The Netherlands appears about to join France and Belgium in banning the public wearing of full-body veils. Violators wearing the Muslim burqa or niqab will be fined U.S. $500 if proposed legislation is approved by the Dutch cabinet. The need for the ban has been questioned since fewer than 100 women are thought to wear the…

American Atheists, a non-profit that claims to protect the rights of atheists and to ensure the “absolute separation of government and religion,” always seems to find itself in the middle of controversy, writes Billy Hallowell at the news website the Blaze. “As if the most recent Ground Zero cross lawsuit the group launched isn’t enough…

Is the Daily Beast, a news and opinion website published by British-born Tina Brown in conjunction with Newsweek magazine, being over-generous in defending Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan — who has broken off relations with Israel and says the Turkish navy will escort the next “peace flotilla” attempting to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip? Perhaps,…

Two American hikers imprisoned in Iran for more than two years are about to be released as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepares for his annual trip to the United Nations. Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested and convicted of espionage when they strayed across the Iraqi-Iranian border in July 2009. Their arrest was seen as…

More from Beliefnet and our partners
More from Beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad