the council.

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=3049

            (Dec 19) A source inside North Korea claims that some underground churches operating in the country are in fact fake churches taking order from the National Security Agency in order to unmask underground Christians. Such activities are allegedly an open secret among the agencies security agency. Money received by such operatives is said to go to the NSA, and the bibles are used as wastepaper, taken to paper processing plants, or used for cigarette rolling paper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/19/nmass119.xml

            (Dec 19) Midnight Mass will be held early at churches across the UK this Christmas in an effort to prevent drunks from disrupting servies. Police have advised clergy to start services much earlier than the 11:00 and 11:30 pm traditional start amid fears of rowdy behavior and violent crime. A number of priests also report that they are concerned for the safety of worshippers crossing busy roads late at night.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/936000.html

            (Dec 19) The Tourism Ministry in Israel is expecting more than 60,000 Christian tourists to visit Bethlehem this year. The estimate is 150% of the number who visited last year. More than 20,000 of the tourists are expected to attend Christmas mass in Bethlehem. In addition, larges numbers of pilgrims are expected to arrive in Jerusalem and Nazareth.  Altogether, one million Christian tourists are expected to go to Israel this year, about half of whom are believed to be pilgrims.

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-12-18-0025.html

            (Dec 18) A homeowners association in Johnson City has a policy which allows residents to decorate with wreaths, ribbons and white lights.  However, colored lights are banned. One resident has been sent a letter requiring him to take down his lights, but he refuses, and his neighbor has joined him in putting up colored lights to send a message, saying he doesn’t like someone telling him how to practice or exhibit his faith. The homeowners say the lights aren’t just for decoration, they also represent their religion.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Baptized-south-Gujarat-tribals-reembrace-Hinduism/251936/

            (Dec 18) Around 2,000 tribal men and women from villages in South Gujarat have re-embraced Hinduism after having converted to Christianity. During the religious ceremony, they also submitted affidavits saying that they won’t convert to Christianity again.

http://www.persecution.org/suffering/ICCnews/newsdetail.php?newscode=6647&title=indian-party-promises-to-persecute-christians-in-order-to-gain-votes

            (Dec 18) Hindu extremist groups running for election and hoping to gain more votes have indicated that they have worked together to persecute religious minorities. In addition, there have been promises to further persecute Christians and Muslims if they are elected. Such groups support the militarization and industrialization of a Hindu nation.

http://ncronline.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2007d/122107/122107i.htm

            (Dec 18) One parish in Columbus, Ohio, has designated a special liturgy for those who are lonely and grieving this year. The service is designed to welcome and offering healing to those who feel blue during the holiday season. The parish sends announcements to funeral directors, counseling services, and other agencies that help those who are grieving. This year will be the third annual “Blue Christmas” service. Last year’s attracted 350 people.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10693

            (Dec 18) In Nigeria, there has been another incident of religious riots. This one resulted in ten deaths, the destruction of dozens of Christian homes, and the destruction of three Christian churches. Violence erupted after suspicions arose that Christian students had removed foundation blocks from a new high school mosque under construction. The governor has again claimed that his political enemies are behind the incident.

http://www.luxist.com/2007/12/18/buddhism-is-calling-on-your-cell/

            (Dec 18) A new cell phone is available for the affluent Buddhist, complete with gold-plating, jade adornments, and battery embossed with a likeness of the Buddha. In addition, the cell phone has traditional Buddhist instrumental music and a video image of the Buddha that is always available.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071218/30548_Jesus'_Birthplace_to_Host_Major_Christmas_Eve_Festival.htm

            (Dec 18) Bethlehem’s Manger Square will host its largest event since Christmas Eve, 1999, this year. The event includes a performance by American, Israeli and Palestinian musicians as part of the “Prepare the Way Concert Tour 2007: Peace on Earth, Good Will to All.” The Christmas Eve concert will also include processions by various local churches. In 1995, Christians made up 62% of the Bethlehem’s total population. Today, that percentage has droped to about 15%, due to the exodus of Christians fleeing persecution by radical Muslims.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7149916.stm

