Jehovah's Witnesses Lose Challenge To Puerto Rico Controlled Access Laws

In Watchtower Bible Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Sanchez-Ramos, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69837 (D PR, Aug. 10, 2009), a federal district court in Puerto Rico rejected an "as applied" constitutional challenge by Jehovah's Witnesses to a Puerto Rico law that permits neighborhoods to close off access to streets by using walls and gates. Controlled access communities often exclude Jehovah's Witnesses who wish to proselytize door-to-door. The court rejected plaintiffs' speech, press and free exercise of religion challenges, finding that the Controlled Access Laws are content neutral and narrowly tailored to further an important governmental interest in preventing crime. The laws also leave open other channels of communication, such as mail, e-mail, telephone and television. The court also rejected plaintiffs' freedom of association, unreasonable search and seizure, right to travel and due process claims. (See prior related posting.)

South African Broadcast Commission Rejects Complaint Against Radio Islam

On Tuesday, South Africa's Broadcasting Complaints Commission dismissed a complaint against Radio Islam that had been filed by a member of the Jewish community. In I and Apolakow v. Radio Islam, (BCCSA, Aug. 11, 2009), the Commission held that broadcasts which, among other things, said that Jews could not be trusted and that Zionists control the Western media, had not overstepped the bounds of bona fide religious speech. The Commission said: "Ultimately, to decide otherwise, would amount to a rejection of the inherent and often vehement differences among religions and other similar viewpoints and expressions of opinion as protected by section 15 of the Constitution." BCCSA also published a summary of its decision, and South Africa's Star reported on it yesterday.

Tulsa Mayoral Candidate Wants Creationism Exhibit Added To Zoo

Anna Falling, one of eleven candidates running in the Republican primary for mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, says that her top priority is placing a Christian creationism display in the Tulsa zoo. Asked about problems of crime, budget concerns and street repairs, she said: "If we can’t come to the foundation of faith in this community, those other answers will never come. We need to first of all recognize the fact that God needs to be honored in this city." Tuesday's Tulsa World also quotes Falling as saying that the next mayor needs to appoint people to city boards, authorities and commissions who will "honor God." Buzzflash has a more extensive posting on Falling's views.

Study Finds Less Press Coverage of Obama's Faith-Based Initiative

The Pew Forum yesterday released a study comparing newspaper coverage of President George W. Bush's Faith-Based Initiative with coverage of President Barack Obama's Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships program during the first 6 months of each administration. The study finds that Bush's program received seven times more press coverage than Obama's. Also coverage of President Obama's program has been much less contentious, in part because of a different political climate and other issues commanding attention of the public.

President Awards Medal of Freedom To 16 Amidst Some Controversy Over One Awardee

At a White House ceremony yesterday, Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16 recipients. (Full text of President's remarks). Among the recipients were Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Rev. Joseph Lowery. The decision to include Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, as a recipient has drawn criticism from a number of Jewish groups. As reported by the Washington Post yesterday, critics focused particularly on her role as chair of the United Nations 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. She failed to keep the conference from becoming a forum for promoting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel bias. The White House, though, insisted it is honoring Robinson for her advocacy of women's rights and equal rights. A JTA op-ed does a good job of explaining the objections of those who oppose the award to her. However there have been some Jewish defenders of Robinson's record. (JTA).

Michigan City Rejects Anti-Discrimination Ordinance; Alaska City Passes Ban

The Jackson, Michigan City Council on Tuesday defeated by a vote of 5-2 a proposed anti-discrimination ordinance. The proposed law would have banned discrimination on the basis of "race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, condition of pregnancy, marital status, physical or mental limitation, source of income, family responsibilities or status, educational association, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or HIV status." Yesterday's Jackson Citizen-Patriot reports that opposition centered around the sexual orientation language and concern over potential of lawsuits and added costs for business owners and employers. The proposal had been brought forward by Jackson's Human Relations Commission. An attempt ten years ago to pass similar legislation also failed.

Meanwhile, in Anchorage, Alaska, the Anchorage Assembly Tuesday night, by a vote of 7-4, approved an anti-discrimination ordinance that bans discrimination in employment, credit, public accommodations and housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity. However it contains exemptions for religious organizations. The Fairbanks News-Miner reports that Mayor Dan Sullivan has not decided whether he will veto the measure.

Vermont Town Rejects Proposed Policy On Religion In Schools

In the village of Benson, Vermont, the school board on Tuesday unanimously rejected a proposed policy on religious expression in the schools. The policy was drafted by a task force made up of teachers, administrators, parents and community members after a principal last year removed from walls students' artwork showing holiday symbols. Yesterday's Rutland (VT) Herald reported that the new policy would have banned religious celebrations in the schools, but would have permitted curriculum-related discussions of religion and the use of religious images in activities such as student art projects. One resident said the proposed policy was too complicated, calling it a document "written for attorneys by attorneys." Controversy over religious symbols and celebrations in school has bitterly divided the town.

