In The News

All Over an Inch of Flesh

October 23, 2003
Last month, two schoolgirls were kicked out of school in France for wearing headscarves, a traditional Muslim symbol. While it is legal to wear religious symbols in school, French law forbids the wearing of certain ostentatious religious signs "that constitute an act of pressure, provocation, proselytism or propaganda." Thus, wearing headscarves is acceptable. But when the girls...

Cross and Headscarf

Fritz Friedebold October 17, 2003
"Muslim teachers are not suited to working in German schools if they insist on wearing a headscarf during class," says the German Protestant Church. Even though it understands that one day this stance could be extended to ban the cross in German schools and public offices, the Church argues that there should not be a ban but merely a limit on the donning of religious symbols by civil...

Iranian Lawyer Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Christopher Brown-Humes October 10, 2003
Amidst international tension over Iran's nuclear program and debates on the role of Islamic extremists in promoting international terrorism, the Nobel Committee chose an Iranian lawyer as the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. Citing Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer, for her brave advocacy of human rights and democracy, the Committee said it hoped her example would inspire democratic...

A Glimpse into the Terrorist Mind

Lee Kuan Yew October 7, 2003
The recent trial of terrorists accused in the Bali bombings prompts Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister of Singapore, to ask the question - what makes a terrorist? What he finds is that such recruits are often “vulnerable to religious indoctrination by charismatic preachers who employ strict discipline.” As a result, for these people, self-sacrifice and martyrdom become their highest purpose in life...

Iranian Pilgrims Resume Journeys to Iraq

September 30, 2003
Two of the holiest places for Shi’ite Muslims – the cities of Karbala and Najaf – are located in Iraq. Devout Iranian pilgrims have traditionally journeyed to these cities each year to visit the burial sites of prominent Shi'ite religious figures. The Iranian government halted pilgrimages when the US invaded Iraq, fearing for the safety of the travelers. However, these measures did not...

Foreign Religious Students on the Run

Hasan Mansoor September 26, 2003
The Pakistani Intelligence Agency raided two extremist religious seminaries this week and took 19 students of East Asian origin into custody for connections to groups acting against "the integrity of Pakistan." The students are currently being interrogated by a joint United States FBI-Pakistani team, and their visas have been revoked. "It is not a case of terrorism;" argues...

Why is Zimbabwe Overlooked By SA's Sunshine Advocates?

Goko September 26, 2003
With an Islamic appeals court's acquittal of Amina Lawal, the Nigerian woman who was sentenced to death for having sex out of wedlock, feminist activists from around the world are celebrating a victory against conservative Shari 'a law. However, as the editorial in this Johannesburg daily points out , violations of women's rights are common in many parts of Africa – Muslim,...