In the News, August 3, 2015

August 3, 2015

Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: Israeli leaders propose strict measures to fight Jewish terrorism, Kenya's Catholic bishops push to boycott a polio vaccine, and two traveling rabbis hope to educate Montana's Jews.
AROUND THE WORLD
Israeli Leaders Propose Harsh New Measures to Fight ‘Jewish Terrorism’
by William Booth and Ruth Eglash
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israelis-hold-anti-violence-rallies-after-attacks-against-palestinians-gays/2015/08/02/c3df0fdc-9a6a-4922-ae60-7d2e2ecd5214_story.html?hpid=z1
Following a wave of extremist violence that left several Israeli and Palestinian children dead in knife and arson attacks, Israeli leaders have proposed harsh new measures to curb Jewish terrorism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government will have no tolerance for Jewish extremists--vowing that Israel will fight “hate, fanaticism and terrorism from whatever side.”  

related | Israeli Justice Is Seen to Be Often Uneven Among Palestinian Cases
by Isabel Kershner
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/03/world/middleeast/israeli-justice-is-seen-to-be-often-uneven-among-palestinian-cases.html?ref=world  

Rohingya Women Flee Violence Only to Be Sold Into Marriage
by Chris Buckley and Ellen Barry
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/03/world/asia/rohingya-women-flee-violence-only-to-be-sold-into-marriage.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Hundreds of young Rohingya women who have escaped violence and poverty in Myanmar have been sold into marriage to Rohingya men upon their arrival in Malaysia. While some women agreed to the marriages in their pursuit of safety, others have been tricked or coerced into the unions--and many are only teenagers.  

Boycott Polio Vaccine, Say Kenya's Catholic Bishops
by Mark Woods
Christian Today
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/boycott.polio.vaccine.say.kenyas.catholic.bishops/60587.htm
A group of Kenya's Catholic bishops are urging a boycott of a polio vaccination program over fears regarding its safety. This boycott marks the second time in nearly a year that the bishops protested a vaccine, after launching a campaign last autumn against a tetanus program.  

The Islamic State’s Christian and Yizidi Sex Slaves
by Nina Shea
American Interest
http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/07/31/the-islamic-states-christian-and-yizidi-sex-slaves/
The beheadings, crucifixions, and other means ISIS uses to slaughter unarmed Christian and Yizidi men--from priests and bishops to destitute migrant workers--have been proudly displayed by the ultra violent group on social media and have drawn condemnations worldwide. But the Islamic State’s “revival” of the institution of chattel slavery--sex slavery of Christian and Yizidi women and girls no less--has faded from public attention.  

Russian Orthodox Church Pushes For Control Of St. Petersburg's Famous Cathedral
by Irina Titova
Huffington Post Religion/AP
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/russian-orthodox-church-pushes-for-control-of-st-petersburgs-famous-cathedral_55bbde6ee4b0d4f33a02e9fc?utm_hp_ref=religion
The Russian Orthodox Church has taken jurisdiction over many historic churches and monasteries since the Soviet collapse. It has faced difficulties, however, in reclaiming its erstwhile assets in St. Petersburg's landmark tourist destination--St. Isaac's Cathedral.  

Israel-British Project Makes Hebrew Texts Available Online
by Miriam Berger
Washington Post/AP
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-thousands-of-rare-hebrew-texts-soon-available-online/2015/08/03/5ca2d148-39d0-11e5-8993-0b783c1d6d37_story.html
In a project organized by the National Library of Israel and the British Library in London, one of the oldest surviving Hebrew manuscripts will soon be available online. The Gaster Bible, which dates back over 1,000 years, will be available on the internet as part of a project to digitize all of the 3,200 rare Hebrew manuscripts at The British Library.  

Russians Feel Less Positive Towards Religion Now Than They Did in 1990
by Erasmus Blog
Economist
http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2015/07/religion-russia
A survey published by one of Russia's best-known pollsters revealed something unexpected in its comparison of present-day attitudes in Russia with those of 1990. Although there is a rise in the number of people who admit they are sometimes "helped" by religion in their own lives, the general effect of religion on human welfare is viewed in much bleaker terms than in earlier days.  

You Can’t Understand Pope Francis Without Juan Perón--and Evita
by Nick Miroff
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/you-cant-understand-pope-francis-without-juan-peron--and-evita/2015/08/01/d71e6fa4-2fd0-11e5-a879-213078d03dd3_story.html
Several of Pope Francis' actions in recent months have fueled accusations among American conservatives that Francis is a leftist, with Marxist views dressed up in white vestments. In his native country of Argentina, however, his supporters argue that the pope is a clear Peronist--and that his views simply don’t fit into the left-right boxes of the U.S. political divide.  

DOMESTIC
‘Roving Rabbis’ Spread Across Montana on Kosher Mission
by Matt Volz
Washington Post/AP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/roving-rabbis-spread-across-montana-on-kosher-mission/2015/08/02/203855b6-3949-11e5-8993-0b783c1d6d37_story.html
Two young Orthodox rabbis have traded their studies in Brooklyn for the back roads of Montana--hoping to reach as many of the state's roughly 3,000 jews as possible and to teach them how to keep kosher in Big Sky Country.
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