In 1933, Max Born and other Jewish scientists fled Germany for England and America, at the urging of Albert Einstein. Born was part of a group of elite theoretical scientists that most any country would want, except for Nazi Germany. Max Born’s son, Gustav, is now 92 and recalls his family’s flight from Germany eighty years ago. You can read the whole story in the BBC News and you can also see a list of these refugee scientists who went... Read more
If you teach World Religions, you might want to check out this new book about Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. Aslan is also the author of No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. NPR interviews Aslan in the nine minute clip below. Aslan concentrates on the tumultuous and apocalyptic period in which Jesus lived. He relies largely on Roman sources about Palestine in the first century and uses the Bible to fill in some gaps.... Read more
Speaking before the United Nations, on her 16th birthday, Malala Yousafzai asks for “free compulsory education for every child.” Yousafzai was shot last year by the Taliban because of her outspoken belief in education for young girls. The NY Times has a good article about the speech here. Yousafzai has been an outspoken critic of the Taliban for several years. In 2009, the NY Times profiled her in the video below. Read more
The Guardian Newspaper’s fashion blog reports that Sikhs in England are trying to show that they, with their turbans, can be as fashionable as anyone else. In fact, one young Sikh, Pardeep Singh Bahra, started a blog called Singh Street Style. It includes photos of his friends and of Sikhs who just walk by. He believes that “the turban can complement an outfit and give you more character,” and wants to ” inspire younger Sikh guys to be proud of... Read more
Studying Buddhism? Here’s a story to show how some of its ideas have permeated American culture. Salon Magazine has an interesting story about the increasing use of meditation by members of Congress. Congressmen Ryan and Sanford even encourage other members to try it. And Ryan is even writing a book about how meditation can reduce stress and even heal Congress. Read more
Atlantic Magazineposted a series of images of Muslims around the world observing Ramadan including the one below. Read more
NPR posted this video that includes views of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and “views of the faithful performing prayers and circumambulation around the Kaaba, the sacred cube at the mosque’s center.” This would be great to show when you study Islam and the importance of the hajj. Read more
Tererai Trent defied cultural norms that denied African girls an education and restricted them to a life in the home. Married at 18 with three children, Trent learned how to read and eventually earned three degrees. She returned to her native Zimbabwe to help build schools and work as a role model for other girls. You can read more about Terai Trent and see other clips at this CNN site. The NY Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof profiled Trent in his... Read more
Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, begins Tuesday, July 9. It always occurs in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The clip above, from the History Channel, offers a brief overview of the holy month. ESL teacher, Larrry Ferlazzo has a list of sites about Ramadan here. The Boston Globe, covering Ramadan in 2008, posted some awesome pictures that you can see here. Read more
Maajid Nawaz used to recruit young Muslims to an extremist Islamist group and served five years in an Egyptian prison. He underwent a transformation and began advocating for democracy. In the TedTalk above he explains that transformation and discusses the circumstances that create extremist groups. You can also listen to an NPR interview with Nawaz here. Read more
World Religions
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