"Islam & Women in USA after 9/11"

The War on Christmas Continues

In the United States, we are lucky to be able to debate and communicate freely about religious issues. The Atheist billboard that we've mentioned in a few posts has been counter-attacked: The Catholic League has put up a billboard on the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel to promote the message of their beliefs.


This is actually a very witty article about the battle. Besides the sarcastic humor, it tells a good chronology of the billboard war.

Muslim Orphans in America?

Not so much. Check out this full article explaining the complicated system still in place for Muslim orphans to be adopted in the U.S. Although many Americans want to adopt from Iraq and other Islamic countries, the process is at a standstill. There are laws in place that complicate the transfer of orphans from the Middle East to the Western world.

From what I understand, the reason for this lack of cooperation stems back to a time in history involving slaves.

Just a short excerpt:

"Ingrid Mattson, a professor of Islamic studies at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, said adoption in that period had more in common with slavery. Men would take in boys, then erase any tie between the child and his biological family. The goal was to gather as many fighters as possible as protection for the tribe. Orphans' property was often stolen in the process."

Interesting that these laws are still in place...but for what?

Religious Freedom in U.S. Elementary and High Schools

Ever wondered what the official "rules" are when it comes to worshipping aloud in public schools? I found this article, written by the U.S. Department of Education, to be very informative, and I've listed some examples below. School students and teachers have more religious freedoms than one may have guessed. Read the article for a complete list of protected freedoms.

Did your high school follow these freedoms?

Religious Expression and Prayer in Class Assignments

Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Such home and classroom work should be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school. Thus, if a teacher's assignment involves writing a poem, the work of a student who submits a poem in the form of a prayer (for example, a psalm) should be judged on the basis of academic standards (such as literary quality) and neither penalized nor rewarded on account of its religious content.

Teachers, Administrators, and other School Employees

When acting in their official capacities as representatives of the state, teachers, school administrators, and other school employees are prohibited by the Establishment Clause from encouraging or discouraging prayer, and from actively participating in such activity with students. Teachers may, however, take part in religious activities where the overall context makes clear that they are not participating in their official capacities. Before school or during lunch, for example, teachers may meet with other teachers for prayer or Bible study to the same extent that they may engage in other conversation or nonreligious activities. Similarly, teachers may participate in their personal capacities in privately sponsored baccalaureate ceremonies.

Organized Prayer Groups and Activities

Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, and "see you at the pole" gatherings before school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities groups. Such groups must be given the same access to school facilities for assembling as is given to other non-curricular groups, without discrimination because of the religious content of their expression. School authorities possess substantial discretion concerning whether to permit the use of school media for student advertising or announcements regarding non-curricular activities. However, where student groups that meet for nonreligious activities are permitted to advertise or announce their meetings—for example, by advertising in a student newspaper, making announcements on a student activities bulletin board or public address system, or handing out leaflets—school authorities may not discriminate against groups who meet to pray. School authorities may disclaim sponsorship of non-curricular groups and events, provided they administer such disclaimers in a manner that neither favors nor disfavors groups that meet to engage in prayer or religious speech.

The War on Christmas

Ashley's post was the first I'd heard about the Atheist's billboard. I wanted to follow up on that because it hits so close to home for many of us. My questions are:

1. Should the billboard be tolerated (it will in America, because of religious freedom) even though it seems to attack Christianity because of the nativity scene?

2. Could Atheism be lumped into a "religious" category, meaning, is it their freedom of religion (or non-religion) to say what they want?

Either way, we are lucky in the U.S. to be able to have talks about these things. First, the billboard was allowed to be communicated to masses who drive by. Then, it is allowed to be broadcasted in the news on TV and through newspaper and radio. Also, it stimulates discussion (probably debates), which shows that this is an open forum in America.

One thing I thought was interesting is that in this video, Silverman (President of American Atheists) is upset that Atheists are unrepresented in government and other positions. He urges Atheists to "come out" because there are millions of them hiding. Why are they hiding? Do they think they'll be persecuted in some way?

White Collar's Matt Bomer Speaks on Religious Tolerance

In my last post, I talked about USA Network's new campaign, Characters Unite. Now other media outlets are starting to cover news and stories from the campaign, including TV Guide Network. Last Tuesday, TV Guide posted this video and article about White Collar's Matt Bomer, who is speaking out about religious tolerance.

It's great to see celebrities using the spotlight to focus in on important issues, like religious tolerance. You can also check out our classmate's blog (celebsfightback) to see how other celebrities are communicating and using publicity to help their causes.

USA Network Uses Media to Promote Religious Tolerance

USA: "Characters welcome." And now the network is using that slogan to help promote the acceptance of all characters and types of people.

