This week a private forensics examiner announced the document is a fraud. Though examinations are not complete, William Flynn says the etching on the sheet does not match Lee's handwriting, was made with a tool Lee could not have used, and may be the work of imprisoned forger Mark Hofmann.
Both of the experts hired by the park service to inspect the sheet, Flynn and George Throckmorton, manager of the Salt Lake City police crime lab, helped to convict Hofmann in 1986. Hofmann was found guilty of forging Mormon historical documents. When he was about to be exposed, he murdered two people in a bomb explosion.
"What happened in Gujarat was not a spontaneous uprising, it was a carefully orchestrated attack against Muslims," said the group's South Asia senior researcher, Smita Narula, in a press release. "The attacks were planned in advance and organized with extensive participation of the police and state government officials."
A 75-page report written by Narula says police officials not only stood by while the violence occurred but also led charges, pointed out Muslims to attackers, and delivered victims into the hands of the mobs.
Charges of state involvement in the massacre have sent ripples through the country's government. The ruling BJP government has survived votes of no confidence this week, but reports claim the partyis now divided. In an intense 16-hour censure debate yesterday, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee ruled for an aid package to go to victims and denied charges of being anti-Muslim. Said Vajpayee: "It is being said I am against Islam. I take that as a slur against my image."
Israelis Kill Palestinian at Bethlehem Church | The latest violence in the Church of Nativity followed an hour-long exchange of fire on Wednesday night in the worst fighting around the shrine since the siege began. (Reuters)
Bethlehem tales of life under fire | Two groups of Palestinians emerged from the Church of the Nativity this week. (The Christian Science Monitor)
Ex-Boston Priest arrested on child-sex charges
Priest Charged With Repeated Rape | The Rev. Paul Shanley, 71, who has advocated sex between men and boys, voluntarily surrendered at an apartment in San Diego on three counts of raping a child. (Associated Press)
Priest in Boston Abuse Scandal Arrested | Under pressure from prosecutors, the Archdiocese of Boston also provided internal documents about other sex abuse cases, including files relating to Father Shanley. (The New York Times)
Vatican penance letter stirs ire | The Vatican on Thursday stressed the need for Catholics to confess their sins—but said some "habitual" sinners could never be forgiven. (Chicago Tribune)
Vatican reaches out to Islamic world | The Vatican has signed an unprecedented agreement with the Government of Turkey to promote religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims. (BBC)
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Some Saudis speak out against religious police | The muttawa are the shock troops of the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Saudis do not reject those duties, but many feel the muttawa have exploited their broad mandate. (Chicago Tribune)
Muslim's call on Christian groups is 'ridiculous' | A document saying student religious groups must admit people who are opposed to their aims has been described as "ridiculous." (Daily Telegraph, London)
Orthodox priests have the option | Greek Church, unlike Catholic, allows clergymen to marry, but celibacy has its rewards (The Washington Post)
Chaplains take on new roles in handling crises | Police and fire chaplains increasingly find themselves involved in preserving evidence and helping people deal with horrific events. (Chicago Tribune)
Bush risks evangelical wrath | If the president heeds Crown Prince Abdullah's advice, resentment from the Christian right could become an open revolt. (Boston Herald)
Virgin Airlines Settles Case, Allowing Time Off for Religion | The settlement will require the company to develop special work schedules where possible to accommodate an employee's request for time off for religious observance. (The New York Times)
Designers hoping to take nuns' fabric beyond the cloth | Versace fashion house is negotiating to buy rich fabric encrusted with metallic embroidery usually made into priests' vestments and about $120 apiece. (The Boston Globe)
Independent school's key to success is sacrifice | Tiny San Miguel School in the Back of the Yards neighborhood has done what dozens of other Catholic schools in Chicago's poor neighborhoods could not. It has stayed open. (Chicago Tribune)
Church stolen as couple prepares for wedding | Congregation that meets at the local YMCA keeps Church materials in a trailer, but someone drove off with it. (The Arizona Republic)