Source: St. Petersburg Times

On September 12, 2002 the St. Petersburg Times reported that "a prayer breakfast sponsored by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce offered the opportunity for interfaith prayer. Held at the St. Petersburg Hilton, the event underscored a renewed commitment to faith in this country, Baker said. Ronald Tihal, 71, a Hindu and a retired headmaster from Guyana, South America, was among more than 400 people who attended the service sponsored by the St. Petersburg Ministerial Association,...

Source: San Jose Mercury News

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/4015294.htm

On September 6, 2002 the San Jose Mercury News reported that "prosecutors charged an East Palo Alto man Thursday with assault with the intent to rape a 15-year-old girl... but they did not charge him with a hate crime... Palo Alto police reported that the suspect, 18-year-old Sanjay Nair, who is Hindu, made comments...

Source: San Jose Mercury News

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/4006790.htm

On September 5, 2002, the San Jose Mercury News reported that "Palo Alto police arrested Sanjay Nair, 18, of East Palo Alto, for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl.. The incident has been labeled a hate crime because of comments police say that Nair, who is Hindu, made before and during the alleged rape... Nearly a dozen organizations...

Source: The Dallas Morning News

On September 4, 2002 The Dallas Morning News reported on "Balagokulam, (bah-luh-GO-kuh-lum), a free weekly program that helps youths and parents learn about Hindu culture through fables, prayers and games. Balagokulam began on a national level in 1995, when members of a Bay Area yoga class decided to hold cultural courses for their children as well. The program [is] part of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, an international community-service group [which] now has 55 chapters nationwide."

Source: The Washington Times

On September 1, 2002 The Washington Times reported that "a national campaign is swelling in support of the Rev. David Benke, who was expelled from his post as head of the New York-area Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for praying at a Yankee Stadium interfaith event after the terrorist attacks on the city. The 'It's OK to Pray' theme, being pushed by Mr. Benke's supporters in the 2.6 million-member conservative denomination, comes as a church review board considers his appeal that he did not commit 'syncretism' or 'unionism...

Source: Jain Spirit

On September 1, 2002 Jain Spirit reported that "Harish Bharti, a Seattle-based Indian American lawyer who fought and won a $10 million settlement from McDonald's for deceiving vegetarian customers, is now taking on the world's largest pizza chain, Pizza Hut. McDonald's had said that the oil used to cook its popular French fries contained no beef extracts, a claim Bharti proved wrong. Now Bharti is confronting Pizza Hut... with the claim that 'the chain intentionally failed to publicly disclose its continued use of beef product in its...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On August 30, 2002 The Columbus Dispatch reported that "as Americans celebrate Labor Day weekend, two of India's major religions will observe significant holidays. On Saturday, Hindus will celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, honoring the birth of Lord Krishna. Celebrants listen to sacred stories and worship Krishna, the avatar, or incarnation, of the god Vishnu. From Tuesday through Sept. 10, Jains in the Shvetambaras (white clad) sect will observe the Paryshuna Festival, a time of fasting, meditation and prayer."

Source: Copley News Service

On August 30, 2002 Copley News Service reported that Sheriff Lee Baca of Los Angeles "announced Thursday he will mark the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with an interfaith prayer vigil designed to promote harmony between religious faiths...

���Representatives of Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Islam, Jewish, Hindu and other faiths will convene that day ... The 'Towers of Faith Prayer Vigil' event, which is open to the public, is seen as a way of celebrating the region's religious, ethnic and...

Source: The Denver Post

On August 29, 2002 The Denver Post reported that Aspen Elementary School's plans to start a pilot program called Yoga Ed has stirred up a controversy over separation of church and state. The report states, "several parents have objected to their little ones participating in what they see as something bordering on a mystical religious practice. The school now plans to hold a meeting for parents next week to explain the program. 'I wish I could just change the name of this to 'stretching and breathing' and call it good,' said...

Source: Hospital Topics

In the Winter, 2002 issue, Hospital Topics reported that "to be effective, [hospital] managers must have a basic understanding of the implications of cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity, as the number of Americans whose culture, ethnicity, and religion differ from those of the American mainstream increases... This means that the expectations and needs of diverse staff and, as important, the various patients treated in [hospitals] must be understood and met to the greatest extent possible... [The article] provides a basic...

Source: MSNBC

http://www.msnbc.com/news/799864.asp

On August 28, 2002 MSNBC reported on the "interrogations, body searches and suspicious stares... [and other] indignities endured by air travelers of Arab, Middle Eastern, South Asian and even South American backgrounds... �The airlines deny they have engaged in racial profiling since the Sept. 11 hijack attacks, in which Islamic extremists struck at the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington... �Still,...

Original Source: Hindu Press International

On August 27, 2002 Hindu Press International reported that "the Pluralism Project has new research by Michael Linderman on the Hindu Temples of New Jersey available on their website... This extensive list includes twenty temples and The Garden State Crematory with its chapel for Hindu ceremonies... An additional new link has dozens of photos available in a slide show format." This research is available online.

Source: The Times Union

http://www.dharmawalk.org

On August 26, 2002 The Times Union reported that "20 peace marchers began a journey from Schenectady County [New York] to New York City on Sunday...    They plan to reach New York Sept. 11 in time for a candlelight vigil seeking a nonviolent resolution to global conflicts...    Representing various religions and nationalities, marchers started near the site of the former Mohawk Mall in Niskayuna and made their way to the Islamic Community...

Source: Newsday

On August 25, 2002 Newsday reported how "as the children of Indian immigrants have come of age, wedding fever has reached a high pitch. On some weekends there are no fewer than 20 Indian weddings in the tri-state area [New York, New Jersey and Connecticut], with wedding planners scurrying from event to event. In the home country it's often an elaborate 10-day celebration with unending rounds of parties, rituals and [revelry], including a mehndi, or a symbolic hand-painting, party for the women and a raucous 'sangeet,' or music party,...

Source: Albuquerque Tribune

On August 24, 2002 the Albuquerque Tribune reported that "three local organizations have teamed up to survey how people born abroad hold on to their culture... language, art and religion [in Albuquerque, New Mexico]... the survey... is aimed at identifying and documenting about 45 ethnic groups with populations of 750 or more... Funding slightly more than $60,000 comes from the city's Urban Enhancement Trust Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, New Mexico Arts and the Arts Alliance...   Interviews are designed to find...