USA network recently launched Characters Unite, a public service announcement (PSA) campaign "designed to help form a more perfect union by combating intolerance, prejudice, discrimination and hate, and promoting greater acceptance, understanding and mutual respect of all people."

My friend was reading our blog and passed on this website to me, detailing USA network's new communication strategy to help the United States combat social issues like bullying, hate crimes, gender-based issues, and religious tolerance. It's an awesome campaign, and it's exciting to see a well-known organization take a stand against these issues.

I would like to applaud USA network's efforts and the effective ways in which they are using communications and getting people involved. The network recruited many of its TV characters to speak up on issues that they feel passionate about, and show many meaningful 30 second clips for each issue. Religious tolerance is one of the main subjects, and there is a whole section devoted to it with facts, PSAs, and ways to help.

To help USA network take a stand against these issues, you can take a pledge online and the company will donate $1 to its non-profit partners.

Giving Thanks

Today, I just want to take the opportunity to say how thankful I am for religious freedom. In the United States, I am free to worship God in public without harmful repercussions, and others may choose to worship as they wish as well.

The Hudson Institute advocates religious freedom as a component of U.S. foreign policy and believes in freedom to communicate those freedoms. The group mentions how "pivotal" it is to society, and how Thomas Jefferson and America's founders found it important enough to be dubbed the "first freedom."  I like how they've chosen to define religious freedom:

"Religious freedom has two dimensions. It belongs to individuals and also to religious groups. It includes a person's right to walk down the street wearing a cross, a yarmulke or a headscarf, or not to do so, and to express and live out one's beliefs in society. It also includes the rights of groups to worship God as they wish in community, to run schools, hospitals and other institutions, to publish and possess sacred literature, and order their internal affairs."

Let's count our blessings today-- Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Rally to Stop Abductions & Allow Religious Freedom in Japan

"Clergy, civil rights leaders and Japanese victims of religious freedom violations protest the Japanese government’s failure to protect the rights of minority religious believers." Photo taken from religousfreedom.com.

On Friday, demonstrators in Boston were invited to speak with the Deputy Consul General after protesting in ten cities across the U.S. The demonstrators want the Japanese government "to stop the abuse and discrimination of minority believers in that country." People who choose to practice minority religions have been abducted and abused in an attempt to force them to leave their religions, and this has been going on since 1966.

It's interesting to see how these demonstrators are using the United States as their marching ground for help in Japan and to freely communicate their religious needs. You can follow this issue at stopjapanabductions.org, and hopefully see how the Japanese Government will react to this cry for help.

Pastor on trial for sharing faith with Muslims

From www.klove.com/news/top-stories.aspx

Mark Holick was communicating his faith by sharing Christian packets outside of a mosque in Kansas when he was arrested. The officer gave no answer when Holick asked what he was being charged with.

Holick is no stranger to speaking out about his faith, and won a previous trial after being arrested for sharing his faith on a public sidewalk down the road from a homosexual event.

Holick may have annoyed both of these groups by sharing his faith outside of these functions, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the write to share and communicate.

Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, 2010

Photo taken from www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148657.htm

On Nov. 17, this year's Report on International Religious Freedom was published. The United States feels that religious freedom and tolerance is important, and publish this report to praise the countries that are doing well and document the countries where repression is highest. Notice that the cover pictured above was designed to show "places of worship found in some unexpected places." The report also acknowledges all contributors and says: "The work of all of these individuals advances the cause of freedom, ensures accuracy in our reporting, and brings hope to repressed people around the world."

I had no idea a report like this existed, and I'm glad the U.S. is leading a movement toward religious freedom and communication around the world. 

Take a look at some countries listed-- do any of the results surprise you?

Blogging Bishops?

Tonight, Catholic Bishops in the United States were asked to spread their religious teachings to a new continent and culture-- the "digitalized continent."

At the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, a present Bishop stated that the content of their religious material does not have to change, but the way in which they are reaching out to people should change if they are to meet the social media generation's needs. But Bishops are timid about this method, because they don't know how to use social media. And because United States citizens have the freedom to post whatever they want on a blog, it may be hard to keep up with user comments.

I think it would be interesting to follow this breaking trend in religious communications and see if the Bishops actually begin blogging. What would you ask a Bishop blogger?

Religious Americans = Higher Well-Being

Americans who choose to practice some form of religion have higher rates of well-being than those who choose not to practice religion, according to this article discussing a recent Gallup poll.

The context of this study brought some questions to my mind:

- If this study was conducted in a country that's less tolerant of religious freedom or practices, would the same results be true?

- Would people feel more stress instead of well-being if they must practice their preferred religious beliefs in secret-- especially if they're going against their government's choice religion? Or would they still feel a sense of well-being because they are choosing to defy everything that's going against them to stay true to their beliefs, even if they must remain behind closed doors?

