Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and
around the globe: Saudi Arabia's forces in Yemen, the Nigerian election, and the growth of secularism among minorities.
BERKLEY CENTER IN THE NEWS
The Pope Who Is Unsettling the Church in Order to Set It Aright
by Thomas Banchoff
Washington Post book review
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-pope-who-is-unsettling-the-church-in-order-to-set-it-aright/2015/03/27/6b25155c-d245-11e4-ab77-9646eea6a4c7_story.html
Garry Wills’s new book is a valuable compass for this new terrain. Somewhat misleadingly titled “The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis,” it makes the past its center. Wills takes us through five far-reaching changes that highlight the capacity for renewal within the church.
related | The Pope Is a Christian!
by Garry Wills
New York Review of Books
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/mar/29/pope-francis-against-rome/
There is a perception of great resistance to the pope in his own church. Extremists get more press coverage than blander types, and some Catholic bloggers have suggested that the pope is not truly Catholic. They are right to be in a panic. They are not used to having a pope who is a Christian.
AROUND THE WORLD
The Dangers of the Arab Intervention in Yemen
by Kenneth M. Pollack
Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2015/03/26-pollack-saudi-air-strikes-yemen
The news that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states along with Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, and Sudan have launched air strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen should give every American pause. Yes, the Houthis are Shi'a who receive some degree of backing from Iran, but this is a very dangerous escalation that is unlikely to improve the situation in Yemen and risks the stability of Saudi Arabia over the medium to long term. Moreover, the Iranian role has been greatly exaggerated in what is first and foremost a Yemeni civil war.
Houthi and the Blowback
by Bilal Y. Saab
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/143303/bilal-y-saab/houthi-and-the-blowback
With the intervention in Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s military is trying to kill several birds with one stone. In the near term, it is safeguarding the country from what Riyadh perceives as an immediate military threat posed by advancing pro-Iranian Houthi rebels. In the medium-term, it is asserting its leadership of the Arab world and consolidating its control over what has recently been a tension-ridden Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the long term, it is redressing what it sees as a geopolitical imbalance in the Middle East between itself and Iran.
How Saudis Took the Lead in Yemen
by Eli Lake and Josh Rogin
Bloomberg View
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-27/how-saudis-took-the-lead-in-yemen
While some details of the planning remain hazy, one thing is clear: the Saudi initiative is a major step in the new Middle Eastern Cold War, pitting America's traditional Arab allies against Iran. It’s a convoluted situation, and has resulted in a confusing American regional policy.
The U.S. Is Providing Air Cover for Ethnic Cleansing in Iraq
by Michael Weiss and Michael Pregent
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/28/the-united-states-is-providing-air-cover-for-ethnic-cleansing-in-iraq-shiite-militias-isis/
On March 10, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a comprehensive study of human rights violations committed by both IS and pro-Iraqi forces. The Islamic State, OHCHR concluded, has likely committed genocide against the Yazidis, a ethno-religious minority in Iraq, in a catalogue of war crimes and crimes against humanity that include gang-rape and sexual slavery. But OHCHR’s language is equally unambiguous in condemning the other side on the battlefield.
Waiting for Goodluck
by Chika Oduah
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/27/waiting-for-goodluck-jonathan-nigeria-elections-boko-haram/
Nigeria’s resurgent president has made the most of a six-week election postponement, taking the fight to Boko Haram and stumping across the country. But are Nigerians too fed up with corrupt government to re-elect him?
Is Pope Francis Planning a Last Hurrah?
by Barbie Latza Nadeau
Daily Beast
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/29/is-pope-francis-planning-a-last-hurrah.html
The pontiff believes his days are numbered, and some observers believe his declaration of a holy jubilee year next year is meant to send a signal.
