Editing 2002 (section)

== Religion ==
Religious violence was prevalent in 2002. Hindu–Muslim relations were strained in India, most prominently by Muslim attack on a Hindu train car in February that led to [[2002 Gujarat riots|weeks of deadly riots]] in [[Gujarat]]. Unrest from the Second Intifada led to widespread attacks on Jews throughout the world, and Christians in Pakistan faced several attacks throughout the year.<ref name=":52" />{{Rp|page=301}}

The [[Catholic Church sexual abuse cases|Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal]] continued from 2001; the church adopted rules on how to address sexual abuse allegations on January 8, and [[Pope John Paul II]] made his second papal statement on the matter on March 22.<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|page=448}} The [[Catholic Church]] created four new Russian dioceses in February, resulting in protests by members of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]].<ref name=":52" />{{Rp|page=302}} Belarus made the [[Belarusian Orthodox Church]] into the state's legally recognized religion, curtailing practice of other religions.<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|page=449}} The [[Church of England]] determined in July that divorcees could marry in the church. Then in December, the church saw its first leader in centuries from outside its own membership when the Welsh [[Rowan Williams]] was confirmed as [[Archbishop of Canterbury]].<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|page=447}}

Islam grappled with the aftermath of the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2002, facing both the expansion of [[Islamic terrorism]] and of United States military action in combating it.<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|page=450}} [[Orthodox Judaism]] was the subject of several disputes with the Israeli government throughout the year, including the exemption of Orthodox Jews from military service and recognition of non-Orthodox conversions in the population registry.<ref name=":52" />{{Rp|page=303}}

The relationship between religion and education shifted in several nations in 2002. The removal of the Taliban from power allowed girls to attend school in Afghanistan for the first time, and textbooks funded by the United States included images of women. Pakistan introduced a law to regulate Islamic [[madrasa]] schools under pressure from Western nations, but it saw backlash from the schools. State-funded [[faith schools]] became a polarizing issue when the government suggested increasing their number. The [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] of the United States [[Zelman v. Simmons-Harris|ruled]] that [[school vouchers]] allowed students to seek religious education.<ref name=":52" />{{Rp|pages=204–205}}