Religion News

KIEV, Ukraine - Tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews from around the world gathered in a small Ukrainian city Thursday to mark the Jewish New Year at the tomb of their spiritual leader — an apparent record for the annual all-male pilgrimage banned for decades by the Soviets. Full Story »

BERKELEY, Calif. - Amid the uproar over the proposed mosque near ground zero in New York, a new Islamic college recently opened its doors in California with plans to educate a new generation of Muslim-American leaders. Full Story »

GAINESVILLE, Florida (AFP) - US President Barack Obama warned a Florida church's plan to burn Korans would bolster Al-Qaeda Thursday as the church at the center of the storm defied a growing chorus of global outrage. Full Story »

NEW YORK (AFP) - The cleric behind a proposed Islamic center in New York said he would not have planned it so close to the site of the September 11, 2001 attacks had he foreseen the level of "pain" triggered by the controversial project. Full Story »

PARIS - A Muslim stonemason who spent nearly four decades helping to restore a Roman Catholic cathedral in France has been immortalized as a winged gargoyle peering out from its facade — with the inscription "God is great" written in French and Arabic. Full Story »

GAINESVILLE, Florida (AFP) - An evangelical pastor insisted his plans to torch the Koran would go ahead after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the "disgraceful" burning ceremony in Florida. Full Story »

GAINESVILLE, Florida (AFP) - A small Florida church Wednesday brushed aside global outrage and vowed to go ahead with burning some 200 Korans, as local officials drew up plans to try to tamp down the protest. Full Story »

BOSTON - In a move that stunned parishioners, the Boston Archdiocese shut down a Quincy church last weekend, five years after it was allowed to remain open as a chapel. Full Story »

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI thanked the British on Wednesday for the "vast amount of work" they have put into his upcoming visit and said he hoped their efforts would pay off. Full Story »

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Families of September 11 victims are arguing whether to call a truce on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States as debate rages over plans for a Muslim center near the World Trade Center site. Full Story »

GAINESVILLE, Florida (Reuters) - An obscure U.S. Christian pastor whose plan to burn copies of the Koran on September 11 has sparked an international outcry said on Wednesday he would go ahead with the event despite warnings it would endanger American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Full Story »

BOISE, Idaho - Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo might seem like an unlikely person to be pushing a bill to cut federal taxes on small beer-makers: A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he abstains from alcohol. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. religious leaders on Tuesday condemned an "anti-Muslim frenzy" in the United States, including plans by a Florida church to burn a Koran on September 11, an act a top general said could endanger American troops abroad. Full Story »

NEW YORK - The group of Muslims planning to build a 13-story Islamic center and mosque near ground zero appears plagued by divisions that raise questions about the future of the project, with one major investor saying he is prepared to sell some or all of the site if the price is right. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is investigating a handful of apparently anti-Muslim incidents in four states, including the stabbing of a Muslim cab driver in New York City. Full Story »

Miami - The Gainesville, Fla., pastor leading a campaign to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11 is no stranger to controversy. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Attorney General Eric Holder was Tuesday to meet with religious leaders from across all faiths to discuss ways to stem a wave of attacks against Muslims and mosques. Full Story »

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As they prepare for the High Holidays this week, the Jewish community in India's financial capital Mumbai has good news to report two years after its rabbi there died in an Islamist assault on the city. Full Story »