The horror of death and destruction now crippling the Middle East, euphemistically known as “The Holy Land,” finds me constantly defaulting to one overriding emotion: Gratitude. And no, that is not a typo. I’m grateful my late sister, Nancie Wingo,…
Understanding Ramadan: Self-denial as a spiritual discipline
Sunday evening, March 10, opened the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Observed during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar every year, it is a period intended for self-denial, which enables more opportunity for prayer, reflection and devotion, according to The…
Amid rampant antisemitism, most Americans think highly of Jews
Despite ongoing spikes in antisemitism corresponding to the rise of white supremacy and Christian nationalism, most Americans think more highly of Jews than they do of evangelical Christians, Mormons, Muslims and atheists, according to a new survey by Pew Research…
Is Nigeria really the world’s most dangerous place for Christians?
Over the past several months, two Christian NGOs — Open Doors and the Voice of the Martyrs — have been persistent in their claims about religious violence in Nigeria. Both organizations believe the many acts of terror recorded in the…
India at 75: The world’s largest democracy is dying of toxic nationalism
Think white Christian nationalism is the most dangerous form of identity politics in the democratic world? Meet Hindu nationalism, which is systematically destroying secular democracy — and civil society — in India. I sincerely regret raining on the parade of…
Fact-finders highlight ethno-religious violence in Nigeria, while State Department declines to act
Christians and Muslims both fear they will be “eradicated” in Nigeria, a fact-finding team from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom discovered. Last year, the commission, known as USCIRF, asked the U.S. State Department to label Nigeria, Africa’s most…
Many voices call for prosecution of mob who lynched and burned Christian student in Nigeria
Four weeks after the brutal mob murder of Deborah Samuel, a 22-year-old Nigerian Christian student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, reactions to her killing and the demand for the prosecution of her killers have not ceased. On May 12,…
Franklin Graham says he’s not a preacher of hate, so let’s roll the tape and see
I have a couple of questions for Franklin Graham. For years I have granted him a sort of “don’t criticize” card because of my respect for his father, Billy Graham. But as Franklin has become more and more political and…
In water-scarce Zimbabwe, free Muslim water wells are the ‘kiss of life’
Decades of water corruption, mismanagement and climate change mean Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, is one of Africa’s thirstiest cities. In some neighborhoods, Muslim families, building on the altruism of their faith, are erecting free, clean public water wells on…