Doctors in England said today (January 4, 2013) that a 15-year-old Pakistani girl -- who was shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting girls' education -- has been released from a Birmingham hospital to live with her family, according to the New Max World website.
Photographs released by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham today showed Malala Yousufzai hugging nurses, waving, and smiling shyly.
Malala will live with her parents and two brothers in the UK while she continues to receive treatment, but will be admitted again in the next month for another round of surgery to rebuild her skull.
Malala was returning home from school in Pakistan's scenic Swat Valley on October 9, 2012, when the Taliban targeted her for criticizing their efforts to keep girls from getting an education. The militants have threatened to target Malala again, because they say she promotes "Western thinking."
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Atheist Group Sues IRS for Not Taxing Rel. Orgs.; Says IRS Gives Churches Preferential Treatment
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) -- the atheist group that has carved out a niche in the legal domain by suing school districts and municipalities for supposedly violating the First Amendment -- has turned its harassment on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for giving churches and religious organizations "preferential treatment" in filing for and maintaining their tax-exempt privileges, the New American website reports today (January 3, 2013).
On December 27, the FFRF -- which claims to have some 19,000 "nonreligious" members nationwide -- filed suit in a western Wisconsin U.S. District Court, complaining that while the IRS requires non-church tax-exempt groups like itself to file "detailed, intrusive, and expensive annual reports to maintain tax-exempt status... such reports are not required for churches and certain other affiliated religious organizations."
An aggrieved FFRF spokeswoman, Annie Laurie Gaylor, wondered: "Why should churches be exempt from basic financial reporting requirements?"
The atheist group said that it is asking the court to "find the church exemptions a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and the equal protection rights of the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."
On December 27, the FFRF -- which claims to have some 19,000 "nonreligious" members nationwide -- filed suit in a western Wisconsin U.S. District Court, complaining that while the IRS requires non-church tax-exempt groups like itself to file "detailed, intrusive, and expensive annual reports to maintain tax-exempt status... such reports are not required for churches and certain other affiliated religious organizations."
An aggrieved FFRF spokeswoman, Annie Laurie Gaylor, wondered: "Why should churches be exempt from basic financial reporting requirements?"
The atheist group said that it is asking the court to "find the church exemptions a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and the equal protection rights of the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."
Cath. Church Ends London's Gay-Friendly Masses; Abp.: "Mass Is Highest Prayer of Whole Church"
London's archbishop asserted yesterday (January 2, 2013) that the Catholic Church will stop gay-friendly Masses in the central London church that has held them for the past six years, according to today's World Wide Religious News website.
The 18th-century church in Soho -- the heart of London's gay scene -- has been hosting the twice-monthly Masses with the support of the local Church hierarchy, but Archbishop Vincent Nichols said in a statement that gay Catholics should attend Mass in their local parishes rather than going to separate services.
"The Mass is always to retain its essential character as the highest prayer of the whole Church," Nichols said, stressing there would still be pastoral care to help gay Catholics "take a full part in the life of the Church."
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that gay sex is sinful, but homosexuals deserve respect.
The 18th-century church in Soho -- the heart of London's gay scene -- has been hosting the twice-monthly Masses with the support of the local Church hierarchy, but Archbishop Vincent Nichols said in a statement that gay Catholics should attend Mass in their local parishes rather than going to separate services.
"The Mass is always to retain its essential character as the highest prayer of the whole Church," Nichols said, stressing there would still be pastoral care to help gay Catholics "take a full part in the life of the Church."
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that gay sex is sinful, but homosexuals deserve respect.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Saudi Cleric Calls for Gang Rape of Syrian Women; His Edict Lets Syrian Rebels Have Sexual Pleasure
A prominent Saudi cleric -- expressing frustration that "warriors of Islam" fighting in Syria may be getting weary for the lack of sexual pleasure -- has issued a fatwa (religious ordinance) that calls for the gang rape of Syrian women, the Alter Net website reports today (January 2, 2012).
Muhammed al-Arifi -- who is a leading jihadist religious figure -- made it clear that his edict called for the gang rape of Syrian women and girls. He specified that the "intercourse marriages" last only a few hours, "in order to give each fighter a turn."
As to who is an eligible bride, the cleric approves any girls or women over the age of 14 who are not married.
