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NEWS OF RELIGIOUS CONFLICT & INTOLERANCE DURING
2002-NOV.
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2002-NOV-1: Importance of NOV-5 election: This
mid-term election is of phenomenal importance, both to social
conservatives and social liberals. If the Republican party retains control
of the House and also re-captures control of the Senate, then they will be
able to implement sweeping conservative reforms. If the Democratic party
gains control of the House and Senate, then they will be able to pass
liberal bills, but would probably see many vetoed by the President.
There are also state and local ballot propositions which will be decided
by the electorate. According to the Family Research Council,
these include:
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A defense of marriage act, which would prohibit
marriages other than those involving one man and one woman, is on the
ballot in Nevada.
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Measures to alter drug laws (e.g. decriminalizing
marijuana needed by patients for medical reasons) are on the ballots in
Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, and South Dakota.
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Gambling issues will be decided in Arizona, Idaho, North
Dakota, and Tennessee.
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Measures granting equal rights and protection for gays
and lesbians are on the ballots in Tacoma, WA, Westbrook, ME, and
Ypsilanti, MI. 11
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2002-NOV-5: KY: Ministerial group to demonstrate against
Gay support group: Some gay and straight students of Boyd
County High School in Cannonsburg, KY, attempted twice to
obtain permission from the school's teacher-parent council to
organize a Gay-Straight Alliance support group. They were
rejected both times. On the third trial, during the week of
OCT-26, they had a letter of support from the American Civil
Liberties Union which explained the requirements of the
federal Equal Access Act.
This time, the PTC approved their application. This triggered two
demonstrations: The Boyd County Ministerial Association, is
planning a community protest against the support group on NOV-10.
Many students boycotted the school by staying home on Monday
NOV-4; 420 out of the total student body of 990 stayed away.
Some reactions:
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Jenny Reese, mother of a student who is a member of the
Alliance said: "I just don't think it's a good idea for parents
to let their children stay home from school. It doesn't set a good
example for tolerance.'' |
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Andrea Opell, 17, a senior, said: ''Anything could happen.
'A lot of people say it will die down, and I hope it does. I hope
it doesn't get violent. I hope it doesn't get out of hand.''
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Rev. Tim York, pastor at Heritage Temple Free Will Baptist
Church and the Rev. Bill Bentley, pastor at First United
Methodist Church have appealed the council's decision. |
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James Esseks of the ACLU said at this was ''the
first time I've heard of a reaction of this kind or this size''
to the creation of a gay-straight alliance at a school. He
continued: "The level of reaction or resistance they're
encountering illustrates the need for a safe place for these kids
to meet. Can you imagine being a gay or lesbian student in a
community where people feel so free in expressing their
intolerance? That must be a difficult place to be.''
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2002-NOV-7: Canada: Federal government considering same-sex
relationship law: Justice Minister Martin Cauchon released a
discussion paper that will be used by the justice and human rights
committee of the House of Commons to guide the consultations. It
suggests three options, that:
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Marriage would remain an opposite-sex institution. Civil union
or domestic partnership legislation would be codified in law for
same-sex couples; it would be equivalent to marriage, except in
name. |
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Marriage would be expanded to include same-sex couples. |
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Parliament would cancel its marriage laws, and create a single "registered
partner" registry for same- and opposite-sex couples. Marriage
would be left to religious groups only. It would be a religious
ritual, like baptism in some churches, and would have no legal
significance. |
There are rumors that Cauchon favors the civil union option.
13,14 More details | |
2002-NOV-7: PEI, Canada: Commune leader found guilty of abusing
children: Lucille Poulin, the leader and prophet of a religious
commune in Prince Edward Island and a former nun was given an eight
month jail sentence and three years probation for abusing children under
her care. She is not to care for or live with children under the age of 12
during her period of probation. Ms. Poulin believes that children needed
to have the Devil beaten out of them in order to save them from eternal
torture in Hell. Her Fundamentalist Christian group started in 1984 near
Westlock, AB. They moved to Prince Edward Island in 1995 after
social workers in Alberta obtained a supervision order to monitor the
commune's children. Life for children in the commune was filled with
violence. They would be beaten for such minor infractions as "laughing,
sneaking a cookie, even falling asleep." Poulin was responsible for
most of the beatings. However, she had one of the men whip the children if
she felt that she was not strong enough to administer sufficiently
powerful blows. After sentencing, she commented: "I want to say at this
point that the blood of those children are not on my hands anymore. I
thank God that I have been faithful to the mandate God gave me. I chose to
abide in His word. And He said if you continue in my word, you shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free. He is my beloved, and I am
in love with Him, and I want to obey God rather than man.... Everyone will
answer for what they do and say. I go free with the joy of the Lord in my
heart." The judge concluded that requiring her to go to counseling
would be unproductive. 15 | |
2002-NOV-12: Nigeria: Opposition to Miss World contest: Some
Muslim groups in the country have opposed the contest, for a variety of
reasons. They consider the exposure of so much flesh by women to be
immoral. The contest is scheduled to occur during the lunar month of
Ramadan -- the holiest month of the Muslim year. "An official of one
Muslim group in the city of Gusau said protesters were planning 'black
prayers' and a 'spread of plagues of curses and bad luck on the Miss World
organizers and participants'." Organizers have said participants would not
attend any function in the Muslim north of the country. 16 | |
2002-NOV-19: BC, Canada: At the age of 2, Debbie Palmer had
been moved to Bountiful BC, a colony of the Fundamentalist Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- a faith group that split off from
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the main Mormon
denomination. The Fundamentalist Church has been excommunicated by
the main church. At the age of 15, she was assigned to be the sixth wife
of a 57 year old man. After his death, she was assigned to two more
husbands. She left the colony in 1991, after her 13 year old daughter was
allegedly molested by her third husband. She claims that she has suffered
sexual, physical, psychological and spiritual abuse as a child and as a
wife. She has since devoted her life to supporting other women who have
attempted to leave the colony. She is attempting to initiate a
class-action lawsuit on behalf of 25 to 200 wives from polygamous Mormon
communities in the U.S. and Canada. She hopes that the lawsuit will "bring
into the public and legal arena questions that the government has been
extremely reluctant to address." According to reporter Robert Matas,
she said that the civil lawsuit will raise concerns about the lack of
education for children in the religious community and the social,
financial and personal difficulties confronting those who try to leave.
