More Tibetans have set themselves on fire in China

US Seriously Concerned Over Tibetan Self-Immolations
VOA - Monday, January 9th, 2012

The United States says it is “seriously concerned” that more Tibetans have set themselves on fire in China, and says the actions represent deep frustration with Chinese government restrictions.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday the self-immolations show there is enormous anger over severe Chinese restrictions on human rights and religious freedoms.

She added that Washington has consistently raised the issue with China.

Reports from Tibet say another Tibetan monk died Sunday after setting himself on fire in Dari county of Amdo region.

The reports say that before 42-year-old Lama Sopa Tulku set himself ablaze, he said he was doing so to commemorate all the Tibetans who have died since 2009 for Tibet's freedom and for the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.

Two other Tibetans immolated themselves Friday near the flashpoint Kirti monastery in Sichuan province.

At least 14 Tibetan Buddhists are believed to have set themselves on fire in the past year since a young monk protesting Chinese rule died after self-immolating outside the Kirti monastery in March. That death sparked months of protests by monks and nuns and triggered a major Chinese crackdown that included the arrests and disappearances of hundreds of monks.

Beijing has denounced the self-immolations and accuses Tibetan exiles of encouraging them. The government says Tibetans enjoy religious freedom.

Christmas Message For Peace

December 25, 2011
Pope Prays For Peace in Christmas Message
VOA - Sabina Castelfranco | Rome

Pope Benedict prayed on Christmas for peace and stability around the world and called for an end to the many conflicts, which, he said, stain the earth with blood. The Vatican also condemned the Sunday bomb blasts at churches in Nigeria.

In his traditional Christmas message, Pope Benedict called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria, where he said, so much blood has already been shed. He urged full reconciliation and stability in Iraq and Afghanistan and called for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.

The pope delivered his message "to the city and to the world" from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, overlooking a piazza packed with thousands of jubilant tourists and pilgrims.

He prayed that the Lord come to the aid of the world torn by so many conflicts. He then gave his blessing in dozens of languages.

"May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind the world where its true happiness lies; and may your hearts be filled with hope and joy, for the Savior has been born for us," said the pope.

The 84-year-old pope has been trying to conserve his strength during this busy time. Using a mobile platform, he was wheeled up the central aisle of Saint Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve.

In his homily, Benedict urged humanity to see through the superficial glitter and commercialism of the Christmas season and to rediscover the real significance of the humble birth of Jesus.

The Vatican on Sunday also reacted to the bomb blasts at churches in Nigeria, saying these are a manifestation of blind and absurd terrorist violence that enflames hate, even in these days that should be of joy and peace.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi expressed the hope that the violence does not weaken the will of the Nigerian people to live peacefully and promote dialogue in their country.

Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem

December 24, 2011
Pilgrims, Tourists Descend on Bethlehem for Christmas Celebrations
VOA

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists began arriving in Bethlehem Saturday, to spend Christmas in the town believed to be Jesus' birthplace.

Christmas Eve celebrations in the West Bank town culminate with a celebration of Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity.

The Holy Land's top Roman Catholic cleric, Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal, will lead the mass at the church built over the the spot where it is believed Mary gave birth to Jesus.

Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh says this Christmas carries special meaning for Palestinians as their bid for statehood moves forward.

"We are celebrating this Christmas hoping that in the near future we'll get our right to self-determination, our right to establish our own democratic, secular, Palestinian state on the Palestinian land. That is why this Christmas is unique," he said.

Early Saturday, visitors gathered around a giant Christmas tree at the town's central Manger Square, while a marching band performed.

One German tourist said seeing Jesus' birthplace is important to her and her family.

"It's really special, I mean, it's where the story began," she said. "And for me it's also kind of special for my family because my parents were here and my grandmother was here so it's special to be here.''

Meanwhile, Bethlehem police were patrolling the once restive city, which lies about eight kilometers south of Jerusalem in the West Bank.

Bethlehem's police chief says that his forces are preparing for thousands of people to descend on the city in the next day.

"Today we and the ministry of tourism are expecting more than 300,000 pilgrims and tourists," Khalid Tamimi said.

Some Muslim Americans Take Part in Christmas Festivities

December 23, 2011
Some US Muslims Share in Christmas Traditions
VOA - Elizabeth Lee | Los Angeles

In the United States, Christmas has become a holiday for people of all faiths, not only Christians. Some Muslim Americans also take part in Christmas festivities.

Outside the home of Saman Namazikhah and his wife Fatemeh, there sits a snowman adorned with lights and strings of lights wrapped around a tree. Inside, a Christmas tree sits beside a fireplace with Christmas stockings hung above a roaring fire. The Namazikhahs might have one of the most beautifully decorated homes on their street, but they are not Christians. They are Muslims, who came from Iran.

