What’s in a name?
With apologies to Shakespeare, the more pertinent question presented by yet another stellar AP investigation is: Where is a name?
If you’re a Muslim living in NYC and you’ve changed your name recently, the answer may be “in a NYPD file.”
Muslims who change their names to sound more traditionally American or who adopt Arabic names as a sign of their faith are often investigated and catalogued in secret New York Police Department intelligence files, the AP reports.
In related news, a Muslim civil rights group recommends more than 40 reforms to 10-year-old Patriot Act.
Story Most Likely to be Picked up by Conservative Blogs: A Florida state appeals court has affirmed a decision of a state trial court that Islamic law can be used in deciding whether to enforce an arbitration award at a mosque.
Story Most Likely to be Picked up by Liberal Blogs: Pat Robertson called the GOP presidential field “extreme” and “losers.”
In fairness, Robertson said that before Jon Huntsman asked Stephen Colbert to be his running mate. Huntsman also said the election of a Mormon president would move the LDS church into the mainstream.
Speaking of Mormon campaigns, did you know that Joseph Smith was the first presidential candidate to be assasinated?
The sociologists at CARA muse about the prospects of launching a Christian Democrat party in the U.S. that follows the letter (and spirit) of Faithful Citizenship, the bishops’ political guidelines.
A Tibetan monk in western China set himself on fire on Tuesday to express opposition to China’s Tibet policies, becoming the 10th Tibetan this year to self-immolate as a form of political protest. A video of one immolation has been released.
A “moderate” Islamic party in Tunisia took Monday’s elections and is forming a unity government, according to the NYT.
Pope Benedict XVI has invited Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims to a pilgrimage in Assisi, but the leaders won’t take part in common prayers as they did with JP2.
Members of the Legion of Christ are leaving in droves because they don’t believe the Vatican will reform the conservative order, according to an AP report.
The Vatican has ordered an inquiry into decades of sexual abuse by clerics at a Benedictine abbey in London.
American Hindus are trying to spread the word about Diwali, their festival of lights. I’m guessing Dunder Mifflin’s Michael Scott will not be part of that campaign. No, Michael, it’s not a costume party.
Speaking of comedians, which is weirderer: That evangelicals love Woody Allen, or that Jason Alexander (aka George Constanza) met with Israeli’s Knesset to discuss the Palestinian peace process?
I thought Constanza was in the latex bizness.
Yr hmbl aggregator,
Daniel Burke
