(OPINION) Six years ago, members of the Daesh organization launched an attack against Yazidis in Iraq. They have yet to face legal consequences for these actions, and organizations are still attempting to capture the violence enacted against women and children.
Read MoreAn ancient site on Israel’s Golan Heights is revered by Druze and Christians, who honor the site as the place where Jesus tells St. Peter: “on this rock I will build my church,” but Jews revile the site as a place of pagan worship.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Turkish government’s conversion of the Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque has drawn sharp criticism, celebration, and now pledges to rebuild the church in Syria. The decision is part of a long-term agenda of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Islamist parties to restore national pride in its Ottoman past, drawing both sharp criticism for implications for religious minorities and mixed praise in the region.
Read More(OPINION) Tisha b’Av is a Jewish day of mourning to remember the destruction of Judaism’s First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The way this mourning is completed provides valuable insight on how to handle the problems of our country today.
Read MoreLike many other religious gatherings, the Islamic pilgrimage Hajj has been altered due to coronavirus concerns. This year, Hajj will only be open to residents of Saudi Arabia. Check out the best five ways to experience a virtual Hajj.
Read More(OPINION) An Israeli Jewish journalist proposes a solution to offending monuments that’s straight out of the Old Testament.
Read MoreEaster, Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr—amid COVID-19 lockdowns, religious celebrations have looked different this year. Thankfully, they don’t have to taste different. Most of us are still practicing our faith with social distancing, but staying home is the perfect way to venture into new recipes and maybe even taste a new religious tradition.
Read MoreFor the last 12 years, on the anniversary of Miriam the Prophetess’ death, artist Maureen Kushner has led a boat full of women to the spot on Lake Kinneret where, according to Jewish lore, the mystical spring known as Miriam’s Well now rests. Though the pandemic altered the group’s plans this year, it didn’t stop them from making the pilgrimage.
Read More(OPINION) With Turkey President Erdoğan’s AKP party having suffered losses in municipal elections, his response to these drawbacks has been to emphasize his Sunni-Islamic credentials and to link these to the restoration of the splendors of the Ottoman Empire. One aspect of this propaganda effort has been to threaten the status of Hagia Sophia.
Read More(TRAVEL) Based on chemical analysis of resin found on the limestone altars of a Tel Arad shrine, researchers in Israel recently published a study that suggests the ancient Israelites used cannabis mixed with animal dung to spark a level of ecstasy during worship.
Read MoreScores of African-American players have called the Israeli Basketball Premier League home, drawn there for a chance to play professionally and earn decent money. In the process, these players have become ambassadors for the Jewish state — some marrying Israeli women, serving in the country’s army and converting to Judaism.
Read More(OPINION) As the world begins to cautiously emerge from lockdown, it has begun to look beyond its own borders. For most, the lockdown has confined us to the four walls of our homes. Yet for some terrorist organizations, COVID-19 has provided an opportunity to consolidate and expand. This is particularly visible in the case of Boko Haram and Daesh.
Read MoreMonday marks the centennial birth of Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II and was canonized a saint following his death. John Paul II was one of the longest-serving pontiffs in church history, the first non-Italian elected pope in 455 years and spent much of the 1980s ending communism in Eastern Europe.
Read MoreSince GOD TV launched its Hebrew-language Shelanu Television on April 29, the international Christian media network has sparked an uproar in Israel over the clash between media freedom and the state’s concerns about missionary activity.
Read MoreCohen, an 11th grader, beat 72 teenagers from 41 countries. The 14-18-year-old contestants competed remotely from their home countries. The event, broadcast on Israeli state TV, also sparked some controversy this year.
Read MoreInstitutes for training imams are common across Africa, but the Rabat-based Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams stands out because it welcomes female students to become spiritual guides. Since the late-1990s, Morocco has promoted moderate Islam to push back against radicalism at home and as an antidote to the Wahhabi tradition of Saudi Arabia with its links to Salafi jihadism. Morroco’s King Mohammed VI believes women are part of the solution.
Read MoreOn April 24, the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims welcomed their most important holiday with the appearance of the new moon. Usually, they would spend 30 days fasting, studying the Quran and enjoying celebratory “iftars,” evening meals with tables full of food and homes full of family and friends. This year, none of that is happening in the usual ways.
Read MoreDr. Mohammed Elgazzar has served in medical missions to war-torn Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria and more, saving lives without regard to the beliefs of the wounded. His faith inspires him. “The Quran is not coming from Allah just to be read,” he said. “It is not enough to see pain and feel sad. You have to do something about it,” he said. “That is my religion.”
Read More(TRAVEL) See Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s collection of creatures ranging from locusts to lions at the newly virtually opened Biblical Museum of Natural History in Israel while staying safe at home during quarantine.
Read MoreThe pandemic has exposed a deep rift between Israel’s 1 million ultra-Orthodox Jews and the country’s other 8.25 million Jewish and Arab citizens. Health minister Yaakov Litzman, who is Hassidic, has been accused of breaking his own ministry’s social distancing guidelines and then meeting with the prime minister and other senior government officials, prompting calls for his resignation from secular society.
Read More