A Little Respect for Dr. Foster
by Nicholas Kristof
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-a-little-respect-for-dr-foster.html?ref=opinion&_r=1
Today, among urban Americans and Europeans, “evangelical Christian” is sometimes a synonym for “rube.” In liberal circles, evangelicals constitute one of the few groups that it’s safe to mock openly. Yet the liberal caricature of evangelicals is incomplete and unfair. I’ve been truly awed by those I’ve seen in so many remote places, combating illiteracy and warlords, famine and disease, humbly struggling to do the Lord’s work as they see it, and it is offensive to see good people derided.
DOMESTIC
GOP May Be in for a Rude Awakening on Immigration When Pope Francis Addresses Congress
by Benjamin Soloway
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/27/gop-may-be-in-for-rude-awakening-on-immigration-when-pope-francis-addresses-congress/
Though the bulk of his advocacy on the issue hasn’t been directed at the United States, Francis’s criticisms toward world governments’ treatment of migrants stands in stark contrast to recent U.S. policy. Boehner and the Republican Party have taken a hardline position on immigration, and the Obama administration has deported a record number of unauthorized immigrants, falling far short of the policy of broad acceptance the Vatican has called for.
A Truce in the War Over Family
by Andrew J. Cherlin
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/opinion/a-truce-in-the-war-over-family.html?ref=todayspaper
But today, while partisanship is sky high, the two camps are showing surprising signs of a truce. It’s a promising moment for change: Both sides just might agree on measures to help the millions of families that have been caught in the middle of the battle.
Confessions of a Black Atheist
by Mandisa Thomas
CNN op-ed
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/28/living/black-atheist-confession/
While the number of visible minority atheists is still small, we are here and we're here to stay. We will continue to grow, in both the black and secular communities. We can lead the charge for this change. The more we make our presence known, the better our chances of working together to turn around the disparities we face, and bolster the recognition we so rightly deserve.
All Grown Up and In Charge of the Seder
by Jennifer Weiner
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/opinion/sunday/jennifer-weiner-all-grown-up-and-in-charge-of-the-seder.html?ref=todayspaper
Most of my recent milestones on the road to middle age have been tied to food and religion, which perhaps, speaks to the nature of Judaism, where most holidays, with the exception of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish Arbor Day, can be summed up with, “They tried to kill us, they failed, let’s eat.”
The Pope Who Is Unsettling the Church in Order to Set It Aright
by Thomas Banchoff
Washington Post book review
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-pope-who-is-unsettling-the-church-in-order-to-set-it-aright/2015/03/27/6b25155c-d245-11e4-ab77-9646eea6a4c7_story.html
Garry Wills’s new book is a valuable compass for this new terrain. Somewhat misleadingly titled “The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis,” it makes the past its center. Wills takes us through five far-reaching changes that highlight the capacity for renewal within the church.
related | The Pope Is a Christian!
by Garry Wills
New York Review of Books
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/mar/29/pope-francis-against-rome/
There is a perception of great resistance to the pope in his own church. Extremists get more press coverage than blander types, and some Catholic bloggers have suggested that the pope is not truly Catholic. They are right to be in a panic. They are not used to having a pope who is a Christian.
AROUND THE WORLD
The Dangers of the Arab Intervention in Yemen
by Kenneth M. Pollack
Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2015/03/26-pollack-saudi-air-strikes-yemen
The news that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states along with Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, and Sudan have launched air strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen should give every American pause. Yes, the Houthis are Shi'a who receive some degree of backing from Iran, but this is a very dangerous escalation that is unlikely to improve the situation in Yemen and risks the stability of Saudi Arabia over the medium to long term. Moreover, the Iranian role has been greatly exaggerated in what is first and foremost a Yemeni civil war.
Houthi and the Blowback
by Bilal Y. Saab
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/143303/bilal-y-saab/houthi-and-the-blowback
With the intervention in Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s military is trying to kill several birds with one stone. In the near term, it is safeguarding the country from what Riyadh perceives as an immediate military threat posed by advancing pro-Iranian Houthi rebels. In the medium-term, it is asserting its leadership of the Arab world and consolidating its control over what has recently been a tension-ridden Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the long term, it is redressing what it sees as a geopolitical imbalance in the Middle East between itself and Iran.