"We consider ourselves American as well as Iranians and Muslims, too. We don't differentiate it. As far as it goes so we enjoy it; we celebrate it. We decorate the house," said Fatemeh Mokhtari Namazikhah.

Saman Namazikhah says they combine an American tradition with Iranian traditions, especially during the meal for Christmas day.

"It wouldn't necessarily be a traditional Christmas feast. It could be a traditional Iranian feast," Saman Namazikhah explained.

As a board member of the Iran American Muslim Association of North America, Namazikhah says many of his friends at the culture center also take part Christmas traditions.

"A lot of them celebrate it. It's a part of their lives. They grew up here. A lot of them are people that have been here for a long time, so going through the school system, it's something that was pretty much embedded in their lives in their childhood," added Namazikhah.

Pakistani American Tehmina Khan started decorating her home for her children for Christmas 25 years ago.

"It's festive. We'd like to be a part of the American celebration. And its sharing and giving and just a joyous occasion, and we want to be a part of it," Khan explained.

Khan exchanges gifts and holds holiday parties, inviting many Muslim friends, such as Sara Khan and her family, who also decorate their homes for Christmas. But Khan says some of her other friends do not approve.

"They basically think that's nothing that Muslims do. It's not in our religion. They don't celebrate the birth of Christ. But we do believe in the Jesus, so there's nothing wrong with celebrating it," Sara Khan noted.

Usman Madha is the spokesman for the King Fahad Mosque in Los Angeles. He says Muslims should not attach religious significance to their Christmas celebrations.

"They are on a very thin line there," Madha explained. "We also believe in Moses. When I say 'believe' in meaning that we believe them to be major prophets of Islam. How many Muslims go out and celebrate Pesach, Passover?"

Madha says it is important for Muslims to remember their faith.

"Participate, enjoy. Yet at the same time, the differences are there. It's just this is Christianity, this is Islam; we are Muslims, you are Christians," Madha added.

Just how many Muslims participate in Christmas traditions depends on demographics. From Madha's perspective this is a practice of "very, very few individuals." But the answer is very different for Pakistani American Vallikhan Khan, 22, who was born and raised in the United States.

"I think everyone that I know that's Muslim celebrates Christmas. Their faith is really strong, but they want to associate with the culture and be like everybody else," said Vallikhan Khan.

Many Muslim Americans who have Christmas trees say they do not see Christmas as a religious holiday. For them, it is simply a time of sharing and giving with family and friends of all faiths.

Presbyterian Church in USA Votes for Gay Clergy

US Presbyterian Church Votes for Gay Clergy
VOA - Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

The U.S. Presbyterian Church has voted to change its constitution to allow gay people to be ordained as ministers, elders and deacons, joining a growing group of protestant churches that have voted to allow gay clergy.

A regional bloc in Minnesota, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, cast the deciding ballot Tuesday. A majority of 173 regional groups — who represent some 2 million Presbyterian members across the United States — now has voted in favor of the amendment. The proposal eliminates a requirement in the church constitution that clergy be celibate or married to a member of the opposite sex.
Whether to allow gay clergy has been debated within the Presbyterian church for decades. Just two years ago, a similar proposal failed to pass. This time around, at least 19 regions changed their vote to favor the change.

Presbyterian equality advocates welcomed Tuesday's decision, saying it will enable anyone to serve the church, without secrecy or discrimination.

But the move remains controversial in some regions. At least 100 congregations out of the 11,000 across the United States already have left the church in disagreement with the shifting policy.

US Presbyterian Church Votes for Gay Clergy
Article from VOA

Muslim Americans Make Political Gains in Chicago

Muslim Americans Make Gains in Chicago Political Effort
VOA - Kane Farabaugh | Chicago April 07, 2011

Two of the seven candidates supported by the non-profit Project Mobilize, known as Project M in the southwest suburbs of the Midwestern U.S. city Chicago, won their races in municipal elections April 5. Project Mobilize views the election as an important first step to get the Muslim American community more involved in local politics.

Ahmed Aduib is a newly elected board member for the Bridgeview Public Library in a southwest suburb of Chicago. "Our library is in a nice area and they just rebuilt it so the question now is how to make that new library full," Aduib said.

Aduib represents the growing Muslim-American community in Bridgeview. He says making the library full depends on how well it reaches out to the different ethnic communities in the area.

"We do not just have a Muslim-American Community. We have a Polish-American community; we have a Spanish-American community, so there are different communities that we can reach out to and start making connections. Just for the library, and I think that is where everything starts, especially for the younger generation." Aduib said.

