Over the past month, there have been countless articles about the astounding fraud perpetrated by Bernard Madoff. Specifically, there have been several pieces about financial fraud and how schemes may target members of a particular religious community (in this case the Jewish community, and the multi-million dollar losses to American Jewish groups). The first article […]
The violence in Gaza and the current Israeli ground offensive have absolutely no direct connection to the politics of religion. Depending on your point of view, the key is either Israel's legitimate war on terror or the fundamental human rights of Palestinians. However, if you have been following the news reports of protests and statements […]
Time has listed the top ten news items connected to religion in 2008. The first article was about the economy and how the recession turned out to be far more important for voters in the presidential election than the politics of religion. David Van Biema wrote about how many incidents in the campaign centered on […]
Huber, the top Protestant Bishop in Germany, warned in his Christmas message that the financial markets have not been balanced by real values. According to a German news report, the bishop said the whole economic crisis is because of "a dance round the golden calf." In fact, most Christian religious leaders talked yesterday about the […]
It was surprising to see the pictures coming out of Malmo, Sweden this week. At first I thought the images were from Greece, but in fact similar rioting (though not nearly as serious) has also hit the Swedish city of Malmo after youths, who were squatting in a former Islamic center, clashed with police. The […]
On December 15, the Third World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace began its three-day meeting at UNESCO in Paris. Christian leaders also took part in the conference. Previously, the religious leaders had named 2008 as the "year of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians." The calls for peace in the Middle East were widespread […]
Over the past few days, there have been update reports about the case of the potential forced marriage of a British resident, who returned to her home in Bangladesh. Dr. Humayra Abedin, a trainee general practitioner, had apparently been imprisoned in her family's home in Dhaka since August. Now, the new Forced Marriage Act in […]
December 10 was the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As usual, the leaders at the UN took the opportunity to remind the world's governments of their obligations and responsibilities to protect the most vulnerable. The Declaration's aim has been to ensure human rights for everyone – regardless of their race, gender, […]
Yesterday was the funeral service for the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexy II, who died of a heart attack at age 79. According to RIA, the patriarch is “credited with leading a revival of the Church after the fall of communism.” He officially became patriarch in 1990. As he came to lead the […]
Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, has replied to the current pressure on his government by reflecting on "the challenge of confronting terrorists." In an editorial printed in the New York Times, Zardari discusses both the global scale of the current war against extremists and the particular price that Pakistan that has had to […]
Today is a very holy day for Muslims around the world. Nearly three million Muslims have gone yesterday to Mount Ararat during the annual hajj pilgrimage, and today is Eid al-Adha. In English, it is called "Feast of the Sacrifice." The majority of pilgrims have been praying for the forgiveness of their sins, but of […]
Religious views, if extremist, can lead to conflict. On the other hand, conflicts can make religions appear extreme , actually tarnishing the faiths themselves. This past week, the horrific images of death and devastation in Mumbai have significantly changed the world's perception of the war on terror. Instead of recognizing the events as truly international […]
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