c. 2007 Religion News Service
U.S. Muslims Hail Ramadan Resolution as Symbol of Acceptance
(RNS) U.S. Muslims are welcoming a congressional resolution commemorating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan as an important, if symbolic, sign that they are gaining acceptance in America.
Still, conservatives critics say the resolution is an exercise in political correctness.
Congress regularly passes resolutions commemorating holidays such as Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. But the Oct. 2 vote marks the first time Congress has passed a resolution recognizing Ramadan, which ends Oct. 12 this year.
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, and co-sponsored by 30 other representatives, including Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., Congress’s first elected Muslim.
“During this time of conflict, in order to demonstrate solidarity with and support for members of the community of Islam in the United States and throughout the world, the House of Representatives recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world,” the resolution reads.
Corey Saylor, of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the resolution is a “recognition that American Muslims are becoming a part of the fabric of American society.”
Similar resolutions had been introduced in previous years but never made it past the committee stage, Saylor said.
No one voted against the resolution _ it passed 376-0 _ but a number of Republican representatives and one Democrat declined to vote for it.
“This resolution is an example of the degree to which political correctness has captured the political and media elite in this country,” said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., in a statement.
_ Omar Sacirbey
Alabama Professor Seeing Stars at Vatican Conference
(RNS) Before heading to the Vatican for an astronomy conference, University of Alabama professor Bill Keel announced the trip to his students.
“I told my freshman class, `Now, look, you’ve heard the history lectures. You know this being called to Rome doesn’t always work out well for astronomers.”’
Almost four centuries after the Vatican put Galileo on trial for backing a sun-centered view of the cosmos, Keel was one of about 200 astronomers from invited to the Vatican’s “Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Disks,” which was to conclude Friday.
Many scientists came from prestigious institutions around the world to participate in the discussions.
“It’s a well-cast meeting in the sense that there have been some fairly intense exchanges,” Keel said.
The last conference of its kind took place in 2000.
Keel said the gathering was appropriate given new observations about our home galaxy, the Milky Way.
“It is vaguely possible if it had a more eventful early history, we wouldn’t be here talking about it because the conditions and the chemical makeup may not be right for us to be here,” he said.
The Vatican has had an observatory for more than a century.
Brother Guy Consolmagno, a Detroit native and Vatican Observatory staff member, told reporters that the Vatican wants “the world to know that the church is not afraid of science.”
_ Patrick Hickerson
Quote of the Day: Cindy de Jong of Michigan’s Calvin College
(RNS) “When we started talking about the Holy Spirit, people said, `Oh, that’s kind of dangerous. You don’t know what may happen.’ I’m kind of hoping something unexpected does happen.”
_ Cindy de Jong, coordinator of worship at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., about a worship series on the theme of the Holy Spirit, a topic usually not emphasized in the Reformed tradition of Christianity.
DSB/LF END RNS
