Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: Pope Francis' trip to the Philippines, Charlie Hebdo, Israel, and democracy and radical Islam.
AROUND THE WORLD
Pope, on Visit to Philippines, Defends Catholic Ban on Contraception
by Scott Neuman
NPR
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/16/377686009/pope-on-visit-to-philippines-defends-catholic-ban-on-contraception
Speaking to one of Asia's fastest-growing populations, Pope Francis issued what is being described as his strongest defense yet of the Catholic Church's opposition to artificial contraception. But the pope's message on birth control is likely to receive a less enthusiastic response than he might hope.
Pope on Charlie Hebdo II: What About ‘Turn the Other Cheek?’
by Nicole Winfield
Associated Press
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_REL_FRANCE_ATTACKS_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Pope Francis made headlines when he said en route to the Philippines that there were limits to free speech, especially when it ridicules or insults someone's faith. But he raised even more eyebrows when he explained his point by saying that if a good friend cursed out his mother he could "expect a punch" in return.
Catholic Bishops Call for Action to End Poverty in Gaza
by Josephine McKenna
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/20/catholic-bishops-gaza_n_6500562.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
Roman Catholic bishops from the U.S. and Europe concluded a visit to Gaza with a call for the end of Israel’s long-running blockade, and greater action to alleviate poverty after last year’s violent war with Israel. “The ongoing conflict assaults the dignity of both Palestinians and Israelis, but in a particular way our commitment to the poor calls us to lift up the suffering people in Gaza,” the bishops said.
Netanyahu Eyes Asian Markets, Cites Anti-Israel Mood in Europe
by Dan Williams
New York Times/Reuters
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/18/world/asia/18reuters-israel-asia.html?_r=0
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday a wave of anti-Semitism and what he called “Islamisation” in Western Europe are factors in a Jewish state push to expand trade with Asia. Europe is Israel’s biggest trading partner, but deepening diplomatic disputes over policy toward the Palestinians and anti-Jewish incidents such as a Jan. 9 attack by an Islamist gunman on a Paris kosher deli have triggered Israeli worries.
Egyptian President Al-Sisi Is a Dictator, Not a Reformer of Islam
by Mohamad Elmasry
Religion Dispatches
http://religiondispatches.org/egyptian-president-al-sisi-is-a-dictator-not-a-reformer-of-islam/
American and European analysts on the right have called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi an Islamic “reformer” and an ally in the quest to deliver the message of Western freedom to Muslims. It’s troubling that Westerners claiming to be lovers of human rights would overlook, or downplay, Al-Sisi’s policy record.
Syria’s Democracy Jihad
by Vera Mironova, Loubna Mrie, Richard Nielsen, and Sam Whitt
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142767/vera-mironova-loubna-mrie-richard-nielsen-and-sam-whitt/syrias-democracy-jihad
Over the past year, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), once regarded as a force of moderate, secular democratic reformers, has partnered with various moderate and radical Islamist groups. This includes the al Qaeda–linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Many soldiers have left the disorganized FSA for the al-Nusra Front, because they share the common goal of overthrowing the Assad regime.
Turkey and the West Part Ways on ‘Charlie Hebdo’
by Berivan Orucoglu
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/14/turkey-and-the-west-part-ways-on-charlie-hebdo/
While leaders and commentators in western countries immediately condemned the terrorists and presented a broadly unified stance denouncing the shocking attack on Charlie Hebdo as an act of violence against freedom of the press, Turkish leaders came up with a starkly different diagnosis: They interpreted last week’s events as yet another assault on Islam itself.
DOMESTIC
Duke Reverses Decision to Allow Muslim Call to Prayer
by Stephanie Gallman and Devon Sayers
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/us/duke-call-to-prayer/index.html
Duke University officials on Friday cited security concerns as part of the reason for the school's reversal of its decision to allow a Muslim call to prayer to sound from a campus chapel bell tower. Franklin Graham, son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, applauded the school. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights group, called the decision unfortunate, saying the university bowed to intimidation.
Will the Church Fail or Fulfill Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy?
by Rev. Dr. Amy Butler
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-dr-amy-butler/post_8904_b_6495930.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
Rev. Dr. Amy Butler is Senior Minister at Riverside Church in New York where, following the August death of 18 year old Michael Brown, she finds herself questioning the institutional relevancy of the church.
Pope’s US Visit a Chance to Mend Fences With Conservative Catholics
by Scott Malone
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/01/16/popes-u-s-visit-a-chance-to-mend-fences-with-conservative-catholics/
While Pope Francis is popular among American Catholics and non-Catholics alike, his trip to Philadelphia this year could be an opportunity to improve relations with conservative followers concerned about his discussion of controversial issues such as homosexuality.
Pope, on Visit to Philippines, Defends Catholic Ban on Contraception
by Scott Neuman
NPR
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/16/377686009/pope-on-visit-to-philippines-defends-catholic-ban-on-contraception
Speaking to one of Asia's fastest-growing populations, Pope Francis issued what is being described as his strongest defense yet of the Catholic Church's opposition to artificial contraception. But the pope's message on birth control is likely to receive a less enthusiastic response than he might hope.
Pope on Charlie Hebdo II: What About ‘Turn the Other Cheek?’
by Nicole Winfield
Associated Press
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_REL_FRANCE_ATTACKS_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Pope Francis made headlines when he said en route to the Philippines that there were limits to free speech, especially when it ridicules or insults someone's faith. But he raised even more eyebrows when he explained his point by saying that if a good friend cursed out his mother he could "expect a punch" in return.
Catholic Bishops Call for Action to End Poverty in Gaza
by Josephine McKenna
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/20/catholic-bishops-gaza_n_6500562.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
Roman Catholic bishops from the U.S. and Europe concluded a visit to Gaza with a call for the end of Israel’s long-running blockade, and greater action to alleviate poverty after last year’s violent war with Israel. “The ongoing conflict assaults the dignity of both Palestinians and Israelis, but in a particular way our commitment to the poor calls us to lift up the suffering people in Gaza,” the bishops said.
Netanyahu Eyes Asian Markets, Cites Anti-Israel Mood in Europe
by Dan Williams
New York Times/Reuters
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/18/world/asia/18reuters-israel-asia.html?_r=0
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday a wave of anti-Semitism and what he called “Islamisation” in Western Europe are factors in a Jewish state push to expand trade with Asia. Europe is Israel’s biggest trading partner, but deepening diplomatic disputes over policy toward the Palestinians and anti-Jewish incidents such as a Jan. 9 attack by an Islamist gunman on a Paris kosher deli have triggered Israeli worries.
Egyptian President Al-Sisi Is a Dictator, Not a Reformer of Islam
by Mohamad Elmasry
Religion Dispatches
http://religiondispatches.org/egyptian-president-al-sisi-is-a-dictator-not-a-reformer-of-islam/
American and European analysts on the right have called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi an Islamic “reformer” and an ally in the quest to deliver the message of Western freedom to Muslims. It’s troubling that Westerners claiming to be lovers of human rights would overlook, or downplay, Al-Sisi’s policy record.
Syria’s Democracy Jihad
by Vera Mironova, Loubna Mrie, Richard Nielsen, and Sam Whitt
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142767/vera-mironova-loubna-mrie-richard-nielsen-and-sam-whitt/syrias-democracy-jihad
Over the past year, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), once regarded as a force of moderate, secular democratic reformers, has partnered with various moderate and radical Islamist groups. This includes the al Qaeda–linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Many soldiers have left the disorganized FSA for the al-Nusra Front, because they share the common goal of overthrowing the Assad regime.
Turkey and the West Part Ways on ‘Charlie Hebdo’
by Berivan Orucoglu
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/14/turkey-and-the-west-part-ways-on-charlie-hebdo/
While leaders and commentators in western countries immediately condemned the terrorists and presented a broadly unified stance denouncing the shocking attack on Charlie Hebdo as an act of violence against freedom of the press, Turkish leaders came up with a starkly different diagnosis: They interpreted last week’s events as yet another assault on Islam itself.
DOMESTIC
Duke Reverses Decision to Allow Muslim Call to Prayer
by Stephanie Gallman and Devon Sayers
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/us/duke-call-to-prayer/index.html
Duke University officials on Friday cited security concerns as part of the reason for the school's reversal of its decision to allow a Muslim call to prayer to sound from a campus chapel bell tower. Franklin Graham, son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, applauded the school. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights group, called the decision unfortunate, saying the university bowed to intimidation.
Will the Church Fail or Fulfill Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy?
by Rev. Dr. Amy Butler
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-dr-amy-butler/post_8904_b_6495930.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
Rev. Dr. Amy Butler is Senior Minister at Riverside Church in New York where, following the August death of 18 year old Michael Brown, she finds herself questioning the institutional relevancy of the church.
Pope’s US Visit a Chance to Mend Fences With Conservative Catholics
by Scott Malone
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/01/16/popes-u-s-visit-a-chance-to-mend-fences-with-conservative-catholics/
While Pope Francis is popular among American Catholics and non-Catholics alike, his trip to Philadelphia this year could be an opportunity to improve relations with conservative followers concerned about his discussion of controversial issues such as homosexuality.
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