Matas wrote: "The fundamentalist sect believes the highest degree of
salvation is achieved through multiple 'celestial' marriages and having
several children. Polygamy is illegal, but the government has adopted a
hands-off approach to the community. B.C. Attorney-General Geoff Plant
says a guarantee of freedom of religion protects church members from the
law." Lawyer Vaughn Marshall said that the women are looking for
justice. "They want a court to say, 'This was wrong,' " He said
that laws on polygamy and bigamy are intended to prevent the exploitation
of women and to protect their property rights. But women leave Bountiful
with nothing. The lawsuit alleges systemic negligence and abuse, and "unjust
enrichment." 17 | |
2002-NOV-23: Nigeria: Mass murder; Pageant cancelled: The "ThisDay"
daily national newspaper published a controversial article written by a
woman, Isioma Daniel. It suggested
that if the Prophet Mohammed were alive today and had viewed the Miss
World pageant, he would have probably chosen to marry one of the
contestants. The newspaper later published a retraction and apology.
However, the original article triggered three days of rioting. "...protesters
armed with sticks, daggers and knives set fire to vehicles and attacked
anyone they suspected of being Christian." Christian mobs
counter-attacked. Over 200 people
died; most were Christian. At least 500 were injured. Many Christian churches and a few Islamic
mosques were burned to the
ground. The newspaper building was razed. As of NOV-28, nobody had been
arrested for the murders and assaults. The officials of the Miss World pageant decided to change the venue to
London England. 18 | |
2002-NOV-26: Nigeria: Religious edict issued to assassinate writer:
The New Nigerian newspaper reported that the Deputy Governor of
Zamfara state, Mamuda Aliyu Dallatun Sininkafi, had issued a fatwa
(religious edict). It allegedly calls for all devout Muslims to attempt to
assassinate Isioma Daniel. She is the author of the article that suggested
that the Prophet Mohammed might have married one of the women in the
Miss World pageant. The information minister of Zamfara, Umar
Dangaladima Magaji, said: "What we are saying is that the Holy Qur'an
has clearly stated that whoever insults the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad,
should be killed...If she is Muslim, she has no option except to die. But
if she is a non-Muslim, the only way out for her is to convert to Islam."
Daniel's religion is unknown at this time. She tendered her resignation
and has fled to the U.S. A spokesperson for Nigerian president
Olusegun Obasanjo said that the federal government would not permit any
Islamic group or individual to carry out the death order. 19
In Islam, fatwas can only be issued by a select group of religious
scholars. It is doubtful that this fatwa is binding on believers. | |
2002-NOV-28: Nigeria: Religious edict reversed: The Jama'atu
Nasril Islam, Nigeria's supreme Islamic body, circulated an order for
Muslims to ignore the theological edict issued on NOV-26. They wrote that
"The Zamfara state government has no authority to issue fatwa and the
fatwa issued by it should be ignored." In Nigeria, the power to issue
a fatwa is limited to the Jama'atu and the Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs. 20 |
References:
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CNSNews.com -- Cybercast News Service -- is a conservative
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Ken Connor, "State Ballot Props Target Family Issues" Family Research Council,
Washington Update, 2002-OCT-31.
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Mark Pitsch, "Gay-rights decision protested at E. Kentucky school:
Allowing group to meet sparks student boycott," The Courier-Journal,
Louisville, KY., 2002-NOV-5, at:
http://www.courier-journal.com/
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Andrew Chung, "Gay marriage to get hearing; Ottawa could consider
legislation as early as this spring," Toronto Star, 2002-NOV-8.
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"Marriage and Legal Recognition of Same-sex Unions: A Discussion
Paper,"
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/dept/pub/mar/
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David Stonehouse, "Former Alberta sect leader jailed for beating
children; Lucille Poulin, 78, says she carried out God's will in P.E.I.,"
Edmonton Journal, at:
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/
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"Plea to stop Nigeria pageant protest," BBC News, 2002-NOV-12,
at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/
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Robert Matas, "Woman to bring suit against Mormon church," The Globe
and Mail, Toronto ON, 2002-NOV-19, Page A10.
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"Nigeria calls off Miss World show," BBC News, 2002-NOV-23, at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/
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"Nigerian state issues death order on writer: Riots followed Miss
World report," Reuters/Canadian Press, The Toronto Star, 2002-NOV-27,
Page A17
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Daniel Balint-Kurti, "Top Muslim body rejects death edict: Nigerian
state ordered death; Supreme body accepts apology," Reuters,
2002-NOV-29, The Toronto Star, Page A27
Copyright © 2002 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2002-NOV-1
Latest update: 2002-NOV-27
Author: B.A. Robinson 
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