Saudi Arabia has been funding the Syrian revolution and sending weapons -- including portable anti-aircraft missiles -- to the Free Syrian Army for nearly a year, but this fatwa is the first time that rape as a tool of war has been proposed as part of the opposition's military strategy.
Muhammed al-Arifi -- who is a leading jihadist religious figure -- made it clear that his edict called for the gang rape of Syrian women and girls. He specified that the "intercourse marriages" last only a few hours, "in order to give each fighter a turn."
As to who is an eligible bride, the cleric approves any girls or women over the age of 14 who are not married.
Saudi Arabia has been funding the Syrian revolution and sending weapons -- including portable anti-aircraft missiles -- to the Free Syrian Army for nearly a year, but this fatwa is the first time that rape as a tool of war has been proposed as part of the opposition's military strategy.
UN Releases Shocking Analysis of Syria's Deaths; Reveals 60,000 People Killed in Syria's Civil War
In a shocking analysis released today (January 2, 2013) by the United Nations Human Rights Office, it was revealed that at least 60,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war -- with monthly casualty figures steadily increasing since the conflict began almost two years ago -- according to the Associated Press website.
The death toll is a third more than the figure of 45,000 given by activists opposed to the regime of President Bashar Assad.
It comes as activists report that a Syrian warplane blasted a gas station near Damascus today, killing and wounding scores of people and igniting a huge fire in what could be one of the bloodiest attacks in weeks during the 22-month conflict.
"Given there has been no let-up in the conflict since the end of November, we can assume that more than 60,000 people have been killed by the beginning of 2013," UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement. "The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking."
The death toll is a third more than the figure of 45,000 given by activists opposed to the regime of President Bashar Assad.
It comes as activists report that a Syrian warplane blasted a gas station near Damascus today, killing and wounding scores of people and igniting a huge fire in what could be one of the bloodiest attacks in weeks during the 22-month conflict.
"Given there has been no let-up in the conflict since the end of November, we can assume that more than 60,000 people have been killed by the beginning of 2013," UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement. "The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking."
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Pope Rips Rich and Poor Inequality at Jan. 1 Mass; Blasts Self-Worship Due to Unregulated Capitalism
Pope Benedict XVI prayed for world peace, condemning the inequality between rich and poor and "unregulated financial capitalism" at a New Year's mass in St. Peter's Basilica today (January 1, 2013), according to the Raw Story website.
The pope spoke of "hotbeds of tension and confrontation caused by the growing inequality between rich and poor and the prevalence of a selfish and individualistic mentality also expressed by unregulated financial capitalism."
He added that humanity had "an innate vocation for peace" and prayed for "the gift of peace" this year, quoting a Biblical passage saying: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
The Roman Catholic Church celebrates New Year's Day as World Peace Day.
The pope spoke of "hotbeds of tension and confrontation caused by the growing inequality between rich and poor and the prevalence of a selfish and individualistic mentality also expressed by unregulated financial capitalism."
He added that humanity had "an innate vocation for peace" and prayed for "the gift of peace" this year, quoting a Biblical passage saying: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
The Roman Catholic Church celebrates New Year's Day as World Peace Day.
Islam Radicals Kill 5 Female Teachers in Pakistan; Killed to Discourage Females from Being Educated
Five female teachers in Pakistan today (January 1, 2013) were killed by Islamic militants who are determined to keep women and girls away from education, according to the Daily Mail website.
They were murdered in a New Year's Day ambush on the van carrying them home from their jobs at a community center and primary school in the northwest of the country.
The teachers and two health workers -- one man and one woman -- were killed this afternoon in the conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
This is the same region in which a Taliban gunman shot 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai in the head last October for criticizing the Islamic militants and promoting girls' education. She is currently recovering in Britain, where she was taken to prevent her from being killed.
Many Islamic militants in Pakistan oppose female education, and have blown up all-female schools and killed female educators as a way to discourage girls from getting an education.
They were murdered in a New Year's Day ambush on the van carrying them home from their jobs at a community center and primary school in the northwest of the country.
The teachers and two health workers -- one man and one woman -- were killed this afternoon in the conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
This is the same region in which a Taliban gunman shot 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai in the head last October for criticizing the Islamic militants and promoting girls' education. She is currently recovering in Britain, where she was taken to prevent her from being killed.
Many Islamic militants in Pakistan oppose female education, and have blown up all-female schools and killed female educators as a way to discourage girls from getting an education.
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