‘Dragon Fighter’ shines the light on Uyghur grievances

She’s been compared to the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Tibetan Buddhist leader, but the name Rebiya Kadeer doesn’t ring a bell to many people outside of China. Nevertheless, the world-famous man and the relatively obscure woman share similarities that chime with political relevance.

Share

Commentary: We’ll be hearing from Palin for a long time

"Everything changed on August 29 in politics in Alaska," Sarah Palin told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell this week. The reference was to the day last year when John McCain announced that Palin, a 44-year-old mother of five who became Alaska’s governor only in December 2006, would be his presidential running mate. (CNN) — “Everything changed on August 29 in politics in Alaska,” Sarah Palin told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell this week.

Share

‘Neda’ becomes rallying cry

The show, called “Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor,” or “Penitents Compete,” features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk. If they succeed, the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith’s most sacred sites — Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for converts to Judaism, a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians.

Share

TV gameshow offers atheists ‘salvation’

A Turkish television show is offering contestants what it claims is the "biggest prize ever" — the chance for atheists to convert to one of the world’s major religions. The show, called “Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor,” or “Penitents Compete,” features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk

Share

Forbidden Iran: How to Report When You’re Banned

Like other journalists who work for foreign media organizations, I was banned early on from reporting on the protests against the official victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. First, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance sent a fax prohibiting me from reporting on the streets. Then I got a call to return my already annulled press card in person

Share

What Is Mormonism? A Baptist Answer

Richard Land, the head of the gigantic Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and its most influential political operative, has dived headlong into what has become a favorite Baptist parlor game: What exactly is a Mormon? It’s a question that has special significance right now, since it relates to how religious conservatives regard the Mormon candidate Mitt Romney.

Share

Introducing America’s First Black, Female Rabbi

The path to the pulpit has been as colorful as it has been unusual for Alysa Stanton, 45, America’s first-ever female African-American rabbi. Stanton, who was born to a Christian family, was formally ordained on June 6, having completed seven years of rabbinical training at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Stanton will now assume her new role as the first nonwhite rabbi of Congregation Bayt Shalom, a 60-family synagogue in Greenville, N.C

Share