V.S. Naipaul on Islam

GO TO SOURCE TRINIDAD, November 1, 2001: When asked about whether he was surprised by Osama bin Laden’s support in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran, V.S. Naipaul, Nobel-prize winning author commented, “No, because these are the converted peoples of Islam, these are the people who are not Arabs. Part of the neurosis of the convert is that he always has…

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Banned Gujarat Cotton Enters Market

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 1, 2001: More than half the genetically modified “bt cotton” grown illegally over thousands of acres in Gujarat is suspected to have entered the market. The company which sold the seeds to Gujarat farmers has also sold the same seed to farmers in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. If Indian farmers completely adopt…

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U.S. Army Fields Portable Worship Center

GO TO SOURCE USA, October 27, 2001: A little-known weapon in the U.S. Army’s arsenal is a mobile house of worship that could be called “The Stealth Sanctuary,” according to a report by smh.com of Australia. The “containerized chapel” can be dropped from a cargo plane and within six hours be transformed into a multi-denominational religious center serving Christians, Jews…

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Lego Halts Use of Some Names for Toys

GO TO SOURCE WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, October 30, 2001: Danish toy maker Lego has agreed to halt production of a range of toys based on ethnic cultures after protests about its use of indigenous Maori names for some toys. Lego senior executive Brian Soerensen has just returned to Denmark after meeting Maori lawyers in Auckland where he acknowledged that Lego…

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Inner-City Students Get “Om Schooling” in Yoga

Source: Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA, October 30, 2001: “We can be grateful we are here in such a safe place,” Hatha Yoga instructor Tara Guber says in a soothing tone. “We can be happy to be here together to stretch, let our bodies open and our minds be set free, so that perhaps when we leave our yoga class we…

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Court Won’t Review Virginia Silence Law

GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON DC, October 29, 2001: The US Supreme Court, confronting again the vexing issue of school prayer, rejected a challenge Monday to a state law requiring students to observe a daily minute of silence. The court did not comment in turning down an appeal from opponents who claim Virginia’s minute of silence is an unconstitutional government encouragement…

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Salvation Army Ranks as Top US Charity for Ninth Consecutive Year

GO TO SOURCE NEW YORK, NEW YORK, October 29, 2001: The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of the nation’s leading charities reports the Salvation Army raised US$1.44 billion in 2000, an increase of 3.1 percent since 1999, making it the number one charity. Overall, the top U.S. charities saw donations increase 13 percent from 1999 to 2000. The Philanthropy 400 survey…

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Expert Says Roots of Terrorism Found in Home Environment

GO TO SOURCE SWITZERLAND, October 29, 2001: Alice Miller, a 1986 recipient of the Janusz Korczak Literary Award by the Anti-Defamation League, has sought to find answers to the tragedy of terrorism and the people who perpetrate it. She believes, “On the basis of the research I have done into the childhood histories of the most ruthless dictators, like Hitler,…

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Mad Cowboy: Story of the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat

GO TO SOURCE USA, October 29, 2001: When the Seattle Times book review raved about “a stunning example of a true insider — in this case, a fourth-generation Montana cattle rancher — turning the tables on a bloated industry he once embraced,” they were referring to the book “Mad Cowboy” by Howard Lyman. Lyman investigated the use of chemicals in…

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