JOURNALIST SLAIN-MEMORIAL
Mass held to mourn journalist slain by extremists
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) β The American journalist beheaded by Islamic State extremists has been remembered in a Catholic ceremony at his hometown church.
A Mass of Remembrance was held at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Rochester, New Hampshire. The church was packed. The parents of James Foley also attended and spoke briefly.
The ceremony came five days after the extremists posted a Web video of Foley’s killing and billed it as retaliation for American air strikes against Islamic State targets in northern Iraq. The freelance photojournalist was kidnapped in Syria in November 2012. His captors reportedly demanded a $133 million ransom for his release.
Peter Bishop Peter Libasci (lih-BAH’-shee) said Foley was a role model and returned to harm’s way so that others might open their eyes. Libasci read a letter sent by Pope Francis.
Sound:
148-a-17-(Bishop Peter Libasci (lih-BAH’-shee), at memorial for slain journalist James Foley, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church)-“closeness in prayer”-Bishop James Foley reads a portion of a letter sent to the church by Pope Francis. (24 Aug 2014)
< 145-r-10-(Sound of parishioners singing, at memorial for slain journalist James Foley, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church)–Sound of parishioners singing, at memorial for slain journalist James Foley, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church. (24 Aug 2014) < 147-a-10-(Bishop Peter Libasci (lih-BAH’-shee), at memorial for slain journalist James Foley, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church)-“child of God”-Bishop Peter Libasci says slain journalist James Foley set an example for everyone. (24 Aug 2014) < 146-a-06-(Bishop Peter Libasci (lih-BAH’-shee), at memorial for slain journalist James Foley, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church)-“open our eyes”-Bishop Peter Libasci says James Foley returned to the danger zone in Syria, even though he’d been previously abducted. (24 Aug 2014) < 142-r-35-(Sound of excerpt of ‘Amazing Grace’, from the Mass of Remembrance for journalist James Foley)–Sound of excerpt of ‘Amazing Grace’ from the Mass of Remembrance for journalist James Foley. (24 Aug 2014) < 127-r-25-(Sound of music and singing, from Mass of Remembrance for journalist James Foley)–Sound of music and singing from Mass of Remembrance for journalist James Foley. (24 Aug 2014) < IRAN-IRAQ-ISIL Growing solidarity against Islamic State BAGHDAD (AP) β Muslim leaders, clerics and nations continue to speak as one against the group Islamic State, which has seized large swaths of territory and engaged in heinous acts against those that don’t share its extremist ideology. Speaking in Baghdad, the foreign ministers of Iraq and Iran say there should be international cooperation to confront the threat. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the group “atrocious” and said it threatens Shia, Sunni, Kurds and the international community as a whole. Sound: 235-a-09-(Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian foreign minister. at news conference)-“clear to everybody”-Iranian foreignminister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Islamic State must be stopped. (24 Aug 2014) < 236-a-11-(Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi foreign minister)-“extremisms, against hatred”-Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari says the world needs to united against Islamic State. (24 Aug 2014) < 234-a-15-(Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian foreign minister. at news conference)-“serious, atrocious group”-Iranian foreignminister Mohammad Javad Zarif says cooperation is needed to stop Islamic State. (24 Aug 2014) < IRAQ-RELIGIOUS MINORITIES Iraqi refugees form U.S. support group EL MIRAGE, Az. (AP) β A small group of Iraqi religious minorities have started a U.S. support group. It’s called the Iraqi National Association and its goal is to speak for Iraqis who are being targeted by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. The refugees met in El Mirage, Arizona, last week to discuss the experiences of their families back home. Steven Nabil is an Assyrian Christian activist who has been campaigning against the Islamic State group. He says the purpose of the support group is to speak for those being slaughtered. Farhad Jundi, a Yazidi, says he and his wife feel powerless and have recently spent a lot of time crying for loved ones left behind. Islamic State fighters have attacked Muslims, Sunni and Shia, Christians and Yazidis. Sound: 237-a-11-(Steven Nabil, Iraqi Assyrian Christian activist,in AP interview)-“slaughtered, the refugees”-Iraqi Assyrian Christian Steven Nabil says Iraqi refugees in the U.S. are working together to represent peresecuted religious minorities in Iraq. (24 Aug 2014) < 238-a-08-(Farhad Jundi, Iraqi Yazidi refugee, in AP interview)-“night we cry”-Iraqi Yazidi Farhad Jundi says these are trying times for his family and other relgious minorities under threat. (24 Aug 2014) < POPE-VATICAN Pope prays for people of Ukraine VATICAN (AP) β Pope Francis has offered a prayer for the victims of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. During his traditional Sunday blessing at St. Peter’s Square, Francis said his thoughts “go in a special way to the beloved land of Ukraine.” Sunday marked the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Francis asked the thousands of faithful gathered to join him in prayer “for the victims, their families and those who suffer.” In recent weeks, Kiev’s troops have routed pro-Russia militants in much of the troubled east and encircled them in Luhansk (loo-HAHNSK’) and Donetsk (dah-NETSK’), the regional capitals. The United Nations estimates that more than 2,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting since April. CHINA-BEARD AND BURKAS China targets ordinary Uighurs with beards, burkas AKSU, China (AP) β The restrictions aren’t new, but there is growing tension among Uighurs (WEE’-gurs) over China’s ban on beards. The bans are enforced by plainclothes police officers. The resentment about the restrictions simmers beneath the surface in Xinjiang (shihn-jahng). a vast, mainly rural region were escalating ethnic violence has killed at least a few hundred people over the past 18 months. In addition to restrictions on facial hair, certain types of women’s headscarves, veils and “jilbabs,” loose, full-length garments, can’t be worn in public. The government said last week that it seized about 1,500 restricted clothing items and also “rescued” 82 children from studying the Quran.
