For the first time in recent history, immigration reform is a priority for the White House and Congress, thanks to politics and demographics – the growing Latino vote fueled Democratic electoral successes in 2012. But faith groups say the issue is more than cold calculus, and they are adding their voices to the debate.
A major Supreme Court ruling and a decision by President Barack Obama are scrambling the political and religious calculus of the immigration debate. On June 15, the president said he would stop deporting some immigrants who came to the country as children, and the high court’s ruling on a tough Arizona law is due.
Faith-based activists still hoping to see Congress pass immigration reform are launching the DREAM Sabbath campaign to raise awareness about the issue in houses of worship across the United States during September and October.
The 2010 midterm congressional elections promised to reshape the political landscape, and they did just that, as Republicans swept to victory in the House while cutting deeply into the Democratic majority in the Senate. But the vote also recast the terrain on moral and social issues important to believers of all political persuasions.
The Hindu “Festival of Lights” known as Diwali (or Deepavali) begins Saturday, Oct. 17, and runs for five days. Diwali is one of the most popular holidays in the Hindu diaspora, especially in the United States, where the Hindu population has topped 1 million — tripling in 15 years.
The anniversary of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, always casts in sharp relief America’s relationship with the Muslim world, and the role of the growing Islamic community in the United States — issues that are covered in a new Pew survey and in a number of ReligionLink guides and resources, as shown below.
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins on or about Aug. 22, and the fasting and abstaining and feasting that accompany the observance are among the most prominent markers of North America’s growing Muslim population. But few may realize how diverse the Muslim community is.
President Barack Obama’s June 4 address to the Muslim world served as a fresh reminder of the tensions between civil rights and national security that have played out in the U.S. and abroad since 9/11. The president’s speech was welcomed by the Muslim community, which remains deeply concerned about attacks against Muslims.
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