French Swimming Pool Bars Muslim Woman Wearing Full-Body "Burquini"

In France, a public swimming pool in Paris has refused to allow a young Muslim woman to swim wearing a "burquini"-- a wet suit and hood designed for women who want to swim without revealing their body. The suits are becoming increasingly popular in the West. The AP and today's Kuwait Times both report that pool staff told the woman-- a French convert to Islam-- that hygiene rules prohibit swimming while clothed. The incident comes as members of France's Parliament hold hearings on whether to ban wearing of burqas in public. (See prior posting.) The woman involved in the incident says she will go to court to challenge the pool's decision as discriminatory. She attempted to file a complaint with local police, but they refused to accept it saying it was groundless. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]

India Added To USCIRF's Watch List

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom yesterday added India to the 11 countries already on its "watch list," a notch below the 13 designated as "countries of particular concern. (See prior posting.) The move came as USCIRF released its country report on India-- added as a chapter to its 2009 annual report. In a press release announcing its action, USCIRF said that the new concern about India stems from "the disturbing increase in communal violence against religious minorities– specifically Christians in Orissa in 2008 and Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 – and the largely inadequate response from the Indian government to protect the rights of religious minorities." A planned visit by USCIRF members to India never materialized as India delayed approving visas for those scheduled to go. (See prior posting.)

Profile of WallBuilders Head Who Is On Texas Education Review Panel

AlterNet yesterday carried a long profile of WallBuilders founder David Barton, who in June was appointed a member of a Texas State Board of Education Panel charged with reviewing the state's social studies curriculum. (See prior posting.) Here are some excerpts from the AlterNet piece:

From his base in Aledo, a town of about 2,000 just west of Fort Worth, Barton runs an outfit called WallBuilders that issues a steady stream of books, videos, DVDs, pamphlets and other materials designed to "prove" that the United States was founded to be a Christian nation. Barton argues that American law should be based on the Bible (or, more accurately, his fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible) and says church-state separation was never intended by our Founders....

Despite his thin academic credentials, Barton has managed to become a celebrity in the world of the Religious Right based on his research allegedly "proving" America’s Christian character.... Barton gives hundreds of lectures every year, rallying fundamentalist shock troops to oppose secular government and church-state separation.

Florida Court Gives 17-Year Old Protective Custody After Her Conversion To Christianity

In Orlando, Florida on Monday a judge ordered a 17-year old Rifqa Bary into emergency custody of the state's Department of Children and Families. The girl fled her Muslim family in Ohio saying she was afraid her father would hurt or kill her or send her back to their native Sri Lanka because she had converted to Christianity. Yesterday's Orlando Sentinel reports that the girl sought refuge with Florida pastor Blake Lorenz and his wife Beverly who she met through an online prayer group. According to WBNS-TV News , an attorney representing the girl's mother said the parents were allowing their daughter to explore her Christianity. The parents say that Rifqa was not afraid of her family until she made contact with Orlando Pastor Blake Lorenz.

UPDATE: YouTube has a 6 minute video of Rifqa Bary emotionally explaining her fear of returning to her parents' home. [Thanks to PewSitter for the lead.]

Kmiec Confirmed As US Ambassador To Malta

Blog of Legal Times yesterday reported that the U.S. Senate last week unanimously confirmed Pepperdine Law School Professor Douglas Kmiec as the U.S. ambassador to Malta. Kmiec previously served as dean of Catholic University Law School and on the faculty of Notre Dame Law School. A press release on Pepperdine's website points out: "As recorded in the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul shipwrecked onto the island nation [of Malta]. Malta has a long legacy of Roman Catholicism, which continues to be the official and dominant religion in the country."

EEOC Says Catholic College Discriminated By Dropping Contraception Coverage

Last year, Charlotte, North Carolina's Belmont Abbey College got its health insurance carrier to drop coverage for voluntary sterilization, abortion, and contraception because the coverage is contrary to Catholic teaching. That led eight faculty members to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charging the college, run by Benedictine monks, with religious and gender-based discrimination in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. (See prior posting.) Inside Higher Education yesterday reported that, after rejecting the discrimination charges last March, the EEOC has now changed its position. On July 30, it issued a determination letter (full text) concluding that dropping prescription coverage for contraceptive drugs amounts to gender discrimination because it impacts only women, and not men. However the EEOC rejected religious discrimination charges because the benefits were removed for all employees, regardless of their religious beliefs. The EEOC will move ahead with efforts at conciliation, while the college indicated it would challenge the ruling.

UPDATE: According to the Aug. 15 Washington Times, Belmont Abbey College president William K. Thierfelder says he would close the college down before he would offer health care benefits that violate Catholic doctrine.

