Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding, an Episcopal priest in Seattle, has been told to recant her faith in Islam if she wants to keep the priesthood. Redding insists she can be both Christian and Muslim and sees no disharmony in maintaining both faiths at the same time. She was officially removed yesterday from her ordained ministry. This reminds me of another Episcopal priest in Michigan, Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester, who practices Zen meditation and received a lay Zen ordination from a Bhuddist community. He's also been facing fierce criticism from fellow Episcopalians, but he was never threatened to be deposed of his priesthood. Redding will be featured in a news segment tonight on CNN.
I was born and raised in Morocco. My research focuses on the intersections between Islam, Arab popular culture and the media. I'm currently an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado-Boulder.