Antislavery work is interfaith effort
VATICAN CITY - Christians and Muslims have joined to try to help free millions of men, women and children who are held in modern-day slavery, being forced to work as maids, prostitutes, child soldiers and manual laborers.
The Global Freedom Network launched Monday at the Vatican aims to eradicate slavery by encouraging governments, businesses, educational and faith institutions to rid their supply chains of slave labor. The initiative is the brainchild of billionaire Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest.
Forrest, ranked 270th on Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people, used personal contacts to bring the 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church, 85-million strong Anglican Communion and al-Azhar university in Cairo, the world’s foremost seat of Sunni learning, on board with the initiative.
Director of Noah defends his film
BERLIN - Director Darren Aronofsky predicts that controversy over the movie Noah will disappear once people start to see it.
At the European debut of his $125 million epic, Aronofsky said he believes the biblical story and its characters will resonate with moviegoers regardless of their religion.
The film, starring Russell Crowe as the ark builder, has prompted officials in Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to announce it won’t be shown in their theaters because Muslims believe it’s wrong to depict a prophet.
In the United States, conservative Christians convinced Paramount Pictures to add a disclaimer to its marketing material saying that “artistic license has been taken” in telling the story.
Noah will open Friday.
- The Associated Press
Iran’s clerics call festival pagan
TEHRAN, Iran - Iranians jumped over bonfires, threw firecrackers and floated wishing lanterns to celebrate an ancient festival marking the end of the Persian year, ignoring calls by many Islamic clerics to shun a ritual that has officially been denounced as pagan.
The celebration, known as Chaharshanbe Souri, or Wednesday Feast, is a pre-Islamic tradition in Iran, marking the eve of the last Wednesday of the solar Persian year. The fire-jumping festival symbolizes an opportunity to purify the soul for the coming new year and celebrate the end of winter.
The festival has been frowned upon by hard-liners since the 1979 Islamic revolution because they consider it a symbol of Zoroastrianism, one of Iran’s ancient religions.
- The Associated PressCollege reviewing its hiring policy
HARRISONBURG, Va. - Eastern Mennonite University is reviewing its policy against hiring people who are in same-sex relationships.
The review includes a sixmonth listening process that began in January. The university, in Harrisonburg, is conducting an online survey through April 30 to gather public input. The survey is posted on the university’s website.
Eastern Mennonite conducted a previous survey to obtain input from students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors.
The President’s Cabinet will make a recommendation on whether to change the policy to the university’s board of directors in June.
- The Associated Press
Religion, Pages 12 on 03/22/2014