Muslims planning prayer at U.S. Capitol
Tens of thousand of Muslims from across the country are expected to participate in what’s being billed as a “Jummah Prayer” on the West Front of the Capitol. The mass prayer event is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 25. The permit granted by U.S. Capitol Police allows access from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Organizers hope to draw 50,000 participants, and non-Muslims are welcome.
The organizers’ Web site features a handshake: One hand is brown-skinned; the other is covered in the American flag. Beneath are the words “Islam & America.”
A mosque in Elizabeth, N.J., Dar-ul-Islam, is spearheading the event.
Washington, because it is the nation’s capital, has always been a big draw for such events, including the Million Man March in 1995 and all manner of political protests and annual demonstrations. The organizers of the Sept. 25 prayer event say it will not include the usual political speeches and posters.
President Obama’s January inaugural speech and a June speech in Cairo inspired the event.
The objective of Jummah Prayer on Capitol Hill: A Day of Islamic Unity is “to express and illustrate the wonderful diversity of Islam,” organizers say on the Web site, IslamOnCapitolHill.com. Among other things, the site says that on Sept. 25:
“Thousands of Muslims from all races, creeds, colors and ethnicities will gather for the sole purpose of prayer.
“Muslim youth will experience tours of the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court.
“The peace, beauty and solidarity of Islam will shine through America’s capitol.”
Modern Bible under revision for 2011
The popular New International Version of the Bible is being revised. “We want to reach English speakers across the globe with a Bible that is accurate, accessible and that speaks to its readers in a language they can understand,” said Keith Danby, global president and chief executive of Biblica, on Tuesday.
With more than 300 million copies sold worldwide, the NIV Bible is the most popular of modern translations in North America. It was published in 1978 to provide a faithful translation of the Scriptures in 20th-century English.
“As time passes and English changes, the NIV we have at present is becoming increasingly dated,” Mr. Danby said. “If we want a Bible that English speakers around the world can understand, we have to listen to and respect the vocabulary they are using today.”
In the past, attempts to remake the NIV gender neutral in different editions were hit controversies that theological conservatives against each other.
The revision is expected to be released in 2011.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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