Religion
Sharia arbitration in Britain
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Two years ago Britain’s Archbishop of Canterbury provoked a storm of criticism by suggesting it might be necessary for the British legal system to incorporate certain aspects of sharia for its Muslim citizens. Britain allows arbitration panels to rule according to Islamic law on some issues. And the founders of arbitration say they’re getting business from an unexpected quarter: non Muslims. The World’s Laura Lynch reports. Download MP3
Islamic scholar issues anti-terrorism fatwa
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An influential Muslim scholar has issued a global ruling against terrorism and suicide bombing. Dr Tahir ul-Qadri says his fatwa completely dismantles al-Qaeda’s violent ideology. The scholar describes al-Qaeda as an “old evil with a new name.” Dr Qadri’s organization, Minhaj ul-Quran, is growing in Britain. Marco Werman talks with The World’s religion editor Jane Little about the fatwa. Download MP3
Public Hindu school a first for Britain
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The British government has long funded faith-based schools. Most have a Christian-based curriculum. Now the first state-funded Hindu elementary school has opened in London Kevin Bocquet has more.
Radicalized at a British university?
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The alleged attempt to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day sent a shock through the security system. Prosecutors say Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (pictured) tried to detonate a bomb sewn into his underwear. Abdulmutallab’s former London university is now launching a review into whether he became radicalized there. The World’s religion editor Jane Little reports. Download MP3
Haiti’s vodou religion
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The earthquake in Haiti was recently blamed on a ‘pact with the devil’. Anthropologists say the claim has a long history, going back to centuries-old misrepresentations of Haitian vodou. And they say the currency of such ideas will make a difference to Haiti’s future, too. The World’s Alex Gallafent reports. Download MP3
Immigrants and the Catholic Church
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The Catholic Church in the United States faces many other challenges. Attendance at some of its churches are near empty, while others are full. The growth in the Church has come largely from immigrants, who often want to worship in their own language and style. Older churchgoers don’t always like that. A documentary that airs tonight on many PBS stations documents these tensions. Download MP3
Accused Irish priests
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An Irish government report last month detailed how the Roman Catholic hierarchy shielded pedophile priests from the law. It appears that involved sending some of those priests to the Unites States. The Boston-based group, Bishop-Accountability, is demanding to know where those priests are. Anchor Katy Clark speaks with the group’s co-director, Terry McKiernan.
Mexican Mennonites
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The northern Mexican State of Chihuahua is one of Mexico’s most violent, riven by almost daily murders, kidnappings and armed robberies linked to Mexico’s drug trade. But Christian Mennonites, who above all are pacifists, are also a part of the state’s tapestry. The World’s Lorne Matalon traveled to Chihuahua to meet some of them.Download MP3
Murder of Russian priest creates tension
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One month ago Father Daniil Sysoyev was killed by a masked gunman in St. Thomas Church in southern Moscow (pictured). The Russian Orthodox priest was a high-profile critic of Islam who actively sought Muslim converts, and so suspicion fell on Muslims. Although no one has been arrested, tensions between the church and leaders of the Islamic community are rising as Laura Lynch reports. Download MP3 (Photo: Laura Lynch)
Court ruling against UK Jewish school
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Britain’s Supreme Court ruled against a Jewish school that refused admission to a student who it says was not ethnically Jewish. The court says that’s discrimination. But many orthodox Jews in Britain disagree. The World’s Religion Editor, Jane Little has the story.
Shroud reveals evidence of ancient leprosy
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DNA evidence from an ancient burial shroud found in Jerusalem reveals the earliest proven case of leprosy. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with a member of the team that studied the shroud — James Tabor, professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina.
Antoni Gaudi, architect … and saint?
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In Spain, an unlikely candidate is being championed for sainthood. It’s Antoni Gaudi, perhaps the country’s most famous architect. Gaudi is best known for his modernist masterpieces such as the still unfinished Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona. Those who want him canonized say he was also a devout Catholic, and that his works actually convert people to Christianity. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona. Download MP3
Protest minaret in Switzerland
For the Geo Quiz we’re looking for a Swiss city on the shores of Lake Geneva. The owner of a shoe store company there is protesting a recent vote that bans the construction of minarets. Guillaume Morand speaks to anchor Marco Werman about why he had a minaret built at the company’s headquarters. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)
US women’s colleges appeal to Muslims
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Many colleges and universities in the US compete fiercely for foreign students. But there’s one group of potential students that until recently went largely untapped: women from the Arab and Muslim World. More of them are now attending women’s colleges here, as The World’s Katy Clark discovered. Download MP3 (Photo of Mount Holyoke freshman Lubna Saqran by Katy Clark)
Ireland’s abortion law in court
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The Irish Republic’s strict abortion law is being challenged in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Three Irish women, all of whom traveled to Britain to have an abortion, say the effective ban on abortion in Ireland violates the European Convention on Human Rights. A referendum to make Ireland’s abortion laws even more strict failed in 2002 (PA photo). Jane Little reports. Download MP3
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