In The News: #LoveWins, #TakeItDown, #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
A round-up of the week’s religion news. Continue Reading →
Tag: religious freedom
In The News: Talal Asad, Taylor Swift, Turbans, and more!
A round-up of recent religion and media stories in the news. Continue Reading →
In the News: Prisons Churches, Museums, and, of course, Hobby Lobby
A round-up of recent religion and media stories in the news. Continue Reading →
In The World
By Natasja Sheriff The latest news on religious freedom, at home and abroad, provides the focus of this week’s In The World. Continue Reading →
Ahbash Rising: Religious Freedom in Ethiopia, Part 2
Protests in Ethiopia could have profound ramifications for Muslim-state relations in Ethiopia and beyond, writes Alex Thurston in the second of two posts on Ethiopia’s Muslims. Continue Reading →
In The World
By Natasja Sheriff On breaking the deafening silence surrounding two international human rights and climate change events. Continue Reading →
In Defense of the Coalition: Observing the RNC
Our lady in Tampa, Abby Ohlheiser, reports back from the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Continue Reading →
Daily Links: What Social Contract? Edition
Jim Davis on the death of a predatory priest. Amy Levin on liberalism and feminism. The Immanent Frame’s fantastic “Politics of Religious Freedom” series. Catholics roll up their sleeves over a Wendell Berry lecture. Hasidic Jews trying to stay out of court. Rowan Williams on the blood market. Continue Reading →
Free To Be You and Me
Ashley Baxstrom: The Swiss upper house on Monday buried a motion to ban the burqa, which had passed the lower house in September of 2011 by a margin of 101 to 77.
The proposal, dubbed “Down with masks,” could have eventually banned full-face veils including the Muslim burqa from public transportation or government buildings. Proposed by SVP (Swiss People’s Party) representative Oskar Freysinger – of the same party that lead a 2009 campaign to prevent the construction of new minarets – the ban followed similar movements in France, the Netherlands and Belgium, countries which have banned veils or are considering such measures.
Freysinger has said in his proposal that the ban would improve public security, but a statement on the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland’s website argued that such a ban was discrimination against a religious group. Furthermore, they argued, it would have a negative affect on the Swiss tourist industry by preventing women from the Gulf from taking the train; Lake Geneva is a popular destination for wealth. Continue Reading →
Birth Control! For Everybody!
Ashley Baxstrom: Ladies, let’s celebrate! Check out this breaking blog post from Think Progress: Obama administration approves rule that guarantees near-universal contraceptive coverage, by guest blogger Jessica Arons, Director of the Women’s Health and Rights Program at American Progress. She writes:
Today, in a huge victory for women’s health, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that most employers will be required to cover contraception in their health plans, along with other preventive services, with no cost-sharing such as co-pays or deductibles.
Twenty-eight states already require employers to provide some coverage; but now, full coverage will be required in all.
Wowza! You know what that means – yup, Viagra no longer corners the coverage market. (Cuz, you know, Viagra has been fully covered for years. Good for men. Sucked for women who thought they should have equal rights or fair treatment or whatever.)
Besides that, it means that even most religiously-affiliated organizations have to comply. Obama decided to “maintain the narrow religious exemption that it initially proposed. Only houses of worship and other religious nonprofits that primarily employ and serve people of the same faith will be exempt.” Continue Reading →