Aduib was one of seven Muslim-American candidates supported by Project Mobilize in municipal elections April 5 in suburban Chicago. Two of the seven candidates were elected. Aduib, who won his race uncontested, said the overall results are still an accomplishment.

"I do not think there are any disappointments. Two out of the seven, for a group of new candidates who started off pretty late actually, so two out of the seven is a great accomplishment," Aduib said.

Project Mobilize Director Reema Ahmad says low voter turnout across the suburbs may have been a factor for those candidates who lost their races.

"I think there is voter apathy among all groups, all segments of the community. It was not only the Muslim American who were voting yesterday or not voting, but in communities all across the municipalities we were working in, all across the country and the state, so I am not going to say this is something exclusive to the Muslim-American community, but I will say that for the Muslim-American community this is very much a learning process still," Ahmad said.

Ahmad says this was the first full-scale election effort for Project Mobilize. The organization hopes to use the lessons learned here as an education tool for future elections.

"The idea of coming out on a non-presidential election to cast a ballot is still going to be something that we are working towards, becoming more and more of a habit and a matter of practice instead of something unique because there are specific candidates on the ballot," Ahmad said.

As Project Mobilize builds on the foundation formed while preparing for the April 5 elections, Aduib hopes his successful race will encourage other Muslim Americans to fulfill their civic duty.

"This shows them that look, this is not a foreign idea to get active. It is not something weird. And if you do want to get active, there are options to get active and we can help you to get active. So I think it just shows them that look, do not be scared," Aduib said.

Aduib says while he is encouraged by the results of this first election effort, he remains uncertain whether or not politics will be his chosen professional career path.


Muslim Americans Make Gains in Chicago Political Effort
Article from VOA

Religious Congregations - Economic Value of Contributions

Putting a Price on Your Church's Services
A new study calculates the economic value of those contributions
VOA - Matthew Petrillo | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania March 08, 2011

Photo: VOA - M. Petrillo
Father Luyen Dau greets members of his congregation at Visitation Parish, which offers mass in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Religious congregations help the homeless, provide counseling, offer spiritual guidance and celebrate life cycle events. Churches and synagogues have played these roles for hundreds of generations. But for the first time, a new study has put an economic value on those contributions.

After struggling with AIDS since the mid-80s, Dennis Wright met with a few support groups, but says he wanted something on a more spiritual level.

"I lost a partner when I came here, I was very much in need of a place," he says.

That’s when he joined the Hospitality Center at Saint Luke and the Epiphany Church in Philadelphia. The group offers faith-based comfort for people living with AIDS. There is no fee to participate, and Wright admits he never thought about the value of being part of that group.

"A dollar value? I don’t know what I would put for that. I owe my life to the church."

Holy finance

But Ram Cnaan says he can put a price tag on goodwill and, in a study called "Valuing Urban Congregations," he did.

"If you ask yourself ‘What is the financial value of feeling good?’ it’s very hard to quantify because there is no understanding of what feeling good means and how to pay for it," says Cnaan, a professor of social policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

He calculated the economic worth of a dozen places of worship around Philadelphia, including Catholic, Protestant and Jewish congregations. "Everybody thinks of congregations as a place to worship and meet their spiritual needs and go home. Congregations have a much wider impact on the community."

Cnaan says the monetary value of that impact has always been considered too sacred to measure. But Bob Jaeger, who also worked on the study, hopes their findings will help churches around the country exert more influence during neighborhood planning.

"All too often when we invest in neighborhoods, the church or synagogue is overlooked. We just assume that it’s always going to be there. We don’t fully understand what value it has," says Jaeger, who is president of Partners For Sacred Places, a national non-sectarian organization which promotes houses of worship as community assets. "If a pastor persuades someone to not commit suicide, what is the value of a human life? What’s the dollar value, how many millions of dollars?"

According to the study, preventing a suicide is worth about $20,000 while counseling that saves a marriage has a value of $18,000.

VOA - M. Petrillo Visitation Parish, which includes a church, community center and school, has a halo effect of $22 million, according to the new report.

'Halo effect'

The researchers attached a price tag to just about anything involving interaction with a congregation. They considered a total of nearly five-dozen categories, from the money churches receive for performing funerals and weddings, to the salaries they pay their staff, to the social values and principles they promote and foster.

Jaeger calls this value a halo effect. "We thought there probably would be some evidence that in a halo of a block or two or more - in a circle around a sacred place - there is probably some impact that is demonstrable, and what we’ve learned, in fact, is that much of this impact is local."

For instance, helping 100 people find jobs made up more than half of Calvary Methodist Church’s $2.6 million halo. The 150-member Summit Presbyterian Church houses a day-care center, a room used by a Jewish congregation as a synagogue, and a martial arts program. Despite the church’s operating budget of only $265,000, the study values its halo at almost $1.5 million dollars.

