Uproar over Egypt’s policy of state-dictated Friday sermons
Uproar over Egypt’s policy of state-dictated Friday sermons
CAIRO (AP) — Inside a large mosque in the Nile Delta, an Egyptian cleric looked over his congregation as he climbed the pulpit clutching a piece of paper and began to speak — delivering a 13-minute discourse on the virtues of personal hygiene.
For the first time in his career, the young imam found himself forced to read a Friday sermon printed from the official website of the Religious Endowments Ministry.
Minutes after he ended the unusually short sermon, uproar spread through the congregation.
The clamor was in response to a controversial bid by the government to establish control over Egypt’s religious discourse. Launched last month, it mandates that all imams at state-run mosques read pre-written sermons distributed by the ministry. The measure — which expands upon a 3-year-old effort to provide general guidelines — is unprecedented in Egypt, even under previous autocratic governments.
Russia strikes IS-controlled city in Syria amid Aleppo fight
BEIRUT (AP) — The Russian military sent long-range bombers to strike a series of Islamic State targets in the group’s de facto capital of Raqqa on Thursday — a fresh round of airstrikes that Syrian activists said killed at least 20 civilians and came amid Turkish calls for greater cooperation with Moscow against the extremist group.
The offer by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to coordinate with Russia on operations against IS followed a meeting between the Russian and Turkish leaders earlier this week in which they agreed to mend ties.
Relations between the two nations, which back opposite sides in Syria’s civil war, soured after Turkish air force jets downed a Russian warplane on the Syrian border in November. Russia retaliated by deploying long-range air defense missile systems to its base in Syria, 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the border with Turkey and imposing an array of economic sanctions.
Cavusoglu also said Turkey would resume airstrikes against IS targets in Syria, months after they were suspended amid the row with Moscow. “On the issue of Daesh, we have made a call to Russia. We said we have a common enemy which we can struggle against together,” Cavusoglu said, using an Arabic-language acronym for IS.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, welcomed the Turkish initiative.
Gay high school students raped, attacked far more often
NEW YORK (AP) — Gay, lesbian and bisexual high school students are far more likely than their classmates to be raped or assaulted in a dating situation, according to the first national survey of its kind.
The research also found gay teens were far more likely to have attempted suicide, taken illegal drugs and engaged in other risky behaviors.
The finding echoes results of smaller surveys and findings from advocacy groups, but it is the first government survey to look at the issues across the entire country.
For years, advocacy groups have been saying gay and lesbian kids are more often bullied, ostracized and at high risk for many other problems. But earlier research by the government was limited to a small number of states and cities. The new survey includes students in rural areas and other parts of the U.S.
“This is the first time we can say that nationwide these are consistent challenges faced by lesbian, gay and bi- youth,” said David W. Bond of The Trevor Project, a national suicide-prevention organization focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.
Trump wrongly calls Obama ‘founder’ of IS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says President Barack Obama is the “founder” of the Islamic State group. He’s not, of course.
According to the GOP presidential nominee, Obama’s decision to pull U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 destabilized the Middle East and created a situation in which Islamic State militants could thrive. That’s debatable, at least.
But to state that “Barack Hussein Obama” — as Trump put it to highlight the president’s middle name given to him by his Kenyan-born father — actively worked to create the terrorist group is simply not accurate.
In fact, the United States is leading a coalition of some three dozen Western and Arab countries on a mission to destroy IS. Republicans argue his response has been tepid and incremental.
Trump made his allegation at a rally in Florida and repeated it Thursday.