Watch Patrick Stewart explain the difference between "refugees" and "migrants." American Indians / Native Americans hope to rename another national landmark. And the Syrian Civil War continues to boil over. It's Fiery Tuesday, our weekly take on political and social news from around the world! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
What difference does it make if we refer to the people fleeing the Middle East for Europe as "migrants" or "refugees?" Quite a lot, say actors Patrick Stewart and Cate Blanchett. You can see their take (among others) on the humanitarian crisis here.
Headlines were made recently when President Obama, at the behest of American Indian / Native Alaskan groups renamed Alaska's Mt. McKinley "Denali," after the local indigenous name for the monument. Now other indigenous groups are hoping he'll repeat the precedent. Reuters covers ongoing efforts to rename Devils Tower in Wyoming "Bear Lodge."
A lot of debate has swelled over Europe's refugee crisis and with it a lot of disinformation. Nick Robins-Early takes a look at five of the most prominent myths surrounding the crisis and the refugees at its center, hoping to dispel some of the worst falsehoods.
What role, if any, should religion play in public life? With laws regarding religious liberty (or freedom from religion) and the Pope's address to Congress large in many people's minds, now's as good a time as any to ask the question. NPR gives a rundown on the history of public religion in the United States, from George Washington to Barack Obama.
Binding the European refugee crisis and the rise of ISIL together is one very deadly conflict, the Syrian Civil War, which has resulted so far in the deaths of over 200,000 people and the displacement of over 10 million. Is there any hope that the war might soon come to an end? Christopher Reuter, writing for the German magazine Der Spiegel, takes a look at the dire situation at the heart of the Middle East.