Bulgarian Government Proposes New Religion Courses In Schools

In Bulgaria, the Ministry of Education has proposed introducing new courses in religion in the country's schools. AFP reported yesterday that the proposed courses would cover the basic history and beliefs of the world's different religions. Courses would be mandatory in elementary schools and would be electives for students in secondary schools. Education Miniser Daniel Valtchev said that the proposal would be implemented only if there is "aminimum of consensus". Yesterday's Sofia Echo reports on the mixed reactions of various religious leaders in the country. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]

9-11 Families Argue Free Exercise In Claim For Access To Debris

A hearing was held on Friday in federal district court in New York City in a suit by family members of 9-11 victims who want to be able to sift through 1.8 million tons of landfill debris at Fresh Kills landfill to search for human remains that may still be there in the Ground Zero material that was dumped at the landfill. Today's New York Times reports that, among other things, the families argued that their free exercise of religion is infringed by their being denied the right to give their loved ones a proper burial. Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein suggested that victims' families should instead settle for a memorial at the landfill site.

Report Says Anti-Semitism At UC Irvine Is Real

Yesterday's Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported on last week's release of a Task Force Report on Anti-Semitism at the University of California Irvine (full text of Report). The Task Force, formed by the Hillel Foundation of Orange County, was set up in December 2006. It has created its own blog to report on developments in its investigation. The 34-page report concluded:

The acts of anti-Semitism are real and well documented. Jewish students have been harassed. Hate speech has been unrelenting. For one week each year, UCI, a Public University has been turned into a vehicle to promote historical distortions, partially through the use of hateful anti-Semitic symbolisms, while the administration has remained silent or when pressed, issued generalizations about hate speech that does not name the hate speakers. This leads to the impression that there is equivalent hate speech from the Jewish students when there is not. Furthermore, such hate speech and gross distortions have an effect on non-Jewish students as well. These students can easily be led to accept the anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist conclusions portrayed by the Muslim Student Union and the invited hate speakers.

A press release by the Task Force further outlines its conclusions and recommendations. Students agree that the situation today is less volatile that it was two years ago.

University Student Senate Prayer Questioned

A controversy over a new variation on legislative prayer is brewing at Texas A&M University. The Battalion, the student newpaper, has carried a series of letters debating the practice of opening Student Senate meetings with a prayer (as well as a pledge of allegiance to the U.S. flag and the Texas flag). An article by a graduate student published last Tuesday objects to the practice. Responses to the article were published on Wednesday and today.

Muslim Student Groups Debate Membership Restrictions

Yesterday's New York Times reports on the debate in Muslim student organizations at colleges and universities over memership restrictions. At issue is how strictly they enforce gender separation at their events or require members to adhere to strict practices required by Islamic law. Organizations at private colleges tend to be more liberal, but those at state colleges tend to attract Muslim students from local families who are conservative and want their children to remain closer to home. [Thanks to Alliance Alert for the lead.]

Italian Judge Sentenced For Refusing To Work While Crucifix Is In His Courtroom

In a long-running legal proceeding, Italian Judge Luigi Tosti yesterday was sentenced to one year in prison for refusing to hear cases in his courtroom so long as a crucifix remains on display on the wall. AFP reported on the court's decision. Tosti, who is Jewish, says that courtrooms in Italy should be religiously neutral-- despite a 1926 Justice Ministry directive requiring crosses to be displayed. (See prior posting.)

Texas Sect Leader Released After Bond Is Reduced

In Baird, Texas, 73-year old House of Yahweh founder Yisrayl Bill Hawkins was released from jail on Wednesday after State District Judge John Wilson Weeks reduced his bond from $10 million to $100,000.The AP reports that Hawkins is charged on four counts of promoting bigamy among members of his religious sect.

Amish Fined For Refusing To Put Reflectors or Lights On Buggies

In Mayfield, Kentucky yesterday, Graves County District Judge Deborah Crooks found three Amish men guilty of failing to put flashing lights or reflective orange triangles on their horse-drawn buggies. The AP reports that the defendants were convicted despite their contention that the state's requirements for slow-moving vehicles conflict with their religious beliefs. Each defendant was fined $20 plus court costs.

