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Showing posts from November, 2009

Banning of Mosques Minarets in Switzerland How About Banning Crosses Above Churches in Islamic Countries

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People light candles at the Bundesplatz to protest the new law banning mosque minarets. Switzerland has about 350,000 Muslims; community leaders rejected the depiction of minarets as a symbol of Sharia law Minaret ban wins Swiss support About 400,000 Muslims live in Switzerland, most from the former Yugoslavia and Turkey [Reuters] Voters in Switzerland have approved a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques, official results show. Of those who cast votes in Sunday's poll, 57.5 per cent approved the ban, while only four cantons out of 26 rejected the proposals. The result paves the way for a constitutional amendment to be made. "The Federal Council [government] respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," the government, which had opposed the ban, said in a statement. The Swiss People's Party (SVP) had forced a referendum on the issue after it collected 100,000 signatures within 18 months from

Senators Religious Affiliation of the US 111Congress

The following list shows the count of the reported religious affiliation of the members of the United States Senate in the 111th Congress. [edit] More than ten percent Roman Catholic - 25 - Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pennsylvania), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut), Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska), Ted Kaufman (D-Delaware), John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Mel Martinez (R-Florida), Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), David Vitter (R-Louisiana), George Voinovich (R-Ohio) (17 Democrats, 9 Republicans). Presbyterian - 14 - Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Kit

The Confiscation of Islamic Worship Places and Schools Reminiscent of Joseph Stalin Era in Soviet Union

Ohe U.S. government on Thursday moved to seize more than $500 million in assets from a New York-based foundation accused of being a front for the Iranian government, including a building that houses the Islamic Education Center of Houston. The news provoked confusion and anger among Houston's Shia Muslims, many of whom worship at the center's mosque or send their children to an Islamic school that occupies the same large white building at 2313 S. Voss. Faheem Kazimi, chairman of the board of directors, said IEC leases its building from the Alavi Foundation but no other connection exists. “The Islamic Education Center is a nonprofit, independent organization, not affiliated with any other organization,” Kazimi said. The 97-page civil forfeiture lawsuit filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan alleges that the Alavi Foundation, which files federal taxes as a charitable foundation, is illegally funneling money to the government of Iran. The U.S. government has accused Iran of fin

Seizing four Mosques New Blow to Religious Liberties in the Country

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Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets. The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story glass office tower in New York. It is extremely rare for U.S. law enforcement authorities to seize a house of worship, a step fraught with questions about the First Amendment right to freedom of religion. The action against the Shiite Muslim mosques is sure to inflame relations between the U.S. government and American Muslims, many of whom are fearful of a backlash after la