Turkey’s gift of a mosque sparks fears of ‘neo-Ottomanism’ in Kosovo

Pristina badly needs a new mosque – but Turkish attempts to court the young Balkan state with investment and advocacy is making some uneasy

It is six years since Islamic leaders and government officials laid the cornerstone of Pristina’s new central mosque – a slab of stone now hidden beneath weeds in a parking lot.

Pulling back the weeds reveals it is covered with bright red graffiti – death threats to Kosovo’s chief mufti, along with the words: “No Turkish mosque or there will be blood.”

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Two Indian women enter temple after centuries-long ban on women

Event comes as hundreds and thousands of women form a 380-mile human chain in support of gender equality

Two women have become the first to enter a Hindu temple in India’s southern state of Kerala after the supreme court lifted a centuries-old ban on women.

The temple was later “purified” by priests at the famous Sabarimala temple, which does not permit menstruating women inside. They closed the temple for several hours to conduct ancient rituals to remove the “polluting” female presence.

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Mourners pack funeral for 8 of 20 killed in NY limo crash

A unity urn with cremated ashes of Adam Jackson and Abigail Jackson is set in place as friends and family prepare for a funeral mass at St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church in Amsterdam, N.Y., for eight of the 20 people killed in last Saturday's fatal limousine crash in Schoharie, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018.

How Muslim Women Are Challenging Clerics After #MeToo

The urgency of this #MeToo moment, especially its potential disruption of normative social behavior toward women, has led to the challenging of inter-communal attitudes including those expressed by religious institutions. Congregants from diverse establishments of faith, including Christians and Jews , have come out in opposition of not only the repression of sexual abuse victims but against clerical power structures.

Florida synagogue continues its wait for aid a year after Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma, a record Category 5 storm, is seen approaching Puerto Rico in this NASA's GOES-16 satellite image taken at about 15:15 EDT on September 6, 2017.. Lakeland - Rabbi David Goldstein stood Friday morning in the social hall of Temple Emanuel, in Lakeland, Florida describing the items used in services.

Opposition grows to controversial deal between Beijing, Vatican

A long-expected, controversial deal between the Chinese government and Catholic leaders in the Vatican has sparked opposition, including inside the Church itself. The provisional agreement, which will see the Vatican recognize the legitimacy of bishops appointed by the Chinese government, comes at a time when the ruling Communist Party is cracking down on "illegal" Christian groups in the country.

Case of accused ex-chaplain: Pipe smoking, silk underwear and gifts

A stooped Arthur J. Perrault shuffled into federal court with a cane Friday, handcuffs dangling from his wrist, a security belly chain around his waist. The bearded priest - on American soil for the first time in more than two decades - told a U.S. magistrate judge that he'd had a stroke three years ago, was deaf in one ear, and had trouble walking and remembering.

Former Catholic priest, on the lam for 26 years, returns to U.S. to face sex abuse charges

A former Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing dozens of victims in New Mexico over a 30-year-span is in federal custody after 26 years on the lam, the Department of Justice announced Friday. Arthur Perrault , a former military chaplain, is under indictment for repeatedly molesting a boy at Kirkland Air Force Base and at the Santa Fe National Cemetery in the early 1990s.

Pulpit Abuse: ‘You’ve set back the Jewish contribution’: Stephen…

The Jewish new year celebration, Rosh Hashanah, began Sunday night, and for most observant adherents it is meant to kick off a period of often personal reflection. But one religious leader took the holiday as an opportunity to send a message to a man who he said was a former congregant: presidential adviser Stephen Miller.

How the Pope’s death penalty stance could be a quandary for Catholic politicians

Pope Francis' decree that the death penalty is "inadmissible" in all cases could pose a dilemma for Roman Catholic politicians and judges in the United States who are faced with whether to strictly follow the tenets of their faith or the rule of law. Some Catholic leaders in death penalty states have said they'll continue to support capital punishment.

Death penalty decree could be quandary for US politicians

Pope Francis' decree that the death penalty is "inadmissible" in all cases could pose a dilemma for Roman Catholic politicians and judges in the United States who are faced with whether to strictly follow the tenets of their faith or the rule of law. Some Catholic leaders in death penalty states have said they'll continue to support capital punishment.

A question of ‘frustration’: Does Gov. John Bel Edwards support the death penalty?

Does Gov. John Bel Edwards support the death penalty? It's a question that chief political rival Attorney General Jeff Landry has been pushing for weeks now, with no clear answer from the governor, who has repeatedly deferred to state law on the matter and dismissed questions about his personal views on the topic. "The biggest frustration is that the governor just won't give us an answer.

Pope to Jeff Landry: Death penalty is always wrong. Period | Opinion

Pope Francis, left, on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 declared the death penalty wrong in all cases, a change in church teaching at odds with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry's push for speeding executions in the state. with something akin to divine intervention, when Pope Francis declared the death penalty wrong in all cases.