Free Republic

The U.S. Conference Of Catholic Bishops Needs To Stop Apologizing For IslamIslam’s inherent disdain for non-Muslims must not intrude on the pieties of interfaith harmony, according to the USCCB.Earlier this month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published “Islamophobia: A Guide for U.S. Catholics on Anti-Muslim Bigotry.” Showcased on the USCCB website with a lovely Islamic design cover, this 15-page booklet exhorts Catholics to “address the disturbing phenomenon of anti-Muslim sentiment in our times.”Introduced by the co-chairs of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue (NCMD) — Bishop Elias Lorenzo of Newark and Imam Kareem Irfan — the USCCB declares dire need...

Illinois could become the first state in the U.S. with a law giving Muslim-Americans a formal voice in state government. The Chicago Tribune reports that a bill approved by the Legislature would create a 21-member Illinois Muslim-American Advisory Council. It's awaiting Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's signature. The governor's office said he's reviewing it. Muslim leaders said it would send a welcoming message to Muslims. The governor and legislative leaders would appoint council members. Kareem Irfan, a Chicago lawyer who led an earlier version of the council under Gov. Pat Quinn, said it would be good to have a lasting institutional...