Religion

Women’s Alliance Plans to Counter Violent Extremism

By Thalif Deen
When the Security Council recently hosted a meeting of world leaders to discuss the growing threats from violent extremism, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that any success in battling intolerance will be predicated on a “unified response.”

Pope’s Outspoken Views Rattle U.S. Conservatives but Not U.N.

By Thalif Deen
Pope Francis’ outspoken views on some of the politically-charged hot button issues – including refugees, migration, human rights, climate change, Iran’s nuclear deal, U.S.-Cuban relations and the global arms trade – have touched a raw nerve in the United States.

Opinion: The Pope, Partisanship and the Common Good

By Andrew Hanauer and Eric LeCompte
Pope Francis delivered two very strong messages in his speech to Congress Thursday morning: let's work together and let's protect the vulnerable.

Pope? Yes, Dalai Lama? No

By Thalif Deen
When the United States established diplomatic relations with the Holy See back in January 1984, a televangelist asked rather sarcastically: when will Mecca send its own ambassador to Washington DC?

Costa Rica Finally Allows In Vitro Fertilisation after 15-Year Ban

By Diego Arguedas Ortiz
After banning in vitro fertilisation for 15 years and failing to comply with an Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling for nearly three years, Costa Rica will finally once again allow the procedure for couples and women on their own.

Faith Leaders Call for Debt Relief to Puerto Rico

By S. Chandra
Puerto Rico’s religious leaders have called for debt relief of the Caribbean U.S. territory in the face of the 72 billion dollar liability that represents 20,000 dollars of debt for every man, woman and child.

Opinion: How Will Wall Street Greet the Pope?

By Hazel Henderson
Millions in the New York City area are excited about Pope Francis’ visit on Sep. 25 to address the U.N. General Assembly as worldwide consensus grows on the need to shift global investments from fossil fuels to clean, efficient, renewable energy in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) scheduled to replace the expiring Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 

Winning Women a Greater Say in Somaliland’s Policy-Making

By Katie Riordan
Bar Seed is the only female member in Somaliland’s 82-person Parliament, but activists hope upcoming national elections may end her isolation.

Islamic Declaration Turns Up Heat Ahead of Paris Climate Talks

By Kitty Stapp
Following in the footsteps of Pope Francis, who has taken a vocal stance on climate change, Muslim leaders and scholars from 20 countries issued a joint declaration Tuesday underlining the severity of the problem and urging governments to commit to 100 percent renewable energy or a zero emissions strategy.

Opinion: The Writing on the Western Wall

By Joseph Chamie
The writing on the Western Wall is evident to most Israelis: “דמוגרפיה היא גורל” or “demography is destiny”. Those unwilling to acknowledge the prophetic message are either deceiving themselves or simply ignoring it in order to avoid facing the implications of demography for Israel’s future.

U.N. to Unleash “Power of Education” to Fight Intolerance, Racism

By Thalif Deen
The United Nations is planning to launch a global campaign against the spread of intolerance, extremism, racism and xenophobia -- largely by harnessing the talents of the younger generation.

Pope Francis Joins Battle Against Transgenic Crops

By Emilio Godoy
A few centuries ago, the biotechnology industry would have been able to buy a papal bull to expiate its sins and grant it redemption. But in his encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Si”, Pope Francis condemns genetically modified organisms (GMOs) without leaving room for a pardon.

Pakistan One of the World’s First Safe Havens for Refugees

By Thalif Deen
The United Nations has declared that 2015 is already “the deadliest year” for millions of migrants and asylum seekers fleeing war and persecution in their countries.

Churches Seek to Amplify Echo of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

By Gustavo Capdevila
The accounts of survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki will serve as inspiration for leaders of Christian churches grouped in the World Council of Churches (WCC), which advocates the elimination of nuclear weapons.

U.N. Panel Spotlights Plight of Refugees

By Nora Happel
“Let us remember that behind every story, every figure, every number, there is a person - a girl, a boy, a parent, a family,” Anne Christine Eriksson, Acting Director of the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said at a panel discussion at the U.N. on Thursday.

UAE Cracks Down on Religious Extremism

By Jane Grey
The United Arab Emirates is cracking down on hate crimes with tough legislation that prescribes up to 10 years in prison or the death penalty if convicted of "takfirism" or Sunni Muslim extremism, according to the text of the decree distributed by the official WAM news agency.

Faith Leaders Issue Global “Call to Conscience” on Climate

By A. D. McKenzie
“We received a garden as our home, and we must not turn it into a wilderness for our children.”

Opinion: Iran Deal Has Far-Reaching Potential to Remake International Relations

By Arul Louis
The Vienna agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council acting in concert with Germany has the potential to remake international relations beyond the immediate goal of stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Fear Stalks Students in Northern Pakistan

By Ashfaq Yusufzai and Kanya D'Almeida
It has been seven months since a group of gunmen raided the Army Public School in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, killing 145 people, including 132 students.

“Why Hire a Lawyer When You Can Buy a Judge?”

By Kanya D'Almeida
A woman is stopped at a checkpoint; she gives birth, and dies. Another is sold in a slave market. A boy is killed by a tank. A young man drowns at sea, trying to reach a haven safe from oppression and poverty.

Opinion: Religion and the SDGs – The ‘New Normal’ and Calls for Action

By Azza Karam
In 2007, an op-ed in the International Herald Tribune argued that you “gotta have faith in the U.N”.
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