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 We posted a photo of some books about Islam that found their way into the religion editor's in-box a few days ago, an odd and revealing mix about what's hitting the store shelves. Today, we get a peek between the pages of one of them, Mark LeVine's "Heavy Metal Islam":
Heavy metal musicians in the Islamic world are not typical careerists but musical revolutionaries putting everything at risk for little payoff beyond dreams of free expression. The price has been high, writes LeVine. Morocco initially repressed the scene, convicting 14 metal fans in 2003 as Satanists recruiting "for an international cult of devil worship." In 1997, more than 100 players and fans were jailed in Egypt, where the grand mufti demanded they repent or be executed. (They were eventually released.) That same year in Iran, homes were raided and metal fans arrested.
The full LAT review is here.
Meanwhile, J. Hubers left this comment: Wouldn't it be better to actually recommend some thoughtful books on Islam, ones that could help people understand what Islam is actually about? There are many. Unfortunately the popular press is more interested in sensationalism, so people read this dribble instead.
For those who are actually interested in discovering something approximating the truth about Islam I would recommend: Islam: Religion, History and Civilization by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University.
Done.
-- Veronique de Turenne
The New Yorker dropped a quiet bomb with that crazy Obama cover, so we figured we'd add to the conversation with a trio of books about Islam received by our religion editor. There's "Islam: The Religion and the People," which is an intro to the religion; "They Must Be Stopped," which purports to take on radical Islam; and "Heavy Metal Islam," which is exactly what it sounds like.
-- Veronique de Turenne
 We're running a (completely unscientific and maybe even meaningless) poll along with our story about faith in California, and we couldn't help notice that the numbers not only don't match the findings in the Pew study, they run counter to them.
At this particular moment -- people keep voting so we can only speak for right now -- of the 19,452 people who have weighed in, 60% say they don't believe in God at all. According to the study, 71% nationwide say they absolutely do believe in God.
Call us skeptical, but we think an e-mail may be making its way through the Godless (and godless) Internet, urging voters to skew the Pew study.
Have you voted yet? Is there a God?
(And btw, that's former Dodger great Orel Hershiser in the photo, clearly -- and famously -- a believer.)
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times
 Every time shoppers leave an outlet of Los Angeles-based Forever 21, they walk away with a bit of spirituality along with their sequined tunic (only $22.24!). A story by the Times' Leslie Earnest notes that Don and Jin Sook Chang, owners of the fast-growing apparel chain, are devout Christians who often attend 5:30 a.m. prayer services and have given millions to their church. Evidence of their strong religious convictions can also be found at the bottom of every Forever 21 shopping bag:
Each bag is inscribed with "John 3:16" -- the New Testament passage that says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
That may seem odd to some but not to those who consider shopping a religious experience.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Stefano Paltera/Los Angeles Times
Sex, evolution, Harry Potter and Hitler -- all in all a pretty good haul. But wait -- what connects "Best-Loved Mexican Cooking" to God? Could it have anything to do with the fact that our religion editor's last name is "Padilla"?
--Veronique de Turenne
No, not a baseball diamond in an Iowa corn field, though perhaps just as far-fetched. In Adelanto, a high desert town founded by the guy who invented the electric iron, a 60-ton marble statue of Quan yin anchors a budding Buddhist meditation center. Louis Sahagun visited the man -- and monk -- behind the dream:
Monk Thich Dang "Tom" Phap's routine starts with early morning
meditation and yard work. When 11 a.m. rolls around, there he is,
sandal-shod and in orange robes, a gold shoulder clasp gleaming in the
desert sun as he stands in prayer before the 60-ton white marble statue
of Quan yin.
After lunch, he whacks weeds, washes the statue and naps. In the late
afternoon, he has a dinner of soup and rice followed by meditation and
prayer. At 9 p.m., Phap calls it a day.
"I pray for Quan yin to help everyone else in the world," said the
67-year-old monk, who lives in a modest trailer beside the statue.
"Then I pray she helps me."
Reverently admiring the statue -- serene of face, with half-closed eyes
and flowing robes -- he added in broken English, "Soon we will have
grass and flowers and air-conditioning. This I believe. Yes!"
More about the man and the saint with magical powers in Louis' full story. A lovely photo gallery here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times
Those two LAUSD honchos who did nothing when a student reported
she was sexually abused by a substitute teacher are back on the
job. That's right: They've been criminally charged, yet they're back at the school. Richard Winton and Howard Blume explain what on Earth is going on.
Why did Inglewood police shoot and kill an unarmed man on Sunday? The cops involved say they heard gunshots, but neither weapons nor bullets were found. Police search for reasons but the community demands answers. Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Hector Becerra have the story.
Game 5 of the series is tomorrow and Kobe says he'll be ready. To do what? Mike Bresnahan visits with the Lakers' injured MVP.