            (Dec 18) A Muslim Bangladeshi will be honored by New York City’s mayor this week after helping three Jewish people who were being beaten up. Around ten people were attacking the Jews after an argument turned violent. The young man stepped in to help, and notes that his religion teaches him to always come to the aid of a fellow man in distress. Ten people have been arrested in connection with the attack.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22946070-5007132,00.html

            (Dec 19) A new television commercial has some Christian leaders in an outrage. The commercial, an advertisement for electronic goods retailer Betta Electrical, shows the nativity scene as Jesus throws the gifts of the three wise men out of the manger as the words “Give a better gift” appear on the screen. Critics note that the gifts were appropriate for a king so Jesus would not have rejected them, and that the ad shows just how commercialized Christmas has become.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/19/hu_jintao_wants_free_religious_belief/9918/

            (Dec 19) Chinese President Hu Jintao has issued a promise of a new policy of free religious belief that will encourage all believers to help develop the Chinese society. He stated that the policy will give support to self-governance of religious groups. In addition, he said the Chinese Communist Party and the government will be based on human understanding and mutual respect.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=87009

            (Dec 19) Results from the Religion Monitor study for the Bertelsmann Foundation have been released. The study claims that among 21 countries polled, Guatemala, Brazil and Indonesia have the greatest share of deeply religious people, while Thailand and France had the smallest percentage of people who said religious belief was key to their lives. Nigeria, Brazil, India and Morocco had the highest populations describing themselves as simply religious, with more than 96% each. The study was based on interviews with more than 21,000 people in the 21 countries.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071219/30564_Lonely_Christmas_for_Christians_in_North_Korea.htm

            (Dec 19) Once again, there will be no public celebration of Christmas in North Korea this year. In fact, it is a state crime even to be a Christian. All religions other than worship of the North Korean dictators are forbidden. As a result, Christians in the country will publicly be going on with their daily routines as if the holiday were any other day of the year.  Despite the oppression of the communist government, some estimates put the Christian population in the country in the tens of thousands.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071220/jsp/nation/story_8688288.jsp

            (Dec 19) A fatwa issued by the Dar-ul Uloom in Deoband, India has been trashed by scholars and community leaders. The fatwa states that television is haram (sinful) and that even watching religious programs is unacceptable. Critics question how the muftis could issue such a statement, since the public watches the Hajj on television, and the muftis themselves often appear on camera for debates. One Dar-ul Uloom spokesperson has responded by saying that fatwas are only interpretations of Islamic law, and it is not compulsory that Muslims follow them.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/837968.html

            (Dec 19) Hundreds of Muslim families in North Carolina are without a place to perform the ritual slaughter of lambs at a local farm for the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha after a judge has refused to lift a ban on the mass slaughter. In his statement, the judge has said that the ban does not prevent the free exercise of religion because the families are free to slaughter their own lams at a state-licensed facility. The ban was instituted after state agriculture officials decided the farm does not have the proper sanitary facilities.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4080

            (Dec 18) The Moscow Patriarchate has expressed his desire that Opus Dei, a Catholic organization who recently opened its headquarters in Moscow, will refrain from engaging in missionary activity among Orthodox Christians. However, he also noted that the energy and devotion of Opus Dei devotees in regards to Christian ideals deserve respect.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1379721.php/Myanmar_warns_hajj_pilgrims_to_steer_clear_of_politics_in_Mecca

            (Dec 10) Myanmar’s military regime has warned hundreds of state-sponsored hajj pilgrims to stay away from political activities while in Mecca. Although predominantly Buddhist, the junta has a history of persecuting religious groups in the country.  In the Rohingyas of Arakan State, thousands of Muslims have been forced to flee to Bangladesh because of policies that deny them citizenship and rights to work.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10661

            (Dec 10) 30 Iranians were recently hosted at a Bible training conference to prepare them to become leaders of house-church clusters. Each year, participants who complete training are invited to choose several others from their fellowships to participate in other training events. However, such gatherings are prohibited by law in Iran, and Christians make up only about one half of one percent of the population.

http://www.earnedmedia.org/caa1210.htm

            (Dec 10) 270 House Church Pastors have been detained in China on charges of participating in illegal religious gatherings. The pastors were gathered for a Bible study when police interrupted the event, handcuffed them and took them to the local police station. The incident highlights questions about China’s sincerity in attempts to increase religious freedom and toleration.

