Nigeria Moves Against Shari'ah - Christianity Today

Nigeria declares Shari’ah law illegal Nigieran Justice Minister Kanu Agabi yesterday sent a letter to the country’s 12 northern states, telling them that Shari’ah, or strict Islamic law, is unconstitutional and therefore illegal.

Agabi is particularly concerned that Muslims face Shari’ah law while non-Muslims do not. “A Muslim should not be subjected to a punishment more severe than would be imposed on other Nigerians for the same offence,” he wrote. “As an elected governor, I am certain that you would not tolerate such disparity in the allocation of punishment. It is not only against the constitution but also against equity and good conscience. … Unless we abide by the constitution, we shall have on our hands an arbitrary society based on the discretion of our rulers. That is totally unacceptable.”

Zamfara State Governor Ahmed Sani says Shari’ah will stay, and that no non-Muslim had the right to dictate what laws Muslims would follow He dismissed the letter as the result of pressure by the West. “What he wrote in his letter was because of the outcry by the international community, and if you look very well, these countries are not Muslim countries,” he said.

The federal government and the Shari’ah states have clashed before over this issue, and the government has stated that Shari’ah is unconstitutional. But both Nigerian and international newspapers say this is a major escalation of government tensions—and fear that this might lead to more violence in the country.

Compensating the ABWE Peru missionaries:

Settlement discussions end | After being warned nothing would be done for our missionaries unless we agreed to release the U.S. government from responsibility for any payment for losses to our organization, ABWE has chosen to grant a release. (ABWE press release)
White House apologizes for Peru deaths | Settlement hasn’t been signed yet (The Muskegon [Mich.] Chronicle)

Crime & Law:

Churches a ‘danger to children’ | So says Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service, the UK’s leading Christian child protection service (BBC)
Colombians jeer president at funeral | Critics say government didn’t protect archbishop (BBC)
Judicial panel dismisses ethics complaint on Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore | But Birmingham City Council issues resolution denouncing him (The Birmingham [Ala.] News)
Also: Panel rejects Lambda bias complaint against Alabama chief justice (Associated Press)
Suspect was former mental patient | Man accused of fatally shooting a priest and a parishioner during morning Mass had been twice admitted to psychiatric hospitals (Associated Press)
NAACP, pastors urge crackdown on lenders | Prosecutor asked to take on predatory lenders and to be less strict with people charged with crack cocaine possession (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland)
Convicted con artist faces fresh charges in $385,000 fraud | Narvin Wray Edwardson uses religion to his advantage and often preys on Christians who believe he is offering investments that will benefit Christian orphanages (Vancouver Sun)
Celine Dion’s husband denies raping church minister | Yun Kyeong Sung Kwon, of the Full Gospel World Church, accuses Rene Angelil of assaulting her in March 2000. (Ananova)

Abuse:

Breaking faith | As sexual scandal rocks the Roman Catholic church, Protestants face a lurking sex scandal as well. Will churches and national organizations take biblical steps to prevent further shame? (World)
Former church elder held in molestation | First Evangelical Free Church Sunday school teacher admitted guilt in ’92 but couldn’t be prosecuted. (Los Angeles Times)
Also: Former church elder at First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton charged with sexual assault on girl | James Truxton, 86, had previously admitted molestations. (The Orange County [Calif.] Register)
Clergy, abuse, and jail time | Prosecutions are rare, but 75 priests or ministers have faced convictions, prison. (The Christian Science Monitor)
Wrong labels inflame fears of Catholics | Priests’ misdeeds are not necessarily pedophilia. (The New York Times)
Innocent clerics shamed by collar (New York Post)
Pope says ‘shadow of suspicion’ has been cast across all priests | Pope John Paul II, in a letter released on Thursday, alluded for the first time to recent pedophile scandals in the Roman Catholic Church. (The New York Times)
Also: Pope breaks silence | John Paul calls sex abuse by priests ‘most grievous forms of sin’ (ABCNews.com)
Also: Pope calls priestly pedophilia ‘grievous evil’ (Reuters)
The Pope’s first statement | His declaration on the abuse scandal was necessary but not sufficient. (Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal)
Police chaplain ousted after alleged abuse | Reportedly admitted molesting an altar boy more than two decades ago. (Boston Herald)
Church newspaper clarifies remarks | Says it didn’t intend to challenge teachings on priest celibacy, ordination of women and homosexuality. (Associated Press)
Sex crisis leads to soul-searching | Rules of priesthood doubted, attacked (The Miami Herald)
Local priests to read missive from top cleric | Statement, to replace Sunday sermon, likely concerns sex scandal (The Denver Post)
Marriage of faith | These Catholic priests are honoring vows to God and family (The Boston Globe)
Many Catholics see coverup in abuse scandal | Fifty-six percent of the Catholics in the poll said church leaders have “mostly tried to cover up the problem,” while 32 percent said their leaders have “mostly tried to deal with” it. (The Washington Post)
Also: Catholics critical of church’s response (USA Today)

