Interfaith:   Home  /  Archive for November 2008

November 28, 2008

Devon church seeks commercial sponsorship

by David Masters

A church in Devon is piloting an innovative new way of raising funds: sponsorship from local businesses.
Firms taking part in the scheme include a pasty shop, a hotel, a wine merchant, and a funeral director.
Sponsors receive a number of benefits for their cash, including free advertising in the parish magazine and having their name on […]



November 27, 2008

‘Mikaeel’ Jackson converts to Islam

by David Masters

American pop star Michael Jackson has become a Muslim and changed his name, according to reports in the Sun newspaper.
The fifty year old singer pledged allegiance to the Qur’an at a friend’s house in Los Angeles, and changed his name to Mikaeel, after one of God’s angels.
An Imam from the local Mosque was called in […]



November 26, 2008

Children born believing in God

by David Masters

Children are born believing in God, according to Oxford University academic Dr Justin Barrett.
Dr Barrett, senior researcher at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, argued his case yesterday in a debate style lecture at Cambridge University.
Barrett’s research has found that young children have a faith even when they haven’t been taught […]



November 25, 2008

Pro-Palestine US charity guilty of funding terrorism

by David Masters

Five leaders of a former US-based Muslim charity have been convicted of financing terrorism.
Jurors in a Texas court found the leaders of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development guilty on over 100 counts of funding terrorism, tax fraud, and money laundering.
According to the verdict, the charity provided a total of £8 million in […]



November 7, 2008

Catholic-Muslim Forum a success

by David Masters

Landmark interfaith talks held this week at the Vatican have been successful, according to Muslims who attended.
Muslims at the Catholic-Muslim Forum said they were ’satisfied’ with the outcome, noting especially the creation of a permanent interreligious committee to promote peace and resolve conflict.
Christians and Muslims at the event issued a joint call for religious freedom, […]



November 4, 2008

MPs seek to improve Muslim-Jewish relations

by David Masters

A cross-party group of Muslim and Jewish MPs will be touring Britain’s universities to promote better interfaith relations between students.
The group of MPs - dubbed the Coexistance Trust - will meet with Muslim and Jewish societies on campuses around the UK in an effort to improve understanding between the two faiths.
Societies in Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, […]



November 3, 2008

Christian Science Monitor moves exclusively online

by David Masters

After over 100 years of publication as a newspaper, the Christian Science Monitor is to move to an exclusive online format.
This makes it the first national newspaper in the US to give up printing.
A weekly print magazine will compliment the daily news available online.
The newspaper was set up in 1908 by Christian Scientist Mary Baker […]