- Does the freedom Americans have to express and communicate their religion play a role in this heightened sense of well-being?

Obama's Remarks on Jihad

While in India, President Obama spoke to a group of Muslims about "jihad" and his interpretation of the religion. He said, "I think all of us recognize that this great religion in the hands of a few extremists has been distorted to justify violence towards innocent people that is never justified."

Obama also added that "Islam is one of the world's great religions and people of all faiths need to treat one another with respect and mutual dignity." Do you think people will begin to better respect  and understand different religions if top leaders continue to address religious issues? I think communication can only enhance respect between religious groups.

And speaking of communication, it was neat to see the difference between the United States and India's coverage on Obama's remarks-- both audiences seemed to be receptive and appreciative.

U.S under U.N. scrutiny for Religious Rights

The U.S. will be the brunt of scrutiny by the United Nations Human Rights Council during the "Universal Periodic Review," coming under accusations of human rights violations such as:

• violent, barbaric police officers
• holding political prisoners behind bars
• 30% of the population not having adequate income for basic needs
• discrimination against Muslim people

The speakers against the U.S. even come from inside the U.S, and they say that America has stimulated a profiling issue of Middle Eastern people based on terrorism and religious beliefs. These people will be able to speak out against the U.S. and say "what really goes on" here and how it should be changed.

I was surprised to read this article. I never would have guessed that the U.S. would be brought before the U.N. for human rights violations-- especially when this is a "free" country, one that I think has done a pretty good job in comparison to others around the world. I don't think the U.N. should be able to be told people's opinions about American's attitudes toward other people (Muslims, Middle Eastern people) if there aren't bad things happening because of those attitudes.

Westboro Baptist Church

Warning: this is a loaded post. I'll start with the Westboro Baptist Church. I'm not usually one to harp on my religious views. I don't mind talking about it, and I certainly don't mind justifying my views, but there is a time and place for these discussions. I do come from a Christian family--my dad's a minister at our local Presbyterian church. I've learned to accept different backgrounds and viewpoints as a Christian, but this is something I just can't seem to justify or accept.

The Westboro Baptist Church is an extremist church founded by Fred Phelps, who shows up and protests at soldiers' funerals with posters clad with sayings like "Thank God for Dead Soliders," and "Burn in Hell," and "God Hates Fags." So basically, while a family is praying at the gravesite and putting their son, daughter, sister, brother, father, or mother's casket into the ground, this church will attend and completely disrespect the family with protests in hope of "spreading God's message." Oh, and for the record, they believe that gays are responsible for all of the bad in the world.

Confused?

In a world of free speech and freedom of religion, it's a challenge to justify the hate this group projects upon the world with their "religion." Although the right of free speech is warranted, it's a struggle to watch these families literally go through Hell-- not only by the news of their loved one's death, but by not being able to appropriately grieve as each family should be entitled to do. It's an example how religion can be completely misconstrued and warped if given the opportunity.

Check out this video. It features 2 members of the Westboro Baptist Church after they got out of a court case dealing with a lawsuit from a soldier's family. For the record, their website is godhatesfags.com.

Brings up the question: does the right of freedom of speech justify the acts of this hate group?

Michigan Woman Faces Civil Rights Complaint for Seeking a Christian Roommate



Fair Housing Center of West Michigan. Photo from Foxnews.com

 When I was driving down Park Ave. this week, I was shocked to hear this topic on the radio: a woman from Grand Rapids, MI has a civil rights case targeted at her for putting up an ad seeking a Christian roommate.

The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan filed the complaint, becauseThe Fair Housing Act "prevents people from publishing an advertisement stating their preference of religion, race or handicap with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling."

 All the ad said was "Christian roommate wanted," with the lady's housing information, and it is considered "illegal" because she used "Christian."

I find this case to be rather ridiculous. I've seen Christian roommate ads placed in several places around campus, and do not find it offensive. If someone wants to live with someone who has the same values, then they have the right to search for other Christians-- or Hindus, or Buddhists, or whatever other religion it may be. The attorney on the case argues that this is a violation of the First Amendment, and I would have to agree with him. We are in America, and are entitled to freedom of speech and press.

U.S. Fights for Islamic Rights

When I think of the United States, I think of it being the one place where freedom of speech and religion should be allowed. Yet lately, there have been many heated arguments over the Islamic faith after 9/11 events, like the right to build an Islamic worship center close to the site.

I just found this article about a Tennessee mosque that was vandalized during construction. The Department of Justice said "Islam is a religion and is entitled to freedom of expression." How can a supposedly free country like the U.S. renew people's rights to religious freedom at this time? Better communication about the Islamic faith may be necessary to alleviate people's fears and uncertainties, so that people who choose to practice this religion may do so freely.