Mission & Justice

Michael Bachelard; 18/5/08

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has rejected the pleas of former members of the Exclusive Brethren for a broad-ranging inquiry into the sect, saying such an investigation would “unreasonably interfere” with their right “to practise their faith freely and openly”. Yet, before the election last year, Mr Rudd described the Brethren as an “extremist cult” whose activities “break up families” and, in the days leading up to the November election, he called on four federal agencies — the police, the tax office, the Australian Electoral Commission and anti-money-laundering agency Austrac — to investigate their activities.

(more…)

Irfan Yusuf; 16/5/08

In 2006, I visited the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta. Before you reach for your National Security Hotline fridge magnets and mobile handsets, I should disclose that I was on an exchange program organised by the Australia-Indonesia Institute and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Like many others in Indonesia, this university campus had an “American Corner” — a largish classroom with wall-to-wall shelves containing a range of books, magazines and other publications about American life and culture in both English and Indonesian. Computer terminals offered free English-language multimedia materials. Copies of the glossy American Muslim magazines and books by Arab and Muslim Americans were prominently displayed.

(more…)

Samir Khalil Samir, SJ; 14/5/08

Last 20 March various news agencies reported the following news from Riyadh: “No churches should be permitted in Saudi Arabia, unless Pope Benedict XVI recognised the prophet Mohammed.” This is the proposal put forward by some mediators in Riyadh who are negotiating with Vatican authorities the possibility of building a Catholic place of worship in the kingdom. Anwar Ashiqi, president of the Saudi Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies, expressed this view in an interview on the site of Arab satellite TV network, al-Arabiya. “I haven taken part in several meetings related to Islamic-Christian dialogue and there have been negotiations on this issue,” he said. “It would be possible to launch official negotiations to construct a church in Saudi Arabia only after the Pope and all the Christian Churches recognise the prophet Mohammed.”

(more…)

Jonathan Power; 12/5/08

Once again the CIA and MI6 are publishing dire warnings of the vitality of Al-Qaeda. Once again the Islamic world as a whole is being tarnished by association. US presidential contender John McCain is saying that America needs a leadership to confront the transcendent challenge of our time: The threat of radical Islamic terrorism. And the words still ring in our ears from Samuel Huntington’s treatise, “The Clash of Civilizations”, the book that in many ways triggered this paranoia that infects the politicians, the press and the public discourse. “The underlying problem for the West is not Islamic fundamentalism, it is Islam”, he wrote.

(more…)

11/5/08; http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=7768

Women cyclists ride through the streets of Amman on Friday. The ride, which has become an annual event to campaign for peace and highlight the plight of Arab women, started in the Lebanese capital last week and the cyclists passed through Syria before arriving in the Kingdom through the Jaber crossing. More than 250 women from 30 countries including the US, Britain, Japan, South Africa, Turkey and Iran are taking part in the event, being held for the fourth consecutive year. Yesterday, the women rode to Madaba, where they visited religious and historical sites as well as Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site. The ‘Follow the Women’ bike ride was set up in 2003 by Detta Regan, a well-known international youth work adviser and European Woman of the Year in 2004

Andrew Hornery; 10/5/08

The Church of Scientology has lost its grip on James Packer. The billionaire’s closest friends say he has quietly distanced himself from Scientology. Members of Mr Packer’s inner circle have confirmed that the billionaire, Scientology’s wealthiest member in the world, was no longer undertaking Scientology courses and had slowly moved away from the religion, telling his closest friends he no longer “needs it”. Mr Packer’s office did not respond to reporters’ calls yesterday.

(more…)

Bonnie Miller Rubin; 10/5/08

The effect of marriage breakdown on children may not be as harmful as once thought. For years, social scientists have believed that children of divorce have had more behaviour problems than those growing up in two-parent homes. But research suggests the impact may not be as damaging as believed. Instead of comparing these youngsters with those from intact families — the usual methodology — a more accurate assessment would be to evaluate them before and after the marital dissolution, says Alan Li, of policy think tank RAND Corp.

(more…)

Desmond Tutu; 9/5/08

In the present scandal of the attempt to ship tonnes of arms and ammunition to Zimbabwe, it is the Chinese who have spoken the most sense. China’s foreign ministry said the country’s shipment of mortar shells, rockets and bullets was perfectly normal trade. It certainly is. Shipping arms to African governments who could use them to abuse their own people is an abhorrent but almost daily occurrence. And at present there is nothing the international community can do about it because there are no effective global controls on the arms trade. If you want to export weapons to a country that commits gross abuses of human rights, then you can. If you want to sell expensive kit to governments struggling to feed or educate their people, it’s really no problem. You might have to use a few tricks to get around the flimsy patchwork of controls that presently exist but it’s easy and it’s done all the time.

(more…)

David Eames; 2/5/08

Religious radicals who attacked the top-secret Waihopai spy base more likely hampered New Zealand’s ability to drive a hard bargain at the trade table than crippled the US ability to wage war, says one intelligence expert. Peter Cozens, head of Victoria University’s Centre for Strategic Studies, says the mysterious Marlborough base is used strictly to collect and analyse information - often of “a political, trade and diplomatic nature” - for the New Zealand Government. Members of the Anzac Ploughshares movement infiltrated the base in an early-morning raid on Wednesday.

(more…)

Ron Rolheiser; 27/4/08

There is a popular theme within Christian apologetics that goes something like this: Christianity is the most hated of all religions and that is a certain proof of its truth. The logic works this way: If we are so unfairly hated, we must be doing something right. Truth and innocence draw hatred. Jesus was hated, and so are we. We need to be careful with that because, among other things, today, thanks to certain radical fundamentalists claiming to be Muslim, Islam is probably the most hated of all religions, and hated not because of what is true and best inside of it. Not only innocence and truth draw hatred. Being hated is not always a good sign or an indication that you (alone among the unfaithful) are holding to the real truth. It may be that you have made a vow of alienation rather than of love. Both eventually make you hated.

(more…)