Lead story
Editor's note:
Many cities in the United States are allowing the broadcast of the Muslim call to prayer from mosques, with Minneapolis becoming the most recent one to do so. As part of the five pillars of Islam, the prayer is obligatory for all Muslims. The Islamic tradition even recommends that the sound of the prayer be one of the first that a newborn hears.
The broadcasting of the prayers in the U.S. dates to the first enslaved African Muslims, who brought their Islamic practices, to varying extents, to American soil. The earliest documented evidence is from the World’s Columbian Exposition, a world’s fair that was held in Chicago in 1893.
Today, the call to prayer can be heard in cities with a sizable Muslim population such as Hamtramck and Dearborn in Michigan and Paterson, New Jersey, among others. “Alongside church bells and other sounds of worship,” writes Michigan State University’s Leila Tarakji, the public call to prayer signifies “that Muslim beliefs are not deemed less worthy, nor must they be confined to a private space.”
Religion News
A nun commends Dodgers’ handling of Pride Night controversy. Some archbishops call it blasphemy
The Los Angeles Dodgers, for perhaps the first time, have been accused of blasphemy. Three prominent Catholic leaders — including the archbishops of New York and Los Angeles — said the team should have stuck by its short-lived decision to exclude a satirical LBGTQ+ group from this year's Pride Night because it features men dressed flamboyantly as nuns. By David Crary/The Associated Press
A high-profile French nun is inspiring hope for Catholic women. But can she really bring change?
A French nun is charting an unprecedented period of reform in the Catholic Church as one of the Vatican’s highest-ranking women. Sister Nathalie Becquart is the first female undersecretary at the Synod of Bishops, which will convene a meeting in October on empowering rank-and-file Catholics to have a bigger say in the life of the church. By Nicole Winfield and Trisha Thomas/The Associated Press
This year’s Hajj is a landmark: the first full pilgrimage after three years when COVID-19 sharply reduced the scale of one of Islam’s holiest rites. It’s a mass, communal experience. It's also deeply personal, as each pilgrim brings his or her own yearnings and experiences. By Fares Akram, Niniek Karmini, Abby Sewell, Mariam Fam and Qassim Abdul-Zahra/The Associated Press
Bishops begin process that could ban gender-affirming care in Catholic hospitals
The vote doesn't ban gender-affirming care outright but sets in motion a process that could end up barring the practice at Catholic health care facilities. By Jack Jenkins/Religion News Service
William Barber departs pulpit of Greenleaf Church with an ode to the power of disability
The sermon, which capped his 30-year tenure as pastor of the Disciples of Christ church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was unusually personal. By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
Today's short-term missionaries continue a long legacy, but in a very different way. By Caroline R. Nagel for The Conversation
In Southern Baptist history, rules on women and sexuality are often entwined. A scholar writes about the first congregation to be expelled from the SBC over LGBTQ issues. By Andrew Gardner for The Conversation
The Prophet Muhammad called on Muslims to stand up against the oppression of the most vulnerable. By Ani Zonneveld/Religion News Service
In the beginning of the Bible, the tree of life represents what sets humans apart from divinity – but other texts use the symbol to depict mankind's relationship with God. By Samuel L. Boyd for The Conversation
Former President Donald Trump prays with pastor Mario Bramnick, third from right, and others at Versailles restaurant on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Miami. Trump appeared in federal court Tuesday on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department's efforts to get the records back. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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