The easing of restrictions against establishments violating Passover laws in Israel is revealing a new secular mood embodied in a rising political party. The Baltimore Sun (April 22) reports that while it is illegal to display or openly sell leavened products–such as wheat, barley, oat and rye–in Israel during Passover, this year secular authorities did not dispatch […]

The creation of a new French Muslim Council suggests growing unity among Muslims in France, as well as a new approach the French government may take toward religious affairs. Representatives from more than 900 mosques across France recently elected members of the new council. .The first generation of Muslim immigrants in France were immigrant workers, […]

Over the past three years, middle class Muslims in Indonesia have been increasingly attracted toward a wide range of new religious expressions, including even New Age. That was one of the findings presented by Australian scholar Julia Day Howell (Griffith University, Brisbane) at the conference of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) attended […]

Although there were widespread fears of Muslim hostility toward Christians over the American-led war against Iraq, few if any actual cases of such violence or conflict erupted. During the first two weeks of the war, The National Catholic Reporter (April 11) canvassed Christian and Muslim leaders in zones where relations between the two faiths have been the […]

As Iraq undergoes reconstruction, it may be too early to ascertain the shape of Islam in that country. But there are growing divisions among the Shiite Muslims in post-war Iraq adding to a pluralism that may possibly prevent theocratic rule by any one group, reports the Washington Post (April 20). Shiite Muslims in Iraq are divided in […]

Do-it-yourself religions that were created as parodies of established faiths are taking on a life of their own, as members find a sense of spirituality and community through participating, reports Reason magazine (May). RW has reported on the growth of satirical religions, many of which start on the Internet, but  Jesse Walker writes that many of these so-called “free […]

A growing number of  Christian-theater companies have opened across the U.S. and are finding acceptance in secular regional theater circles. The magazine Books & Culture (March/April) reports that “Across North America in select urban markets, there are new Christian drama companies, often founded by theater artists in their 20s and 30s who feel duty-bound to supply an alternative […]

Religious groups may be particularly effective in stemming religion-based terrorism, according to America, a Jesuit magazine (April 14). One finding of a recent Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict concerned the pivotal role co-religionists play in countering the “hateful side of the religious sword with the other side of tolerance and love for humanity.”Statements condemning terrorism […]