NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. — For Daniel LeBaron, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict used to be something he only knew about through the reports of violence that filtered out through the news. But today, the Rockridge graduate has achieved a new and deeper understanding, thanks to the Palestinian and Israeli friends he made as part of a B.C. film camp this year. The goal of the Peace It Together camp was to document the experiences of Palestinians and Israelis through film in a way that promotes peace, but as LeBaron explains, the films only scratch the surface of what the participants go through in the process. "I was really nervous going into the camp," said LeBaron. "I know quite a bit, but I was still worried about my lack of factual knowledge, and to be completely honest, I was worried about stepping outside my easy-going life." "I learned a lot about the conflict itself. I heard stories - soldiers going into people's houses in the middle of the night, taking their brothers from them - that I'll never
ORANGE, CALIF. — It took three years, and a lot of patience, persuasion and planning to get to this point. But now 13 churches in Orange County have agreed to take turns providing shelter to homeless families. Volunteers from another seven churches and synagogues will help the other congregations serve meals, read to children and provide companionship in the evenings. The network will be the first local chapter of Family Promise, a national organization that now includes 166 affiliates that serve families in need of 
MURFREESBORO, TENN. — The voice of a young Middle Eastern man echoed through the room as he sounded the call to prayer amidst a crackling microphone; the time to break the Ramadan fast had arrived. Water and fresh dates are offered to the primarily non-Muslim crowd and the Iftar dinner is served. While the Muslim hosts are busying themselves setting the buffet tables for the ensuing feast, I find myself noticing that this Iftar dinner is markedly different. Instead of being in the minority surrounded by men in typical Musli
NEW HAVEN, CONN. — More than a dozen American states are considering outlawing aspects of Shariah law. Some of these efforts would curtail Muslims from settling disputes over dietary laws and marriage through religious arbitration, while others would go even further in stigmatizing Islamic life: 
MINNEAPOLIS — Labor Day may mark the end of the United States' unofficial hot dog season, but a new a line of hot dog carts in Minneapolis is just getting started. 
WASHINGTON — On July 22, a man planted a bomb in an Oslo government building that killed eight people. A few hours after the explosion, he shot and killed 68 people, mostly teenagers, at a Labor Party youth camp on Norway’s Utoya Island. By midday, pundits were speculating as to who had perpetrated the greatest massacre in Norwegian history since World War II. Numerous mainstream media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, speculated about an Al Qaeda connection and a 
VATICAN CITY — As Muslims around the world prepare to celebrate the end of their monthlong Ramadan fast, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran encouraged Catholics and Muslims to work together to promote spirituality. Cardinal Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said Christians and Muslims are concerned about the challenges of materialism and secularization and the loss of the importance of spiritual and moral values in society. The 
WASHINGTON — The Muslims are Coming is a comedy tour that is traveling to small towns throughout the South in hopes of opening up a discussion about Muslim stereotypes. The tour started in Gainesville, Florida, home of Terry Jones, the pastor who attracted international headlines by burning a Quran, and stopped in Lawrenceville, Georgia, outside Atlanta, on Tuesday night. It will 
