NEWS STORY
RNS-Said-Muslim: Who was Omar ibn Said? Two scholars are poring over the Muslim slave’s words to find out
(RNS) — He was a slave from Senegal who wrote in Arabic. Or was he an Arab prince? He was a scholar who memorized vast passages of the Quran and other Islamic texts. Or were his writings unintelligible? He was a devout Muslim. Or did he convert to Christianity? Two North Carolina scholars are now editing what may be the first comprehensive transcription and translations of Omar ibn Said’s Arabic writings in the hopes of shedding light on the conflicting narratives. By Yonat Shimron. 1,000 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Excommunicated-Monks: Excommunicated hermits — and their cats — finally find peace
VATICAN CITY (RNS) – A community of hermits that was excommunicated for calling Pope Francis a “heretic” find solace in the support of an online community of disgruntled conservative Catholics. By Claire Giangravè. 1,885 words. (category: i)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Singer-Oped: Study: College students of all faiths are a prime audience for Democratic candidates
(RNS) There is a strong current moving students to see Democrats as positive contributors to society, and members of every major faith group are being swept up by it. This includes evangelical and LDS students one would typically associate with conservative politics. These students have now experienced three years of declining appreciation for political conservatives. All of this suggests that those evangelical and LDS students who voted for Trump in 2016 are flippable to vote Democrat in 2020. Matthew J. Mayhew, Kevin Singer, Alyssa Rockenbach and Laura Dahl. 835 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Riess-Oped: Frozen in time: Mormons in the 24th century, as seen in ‘The Expanse’
(RNS) — What strikes me most about the series’ portrayal of the Latter-day Saints of the future is how similar it is to depictions in the present. In other words, the television series and the books it is based on are fascinating cultural products of our own day. Both seem to require Mormons to be unchanging exponents of a bygone era. And by the 24th century, the halcyon age the Mormon characters keep trying to emulate is — you guessed it — the 19th century of the Utah pioneers. By Jana Riess. 1,021 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Suleiman-Oped: To an imam and a rabbi, the State of the Union address Tuesday night was not reassuring
(RNS) — While he proclaimed himself a champion of religious freedom, he made no mention of record rates of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in our country. His words and his omissions suggest that only some lives are protected. Only some deserve religious freedom. Only some deserve to practice their faith without being targeted. By Omar Suleiman and Nancy Kasten. 689 words. (category: k)