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/6451

            (Dec 10) According to a recent poll, levels of religious knowledge in Ireland are decreasing significantly. The poll cites low levels of basic knowledge, especially among young people. Additionally, the poll found that knowledge in Northern Ireland is lower than in the Republic.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=501286&in_page_id=1770

            (Dec 12) Baroness Warsi, Britain’s only woman Muslim peer has launched an attack on Muslim hardliners and hotheads who promote division and urged them to abandom their victim culture. Lady Warsi was instrumental in the recent release of the teacher imprisoned in Sudan in the teddy-bear incident. In addition to asserting that social expectations should not be confused with genuine religious requirements, she also emphasized the responsibility Muslims have to tackle extremism because incidents where terrorists claim their actions are done in the name of Islam.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071211/30434_Indonesia_Megachurch_Forced_to_Halt_Activities_to_Prevent_'Social_Tensions'.htm

            (Dec 11) Authorities in Indonesia have forced a Catholic priest from celebrating mass in attempts to avoid conflict after local Muslims challenged the legal status of the 4,000-member megachurch. The chuch, Christ’s Peace Parish, has been in the building since 1968, but a few weeks ago the Cooperation Forum on Mosque, Prayer Rooms and the Koranic Recital Group of the Duri Selatan subdistrict claimed that the church does not have the correct permits needed for places of worship.

http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/399626.html

            (Dec 11) The Christian archbishop of Basra  on Tuesday has canceled the celebration of Christmas in the city to protest the deaths of two Christians. The Archbishop, Imad al-Banna, said that Christians in Basra should still pray to mark Christmas, but should forgo decorating, exchanging gifts, or family gatherings. The two Christians who were killed were found dead last week, their bodies dumped in a neighborhood controlled by the Shiite Muslim Mahdi Army militia.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/536159/

            (Dec 11) Researchers at UCLA have found evidence that different areas of the brain are involved in belief, disbelief, and uncertainty. Fourteen adult volunteers were scanned by an MRI while being presented with statements and told to respond by claiming the statements were true, false, or undecidable. Topics included mathematics, geography, factual knowledge, word definitions, religion, ethics and biographical facts about themselves.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--symbolvandalized1211dec11,0,3764475.story

            (Dec 11) A Wiccan symbol next to a Nativity scene in front of a city hall in New York.  Officials say someone in a pickup truck backed over the pentacle and then sped off. Members of non-Christian faiths were invited to display their symbols on city property during special times of celebration after residents complained about the separation of church and state.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=97724

            (Dec 12) Religious riots broke out in Bauchi, Nigeria this past week after the demolition of a mosque.  The mosque was under construction and was allegedly pulled down by unknown persons. A number of churches were destroyed, two mosques were affected, and a number of houses and vehicles were set on fire. The governor claimed that the acts were orchestrated by politicians bent on causing confusion in the state and recruiting youth as thugs to set things in motion.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071211/30461_100,000_AIDS_Orphans_in_Zambia_to_Hear_Gospel.htm

            (Dec 11) Hundreds of churches in Zambia will begin evangelism training next month in preparation to reach 100,000 AIDS orphans with the gospel next year. Each of the 500 participating churches has been challenged to identify 200 AIDS orphans over nine months and invite them to church for Orphan Sunday, the first Sunday in October. Church members will first visit the children and identify, get to know, and pray for children before the October gathering.

http://ncronline.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2007d/121407/121407f.htm

(Dec 13) North American Muslim clerics have issued a fatwa against Islamic terrorism. The fatwa comes after Mideast peace talks and the Vatican invitation to meet with Muslim leaders. The Fiqh Council of North America counted more than 500 supporting Muslim leaders and organizations in its condemnation of violence. According to the fatwa, targeting civilians’ lives and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is prohibited in Islam, and those who commit such acts are criminals, not martyrs.

