WASHINGTON (RNS) The U.S. State Department lambasted Iran on Monday (Jan. 11) for deciding to try seven members of the Baha’i Faith on charges of spying for Israel, and called on Iran to release all religious minorities imprisoned because of their faith. “The United States strongly condemns the Iranian government’s decision to commence the espionage…

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican newspaper and radio station have called the film “Avatar” simplistic, and criticized it for flirting with modern doctrines that promote the worship of nature as a substitute for religion. L’Osservatore Romano and Vatican Radio dedicated ample coverage to James Cameron’s big-grossing, 3-D spectacle. But the reviews were lukewarm, calling the…

(RNS) The Islamic Society of North America, one of the most visible Muslim organizations in the United States, has appointed Chicago lawyer and youth leader Safaa Zarzour as its next secretary general. Zarzour’s appointment comes on the heels of several terror-related incidents involving young Muslims that have cast suspicion on Muslim Americans and provoked concerns…

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Lamenting “economic and political resistance” to dealing with climate change, Pope Benedict XVI on Monday (Jan. 11) called on the world’s nations to reach an agreement on the matter by the end of 2010. The pope’s statement was delivered as part of his annual address to foreign ambassadors. Referring to last month’s…

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