c. 2006 Religion News Service

Woman Sues Over Treatment Program’s Religious Content

(RNS) A Missouri woman is suing a judge who ordered her to either complete Narcotics Anonymous’ 12-step program or serve time in jail, arguing that the sentence entails government-forced religious activity.

Meetings at Narcotics Anonymous _ an offshoot of Alcoholics Anonymous _ have a religious theme and require participants to pray, claims Mindy Gayle Offutt. Offut attended a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in December after pleading guilty in an Arkansas state court to possession of a controlled substance.

The Arkansas judge had sentenced Offutt to a 30-day suspended jail sentence and ordered her to attend 12 Narcotics Anonymous meetings. The suspension of the sentence would be revoked if she failed to attend.

“An individual should be allowed to decide whether or not to accept a particular religion, or whether to accept any religion at all,” argued Doug Norwood, Offutt’s attorney in the lawsuit.

Offut argues that ordering her to participate in a religious program violates the First Amendment, which prohibits government-endorsed religion.

Narcotics Anonymous’ 12-step program is “a spiritual program, not a religious program,” said Bob S., a spokesperson for the group. The second step of the program entails acknowledging that there is “a Power greater than ourselves” that can “restore us to sanity.”

“You can choose a higher power of your own understanding; there’s no leaning toward any sect, denomination or religion,” said Bob S., who, in keeping with the group’s practice, asked that his last name be withheld.

But U.S. courts are divided on that distinction. In 1996, a New York state appeals court ruled that A.A.’s practices and doctrines are “unequivocally religious” and prison inmates cannot be forced to attend meetings.

_ Daniel Burke

Carter’s Book on Palestine `Apartheid’ Stirs Anger Among Some Jews

NEW YORK (RNS) A new book by former President Jimmy Carter on the Israeli-Palestinian standoff has prompted charges and counter-charges among several prominent U.S. Jewish leaders about its bias and accuracy.

The controversy grew more heated when Kenneth Stein, a one-time Carter aide and professor at Emory University in Atlanta, resigned as Middle East Fellow at The Carter Center, charging the book, “Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid,” contains errors, omissions, source materials that were not properly cited and portions that Stein said were “simply invented.”

In response, Carter defended the book in an interview with the Emory Wheel, a university newspaper, saying that his former aide was mistaken and that the book had been “very carefully checked for accuracy.” Carter added that he believes the book is not biased but is a reflection “about what’s happening in Palestine.”

The book raised the ire of a number of prominent U.S. Jewish leaders, including Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz, who wrote on a blog on huffingtonpost.com that its bias was immediately clear from its title, which compares Israel’s policies to the apartheid state of South Africa under white control.

“The suggestion that without peace Israel is an apartheid state analogous to South Africa is simply wrong,” Dershowitz wrote on Nov. 22. “The basic evil of South African apartheid, against which I and so many other Jews fought, was the absolute control over a majority of blacks by a small minority of whites. It was the opposite of democracy. In Israel majority rules; it is a vibrant secular democracy. …”

In response, Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun magazine and national chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, called Carter “the best friend the Jews ever had as president of the United States,” for delivering on a peace agreement _ between Israel and Egypt _ “that has stood the test of time” and said Carter does not claim in his book that Israel is an apartheid state.

“What he does claim is that the West Bank will be a de facto apartheid situation” if current policies in Israel continue, Lerner said in a piece posted on TomPaine.com, adding: “The only way to avoid Israel turning into an apartheid state is a genuine peace accord. … What Carter is arguing is that the best interests of Israel and the United States are not served by the current policies.”

Asked by the Emory reporter about the term “apartheid” in the title, Carter said the reference is not to racism but to what he called the confiscation of Palestinian land.

“I want Israel to have peace,” he said. “Every public opinion poll conducted in the last 40 years has shown that a clear majority of Israeli citizens are in favor of withdrawing from occupied territories in exchange for peace. But there has always been a fervent minority, who said the entire West Bank is Israel’s. That’s the root of the problem.”

_ Chris Herlinger

Deutsche Bank Set to Offer Investments That Fit Islamic Law

BERLIN (RNS) Germany’s leading bank plans to reach out to the Muslim world with special funds designed to comply with Sharia law.

Observant Muslims have long been barred from traditional investing because of religious laws that prevent them from putting money in accounts that bear interest. Additionally, they cannot invest in companies that sell weapons, pornography, alcohol or pork, or businesses that offer gambling.

“Because of the limited offerings for them, many Muslims had to hide their money under the bed or only invest in products with weak performance,” said a Deutsche Bank spokesman in the Berliner Zeitung (Berlin Newspaper) on Thursday (Dec. 7).

The move puts Deutsche Bank, with profits of $3.2 billion in 2004 and branches in most major countries, on track with other London investment houses that have also tried to tap into the Muslim market.

DWS, a Deutsche Bank subsidiary, will operate the new program. With the help of Islamic scholars, the company has put together five funds comprised of 7,000 different stocks. Investors must put in at least $1,000. Special deals with longer term investments will be available for German Muslims.

Thanks to its global presence, the bank will be able to eventually offer the funds almost anywhere. International offerings will begin in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, thanks to a partnership with Noor Islamic Funds, before spreading to the rest of the Middle East, Asia and Europe, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Frankfurt General Newspaper).

By virtue of opening up the investment funds in the Middle East, the bank also takes advantage of the chance to get oil-rich countries to direct their profits their way.

_ Niels Sorrells

Quote of the Day: British Prime Minister Tony Blair

(RNS) “Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain, Britain. So conform to it _ or don’t come here. We don’t want the hatemongers, whatever their race,religion or creed.”

_ British Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking in London on Friday (Dec. 8). He was quoted by The Associated Press.

KRE/JL END RNS