 http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=00e05fc3-a180-4e74-a01c-edc8a4a1781a&k=30523

            (Dec 13) The Canadian Jewish Congress has added its voice to those opposing the new non-denominational “ethics and religious culture” course that will replace current religion courses in primary schools. According to the Jewish Congress, parents want their children to understand Judaism first. The organization argues interfaith instruction should be done in high schools, not elementary schools.

http://www.yorkregion.com/article/65018

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2007/12/13/muslim-leaders-denounce-aqsa-parvez-murder-as-un-islamic.aspx

            (Dec 13) Two articles examining an incident where a Toronto-area Muslim teenager was allegedly strangled to death by her father after refusing to wear the hijab. In the first, one resident argues that the action had more to do with cultural customs than religion.  In the second, Muslim leaders denounce the murder s un-Islamic, but defend the importance of the hijab and assert that the parents could feel as though they had failed in their duty if their child chooses not to wear the hijab.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2007/12/759537/

            (Dec 13) Over 1,400 delegate from across Vietnam convened this past week for the country’s sixth National Buddhist Congress. Participants highlighted how Buddhism has assisted with considerable developments, including not only establishing Buddhist centers and training monks and nuns, but also the active role the religion has had in humanitarian activities that help the elderly, disables, orphans, and impoverished.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=91193

            (Dec 13) According to a recent survey, most people in Turkey believe the ban on headscarfs in universities should be lifted. When asked whether there should be a ban on the headscarf in universities, 78% of participants said it should be allowed. About 64% said they would remove the scarf for the sake of education, and only 26% said a student should quit university before removing the headscarf. Other responses include 48% supporting abortion to stop an unwanted pregnancy and nearly 74% approving of divorce.

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/oarkin4523.html                         

            (Dec 14) A judge in Chile has sentenced a Catholic priest for illegally parking his vehicle. In the unusual sentence, the priest must recite psalms each day for three months. According to the judge, the sentence was delivered as a tribute to Galileo, who received a similar sentence from the Catholic Church during three years for saying the Earth rotates around the sun.

 http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/dec/07121306.html

            (Dec 13) The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission decision to imposed a lifetime ban on a local Catholic man’s freedom to publicly criticize homosexuality has been upheld by the Saskatchewan Court of Queens Bench. In 2006, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission ordered the man to pay thousands of dollars to four complainants alleging their feelings and self-respect were injured by his pamphlets calling homosexuality immoral and dangerous. A number of Canadians criticize the Human Rights Commission because the usual rules for due process of law do not apply.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/342727.html

            (Dec 13) An imam from southern Florida claims U.S. officials pressured him to give up immigration appeals and leave the country voluntarily, and a Muslim groups says this just one part of a trend by government officials to compel religious leaders to become informants or face deportation. According to the article, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offered the imam a deal: leave the country in 30 days or face arrest for supporting terrorism. Three years prior, the FBI had asked him to be an informant, but he refused.

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/6469

            (Dec 13) Leaders of Britain’s Jewish community have welcomed the Muslim Council of Britain’s decision to end its boycott of Holocaust Day. The boycott has been in place because a number of people thought Holocaust Day should have been called Genocide Memorial Day in order to allow the public to remember all victims of Genocide. Instead, the boycott lead to accusations that the Muslim Council of Britain was being insensitive to Jewish suffering.

http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/12/14/feature-01

            (Dec 14) A new survey of Moroccan society reports that young Moroccans are less religious than their elders but also more inclined to embrace radicalism. The findings, based on interviews with more than 1,000 Moroccans, sees a marked decline in religion’s role in social activities except for during Ramadan. In the survey, only 29% said religion should guide personal life, and 25% said religion becomes dangerous when mixed with politics.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071214.wmakin14/BNStory/National/home

