Source: Chapel Hill Herald

On October 13, 2002 Chapel Hill Herald reported that "the ongoing squabble about a summer reading assignment drawn mainly from the Quran figured prominently in UNC's 209th birthday celebration on Saturday. Speakers at two University Day events alluded directly to the controversy and praised Chancellor James Moeser and other officials for defending the faculty's right to have asked incoming freshmen to read Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations."

Source: Maine Sunday Telegram

On October 13, 2002 the Maine Sunday Telegram reported that "[Mayor Laurier] Raymond finally met with Somali leaders on Friday. While he stopped short of giving them the apology they wanted, he did say he was 'deeply concerned' that so many people misunderstood the intent of his letter, and he managed to soothe hurt feelings... Still, the loaded language in Raymond's letter... insulted most Somalis... who see themselves as hard-working, contributing members of the Lewiston community."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On October 12, 2002 the Los Angeles Times reported that "the questions of when death begins and when donated organs may be used have raised a thicket of moral issues... The Catholic Church and Islamic groups see such acts as charity. Among Jews, a debate rages. Rabbis from opposing camps continue to vociferously debate when death begins-- at the cessation of neurological functions, known as brain death, or when the heart and respiratory systems fail. The definition is key to organ donations, because doctors using heart-lung...

Source: Capital Times

On October 12, 2002 Capital Times reported that "more than 60 Madison [WI] Muslims held a protest march Friday to counter what they said were bigoted comments by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who in a TV interview last described the prophet Mohammed as a terrorist. As the group walked up State Street, they sang prayers and some discussed the charged atmosphere in which they were delivering their message of understanding and awareness. Congressional passage of a resolution authorizing President Bush to use force against Iraq created...

Source: The Commercial Appeal

On October 12, 2002 The Commercial Appeal reported that "Christians were invited to the prayer service [at the mosque near the banks of the Ohio River] as part of an interfaith listening project organized by the Presbyterian Church (USA)... The church recruited seven teams from overseas, each consisting of one Muslim and one Christian, to visit Presbyterian congregations throughout the United States and - where possible - to bring together members of local churches and mosques."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On October 12, 2002 Los Angeles Times reported that "the World Evangelical Alliance is taking issue with an August report from U.S. Catholic bishops that opposes efforts to target Jews for conversion. The evangelical organization, an alliance of 120 national and regional church fellowships and 75 nondenominational ministries, has reaffirmed and reissued a declaration defending Jewish evangelism that was written in 1989 by 16 theologians from nine nations."

Source: The Boston Globe

On October 12, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that "Boston College's Jewish community was largely invisible as recently as the mid-90s. But with the revival of a Jewish student activities group, the creation of a multifaith worship center and the establishment two years ago of the Center for Jewish-Christian learning, Jewish students no longer have to leave campus to embrace their faith. In a ceremony yesterday that in a way marked a crowning achievement of the college's Jewish community, the school welcomed the Torah, and installed...

Source: The Associated Press

On October 11, 2002 The Associated Press reported that "attorneys for the organization that sued the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill over a summer reading program that included a book about the Quran have filed a new motion. The American Family Association's Center for Law and Policy said in an amended federal court complaint that UNC is attempting to push Islam upon its students. The university is hosting a number of events related to the religion this fall, the complaint said."

Source: Rocky Mountain News

On October 11, 2002 Rocky Mountain News reported that "seven Colorado clergy... pleaded for peace at a news conference Thursday on the steps of the Denver City and County Building... the group also included leaders from the Lutheran, Catholic, United Church of Christ and Quaker churches, as well as an imam from a Lakewood mosque. Sister Cecily Jones of the Sisters of Loretto order said more than 130,000 Americans have signed a 'peace pledge' on behalf of Iraq."

Source: The Interfaith Alliance

http://www.interfaithalliance.org/press/2002/t021010.htm

On October 10, 2002 The Interfaith Alliance reported that "in an open letter sent to President Bush this morning, the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, executive director of The Interfaith Alliance, spoke out against the inflammatory comments made in a CBS '60 Minutes' interview that aired October 6,...

Source: USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-10-09-peace-personal_x.htm

On October 9, 2002 USA Today reported that "the attorneys general for California, Nebraska and Texas report surges in hate crimes in the past year, largely a result of a post-Sept. 11 backlash against Muslims and Arabs... 'There is no doubt that tension and longstanding turbulence in other parts of the world transfer into relations in the United States,' says Diana Eck...

Source: The Boston Globe

On October 9, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that "the "Vigil Against Hate," chiefly sponsored by the Massachusetts Interfaith Alliance, was scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. today in the State House's Great Hall, but was moved [to the Unitarian Universalist headquarters on Beacon Street] after officials said they would not allow Sikhs wearing sheathed kirpans into the building. A kirpan is a miniature religious sword, its blade about 4 inches in length, and is part of the ceremonial attire worn by Sikhs. Realizing the...

Source: The Patriot Ledger

On October 9, 2002 The Patriot Ledger reported that "Milton Schools Superintendent Mary Grassa O'Neill told the school committee last night that the district is making progress in implementing the diversity policy adopted last year. The school committee adopted the policy at the urging of Citizens for a Diverse Milton, a local grassroots organization, last November. Grassa O'Neill also presented  a newly crafted Milton Public Schools Recruitment and Hiring Handbook last night. The document includes strategies for finding...

Source: The Boston Globe

On October 8, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that "A coalition of civil rights groups and liberal House Democrats has mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign to block President Bush's faith-based initiative in the Senate unless the bill explicitly prohibits religious charities from discriminating when hiring... The White House does not want the anti-discrimination language added, because some House conservatives and many evangelical groups have said they will not be able to support the faith-based legislation if it bars religious...

Source: JTA News

On October 7, 2002 JTA News reported that "thousands of people will gather in Washington this week in support of Israel, but there won’t be many Jews there... The participants in Friday’s rally are evangelical Christians, gathering in the nation’s capital as part of a Christian Coalition of America conference... Nevertheless, many American Jews and Jewish organizations remain wary of the evangelicals, suspecting their motives and disagreeing with them on domestic policy... Rutgers University sociology professor Arlene...