religious conflicts

A tangle of conflicting regional alliances and enmities has left the U.S. with few good options to prevent Iraq from falling apart

The lack of a substantive foreign policy has left us no good options regarding Iraq.

Murdered for his faith

The legal fight over a World War I memorial cross in Bladensburg is the latest front of a national battle over the separation of church and state.

The U.S. must help Nigerian authorities rescue more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist extremists

The Supreme Court ruling on Christian prayer before local government meetings was wrongly decided; councils should stick with non-sectarian invocations anyway.

Lawyers argued for almost two hours Thursday whether the skinny, hollow-cheeked young man from Ellicott City sitting in court was a dangerous al-Qaida plotter or a kid with undiagnosed psychological problems who had been misled by a cabal of bumbling terrorist wannabes.

Carroll County commissioners were right to rein in public prayer at board meetings

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners is expected to vote on a resolution Tuesday afternoon concerning the board's practice of prayer before opening its meetings.

Commissioners can't silence someone for the content of his comments at a board meeting

Plaintiffs in the hotly fought case over prayer at Carroll County commissioner meetings are asking a judge to hold board members in contempt, alleging that they have twice violated a judge's order banning invocations of Jesus Christ.

Wheeler and Khalid represent a small but concerning segment of the population who have conspired to commit or aid in committing terrorist acts. There is no easy answer for what compels people like them to venture out on the dark path that leads to destruction, loss of life and prison. But the more important question is: "How can they be stopped?" This requires frank dialogue, and not only examination of factors that promote terrorism, but also our individual and collective roles in preemptive

Sharon's passing coincides with Secretary of State John Kerry's intensive efforts to secure an Israeli-Palestinian deal. It is impossible to know whether Sharon would have been able to reach an agreement with the Palestinians had he not had a massive coma that left him incapacitated. What is certain is that if Mr. Netanyahu does not adopt Sharon's determination, another opportunity for peace will be lost.

Ariel Sharon, the daring Israeli general who as a field commander and prime minister became one of the most influential and controversial leaders in the Middle East, died Saturday. He was 85.

Qaida-linked militants in Iraq capture control of Fallujah and Ramadi

The Ellicott City teenager who pleaded guilty to aiding terrorists over the Internet has paid his dues and should be sentenced to time served.

It's hard to argue that we're fighting a War on Christmas when so many combatants don't know what they're fighting for. How are we supposed to understand why maintaining Christmas as part of our culture is important, when we don't understand what Christmas represents?

At a time when the nation's top Roman Catholic leaders have been making headlines with their stands on religious liberty and immigration reform, Cardinal Timothy Dolan opened this year's convention of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by focusing his attention beyond American borders.

Thomas M. Bailey Sr., a retired Baltimore City Fire Department captain and fire academy instructor who was a decorated World War II veteran, died of cancer Saturday at Brightview Avondell independent living in Bel Air. The former Cedarcroft resident was 96.

Wagner's great-grandson was an inspiration

Violence is resurgent in Iraq, but economic gains and the promise of elections offer some reason for optimism.

There is a chance to settle the Middle East's intractable conflicts — if Muslims, Christians and Jews work together.

U.S. willingness to talk to top Iranian officials is welcome news

The NFL's cultural insensitivity

The compromises required for a final peace settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians will be too difficult unless the U.S. steps in to make them less so.

Contemporary American Theater Festival continues its mission of bringing fresh, provocative work to small West Virginia town

Rather than another ill-conceived military intervention in the Middle East, we should focus on efforts to foster ties to the new, moderate regime in Iran.

Last U.S. intervention made things worse, so we should proceed cautiously this time

Reactions to terrorism are understandable, but let's not forget that extremism knows no racial, ethnic or religious bounds.

Jonah Goldberg writes that President Obama can declare the war on terror over, but unfortunately, the enemy has a say in that.

Documentary screening at Maryland Film Festival tells of seminal 1968 anti-war protest, peace movement it helped spawn

Two men are asking a federal judge to end what they say is the Carroll County commissioners' regular practice of opening meetings with prayers that are "frequently Christian in nature."

Addressing grievances that lead to violence must be part of the solution

When Nancy Aiken talks to students in Baltimore's Orthodox Jewish community about domestic violence and sexual assaults, she asks the boys a simple question: How many of you want to grow up to be a perpetrator of violence?

Letter to the Editor

Propping up countries created by European colonists is not the right path for U.S.

Today's 'terrorist' may be tomorrow's statesman

An American woman's diary of the 1938-39 British-Arab fighting is instructive for today's conflict

Israel's decision to cede Gaza to the Palestinians got it less peace and less security.

Israel has a right to defend itself, but it should avoid a ground war in Gaza

Columnist Robert Ehrlich is wrong to say we should take a harder line in the Middle East.

Cal Thomas says the Arab world has no business rebuking the United States

Anger in Arab world starts with flaws of Islamic states

Where are the peace-loving Muslim clerics to decry the violence against American embassies?

A new book by University of Maryland researchers reveals patterns behind the jihadist violence of Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

John A. Jarosinski, a Baltimore businessman who was an active member of the Catholic War Veterans, died Thursday of cancer and a stroke at Stella Maris Hospice. He was 88.

Violence must be confronted, but the underlying issues are ripe for continued diplomacy

The Obama administration wasn't sympathizing with those who attacked our embassy in Libya, and it isn't apologizing to the world. But Mitt Romney is right that its response to the attacks fails to explain and defend a key American value.