NY Archdiocese Campaigns Against Reproductive Health Law

The Catholic Archdiocese of New York has launched a campaign to oppose Governor Eliot Spitzer proposed Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act. The Act would create a fundamental right for women to choose or refuse contraception or abortion (before viability or for health reasons). Supporters of the law say it is designed to assure that abortion remains legal in New York even should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. Opponents say it goes further than that. A report by Catholic News Agency yesterday says that Catholics are particularly concerned about a provision barring the state from discriminating against abortion rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information. The Archdiocese is concerned about the impact of that provision on granting of licenses to Catholic agencies. It would like an explicit exemption in the law for institutions owned or operated by religious organizations. The bill's sponsors say an existing "conscience clause" in state law would protect Catholic hospitals and agencies.

Native Hawaiian Group Sues Army Over Access To Religious Sites

In Hawaii, a group representing Native Hawaiians filed suit yesterday against the U.S. Army to enforce compliance with a 2001 settlement that was supposed to open up over 100 sacred religious sites on the Makua Military Reservation on Oahu. ENS and the Honolulu Advertiser report on the federal lawsuit filed by Earthjustice (press release) on behalf of Malama Makua. The suit alleges that in 2005 the Army cut off access to all but one of the over a dozen cultural sites that had originally been opened, citing concerns about unexploded ordnance. The lawsuit asks the court to order the Army to move more quickly to implement the 2001 settlement that arose out of a challenge to the failure to prepare an environmental impact statement. Sparky Rodrigues, Malama Makua president, said: "To connect with our ancestors, 'aumakua [family gods] and akua [gods], we have to be able to walk up to cultural sites, oli [chant] and present ho'okupu [offerings]." The Army says it provided access to two more sites on Feb. 10 after making sure they were cleared of unexploded shells.

NFL Reverses Position on Church Super Bowl Parties

Today's Washington Post reports that the NFL has reversed its prior stand and will no longer object to churches hosting Super Bowl parties featuring large-screen TVs. Earlier, the League said that these showing violated federal copyright law. (See prior posting.) However, in a Feb. 19 letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that starting next year, the league will not object to "live showings -- regardless of screen size -- of the Super Bowl" by religious organizations as long as the showings are free and are on premises that the church uses on a "routine and customary" basis. Sen Arlen Specter had already introduced legislation that would have changed the copyright law to permit churches to show televised football games. (See prior posting.)

Jordan Expels A Number Of Foreign Evangelical Christians

The Jerusalem Post and Earth Times yesterday reported that Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh for the first time has officially acknowledged that Jordan has expelled a number of foreign evangelical Christians who enterd the country under the "pretext" of carrying out charitable work, but instead engaged in preaching activities. Jordan's Council of Churches, however, issued a statement supporting the government and criticizing the foregn missonaries. It said in part: "It is puzzling that certain small groups with a few hundred members and which are foreign to Christians in Jordan and to the history of Muslim-Christian relations, permit themselves to speak in the name of Christians and act as protectors of Christianity as if it were in danger." Jordanian law requires government approval of religious activities, whether by Christians or Muslims.

School Board Debates Religious Absence Procedure

In Lynchburg, Virginia, the City School Board is debating a suggestion by its attorney for a "simplified" process to be used to request an excused absence for a student on religious grounds. Tuesday's Lynchburg News & Advance reports that the proposal would require a written statement explaining how religious beliefs conflict with the child's attendance, signed by both parents, and by the child if he or she is older than 14. In addition parents would be required to submit a written statement from "a friend and/or member of the clergy corroborating" religious beliefs. Finally both the parents and the child, if older than 14, would be required to sign a "Statement of Belief" form. School board member Darin Gerdes said the proposed simplification of the exemption proces is "a lawsuit waiting to happen". The Board has asked its attorney to revise the proposal before the Board's March 4 meeting. [Thanks to Blog from the Capital for the lead.]

Turkish Parliament Passes Bill Returning Properties To Religious Foundations

On Wednesday, Turkey's Parliament by a vote of 242-72 approved a law to allow foundations belonging to the Christian and Jewish communities to reclaim property seized by the government around 1974, so long as it is still owned by the government and has not been transfered to third parties. The International Herald Tribune reports that the law was enacted in response to pressure from the European Union. The law also allows Muslim foundations to receive aid from foreign countries. A similar foundations bill was approved in November 2006, but it was vetoed by then Turkish president Ahmet Necdet Sezer. (See prior posting.) This time, President Abdullah Gul is expected to sign the measure.

