About 250 Afghans gathered at Kabul University on Tuesday shouting “death to America” on the fifth day of protests against the burning of a Quran by a Florida pastor, Reuters reports.
WaPo examines Afghan President Karzai’s role in the protests and finds (surprise!) he was less than helpful; in fact, he probably egged people on. Pakistan’s top Catholic bishop wants Pastor Terry Jones arrested, presumably mistaking the draconian blasphemy laws of his country with our own freedom to burn things we don’t like.
As for Something-is-happening-here-but-you-don’t-know-what-it-is, do-you, Pastor Jones, former parishioners say his congregation is more cult than church, with members required to pledge allegiance to the pastor, work for him and break family ties.
A rights group is accusing China of torturing a Tibetan Buddhist monk to death. Romanian Jews buried the remains of dozens of Jews found in a mass grave who were killed by Romanian troops during WWII.
There are atheists in foxholes, and they want fair treatment from the overwhelmingly Christian U.S. Army, the AP reports. The top U.S. military officer defended the policy of encouraging female troops to wear headscarves while in Afghanistan, despite criticism the practice makes “second-class warriors,” CNN reports.
Egypt’s ruling generals said they would not allow religious extremists to take over the country. The Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group acknowledged that its ranks include child soldiers and said it would meet with the UN for talks on how to wean the youths from war. Um, how about you just let them go? There. Done.
Someone mailed Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) a bloody pig’s foot. Given the Islamic aversion to pork, I’m guessing it did not come from a Muslim. The New Hampshire lawmaker who called his bishop a “pedophile pimp” now says he’ll kiss the bishop’s … ring.
Survivors and clergy convened at Marquette University for what was billed as a first-of-its-kind conference about the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal. The AP profiles the Philly DA, a Catholic whose charges against the local archdiocese set off the lastest round of outrage against church policies.
Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the early resignation of an “emotionally drained” bishop in Australia whose diocese has been the focus of several prominent sex-abuse scandals.
The U.S. Catholic bishops urged Congress not to make disproportionate cuts to programs that serve the poor.
The Catholic church in England and Wales has issued a prayer to bless the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are Anglican.