Turkish Scholar Fatwa Urges Killing ISIL

A popular Turkish televangelist has issued a controversial fatwa in which he urged people to kill militants belonging to the so-called Islamic State (ISIL), describing them as "the dogs of hell."

“If you run across them, slaughter them like you fight with the people of Ad and İrem [two places destroyed by God],” Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü said in his July 23 column for daily Vahdet, adapting a quote by Prophet Muhammad to today’s ISIL militants, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

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The embrace: Pope Francis and his friends, Omar and Abraham

Then Pope Francis, Omar Abboud and Abraham Skorka embraced in front of the Kotel, or Wailing Wall, in Jerusalem, it might have looked like the photo op of the decade, but for the three Argentinian friends it was an emotional turning point in a relationship with deep roots.
Both Abboud and Skorka are proud Argentineans, a Muslim politician and a rabbi and rector of the Seminario Rabbinico of Latin America, respectively.

They both have stories to tell about their friendship with Pope Francis, whom they speak about with a sense of intimacy and love. They all met at Argentina’s annual Te-Deum service at Buenos Aires' Metropolitan Cathedral, which is held on the Independence Days of May 25 and July 9.

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Islamic Center’s interfaith celebration of Ramadan

The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh cordially invited all to its annual Ramadan Interfaith Banquet to enjoy the Ramadan tradition while celebrating the outstanding Pittsburghers who are helping to cultivate compassion and respect in the fields of medicine, interfaith relations, museum programming and business networking.

The Humanity Day Honoree recipients were: Dr. Cristiana Bertocchi, Doctors Without Borders; Karen Hochberg, director, Pittsburgh Area Jewish Committee; Kathleen Hower, CEO, Pittsburgh Global Links; Rufus Idris​, executive director, Christian ​Evangelistic ​Economic Development; Cecile Shellman, diversity catalyst, Carnegie Museum: and Andy Pugh, director of operations, Sierra Leona Ebola clinic, Save the Children.

A Middle Eastern buffet in observance of breaking the Ramadan fast followed the program.

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