The plight of Syria’s vulnerable Christian minority

Before a brutal civil war engulfed Syria, the country was testament to the religious and ethnic diversity of the Middle East. Arabs of different faiths, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrian Christians and others lived side by side, embracing a rather durable Syrian nationalism.

But the increasingly sectarian character of the Syrian conflict and the rise of the Islamic State threaten to unravel the rich tapestry of Syrian society. In neighboring Iraq, the ravages of militants have forced tens of thousands of religious minorities, including Christians, to flee. Last year, the top Christian priest in Baghdad likened the present moment to the horrifying onslaught of the Mongol hordes in the 13th Century, which devastated the region and redrew its political map.

Religion Is Not the Enemy: Salman Rushdie blames the "Charlie Hebdo" killings on "religion.” He’s got the wrong culprit.

 It was entirely appropriate that one of the first people to weigh in after theCharlie Hebdo massacre was Salman Rushdie, the man who spent yearsof his life defying a state-sponsored death threat prompted by a presumed act of blasphemy. Though Rushdie isn’t one of my favorite novelists, I’ve always admired his firm stand in defense of the freedom of speech — and I’m glad that the British government had the guts to defend his rights.

By the same token, I don’t in any way dispute his right to make the statement that he issued yesterday — even though I find myself in rather strong disagreement with it. Here’s what he said:

Creationist Paradise: Happy Darwin Day! Celebrate and be condemned to eternal damnation.

Dinosaurs of Eden by Ken Ham

 Mark Joseph Stern

Today marks the 204th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist, father of modern biology, and inspiration for the Holocaust (depending on whom you ask). Happy Darwin Day! Scientists around the world will be celebrating the occasion withlectures, book readings, and even bake sales. Rep. Rush Holt, a physicist (and Jeopardy!champion), has introduced a bill to designate Feb. 12 a national holiday.