How Saudis Took the Lead in Yemen
by Eli Lake and Josh Rogin
Bloomberg View
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-27/how-saudis-took-the-lead-in-yemen
While some details of the planning remain hazy, one thing is clear: the Saudi initiative is a major step in the new Middle Eastern Cold War, pitting America's traditional Arab allies against Iran. It’s a convoluted situation, and has resulted in a confusing American regional policy.
The U.S. Is Providing Air Cover for Ethnic Cleansing in Iraq
by Michael Weiss and Michael Pregent
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/28/the-united-states-is-providing-air-cover-for-ethnic-cleansing-in-iraq-shiite-militias-isis/
On March 10, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a comprehensive study of human rights violations committed by both IS and pro-Iraqi forces. The Islamic State, OHCHR concluded, has likely committed genocide against the Yazidis, a ethno-religious minority in Iraq, in a catalogue of war crimes and crimes against humanity that include gang-rape and sexual slavery. But OHCHR’s language is equally unambiguous in condemning the other side on the battlefield.
Waiting for Goodluck
by Chika Oduah
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/27/waiting-for-goodluck-jonathan-nigeria-elections-boko-haram/
Nigeria’s resurgent president has made the most of a six-week election postponement, taking the fight to Boko Haram and stumping across the country. But are Nigerians too fed up with corrupt government to re-elect him?
Is Pope Francis Planning a Last Hurrah?
by Barbie Latza Nadeau
Daily Beast
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/29/is-pope-francis-planning-a-last-hurrah.html
The pontiff believes his days are numbered, and some observers believe his declaration of a holy jubilee year next year is meant to send a signal.
A Little Respect for Dr. Foster
by Nicholas Kristof
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-a-little-respect-for-dr-foster.html?ref=opinion&_r=1
Today, among urban Americans and Europeans, “evangelical Christian” is sometimes a synonym for “rube.” In liberal circles, evangelicals constitute one of the few groups that it’s safe to mock openly. Yet the liberal caricature of evangelicals is incomplete and unfair. I’ve been truly awed by those I’ve seen in so many remote places, combating illiteracy and warlords, famine and disease, humbly struggling to do the Lord’s work as they see it, and it is offensive to see good people derided.
DOMESTIC
GOP May Be in for a Rude Awakening on Immigration When Pope Francis Addresses Congress
by Benjamin Soloway
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/27/gop-may-be-in-for-rude-awakening-on-immigration-when-pope-francis-addresses-congress/
Though the bulk of his advocacy on the issue hasn’t been directed at the United States, Francis’s criticisms toward world governments’ treatment of migrants stands in stark contrast to recent U.S. policy. Boehner and the Republican Party have taken a hardline position on immigration, and the Obama administration has deported a record number of unauthorized immigrants, falling far short of the policy of broad acceptance the Vatican has called for.
A Truce in the War Over Family
by Andrew J. Cherlin
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/opinion/a-truce-in-the-war-over-family.html?ref=todayspaper
But today, while partisanship is sky high, the two camps are showing surprising signs of a truce. It’s a promising moment for change: Both sides just might agree on measures to help the millions of families that have been caught in the middle of the battle.
Confessions of a Black Atheist
by Mandisa Thomas
CNN op-ed
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/28/living/black-atheist-confession/
While the number of visible minority atheists is still small, we are here and we're here to stay. We will continue to grow, in both the black and secular communities. We can lead the charge for this change. The more we make our presence known, the better our chances of working together to turn around the disparities we face, and bolster the recognition we so rightly deserve.
All Grown Up and In Charge of the Seder
by Jennifer Weiner
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/opinion/sunday/jennifer-weiner-all-grown-up-and-in-charge-of-the-seder.html?ref=todayspaper
Most of my recent milestones on the road to middle age have been tied to food and religion, which perhaps, speaks to the nature of Judaism, where most holidays, with the exception of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish Arbor Day, can be summed up with, “They tried to kill us, they failed, let’s eat.”
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