Major Interfaith, Govt. Leaders Meet in DC to Protect Religious Freedoms in US, Abroad

Major interfaith leaders and government officials will come together this weekend at the Islamic Society of North America's 49th annual convention to address civil rights challenges faced by Muslims in the U.S. and uphold minority rights in Muslim majority communities abroad.

Rabbi David Saperstein of the Union for Reform Judaism, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, and Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners will highlight ways in which faith-based communities work together to address issues of common concern, such as poverty, discrimination, and human rights abuses.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/major-interfaith-govt-leaders-meet-in-dc-to-protect-religious-freedoms-in-us-abroad-168252616.html

St. Louis interfaith gathering to focus on environment

People from a range of religious traditions and faiths will be gathering this afternoon to talk about environmental sustainability.

St. Louis EcoFaith co-organizer Steve Lawler says the goal is to build an interfaith network that can support environmental awareness and action.

Himself an Episcopal priest, Lawler says concern for the environment is integral to many different religions, from Buddhism to Islam.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-interfaith-gathering-focus-environment

Interfaith Crisis on the Borderlands of Burma (Myanmar), Bangladesh, and India

The Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, disclosed at its summit, on August 16, that it would take the question of violence against Rohingya Muslims in Burma (Myanmar) to the United Nations. Previously, Saudi King Abdullah announced a donation of US$50 million for relief of the Rohingyas.

Myanmar permitted an OIC delegation to visit the country, and will allow the Organization to coordinate relief efforts for Rohingyas displaced within Myanmar. The OIC action came as the global Islamic body suspended Syria from membership because of the widening bloodshed in that country.

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3307/burma-bangladesh-india-crisis