Christian nationalism and yearning for the 1950s in US elections
Results of the US midterm elections are said to be on a knife edge, with Republicans expected to win the House of Representatives, but the Senate too close to call. There have been some surprises. The Religion News Service reviews the Pennsylvania governor race, which ended in defeat for Christian nationalist Senator Doug Mastriano, and victory for the state’s Jewish attorney-general, Josh Shapiro. It says Mastriano adopted Christian nationalist themes such as anti-pandemic restrictions, pro-conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and references to signs of God. But his defeat doesn’t mean Christian nationalism is dead as hardliners will see that his choice as a candidate shows those views are still finding resonance. Another RNS report summarises the 2022 American Values Survey by Public Religion Research Institute that finds a sizeable minority “yearn for a country reminiscent of the 1950s, embrace the idea that God created America to be a new promised land for European Christians, view newcomers as a threat to American culture, and believe that society has become too soft and feminine”.
American Muslims win historic string of results in US midterms
The Council on American-Islamic Relations says there were 145 American Muslims standing for election in the US midterm elections, including state legislatures. Its national executive director, Nihad Awad, said: “These newly elected officials are building upon the success of our community’s decades-long investment in civic engagement, voter registration and running for office,” adding that this was an indication that American Muslims were moving from “marginalised voices to decision-makers”. The “historic string of record-breaking results” will be collated and published today. The New Arab, a London-based publication on Middle east News, says three Palestinian-Americans have won seats in the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was re-elected in Michigan, Ruwa Rumman became Georgia’s first Muslim and Palestinian to represent the state, and Abdel Nasser Rashid won in Illinois.
Chief Rabbi makes historic visit to the UAE
The Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, is visiting the United Arab Emirates — the first official visit to an Arab state in the 318-year history of the role. The Daily Telegraph accompanied him as he gave the opening address at the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace, an annual event attended by scholars and religious and political leaders. He said the visit had been possible only because of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel, the UAE, Morocco and Bahrain. He called on the good relations among leaders to filter down to the grass roots and for faith leaders to promote peace. Jewish News says the secretary-general of the forum, Sheikh Al Mahfoudh bin Bayyah, believes the organisation is reaching for a paradigm shift on how Muslims engage with others.
Pope calls again for end to ‘insanity of war’ in Ukraine
Pope Francis has once more spoken against the “insanity of war” in Ukraine and appealed for dialogue to stop the conflict not only in Ukraine, but also in Syria, Yemen and Myanmar. Speaking at the weekly audience in Rome, he said wars destroy humanity and conflicts should not be solved through war. He said the “tormented” Ukraine is a victim of war “which will never be resolved through the childish logic of weapons, but only through the mild force of dialogue”.
Statue of Queen Elizabeth installed at York Minster
A statue of Queen Elizabeth II has been installed at the west front of York Minster, watching over an area to be known as Elizabeth Square. It was unveiled by her son, King Charles, who visited the city yesterday. The BBC reports that the statue “weighs almost two tonnes and is made from French lepine limestone. It depicts Queen Elizabeth wearing Garter robes and the George IV State Diadem, and holding the orb and sceptre, symbols of authority. The King’s visit to York was reported widely after a protester threw eggs at him — but all four missed him.