The UCLA snooping scandal -- still growing. Sixty-eight current and former workers, including four doctors, pried into medical records that were none of their business. Lawanda J. Jackson, the employee indicted by a grand jury last month, looked at 61 separate files, including those of celebs and her fellow employees. More details from Charles Ornstein.
LAX to Florida for $18? Great travel deals are out there, if you know where to look, says Peter Pae.
Visions of the Virgin Mary in the Mojave Desert, where the faithful
have headed for 20 years for Our Lady of the Rock gatherings. The
Catholic Church isn't thrilled, but attendees say they find solace. Paloma Esquivel makes a visit. (And a photo gallery -- Virgin Mary in a sandwich, anyone? -- here.)
Jimmy Fallon's going to take over for Conan when the time comes. Oh -- and a new "90210" series, a "Boston Legal" pickup, and a "Family Guy" spin-off. Matea Gold and Maria Elena Fernandez have details of NBC's fall lineup.
Fabulist James Frey ("A Million Little Pieces") writes a crummy novel. David Ulin has the review.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times
 Asked - and answered - in this week's issue of Newsweek. It's the second year in a row the weekly has taken on rabbinical pulchritude, pegged to (why, exactly?) the annual Passover holiday.
L.A.'s own Rabbi David Wolpe of Temple Sinai (pictured at right) takes top honors again. In fact, the City of Angels dominates the list. Are SoCal rabbis just cuter than the rest, or is that the list-makers are from LA?
To see Rabbi Wople in action, check him out in a debate about whether God exists. Criteria and this year's list are here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times
More jail problems for the O.C.: A brawl in the Men's Central Jail leads to a lockdown. LAT
Church in Panorama City damaged by Molotov cocktail. LADN
Santa Monica Ferris Wheel: one bid ($50K) and two retractions. Four days left. EBay
The blog of unnecessary quotation marks. Because it's funny and "quirky" and there's "something for  everyone." And that's enough unnecessary quotation marks for "one post." (OK, now I'm done.)
State flower growers wilt under competitive pressure from imports. Ventura County Star
Smile. The Skunk Cam is watching. [ sic ]
Remember the request line on KGIL 1260. VanNuys Boomers
--Veronique de Turenne & Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times
A sampling of books sent to the religion editor so far this April. (Next time: religious swag.)
--Veronique de Turenne
 So Pope Benedict XVI is coming to the U.S. for a visit next week and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is ready. With a video. It's right there on the home page, a zippy little number with lots of quick cuts, zooming lens work and jolly music.
The focus is the annual Blessing of the Animals, so in addition to mariachis and palm trees, His Holiness will get a glimpse of cats, dogs, snakes, birds, bunnies, a ceremonial cow and a really big lizard. The video ends with a series of locals saying a genuinely heartfelt "Welcome, Pope Benedict, to the United States!"
Though the Pope's itinerary keeps him on the East Coast, the L.A. Archdiocese plans to show its video on a Jumbotron at Nationals Stadium in D.C., before the papal Mass. Think it'll make it to YouTube?
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: AP
 With today’s 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the American Jewish Committee noted that King received its American Liberties Medallion in 1965 and recalled how the organization has jointly worked with black groups on a variety of social issues.
Members of the Los Angeles branch of the committee joined representatives from Brotherhood Crusade, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other African American groups to visit King’s grave in Atlanta. There they recited the the Kaddish, the traditional Jewish prayer of mourning. “May His great Name grow exalted and sanctified,” begins the prayer.
When King received the medallion at the committee’s annual meeting, he delivered a powerful and poignant address on the struggle for civil rights. It can be heard and read here.
--Steve Padilla
Photo: AP
Curtis Richardson, a 13-year-old boy, was standing on this street corner last week when he was shot to death. Today, activist Eddie Jones, center, led a group in prayer at the same spot. The group also walked through the neighborhood and handed out leaflets urging people to take part in a 40-hour moratorium on violence in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The 40-year anniversary of King's assassination is tomorrow.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times
 Graduates of a nine-week course in the Psalms come to see the ancient Hebrew poetry as a path that leads to God, K. Connie Kang reports.
Why do some people find the Psalms such a powerful vehicle for prayer? Theologians say the answer lies in their vast variety, emotional honesty and occasional bluntness.
"What's so wonderful about the Psalms is that they're a keyboard that plays every song," said the Rev. Ron Rolheiser, a Roman Catholic priest and an expert on praying the Psalms.
The language of the Psalms is so powerful that, whether or not you're a believer, inspiration and introspection await in even the most cursory reading. It's a lovely piece -- and Connie's last -- as she's retiring after four decades as a journalist. Her full story here.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: J. Paul Getty Museum
We're on to Round Two in the escalating war between Anonymous, a shadowy Web-based group, and Scientology, the controversial religion Anonymous has been targeting since mid-January. The first salvo, an eerie YouTube video introducing Anonymous and stating its anti-Scientology agenda, got worldwide attention. (And over 2.5 million views so far.)
Now the church has responded with a video of its own.
