Other Traditions

New Findings from the "Gallup Religious Tolerance Index"

May 1, 2003

Source: Sightings

On May 1, 2003 Sightings reported that "the Religion and Values department at Gallup recently initiated a new index called the 'Gallup Religious Tolerance Index,' which will now be part of Gallup's regular polling. To publicize this new initiative, Gallup organized an online seminar led by Al Winseman who described the format of the new index and some preliminary findings... Winseman and his team use five questions to categorize individuals into three 'levels' of religious tolerance: Isolated, Tolerant, and Integrated. The figures show...

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Update: Interfaith Prayers at Muncie City Hall

May 1, 2003

Source: Indy Star

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/9/039773-9429-009.html

On May 1, 2003 the Indy Star reported that "a decision to ban Jews, Muslims and others who don't pray in the name of Jesus from fully participating in a National Day of Prayer service in downtown Muncie today has turned a communal expression of civic pride into a symbol of religious division... Even though everyone is welcome to pray outside City Hall at noon today, the evangelical...

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Senators Show Support for Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act

May 1, 2003

Source: Senate.gov

http://durbin.senate.gov/~durbin/new2001/press/2003/05/2003502816.html

On May 1, 2003 Senate.gov reported that "Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Dick Durbin, Gordon Smith, Patrick Leahy, Charles Schumer and Arlen Specter today introduced the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, better known as the Hate Crimes bill, at a press conference in the Capitol lawn. The bill will give law enforcement the ability to prosecute to the fullest...

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Hare Krishna Temples Call for Victims of Abuse to Make Formal Claim

April 30, 2003

Source: Boston Globe

On April 30, 2003 the Boston Globe reported that "the six Hare Krishna temples in California, along with several other Krishna organizations here and in West Virginia, took steps yesterday to identify minors who may have been sexually abused or mistreated at boarding schools during the 1970's and 80's. A lawsuit over the alleged abuse prompted the Krishna movement, known officially as the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, to file for bankruptcy last year to protect its assets and, the group said, to prevent closing of...

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Update: Hate Crimes on UC Berkeley's Campus

April 30, 2003

Source: UC Berkeley News

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2003/04/30_toler.shtml

On April 30, 2003 UC Berkeley News reported that "for some students, Berkeley’s reputation as a place of tolerance and acceptance doesn’t quite match their reality... Last spring, Berkeley Hillel, a Jewish student center, was marked by anti-Jewish graffiti and had a brick thrown through one of its windows. On Christmas Eve, a swastika and Aryan Nation symbol...

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Interfaith Community Remembers the Holocaust

April 25, 2003

Source: The News-Times

http ://w ww.newstimes.com/cgi-bin/dbs.cgi?&db=news&view_records=1&id=49380&email=1

On April 25, 2003 The News-Times reported that "on Sunday at 7 p.m. at St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church [in CT], the interfaith community will remember the Holocaust... and its meaning to all of humanity... The event, which will include a talk by United Jewish Center congregant and Holocaust survivor William Kaiser, is being sponsored by St. Gregory’s, the UJC, First Congregational Church,...

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Faith-Based Environmental Activism

April 25, 2003

Source: The Indy Star

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/2/038372-8262-102.html

On April 25, 2003 The Indy Star reported that "in a world in which religious identities too often divide, the Rev. Bob Edgar believes working to protect the environment might be one of the few places where faithful people can find unity... As general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ, Edgar is traveling the country promoting faith-based environmental...

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University of Nebraska Omaha Students Discuss Hate Crimes

April 25, 2003

Source: Gateway

http://www.unogateway.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/04/25/3ea80b28a09a1

On April 25, 2003 the Gateway reported that "more than 20 people attended 'From Justified Concern to Hateful Prejudice,' a discussion... led by Patrick McNamara, coordinator of the University of Nebraska Omaha Hate Crime Project... The open dialog focused on diversity in America... During the program, participants spent time brainstorming the kinds of prejudices and...

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Iranian Born Singer Unable to Obtain Visa for U.S. Tour

April 24, 2003

Source: Civil Liberties Digest

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=8734ace218198363473a825cd1a7f438

On April 24, 2003 the Civil Liberties Digest reported that "Rita, one of the most popular singers in Israel, has been unable to get a visa to come on a concert tour of the U.S. Her problem is that she is Iranian born according to San Jose Iranian monthly Pezhvak of Persia (April 2003). The Israeli...

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Asian Americans Concerned about Becoming Targets of Hostility

April 23, 2003

Source: Pacific News Service

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=1ca4655c2e04ee672e4ffdddd3120730

On April 23, 2003 the Pacific News Service reported that "when 50 leading Asian American and Pacific Island civil rights organizations met recently in Washington, D.C., SARS was only one of many dangers they see threatening their communities. Other recent events -- an alleged Chinese American spy, the North...

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Youth Arrested for Vandalizing Sikh Temple

April 23, 2003

Source: KXLY

http://www.kxly.com/common/getStory.asp?id=28197

On April 23, 2003 KXLY reported that "a community outraged by the burglary and vandalism of a Sikh Temple in the Spokane Valley last weekend came together to repair the damage and provide information that led to the arrest of the 14-year-old suspect Tuesday afternoon. Sheriff’s detectives arrested the teenaged suspect who lives not far from the temple after residents called the sheriff’s office and...

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Editorial: Analyzing Bush's Strategies to Implement FBCI

April 23, 2003

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

On April 23, 2003 The Washington Post printed an editorial by Dana Milbank stating that "after 26 months of tussles over Bush's 'faith-based initiative,' the sponsor of the legislation in the Senate agreed to remove any mention of religion in a bill whose stated purpose was helping religious charities. All that was left was a package of charitable tax incentives -- and even those were barely 15 percent of the amount Bush had...

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Editorial: Sunni Chaplains for Shia Muslims in Prison

April 22, 2003

Source: The Weekly Standard

On April 22, 2003 The Weekly Standard printed an editorial by Terry Eastland questioning "why... has New York state, in treating the religious activities of Muslim inmates within its prisons, favored one Islamic sect over another--namely, Sunni Islam over Shia Islam?" He stated, "that question is at the heart of a lawsuit filed against the state by four Shia Muslim prisoners at Fishkill Correctional Facility. The lawsuit challenges current policy under which the New York State Department of Correctional Services accommodates, as...

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