The Sept. 11 terror attacks seemed to confirm suspicions of some that there is an inherent connection between religion and violence. The 9/11 plotters cited Islam as their inspiration – case closed. But that explanation was considered too simple then, and 10 years later the debate on this controversial topic continues.
The 10th anniversary of the terror attacks of Sept. 11 inevitably puts a spotlight on Islam and in particular on the growing Muslim community in the United States. That spotlight reveals both ongoing problems as well as significant progress, and ReligionLink provides a roundup of resources for covering these topics.
News that U.S. troops have killed Osama bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, is a stunning development that is bound to spark a range of reactions — jubilation for many, anger for others, and for some believers, a debate over whether this was the moral and ethical course of action.
Popular protests continue to roil the Middle East, spreading from Tunisia and Egypt to Bahrain and Libya and elsewhere. Speculation is rife about what could come next, but also about the role Islam could play in reconfigured Arab countries — and what role religion is playing in sparking the current revolts.
A growing number of organizations are cultivating connections between religion and development and are using those links to empower women, who are key to economic and social advancement in less-developed societies. A United Nations summit this month will make closing the global gender gap a priority.
President Barack Obama’s decision to replace the leader of allied forces in Afghanistan has led to renewed questions on the U.S. strategy there — and on whether the war is morally and militarily justified.
The crisis over the Israeli boarding of a ship filled with activists trying to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip is continuing, and the conflict has serious ramifications for religious groups in the Middle East and in the United States.
Muslims in America today find themselves at the crossroads of many contentious issues — political, religious and cultural. So it is not surprising that controversies have again put Islam in the headlines, from a dispute over the show South Park to the cancellation of Franklin Graham’s appearance at a Pentagon prayer event.
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