            (Dec 14) The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled in favor of the case of a Jewish woman whose husband had refused to grant a religious release from their marriage for fifteen years. The court, noting that any decision concerning religious matters should be done with extreme care, decided that the Canadian principle of gender equality was in jeopardy in the case. The court based its decision on the woman’s right to remarry and have more children within her faith, which it claimed was unfairly curtailed by her ex-husband.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hACVKpiW4j0AtJIwlpmfvg1PsZrgD8TH8KD80

            (Dec 14) The Vatican announced this week that it has every right to spread its message and accept converts, but that non-Catholics must never be forced to embrace the faith. The statement comes after accusations that the Vatican has been engaged in aggressive missionary activities in Russia and other countries. The Russian Orthodox Church has accused Catholics of improperly seeking converts in traditionally Orthodox areas, and there has been growing tension in India over the past few months, where there are claims that there have been forced conversions.

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/7166/38/

            (Dec 14) France’s highest court, the Conseil d’Etat, has upheld the ban on turbans in schools, claiming that there is a greater interest to be served in preserving secularity than a religious belief.  The law from 2004 was called into question when students were expelled from a high school because the keski, under-turban, which they each wore was not a discreet sign, but an illegal ostensible manifestation of religion. Opponents claim that the expulsion infringes on articles of the European Convention of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom to manifest one’s religion and not to be discriminated.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2007/12/13/a-return-to-tradition.html

            (Dec 14) Adherents to a number of faiths are returning to traditional practices, observances and customary ways of worshipping, according to this article.  In the Catholic Church, a number of churches are returning to the pre-Vatican II rite. In Judaism, a small surge has begun in the Orthodox denomination, and Conservative and Reform denominations are shifting towards older ways, which include the use of more Hebrew in services and stricter observance of the Halakha. The same may be happening within Islam.

http://www.biblicalrecorder.org/content/news/2007/12_14_2007/ne14122007bosses.shtml

            (Dec 14) Bosses are turning to corporate chaplains in an effort to provide spiritual comfort and counseling to American workers. The idea is if faith-based counseling helps employees be happy, it is worth doing, since happy employees are better employees. The chaplains are part of an increasing trend of bringing faith into the workplace. Although most are Christian, there are also a number of Muslim and Jewish chaplains.

http://www.mississauganews.com/article/9504

            (Dec 14) The murder of a Canadian girl, who refused to wear a hijab, by her father has prompted the national president of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada to go on a weekend hunger strike. His intent is to instruct or remind people that domestic violence is against the teachings of Islam.

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0712151634205147.htm

            (Dec 15) A recent study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that religion has a greater significance for Germans than previously thought. Seventy percent of Germans over the age of 18 believe religion is important. In addition, twenty percent of the German population is deploy religious. According to the study, Germans living in the formerly communist East Germany comprise a high percentage of non-religious people.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-muslimgivingdec16,1,1304086.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

            (Dec 16) A number of Muslim charity organizations in the United States have begun reaching out to the poor, regardless of faith or ethnicity. Efforts include giving food to the homeless, offering free medical services to the uninsured, establishing halfway houses and shelters for abused women, and helping people obtain affordable housing. Charitable giving is one of the five pillars of Islam, and the broadened focus has opened many new options.

http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=174142

            (Dec 15) Seventeen bishops from the Catholic diocese of Japan met with the Pope this week and discussed the main challenges facing the Church in Japan. Challenges include the increasing secularist and atheist tendencies of the country’s youth and the aging religious population.

http://www.star-telegram.com/religion/story/361629.html

            (Dec 15) Beliefnet, a leading website devoted to information and issues of religion and spirituality, has been acquired by the News Corp. and the Fox Entertainment Group. The website gets around three million unique visitors each month. Fox also owns Harperone and Zondervan, two of the biggest Christian publishers. Beliefnet was started eight years ago.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/NEWS/712150336/-1/LIFE04

            (Dec 15) Recent surveys report that young people have more negative opinions about Christianity and organized religion than they did a decade ago, and fewer young people are praying and attending worship than previous generations. According to one study, seventy percent of young adult Protestants who attended in high school quit by age 23 and did not return by age 30.

Richard Bishhop