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Muslim protests continue over cartoons
Public Agenda Alert
Feb. 9, 2006
The public is deeply concerned about relations with the Islamic world and consider it one of the central foreign-policy problems facing the U.S. Public Agenda research has consistently shown that Americans believe in religious tolerance. Yet the public is clearly struggling with its attitudes about Islam.
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Non-Muslim world needs to respect Islamic convictions
Opinion by Gilbert Friend-Jones
For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Feb. 11, 2006
The publication of these cartoons by the Danish daily was intended to be provocative and inflammatory against Denmark's Muslim population. Soon after publication, a group of Islamic diplomats petitioned to meet with the Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to express their concern, but he refused to see them.
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Metro-Atlanta Muslim leaders condemn Muhammad cartoons and associated violence
By John Baker Brown Jr.
Faith And The City
Jan. 15, 2006
Leaders of metropolitan Atlanta’s Muslim community strongly condemned “vulgar representations” of the Prophet Muhammad recently published by a number of media outlets worldwide and the ensuing violent protests by angry Muslims in several Islamic nations. The statement noted that “the right to freedom of expression” has limits and reminded Muslims and non-Muslims alike of the Prophet Muhammad’s words: “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.”
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Muhammad cartoons: Liberalism and authoritarianism, modernity and theocracy
Opinion by Joshua Micah Marshall
Talking Points Memo
Feb. 3, 2006
An open society, a secular society can't exist if mob violence is the cost of giving offense…. That's the crux of this issue -- that the response is threatened violence and more practical demands that such outrages must end.
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Cartoons strain freedom's limits
Opinion by Srinivas Aravamudan
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Feb. 8, 2006
Think about this: How might you react if I began this piece with a few tasteless jokes about the Holocaust, slavery or child sexual abuse? Or illustrated it with Andres Serrano's artwork depicting a crucifix submerged in urine?
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At Mecca meeting, cartoon outrage crystallized
By Hassan M. Fattah
New York Times
Feb. 9, 2006
As leaders of the world's 57 Muslim nations gathered for a summit meeting in Mecca in December, issues like religious extremism dominated the official agenda. But much of the talk in the hallways was of a wholly different issue: Danish cartoons satirizing the Prophet Muhammad.
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Dying to tell the story? More than you know
Opinion by Eason Jordan
International Herald Tribune
Feb. 6, 2006
Imagine the uproar if the American public suddenly learned the actual number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq was 66 percent higher than previously reported. In fact, such a disparity exists between what is widely reported and the true loss of life in Iraq, but the discrepancy centers around the number of reported journalist deaths in Iraq - the deadliest war ever for news organization employees.
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Liberia's new lease on life
Opinion by Emira Woods
Christian Science Monitor
Jan. 18, 2006, Posted by AlterNet
Ties between the United States and this country of 3 million people run deep…. Now that Liberia is struggling to transition to peace and democracy, the U.S. government cannot turn its back on this resource-rich, yet fragile country.
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A constitutional crisis
Opinion by Al Gore
AlterNet
Jan. 17, 2006
Congressman [Bob] Barr and I have disagreed many times over the years, but we have joined together today with thousands of our fellow citizens -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- to express our shared concern that America's Constitution is in grave danger.
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Lobbying limits: GOP owes party and the people
Opinion by Newt Gingrich
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jan. 13, 2006
In Washington today, neither party has been willing to put effective limits on the growth of federal spending. Together with a broken campaign finance system, growing Washington power is simply a recipe or destruction.
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The real cost of homeland security
Opinion by Ben Friedman
AlterNet
Feb. 9, 2006
Conventional wisdom says that none of us are safe from terrorism. The truth is that almost all of us are. The conventional belief is that in response to terrorism, the federal government has spent massive sums on homeland security.
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Finding words to talk about race
Opinion by Maria Luisa Tucker
AlterNet
Jan. 16, 2006
What's needed are a million personal conversations between ordinary Americans…. Ordinary people are the true experts in cross-racial, cross-ethnic dialogue, if only we would start talking.
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Wayward Christian soldiers
Opinion by Charles Marsh
New York Times
Jan. 20, 2006
In the past several years, American evangelicals, and I am one of them, have amassed greater political power than at any time in our history. But at what cost to our witness and the integrity of our message?
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Merit pay for teachers too flawed to be fair
Opinion by Merchuria Chase Williams
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jan. 13, 2006
It is inevitable that whenever discussions of salary increases take place, the topic of salary schedule vs. merit pay arises. While the goal of merit pay is admirable, there are inherent problems with its fair and equitable implementation.
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Panel considers standardized tests for colleges
Public Agenda Alert
Feb. 9, 2006
The Commission on the Future of Higher Education is considering—whether to recommend some form of standardized testing for colleges, according to The New York Times.
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How safe is that restaurant?
New system spells it out
By Elizabeth Lee
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jan. 27, 2006
Knowing how clean a restaurant is will soon be as easy as reading your ABC's — and U's…. Customers won't even have to walk inside a restaurant to know how it scored. New state rules require posting the grades on drive-through windows and front doors, with a few exceptions.
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Faith And The City posts brief event notices that must include a website address for additional information. Events should be concerned with public issues and/or civic dialogue.

Feb. 15: “Overcoming Resistance to Public Participation: Workplace Resistance AND Community Resistance.” Launch of the Georgia Chapter of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2).
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Feb. 22: “9th Annual Georgia Jewish Community Day at the State Capitol.”
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March 17: “The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right.” Book tour by Rabbi Michael Lerner comes to Atlanta.
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April 5: “The gap between being a witness to your faith and proselytizing.” Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta (FAMA).
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