Middle East
Three popes at Vatican as Francis welcomes head of Egypt’s Copts
On Thanksgiving, Jews and Muslims volunteer together despite Middle East violence
(RNS) Muslims and Jews are together feeding the hungry this Thanksgiving season in an effort to improve Muslim-Jewish relations and answer both faiths' call to nourish the needy. By Lauren Markoe.
Jewish and Christian groups at impasse over U.S. aid to Israel
WASHINGTON (RNS) An established interfaith group is in danger of disintegrating as major American Jewish groups and prominent mainline Protestant churches differ over U.S. aid for Israel -- a long-standing argument that the group was established, in part, to diffuse. By Lauren Markoe.
Pope urges peace in 3-day trip to Lebanon
BEIRUT (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday (Sept. 16) took the unusual step of directly appealing to Arab countries to find "workable solutions" to the conflict in Syria and tensions throughout the Middle East. By Alessandro Speciale.
Middle East riots fueled by competition between radicals, moderates as new democracies emerge
(RNS) Whether U.S. foreign policy has helped create a political environment where radicals are struggling to remain relevant, or emboldened extremists to act out, is a matter of disagreement. By Oren Dorell.
Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Lebanon as riots flare across Middle East
BEIRUT (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon on Friday for a high-risk trip aimed at emboldening the Middle East’s beleaguered Christian minority, just as anti-Western protests spread through much of the Muslim world. By Alessandro Speciale.
United Church of Canada votes to boycott some Israeli products
OTTAWA, Canada (RNS) The United Church of Canada, the country's largest Protestant denomination, has approved a recommendation to boycott products produced in Israeli settlements within occupied Palestinian territory. By Kristine Greenaway.
Report highlights Islam’s global diversity
(RNS) A new report draws on 38,000 face-to-face interviews in 39 countries to find that Muslims differ sharply over questions of faith like who counts as a Muslim and what spiritual practices are acceptable. By Christopher Lisee.
Jews are world’s most migratory religious group
WASHINGTON (RNS) Nearly half the world's migrants are Christian, but the most migratory religious group is Jews, according to a new study on religion and global immigration by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. By Lauren Markoe.
Soccer group agrees to test hijabs for female players
(RNS) Muslim women soccer players are celebrating a decision by the International Football Association Board to allow them to test special hijabs that will allow them to play while observing their religious beliefs. By Omar Sacirbey.
Louis Farrakhan blasts Jews, Obama
(RNS) Saying "I'm not anti-Semitic, I'm just telling the truth," Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan told followers that Jews control the media and entertainment industries, and said President Obama could be assassinated in an inside plot that could be blamed on Muslims. By Omar Sacirbey
