Updated: March 2, 2004

"Biblical" Locust Plague Threatens Mideast Ahead of
Passover, U.N. Agency Warns of Potential Devastation

With the Passover celebration just weeks away, a locust plague of biblical
proportions could threaten parts of the Middle East and Africa, according to a
United Nations agency. An outbreak that potentially could darken the sky and
consume everything in its path is "in progress on the Red Sea coast in Saudi
Arabia where swarms are forming," the Rome-based U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization said ... 

Read on...



How Religion Defines America

A Gallup Poll released in November 2003 found that six out of ten Americans said
that religion was "very important" in their lives. In contrast, in Canada and
the United Kingdom, two societies often perceived as quite similar to the United
States, only 28% and 17% respectively described religion as similarly important
in their lives. A survey done in 2001 by the City University of New York
Graduate Center found that 85% of Americans identify with some religious faith
... 

Read on...



Muslim Producer to Bring "The Passion" to France

French film buffs worried that anti-Semitism charges could bar them from seeing
Mel Gibsons "The Passion of the Christ" will get to see the movie after all
thanks to a Tunisian Muslim producer ready to distribute it. Tarak Ben Ammar, a
major film broker with business ties to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and Italian
Prime Minister Silvio Bersluconi, told interviewers the film stressed
forgiveness and blamed the Romans rather than the Jews for Christs death ... 

Read on...



Want Money? Have Faith in God

MK Leah Ness (Likud) put forward a rather unusual law proposal Monday. Ness
wants all Israeli currency to be stamped with the words “In God we trust”. “This
law will make an important statement” said Ness. According to the new law
proposal, every banknote printed by the State of Israel will bear the words “In
God we trust” in three languages: Hebrew, English and Arabic. In Arabic the
phrase will be translated as “Insha-alah” ... 

Read on...