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By Patrick McDonnell and Ruben Vives
People across Southern California took part in vigils, prayer services and other acts of remembrance Saturday as the region marked the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
"I just decided to drive up and make this my memorial celebration," said Rose Diaz, one of many who took a reflective interlude on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, off Pacific Coast Highway.
by John North
Thousands of local Muslims marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan Friday, the same day word came from Florida that a pastor's threat to burn copies of the Koran has been called off.
Los Angeles Congresswoman Maxine Waters and a group of African American church leaders came together Friday to condemn the announcement by the Reverend Terry Jones that he would burn the Koran. Jones planned to do it on the ninth anniversary of September 11, 2001.
By Olu Alemoru
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, who said she was "shocked and appalled" at the plan by a Florida pastor to publicly burn 1,000 copies of the Quran, joined area faith leaders Friday to call on him to keep his pledge to cancel the controversial event.
The group included First AME Church Senior Minister, the Rev. John J. Hunter and his wife Denise and political activist and college professor, Dr. Ron Karenga and his wife Tiamoya.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, and the pastor of the First AME Church today joined the chorus of outrage over a Florida minister's threat to burn the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11.
"America was created as a safe haven for religious freedoms,'' FAME Pastor John J. Hunter said during a news conference at the church. "At this time of remembrance of the 2,977 victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks, it is the role of the church to urge communities to come together across all races and religions and to respect and defend the diversity of faiths of our fellow man.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-35) sent a letter to President Obama today, urging him to include debt cancellation for the world's poorest countries as part of his plan to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Congresswoman's letter was signed by 48 Members of Congress, including Rep. Barney Frank, the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Michael Castle, a senior Republican member of the Financial Services Committee. Many of those who signed the letter are also cosponsors of the Jubilee Act (H.R.
By EVENS SANON and JONATHAN M. KATZ Associated Press writers
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters is criticizing a decision by Haiti's electoral council to exclude more than a dozen political parties from next year's legislative elections.
In a letter sent Wednesday to President Rene Preval, she urged the president to ensure the provisional electoral council provides a complete, public explanation for the disqualifications and to reinstate unlawfully banned parties before parliamentary elections Feb. 28.