Indonesia May Be Moving Toward Imposing More Islamic Restrictions

Today's Malaysian Insider carries an article on developments in Indonesia that some argue are moving it away from its secular and multi-religious foundations. Indonesia's Parliament is debating a draft law that would require all businesses to obtain halal certification for products they sell. Currently businesses can voluntarily register their products with the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI). Surprisingly, MUI opposes the new draft law, fearing that halal certification under it will be taken away from MUI and transferred to the government's Ministry of Religion. The article also discusses initiatives under way in three municipalities around Jakarta to turn them into "Halal cities." It is unclear how far restrictions will go. It will mean that restaurants will need to alert customers if their food contains non-halal ingredients, but it my go beyond this, for example, to a ban on raising pigs that will affect non-Muslims as well. In one of the municipalities, Bogor, there is a growth of Muslim housing developments, open only to Muslims. They contain their own mosques, and have bathrooms designed so toilets do not face Mecca.

Religious Right and Left Spar Over Health Care Reform

Religious liberals and conservatives are weighing in on opposite sides of the health care reform debate. The religious left, including leaders such as Jim Wallis of the Sojourners, began a campaign on Monday titled "40 Days for Health Care Reform" (Reuters, 8/7.) Wallis asked supporter to sign his Christian Creed on Health Care Reform. Meanwhile the conservative Institute on Religion & Democracy reacted. A press release yesterday quoted the group's president, Mark Tooley:

The new Evangelical Left, like the old Social Gospel Religious Left of decades ago, always materialistically equates Big Government and centralized control with the Kingdom of God. They learned no lessons from the 20th century, when Big Government again and again wreaked destruction and was often the antithesis of Christian teachings. For the Religious Left, Obamacare is just one more opportunity for coercion and eradication of private initiative.

6th Circuit: Deportee Failed To Prove Falun Gong Status

In Jiang v. Holder, (6th Cir., Aug. 7, 2009), the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ordered deportation of a citizen from China who came to the U.S. on a fiancee visa but never married her sponsor. Qiao Zhen Jiang however claimed that her removal should be withheld because she would face religious persecution upon her return. She contended that after entering the U.S. she began practicing Falun Gong. The court upheld the finding of the Immigration Judge that Jiang had failed to adequately prove her status as a Falun Gong practitioner.

Muslims In Germany Find Their Role As New Mosque Is Built

Yesterday's Christian Science Monitor examines the attitudes of Germans as the country's largest mosque is being built in Cologne. Cologne's Muslim population of 120,000 has its roots in immigration of Turkish "guest workers" in the 1960's who then stayed. Prof. Claus Leggewie says: "Mosques demonstrate the presence and self-confidence of Muslim immigration in Europe – the attitude is now, 'We're building because we want to stay here'. " The $40 million building in Cologne is described by social activist Necla Kelek as "a political statement from Islam in concrete."

Army Reaches Out To Jewish Soldiers At Ft. Benning After Discrimination Charge

JTA reported yesterday that the army base at Ft. Benning, Georgia, has taken steps in response to discrimination claims by a Jewish soldier who was told by one drill sergeant to remove his yarmulke in the mess hall and was subjected to anti-Semitic taunts by others. He was also beaten by a fellow recruit during basic training, though apparently the assault was not religiously motivated. (See prior posting.) Since then Fort Benning has created religious diversity classes for its drill sergeants. Two weeks ago it added a rabbi as its full-time Jewish chaplain. Also kosher MRE meals are now available in the mess hall. Additionally, Jewish services for the Sabbath and the High Holidays will now be held on base, instead of busing Jewish soldiers to a nearby synagogue. Typically about 20 Jewish soldiers are stationed at Ft. Benning at any one time. Last week's Army Times also reports on Ft. Benning's response. [Thanks to Institute on Religion & Public Policy and to Blog from the Capitol for the leads.]

Virginia Jail Reverses Policy On Censorship of Religious Material

The ACLU announced yesterday that Rappahannock Virginia's Regional Jail has changed its policy so that it no longer censors religious material sent to inmates. Responding to an earlier complaint from the ACLU (see prior posting), the jail's superintendent explained in a letter (full text) to the ACLU that originally its policy banned inmates receiving mail that included material copied from the Internet, whether that was religious or other material. Its concern was the large quantity of material that was sometimes sent. Under the new policy, inmates will be allowed to receive material copied from the Internet, including religious material. However inmates can only keep in their cell material that can be stored neatly in the storage bin of their bunk. The rest will be placed in storage with their other property. Also in the future the jail will not censor Biblical passages in letters sent to inmates (including material cut and pasted from the Internet), as apparently it had done in the past.

"In God We Trust" Proposal Withdrawn By City Commission In Florida

Kissimmee, Florida's City Commission last week changed its mind about a proposal to add "In God We Trust" to the city's logo. While the proposal passed on the first of two readings, public and business reaction caused the Commission to pass another resolution instructing city staff to stop work on designing the new logo. The Orlando Sentinel reported last week that the proposed ordinance was withdrawn after comments by its proponent, Commissioner Art Otero, caused the city to be ridiculed. Otero told a reporter that he proposed the change because he feared the country was moving toward "liberal postures such as homosexuality, gay marriage, abortion and the legalization of marijuana." Supporters of the ordinance are angry that they were not given notice of the proposal to kill the change, and they threaten a drive to get a referendum on the issue. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]