Church & State:

Oklahoma House passes moment-of-silence bill | Measure would also require schools to display U.S. flag, teach students about flag’s history, etiquette. (Associated Press)
Rabbi must stop home services, county orders | Rabbi Josef Konikov vows to sue (The Orlando Sentinel)

Life ethics:

Kan. court asked to rule on abortion | Lawmakers vote to ask the state Supreme Court to declare that life begins at the moment of conception (Associated Press)
Chinese man sues wife over abortion | Man says wife infringed his right to have a child by opting for an abortion. (BBC)
President of NOW speaks at Loyola | Archbishop had criticized bringing someone to campus with a “pro-abortion agenda” (Associated Press)
Decision delayed on Hawaii’s assisted-suicide bill | The measure passed the House and is now before a Senate panel (The Honolulu Star-Bulletin)

Church life:

Parishes can seek other view | In a concession to conservative bishops who oppose the ordination of gays and women, the Episcopal Church will allow parishes that disagree with their bishops to seek leadership temporarily from an outside bishop (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Once a man on the move, now a man of the church | President and chief operating officer for Clear Channel Television now a member of the clergy (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.)
Irish prefer pub to church, survey says | 22 percent of people in the Irish Republic view regular church-going as important, compared with 35 percent who said going to the pub at least once a week was a priority (Reuters)
Mainline religions dwindle as megachurches gain ground | Unlike other parts of the country, where the social pressure to attend a long-established church is more intense, the Northwest’s lack of religious tradition means fragile congregations struggle even more (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Running a marathon is hard | Organizers promise to never again schedule race for Palm Sunday (The Washington Post)
A church in the limelight | The demise of Limelight—a New York dance club that for nearly two decades traded on the novelty of its setting, a neo-Gothic church — turned out to be brief. (The Wall Street Journal)
English church to screen World Cup | Pastor wants to attract families to congregation (Ananova)

Religion after 9/11:

Religion’s influence, after Sept. 11 spurt, back to normal levels (Religion News Service)
Americans struggle with religion’s role at home and abroad (Full report)

Sex & marriage:

Pamphlet from anti-gay activist prompts complaint to police (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix)
The trying game | The mutual frustration of transsexuals and conservatives.(William Saletan, Slate.com)

Wired world:

Church v. Google | How the Church of Scientology is forcing Google to censor its critics (Microcontent News)
Google restores Web page critical of Scientology | Home page was “inadvertently removed” with proprietary pages (Reuters)
FBI takes page from Mormons’ data book | The FBI is consulting Mormon Church computer experts who oversee the institution’s vast genealogy data bank to help rebuild the bureau’s outdated information system. (USA Today)

Pop culture:

Study: Sex, violence are down on TV | Movies are unchanged, says Center for Media and Public Affairs. (Associated Press)
Rams’ Kurt Warner will host Dove Awards | So will Yolanda Adams (Associated Press)

Other stories of interest:

Christian broadcaster urges Americans to visit Israel | “This is the time to support Israel like never before,” says CBN president Michael D. Little (The Jerusalem Post)
The people who believe that Satanists might eat your baby | Claims of ritual satanic abuse are back (Damian Thompson, The Daily Telegraph, London)
Doctors prescribe gospel message | Free clinic treats body and soul (The Toledeo Blade)
Dallas Morning News’ religion section is best in U.S. again | Council honors section for 5th time in six years (The Dallas Morning News)