In the News, December 7, 2015

December 7, 2015

Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: Qatar's Education City, an external audit of Vatican assets, and a partnership between scientists and faith communities on climate change.

BERKLEY CENTER IN THE NEWS
Despite ISIS, American Church Still Ignorant About Christian Persecution, Expert Says
by Michael Gryboski
Christian Post
http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-persecution-islamic-state-timothy-shah-religious-freedom-americans-genocide-151700/#KOIXucbfFmM8jesY.99
Americans remain largely ignorant and indifferent toward the plight of Christians overseas despite headlines featuring ISIS' violence, argued an expert on religious liberty. Timothy Samuel Shah, associate director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, argued as part of a panel held Friday afternoon in Washington, D.C. that American Christians are not as involved as they should be in fighting persecution abroad.

AROUND THE WORLD
In Qatar’s Education City, U.S. Colleges are Building an Academic Oasis
by Nick Anderson
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/in-qatars-education-city-us-colleges-are-building-an-academic-oasis/2015/12/06/6b538702-8e01-11e5-ae1f-af46b7df8483_story.html
U.S. colleges and universities run dozens of branch campuses around the world, reflecting rapid globalization in academia. Education City is perhaps the most prominent example of this trend, offering an optimistic vision of social advancement in the Middle East at a time of global concern about war in Syria and the Islamic State’s role in terrorism.

After UK Stabbing,' You Ain't No Muslim' Strikes a Chord
Associated Press
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/07/world/europe/ap-eu-britain-stabbing-online-reaction.html?ribbon-ad-idx=4&rref=world&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=World&pgtype=article
It's become the rallying cry of many who want the Muslim faith to be separated from the violence some commit in its name: "You ain't no Muslim, bruv." The comment, heard in the background of a bystander's video following a stabbing at a London Underground station that prosecutors say was a terrorist act, has touched a nerve in Britain and become a trending hashtag on Twitter. 

Pursuing Transparency, Vatican Orders External Audit of its Assets
by Crispian Balmer
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/12/05/pursuing-transparency-vatican-orders-external-audit-of-its-assets/
The Vatican said on Saturday it had ordered the first external audit of its assets as part of a drive by Pope Francis to bring transparency to its finances where millions of euros have gone unrecorded without any central oversight. The pope has promised to overhaul the Vatican’s murky financial management, which have been hit by repeated scandals in recent years, however he has met resistance from Church officials who want to maintain tight control over operations. 

The Church Under Putin
by Wallace Daniel
Christian Century
http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2015-11/church-under-putin
The Russian Orthodox Church is not nearly as placid and compliant on the inside as it appears on the outside. As educational standards for priests rise, external and internal tensions are likely to grow. That could lead to a healthy dialogue in the church about a long-standing demon—the political use of religion. 

Islamic State is Having a Hard Time Taking Root in Pakistan
by Tim Craig
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/islamic-state-is-having-a-hard-time-taking-root-in-pakistan/2015/12/05/2fa548b0-8e2b-11e5-934c-a369c80822c2_story.html
The revelation that the Pakistani woman involved in the San Bernardino massacre was an Islamic State supporter has put a spotlight on the radical group’s reach into this country. But surprisingly, there have been only scattered signs that the group’s tactics or ideology are taking hold in Pakistan, a nation with a history of extremist violence. 

Scientists Enlist the Big Gun to get Climate Action: Faith
By Seth Borenstein
Associated Press
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_GOD_FACTOR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-06-15-15-25
The cold hard numbers of science haven't spurred the world to curb runaway global warming. So as climate negotiators struggle in Paris, some scientists who appealed to the rational brain are enlisting what many would consider a higher power: the majesty of faith. It's not God versus science, but followers of God and science together trying to save humanity and the planet, they say. 

Lighting Candle of Liberty
by Ruth R. Wisse
Wall Street Journal op-ed
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/lighting-candles-for-liberty-1449272738-lMyQjAxMTI1MDA0NzMwMjcxWj
Modern human accomplishments seldom outstrip miracles of the past, but those who light the candles for Hanukkah beginning Sunday night are involved in an even greater struggle for political and religious freedom than the Maccabees in their time. Today’s defenders of Israel fight not only for their own restored political and religious freedom but for the right of all nations to freedom from increasingly violent and maddened enemies.  

NATIONAL
Most Americans See Muslims like any other Group after California Shooting – Poll
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/12/05/most-americans-see-muslims-like-any-other-group-after-california-shooting-poll/
Just days after two Muslims were accused of gunning down 14 people in California, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 51 percent of Americans view Muslims living in the United States the same as any other community, while 14.6 percent are generally fearful. In the first poll on views of Muslim Americans taken in the aftermath of the Paris and San Bernardino attacks, much of the division is partisan. Among Democrats, 60 percent said they view Muslims like any other community, compared with 30 percent of Republicans. 

Obama Tries to Ease Anxiety over Terrorism with Oval Office Address
by David Nakamura
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-tries-to-ease-anxiety-over-terror-attacks-with-oval-office-address/2015/12/06/95d9a34c-9c72-11e5-bce4-708fe33e3288_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_obama-8pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what groups like ISIL want,” Obama said on Sunday night. “ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death. And they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world, including millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology.”
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