US Supreme Court: Church-state separation extends to religious schools

The Supreme Court extended the principle of church-state separation to shield religious schools nationwide from discrimination suits from teachers and school employees who serve as “ministers” of the faith. In a unanimous ruling, the high court for the first time concluded the Constitution includes a “ministerial exception” that protects churches and their schools from undue…

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Nick Clegg Distances Himself From David Cameron on Violent Extremism

3 March 2011 Nick Clegg has set out a rival government vision for combating violent extremism, striking a different tone from David Cameron’s month-old doctrine to disengage from extremists. In a speech in Luton, Clegg disagreed with Cameron’s disavowal of multiculturalism, was hesitant about moves to ban extremist groups and said he did not share…

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State Multiculturalism Has Failed, Says David Cameron

5 February The prime minister has criticised “state multiculturalism” in his first speech on radicalisation and the causes of terrorism since being elected. Addressing a security conference in Germany, David Cameron argued the UK needed a stronger national identity to prevent people turning to extremism. He also signalled a tougher stance on groups promoting Islamist…

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Manhattan: American Muslim Day Parade Held on Sunday

The annual American Muslim Day Parade, first held in 1985, was celebrated in Manhattan on Sunday amid controversy. The event brings together Muslims of many ethnicities and nationalities who worship in the New York region. The parade is intended as a celebration of diversity and pride in the Muslim community, but this year it had…

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A Law Banning the Burqa and Niqab in France Would be Legally Tenuous, Say Specialists

While French ministers like Eric Besson claim that a possible law against the burqa is a way to protect the dignity of women, others point to how it would remove practicing Muslim women’s dignity of choice. Denys de Bechillon points to how the notion of dignity is one of the most complicated to determine in…

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