Briefly noted

Christian Century, Sept 22, 1999

* Georgetown University, the nation's oldest Roman Catholic university, has appointed its first Muslim chaplain. School officials said they believe Yahya Hendi is also the first Muslim chaplain at any major university in the nation. Georgetown, located in Washington, D.C., has a growing "self-identified" Muslim student population. About 2.8 percent of its 6,000 undergraduate students say they are Muslims. Approximately 60 percent of the students call themselves Catholic. Hendi, who has a bachelor's degree in Islamic law and theology from the University of Jordan in Amman and a master's in comparative religions from Hartford Seminary, began work at Georgetown in August. He joined more than 30 staff and resident university chaplains at Georgetown.

* Top officials of the National Council of Churches and the Central Conference of American Rabbis have issued a statement supporting public education to mark the start of the new school year. "We call upon our leaders of government at all levels, and people of all faiths and backgrounds to commit themselves to the protection, financial security and continued reform of our public school system," reads the statement. The statement cites several examples of how "public education is under attack," including reduced government funding, the development of voucher programs, and criticism of public schools in general when some are doing well. It also cites values of public education, including how it has helped move children beyond poverty and prepared young people for citizenship and public responsibility. The statement credits teachers for their role in nurturing children in public schools.

* A broad group of religious leaders has called on the government to do more to house the nation's poor, declaring that access to housing is a "sacred fight." "It works against good family life when you live in poor, dilapidated quarters," said Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and one of the signers of the letter. The letter, initiated by two San Francisco-based housing groups, asks the government to provide money for at least 200,000 vouchers in fiscal year 2000, which begins October 1, and to spend $100 million to "preserve the country's existing affordable housing supply." The letter was released as the House voted September 9 to cut the Department of Housing and Urban Development's proposed program budget by $1.6 billion, prompting the promise of a presidential veto.

* The Church of Scientology in Britain has agreed to pay a former member $88,000 and apologize for calling her a "hate campaigner." After American-born Bonnie Woods left the controversial church in 1991, she and her husband began offering advice about Scientology to families and friends of members. In 1993 the church, which has a reputation for trying to quiet its critics, produced a leaflet that included a photograph of Woods above the words "Hate Campaigner Comes to Town." Woods sued, and the decision was announced recently in London. Scientology attorney Patrick Moloney said the church regretted its action. Although recognized as a religion in the U.S. for tax purposes, Scientology enjoys no such legal status in Britain.