News from Istanbul Meeting

• July 9, 2009
  
  New sins, new virtues
  
  As the world heats up and economic dislocation ravages the poor, religious leaders offer up their diagnoses and prescriptions The Economist
  
  GLOBALISATION, technology and growth are in themselves neither positive or negative; they are whatever humanity makes of them. Summed up like that, the central message of a keenly awaited papal pronouncement on the social and economic woes of the world may sound like a statement of the obvious.
  
  But despite some lapses into trendy jargon, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), a 144-page encyclical issued by Pope Benedict XVI on July 7th, is certainly not a banal or trivial document. It will delight some people, enrage others and occupy a prominent place among religious leaders’ competing attempts to explain and address the problems of an overheated, overcrowded planet.
  
  For full story, visit:
  http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14002725
  
• July 31, 2009
  
  Eco-Islam
  Living on Earth
  Distributed by Public Radio International Green is the color of the conservation movement, and the traditional color of Islam. At a recent conference in Istanbul, Islamic scholars from all over the Muslim world gathered under an especially green banner to talk about climate change. Mahmoud Akef (MAHMOOD AKEEF) organized the conference, and talks with Jeff Young about the seven year Muslim Action Plan on global warming, which sets out to green the Hajj, boost awareness, and create an eco-Islamic label for products.To listen to this interview or read the full transcript, visit:http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=09-P13-00031&segmentID=6