Supreme Court Denies Review In Two Cases of Interest

The U.S. Supreme Court denied review yesterday (order list) in two cases of interest. It denied certiorari in Archdiocese of Washington v. Moersen, (Case No. 07-323). The Maryland court of Appeals below had held that a Catholic church organist could pursue a Title VII employment discrimination claim, finding that his job position was not covered by the "ministerial exception" to Title VII. (See prior posting.)

The Court also denied a petition for a writ of mandamus and/or prohibition in In re Westboro Baptist Church, Inc., (Case No. 07-626). The unusual petition to the Court was filed by the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church and its leaders. They were seeking to overturn a $10.9 million federal jury verdict awarded to the father of a deceased Marine whose funeral was picketed by Westboro members. (See prior posting.) Apparently the damage award has not deterred Westboro members. Yesterday's Arlington Heights (IL) Daily Herald reported that three members of the church showed up to picket two different funerals for victims of last week's shooting at Northern Illinois University. [Thanks to Steve Sheinberg for the lead.]

Florida Adopts New Science Standards Calling For Teaching of Evolution

The Florida State Board of Education yesterday, by a vote of 4-3, adopted new standards for the teaching of science which, for the first time, explicitly refer to evolution, instead of to vaguer terms such as "change over time". (South Florida Sun Sentinel; Miami Herald). Board member Donna Callaway was unable to muster a second for her motion to add an "academic freedom" provision that would have given teachers the explicit permission to engage students in a critical analysis of the evidence on evolution. (NCSE release.) The new standards say evolution is "the fundamental concept underlying all of biology and is supported by multiple forms of scientific evidence." However, in a concession to religious proponents, the phrase "the scientific theory of" was added before references to evolution, big bang, plate tectonics, cells, atoms, and electromagnetism. The phrase "the law of" was added before mentions of gravity, universal gravitation, conservation of energy and conservation of mass. (Summary of adopted changes.) Brandon Haught, communications director for Florida Citizens for Science, praised the new standards, even with the changes, saying: "They're light years ahead of what's been used in the state." (See prior related posting.)

British Tribunal Rules Church Organist Is Protected By Employment Rights Act

Today's London Times reports that an employment tribunal in the North of England has held that a church organist is an "employee" protected from unfair dismissal by the Employement Rights Act of 1996. A tribunal order prohibits identifying the organist or the church involved in the case. The status of organists employed by the Church of England has been unclear. Mark Mansell, a British employment law attorney, said: "there is a movement away from treating people who work for the Church as people with a calling and towards treating them as a member of staff." A hearing will now be held on whether the dismissal of the eminent organist and choirmaster who filed the lawsuit was for a permissible reason.

Students' Rights To Wear Religious Attire Debated In Mauritius

The right of students to wear religious attire has now become an issue in the African island nation of Mauritius. L'express today reports on the case of a 15-year old Muslim student who was expelled several weeks ago from Eastern College in Flacq for wearing her "tious" (traditional trousers) under her school uniform. Yesterday the country's Muslim Women’s Council held a press conference to protest the school's action.

Saudi Religious Police Defend Arrest of Businesswoman

In Saudi Arabia, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has posted an unusal statement on the Internet defending the arrest of a U.S. businesswoman living with her husband in Saudi Arabia. Today's London Times reports that the woman, identified only as Yara, is a managing partner in a finance company in Riyadh. She was arrested earlier this month as she was having coffee with a male colleague (a Syrian financial analyst) at a Starbucks. She claims she was strip searched and made to place her fingerprints on a confession in Arabic that she could not understand. (Muslim News, Feb. 10.) These allegations are denied by the religious police.

In their posting, the religious police said: "It's not allowed for any woman to travel alone and sit with a strange man and talk and laugh and drink coffee together like they are married. All of these are against the law.... First, for a woman to work with men is against the law and against religion. Second, the family sections at coffee shops and restaurants are meant for families and close relatives." The religious police say they will sue two newspaper columnists who defended Yara. The Mutaween say the columnists are spreading lies that give the wrong idea of Saudi Arabia.

Oklahoma City Settles Suit Over Christmas Decorations Policy

City Council in Oklahoma City voted yesterday to approve a settlement in a lawsuit that was filed last year by two city employees who challenged the city's policy on religious Christmas decorations in work areas and its policy on use of the employee break room for reading the Bible. (See prior posting.) Under the settlement, according to yesterday's Oklahoman, the city will clarify its rules on religious decorations, the city manager will make a public statement, and the city will pay plaintiffs' attorneys fees.