USCourt: Davidson College officers can't make arrests because of school's church affiliation

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A prestigious North Carolina private college cannot have police officers with the power to arrest suspects and enforce state law because the school is a religious institution, the state Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday.

A three-judge panel agreed that the state Attorney General's Office shouldn't have commissioned Davidson College officers as law enforcement with powers similar to city police or county sheriffs.

Allowing the school's security officers to carry out laws on behalf of the state violates the constitutional ban on laws establishing religion by creating "an excessive government entanglement with religion," Judge Jim Wynn wrote in the unanimous opinion.

Attorney General Roy Cooper's office, which represents the state in the case, is reviewing the decision, a spokeswoman said.

The unanimous ruling means there's no automatic appeal to the state Supreme Court.

If an appeal is sought, Judges Donna Stroud and Cheri Beasley urged the Supreme Court to clarify whether a college or university with a religious affiliation should be allowed to receive the delegated authority as long as it doesn't seek to impose beliefs or indoctrinate students.

Davidson, a Presbyterian school of 1,800 students, has generated Rhodes Scholars and consistently ranks among the best liberal arts schools in the country.

The case arose when a Davidson officer stopped a motorist in 2006 on a street adjacent to the campus, 20 miles north of Charlotte. The driver, Julie Anne Yencer — who was not a Davidson student — pleaded guilty to driving while impaired but appealed.

Federal judge dismisses Oklahoma City bomber's suit against US prison officials over food

DENVER (AP) — A judge in Denver has dismissed claims by Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols that prison officials violated his religious rights by depriving him of a diet rich in whole grains, fibre, raw fruits and vegetables.

US District Judge Christine Arguello said in a ruling issued on Monday that Nichols didn't support his claims that the prison's food amounts to cruel and unusual punishment and violates his constitutional right to free exercise of religion.

Nichols sued last year, saying the food served at the federal prison in Florence, Colorado, violated his religious beliefs by causing him to sin.

He is serving life for conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter in the 1995 federal building bombing that killed 168 people. Timothy McVeigh was convicted of murder and executed.

US Muslim leaders condemn Holocaust-denial after visiting concentration camps

NEW YORK (AP) — American Muslim leaders who recently returned from visiting Dauchau and Auschwitz have released a statement condemning Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism.

The trip earlier this month was led by Rabbi Jack Bemporad of the Center for Interreligious Understanding in New Jersey, and co-sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany.

The Muslim leaders said that denying or justifying the Holocaust violates Islamic ethics.

"We condemn anti-Semitism in any form," the leaders wrote. "No creation of Almighty God should face discrimination based on his or her faith or religious conviction."

The leaders pledged to fight prejudice against Jews, Muslims and all people based on their religion, race or ethnicity.

School board names panel to decide fate of prayer banner in RI high school

CRANSTON, Rhode Island (AP) — The school board in Cranston has set up a subcommittee to decide the fate of a prayer that has been displayed for decades on a banner in a high school auditorium.

The American Civil Liberties Union recently asked the school district to remove the prayer, saying it violates the First Amendment and the principle of separation of church and state. But other groups have backed the prayer display.

The banner starts with the words "Our Heavenly Father..." and encourages students to do their best in school.

After hearing pleas from both sides Monday, the school board voted to create the subcommittee. The panel will include Superintendent Peter Nero, who has defended the banner but suggested that it be reworded to avoid litigation.

Malaysian state led by Muslim party introduces gold, silver coins as Islamic currency

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian state's attempt to revive use of gold and silver coins common in early Islamic societies has run afoul of the country's central bank, which said that local governments have no authority to issue their own currency.

The northeastern state of Kelantan began circulating the gold dinar and silver dirham coins last week as an alternative to the ringgit, the main currency of the majority-Muslim country. The state is governed by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, a conservative opposition group that promotes religious policies in its rule.

The gold dinar was the official currency of Muslim societies for centuries. The value of the coins used in Kelantan can fluctuate according to market prices, but officials say it remains a better alternative to currency affected by the dollar and other foreign currency.

Kelantan authorities also say the use of such coins is encouraged in the Quran.

The bank said it "has the sole right under the law to issue currency in Malaysia." It was not immediately clear how the bank planned to block the use of the coins for transactions.