Protests, name-calling, and denial of service attacks sparked charges and counter-charges on both sides. David Sarno of the Times' Web Scout blog went out to Hollywood over the weekend and watched as church and Anonymous butted heads. Most noticeable was a series of large metal frameworks that had been
erected and decorated with large rainbows of balloons and banners
bearing church messages: "Love and Help Children," "Don't be
promiscuous" and perhaps most visibly, the name of a
Scientology-related book for better living, "The Way to Happiness."
Scientologists obtained permits to close streets and block access to an event they held, Sarno reports. Anonymous hired a plane to fly overhead for an hour, towing a banner. Read the full post here.
The church claims to know the identities of Anonymous organizers, including local residents. From the N.Y. Post: Ryan Benno from Valencia, Calif., is shown, as well as Jonathan Brown from Tarzana, Calif., who is making a goofy face in his photo, and Sean Carasov from Los Angeles. None of the men in the videos could be reached for comment.
A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology said, "We absolutely made the videos."
"We have researchers that have found these men. When you get death
threats and bomb threats directly going after the church, we don't take
it lightly."
The full video response to Anonymous after the jump.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo -- David Sarno / Los Angeles Times
Read on »
 The recent return to downtown living isn't just lofts and lattes, there's a generous serving of God in the mix. Residents are flocking to new houses of worship and -- in the case of New City Church -- a restaurant, to fulfill their spiritual needs. Times writer K. Connie Kang reports:
The parishioners, who gathered for a recent service improvised in an Italian restaurant near Walt Disney Concert Hall, included some local loft dwellers.
About two dozen adults -- some with squirming toddlers in tow -- spent half an hour visiting with one another over yogurt and fresh fruit before the Sunday morning worship. They were white and black, Asian and Latino, well-to-do and down and out.
"If I am not living with God being first in my life, I am going to end up pushing a cart," said Jason Johnson, a Union Rescue Mission resident who is enrolled in a program to get back on his feet. He is fortunate, he said, to have a welcoming church within walking distance.
Longtime downtown residents are grateful, and newcomers are surprised to find the growing and vibrant spiritual scene. Kang has the full story here.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Carlos Chaves / Los Angeles Times
 What's Palm Sunday without the fronds? A blight among the Canary palms in the county has religious leaders fretting as the annual rite draws near. Paloma Esquivel reports:
Norma Foster, president and Emmy-nominated producer of the Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise Service, was in crisis mode this week. There were no palm fronds to be found. A frond famine that left Jewish families scrambling last fall for greenery during the annual Sukkot holiday has struck again. This time it’s affecting Christians as they prepare for the Easter holidays.
For years faithful celebrants turned to Los Angeles' tree trimmers for free palm fronds used at Easter and, of course, Palm Sunday (this Sunday). But since last year, officials with the Los Angeles Department of Public Works said they can’t provide freebies because of funding problems and because a fungus — fusarium wilt — plague that can be spread by trimming tools makes cutting the fronds a problem. The wilt afflicts Canary Island palms.
(More on the next page)
Photo - Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times
Read on »
 She's a Quaker, which means she's a pacifist. Nothing too scary there. But when Marianne Kearney-Brown added one little word to the California loyalty oath, she was fired from her job teaching at a Bay Area college.
Lots of surprises -- California has a loyalty oath? (Yes, and it's been a problem in the Bay Area before.) The United Auto Workers represents teaching assistants? Jerry Brown got involved?
All this and more as Richard C. Paddock reveals the fateful word that was her undoing, and why it could happen again. (Or to you.) Full story here.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Robert Durrell / Los Angeles Times
They're Anonymous and they're out to get Scientology.
It started earlier this year, when this eerie video warning (scroll) appeared on YouTube. Then NPR jumped in with a story, the group did a Q&A over at TorrentFreak, Wired magazine jumped all over the news, and our own Tony Pierce blogged a masked protest by the group near his home.
Anonymous, which has been called everything from script kiddies and creative crusaders to a shadowy online hit squad, has done more than just make threats. In January, it launched a denial-of-service attack on Scientology's website. And accidentally took out the web site of a Dutch school.
There are layers beneath the layers of this story - constitutional protections rights among them. David Sarno peels the onion.
What's next?
"Hello Ralph Nader, we are Anonymous."
--Veronique de Turenne
It's the weekend, right? Chores, errands, leftover work, the dog handing you his leash. Or you could try it Brad Karelius' way. Louis Sahagun tells his remarkable story.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
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Veronique de Turenne
Veronique de Turenne is a journalist, essayist, book critic and blogger, and has been a staff writer at virtually every newspaper in Southern California. One of the highlights of her career was interviewing Vin Scully in his broadcast booth at Dodger Stadium, then receiving a handwritten thank you note from him a week later. She lives in Malibu.
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We posted a photo of some books about Islam that found their way into the religion editor's in-box a few days ago, an odd and revealing mix about what's hitting the store shelves. Today, we get a peek between the pages of one of them, Mark LeVine's "Heavy Metal Islam":
