RNS Morning Report - Two pastors detained, a student dead: Haitians in Ohio turn to faith amid fear of ICE

Haitians in Springfield turn to faith amid fear Only days after two Haitian pastors were detained by federal immigration agents in Springfield, Ohio, the wife of one of the pastors, Denise Adrien Gedeon, arrived at a Friday evening vigil in support of Haitians in the embattled city. She spoke in Haitian Creole about her faith and God. “Despite everything, despite the difficult time, we believe in him, and we believe he will see us through,” she said, adding she did not want money or food — just the return of her husband, Joubert Adrien, whom she met singing in a church choir in Haiti in 1999. He was detained Aug. 20. Gedeon’s plea was part of an especially turbulent week in Springfield, as RNS national reporter Kathryn Post writes after her second reporting trip to the city in recent weeks. After the arrests of two Haitian pastors, Adrien and Julio Dumano, local Haitian leaders put out a call for support. More than 400 people responded — many of them faith leaders, some traveling from as far as Minnesota and Florida — to stand with Springfield. Three days after Gedeon’s plea, Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian college student, died in an auto collision, which his family described as a suicide. Read the full story.     Top Stories Two pastors detained, a student dead: Haitians in Ohio turn to faith amid fear of ICE SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (RNS) — ‘All I want is to see my husband back,’ said Denise Gedeon, whose pastor-husband, Joubert Adrien, was detained by ICE — one of two pastors arrested during a weekend that also brought a death, prayers and vigils for a Haitian community under siege. Wendell Berry, writer and farmer, was extolled by many as a modern-day prophet (RNS) — His writings touched on conservation, community and belonging, and he acquired legions of fans beyond environmental studies — including many scholars of religion. Opinion No, Attorney General Nessel, Jews will not disappear (RNS) — A Jewish attorney general makes an immodest proposal to her people. No, thanks. In Texas, ordinary Muslim religious practices are increasingly being treated as political threats (The Conversation) — After 9/11, suspicion of Islam hardened into an assumption in Texas that Muslim identity itself signals danger, writes a scholar of constitutional law. ICYMI What is sharia? Muslims and Texas Republicans have very different answers (RNS) — Islamic scholars and Muslim Texans say fear and political opportunism distort the meaning of sharia. Samaritan’s Purse turns down $300M from State Department for humanitarian relief (RNS) — Franklin Graham, one of President Trump’s most stalwart evangelical allies, did not offer any reasons for rejecting the federal funds, which would have been used for ‘immediate life-saving assistance to people affected by natural disasters.’     Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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