By Martin Surridge – The former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan occupies a precarious and oft-forgotten spot in Central Asia. Unlike other egregious religious liberty offenders such as Saudi Arabia, China, and North Korea, Uzbekistan is discussed little in the United States and is not well-known for any one thing. Unfortunately, it is often lumped in…
Category: Religion
Hermain Cain Opposes Murfreesboro Mosque Project (DNJ)
EXCERPT: Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Thursday an effort by local Muslims to build a large mosque here is an attempt to “sneak” Shariah law into the fabric of the U.S. legal system. “I think it is an infringement and abuse of our freedom of religion, and I don’t agree with what’s happening here…
Five-Day Work Idea May End Up in Trash Bin (Israel National News)
EXCERPT: A proposal to put Israel on a shortened work week, with Friday a half-day and Sunday a vacation day, may be buried before it gets off the ground. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has agreed on a Knesset committee to discuss the proposal by Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom, but it quickly ran into opposition…
Israel Looking Into Making Sunday Day of Rest (Bloomberg)
EXCERPT: Israel’s government is examining a proposal to shift the weekend to the western Saturday and Sunday, a step that may benefit financial markets and retail and leisure companies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week appointed Eugene Kandel, head of the National Economic Council, to look into the implications of changing the weekend from Friday…
Louisiana House Approves Ten Commandments Monument at Capitol (Reuters)
EXCERPT: “Williams’ bill provides for installation of a monument up to six feet tall, to be paid for with private donations. He says he modeled the bill on a Texas law that allowed placement of a granite monument displaying the Commandments on the Texas Capitol grounds, where it stands among more than a dozen monuments…
Cosmic Conflict & the Future (of America)
“Sometimes momentous times are seen to be such only in hindsight. I believe we are living in such momentous times.” Sigve Tonstad
Thailand Calls for Ban on Religious Tattoos for Tourists (CNN)
EXCERPT: Thailand’s Culture Ministry wants to ban tourists from getting religious tattoos after noticing an alarmingly high number of foreigners sporting deities that were inked in parlors in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai. As the Phuket Gazette reports, Culture Minister Niphit Intharasombat told reporters this week that Phuket’s Culture Office had noticed many tourists are getting inked…
Appeals Court Lifts Ban on Texas Graduation Prayer (AP)
EXCERPT: Public prayer will be allowed at a Texas high school graduation after a federal appeals court on Friday reversed a ban won by an agnostic family that claimed ceremony traditions such as invocations were unconstitutional. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency appeal filed by the Medina Valley Independent School District….
Church for Single Mormons Comes with Pressure to Marry (Washington Post)
EXCERPT: It’s Tuesday night Bible study, which at this Crystal City Mormon chapel looks a bit like a mixer. Pews are filled with people in jeans and flip-flops, many texting. The night begins with a prayer before segueing quickly into an ice-breaker trivia game and a pizza social. Not surprising for a church made up…
Religious Liberty on North Dakota Ballot (Devils Lake Journal)
EXCERPT: A North Dakota constitutional amendment about religious freedom will be on the state ballot next year. Secretary of State Al Jaeger says Wednesday that the initiative’s supporters got enough signatures to put the issue to a vote. It will be Measure 3 on the June primary election ballot. The proposed amendment says lawmakers may…