TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)- For the first time since Tucson's largest mosque was completed in 1990, women there can regularly pray in view of the imam and other leaders.
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The worship community of about 1,000 mostly Sunni worshippers has long separated men and women. In the past, men used the front door to the main worship area, while women entered a side door, using a small room where they listened to the prayer leader via an audio system.
Later, the mosque slightly eased those barriers, partitioning off a small corner for women at the back of the main prayer room, still keeping the imam out of view with a curtain.
Several younger women who used the mosque said the change wasn't enough. They told Tricia Pethic, 22, the only woman on the mosque board of directors, that it was difficult to fully engage in prayer guided only by a disembodied voice.
Pethic took the concerns to the board members who then voted to open the partition.
``We just decided we should offer women a choice,'' Pethic said.
She and other women at the mosque said they're satisfied with the change.
``I feel more secure knowing I can see what is going on a few yards ahead of me,'' said Yusra Tekbali, 22, a University of Arizona senior.
Judge allows Christian health program to continue operating
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A Christians-only health plan that serves nearly 20,000 churchgoers nationwide can continue operating in Kentucky, a judge has ruled.
Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas D. Wingate ruled Jan. 18 that the Medi-Share program isn't insurance and therefore doesn't violate the state's insurance laws.
The Kentucky Office of Insurance had asked Wingate to ban the program because it is not subject to the same laws and regulations that govern conventional health insurance companies.
Richard Masters, a Louisville attorney representing Medi-Share, said the plan is simply a cost-sharing program, not insurance.
Medi-Share, which is supported by contributions from participating churchgoers, is based on the biblical belief that Christians should take care of one another's needs.
The program excludes non-Christians because, organizers say, their lifestyles can result in unnecessary medical care. Participants in Medi-Share can't smoke, use illegal drugs or abuse alcohol. They're also not allowed to enroll if they have pre-existing conditions like heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
Ronda Sloan, spokeswoman for the Office of Insurance, cautioned consumers that participating in a ``sharing'' program like Medi-Share is not the same as having a policy issued by an insurance company.
Medi-Share, based in Melbourne, Fla., says it publishes a disclaimer stating it should never be considered a substitute for an insurance policy and doesn't guarantee payment of medical bills.
Medi-Share says it grew from $23 million in gross revenues in 2002 to $42.8 million in 2005, and now serves 19,000 families, including about 300 in Kentucky.
Ex-Salvation Army official takes role at NAE
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) - A former national commander of The Salvation Army has been appointed executive director of the National Association of Evangelicals.
W. Todd Bassett will oversee the group's administrative operations and communications, NAE president Leith Anderson said in a Jan. 16 statement.
The job of executive director, once a part of the NAE hierarchy, had been dropped in recent years, but the association's leaders recently decided to recreate the post.
Bassett has served on the executive committee of the evangelical group for four years.
He and his wife Carol became Salvation Army officers in 1965, serving in youth ministry, officers' training and other leadership roles. He was named the Army's national commander in 2002, serving until April 2006.
The National Association of Evangelicals is an umbrella group representing about 60 denominations in the United States.
http://www.nae.net/
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