Latest Islam and other religions Stories

An Afghan student was sentenced to 20 years in prison instead of death for blaspheming by circulating an article about the rights of women under Islam. Parwiz Kambakhsh, 24, had an appeals court Tuesday overturn his death sentence for blasphemy for passing around an article he downloaded from the Internet, the Los Angeles Times reported. He was studying at the time in Mazar-e-Sharif, where he also worked as a part-time journalist for local newspapers, the Times said. Kambakhsh was initially...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Christians, Jews and Muslims must work together to promote peace and teach respect for religions and their symbols, Pope Benedict said on Thursday. In reference to a wave of violence over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, but also to attacks in recent months on churches, mosques and synagogues in several countries, the Pope said religious leaders had a responsibility to "work for reconciliation through genuine dialogue." "Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe...

VATICAN CITY -- Christians, Jews and Muslims must work together to promote peace and teach respect for religions and their symbols, Pope Benedict said on Thursday.In reference to a wave of violence over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, but also to attacks in recent months on churches, mosques and synagogues in several countries, the Pope said religious leaders had a responsibility to "work for reconciliation through genuine dialogue.""Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe in...

By Robin Pomeroy ROME (Reuters) - Pope Benedict marked Ash Wednesday by symbolically sprinkling ashes onto the heads of worshipers and calling on Christians to respond with love and patience to the "violence that threatens world peace." Celebrating his first Ash Wednesday since becoming Pope, Benedict said Christians should use the 40-day Lenten season to reflect on the their "unending fight against evil which is done using the weapons of prayer, fasting and penitence." Giving his...

KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan journalist jailed for writing articles deemed blasphemous to Islam has had his sentence cut and been freed, a senior judge said on Thursday. Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, editor of "Hoqooq-e-Zan," or "Womens' Rights" magazine, was detained in October and sentenced to two years in jail, sparking protests by human rights groups. In an appeals hearing on Wednesday, Nasab said he "was a Muslim and not an apostate" and that led to the reduction of the sentence to six month,...