The brightest halo in the study - more than $22 million - surrounds Visitation Parish. It includes a church, a community center and a school with nearly 500 students. Located in a diverse neighborhood of Philadelphia, it celebrates mass in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.


mese. The study won’t be published for about two months, but a report of its findings recently appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and not everyone was pleased with its numbers.
 

VOA - M. Petrillo
St. Luke's is located in a wealthy section of Philadelphia so the value its services was offset by a loss of property tax revenue.



"I opened it up and I smiled. I thought, ‘Oh great, they’re going to have this great stuff about St. Luke and the Epiphany about how important we are in the neighborhood,’" says Rodger Broadley, who has served as pastor at St. Luke for almost three decades. "And then I got to the bottom of the page and I zipped down to the bottom of the list of 12 churches, and there we were at the very bottom as a negative $250,000."

That’s because the value of a church’s services to its community was offset by a loss of property tax revenue. Religious congregations are exempt from paying taxes, and St. Luke is located in a wealthy area of Philadelphia. So its tax-free property value dramatically hurt its score.

Cnaan says recalculating the numbers to account for that would move St. Luke far into the positive column, with a value to its community of $1.25 million. Cnaan believes the value congregations bring to the city far outweigh any tax loss.

In fact, Cnaan estimates that all of Philadelphia’s 2,000 houses of worship bring the city the equivalent of $250 million a year. And that’s something everyone can say "Amen" to.





Putting a Price on Your Church's Services
Article from VOA

Program Trains Pastors, Imams, Rabbis Together - University Project

Innovative Program Trains Pastors, Imams, Rabbis Together

Scholars from the three major Abrahamic faiths focus on their spiritual commonalities

Monaliza Noormohammadi | Claremont, California February 25, 2011 - VOA

Photo: VOA

Christian, Jewish and Muslim students learn together in classrooms at the University Project, which aims to make religion more a source of peace in the world rather than a source of conflict.

There’s an ambitious effort under way, to change the way religious leaders in the United States are educated.  It’s a new theological program which plans to train Muslim, Jewish, and Christian clergy together.

In one southern California classroom, scholars and students from the three major Abrahamic faiths - Christianity, Islam, and Judaism - are examining sacred texts, focusing on their spiritual commonalities.

This course on interreligious leadership is part of a new graduate program taking form at the Claremont School of Theology. The initiative that would train future pastors, rabbis and imams side-by-side, as they work toward their theological degrees.

“We think it’s the world’s first shared curriculum in interreligious understanding,” says Rev. Jerry Campbell, president of Claremont's School of Theolog - an institution which has educated Methodist ministers and scholars for more than a century. “Our concern was how to make religion more a source of peace in the world rather than a source of conflict.”

The first approach was to desegregate theological education. That paved the way for what’s known  as the University Project - a consortium of the Claremont School of Theology, the Academy for Jewish Religion California, and the Islamic Center of Southern California.

The project is just getting off the ground. So far, seminary students at Claremont and the Jewish Academy are able to take courses at each other’s institutions. By next fall, three Muslim-leadership graduate programs will begin at Claremont, adding a number of Muslim students to the mix.

While there is no separate Islamic school yet, Claremont plans to help develop an Islamic center, with hopes of incorporating an imam-training program - the first of its kind in the United States.

And as the University Project develops, so will its diversity. The founders hope to include other faiths, such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

“You can’t really respect and get to know other people unless, unless you study with them, unless you have relationships with them," says Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, president and dean of the Academy for Jewish Religion California. "And then you could have a clear idea of their traditions rather than stereotyping or categorizing the other out of fear or ignorance.”

The University Project will be particularly valuable to the Muslim community, says Jihad Turk, director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Southern California.

“The Muslim community has the most to gain from this University Project because Muslim-Americans are the most misunderstood," says Turk. "And yes it will benefit all the partners because it will benefit American society at large to be more informed.”

For second-year student Emris Staton, the University Project reflects the pluralistic nature of the United States. “Interfaith, multi-religious, diverse, what ever word you use, that’s the world we live in and preparing us to be comfortable in that context and competent in that context I think is really important.” 

Certainly, American society does have its share of religious tension.  Take, for example, the controversy that arose last year over plans for an Islamic center and mosque in New York, near the site of the September 11 World Trade Center attack.
Or the uproar over a Florida pastor’s plan to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of that attack.

Campbell says that, while other issues may lie ahead, learning to overcome them is what the “progress of history is about,”

Campbell and his collaborators hope the University Project will strengthen their individual faiths, and through mutual respect and understanding, strengthen America. 

Innovative Program Trains Pastors, Imams, Rabbis Together

Aticle and video from VOA