I recently watched the film “Kingdom of Heaven,” and I was struck by one of the final lines spoken by the character Saladin, a Muslim leader who battled to take over Jerusalem during the era of the Crusades. When questioned by Orlando Bloom’s character, Balian, a valiant defender of the Read More…
True to form, religion has once again taken center stage in the world arena. By now, the general premise of the protests in Libya, Egypt and beyond is well known, and special attention has been given to the death of U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens, a UC Berkeley graduate, here on Read More…
This week, Californians were at the center of the latest episode in the uncomfortable and seemingly endless debate about depictions of the prophet Mohammed. The question of how to depict the prophet and his followers — if you are to depict them at all — has been argued back and Read More…
Three experts discussed religion’s role in Israel-Palestine conflicts Wednesday night at UC Berkeley. The discussion was organized by the Olive Tree Initiative, a student- and faculty-founded group with chapters on five UC campuses. Read More…
Bleary-eyed and carrying a slight headache from jet lag, I stumbled up a concrete staircase to a second-story shop. It was my second day in Amman, the capital of Jordan, and I found myself accompanying our Palestinian study-abroad program director as he ran errands. To a sweets shop, then an Read More…
