Human Race

Named

Tawadros II, selected on Nov. 4 at age 60 to lead the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church, rejected any religious quotas in the country’s new draft constitution on the number of Copts allowed in parliament: “The constitution should be written for all Egyptians, despite their religious affiliations. The church will oppose any constitutional article that only takes into account the interests of the Muslim majority.”

But he said he sees “no need to fear” Egypt’s new Islamist leadership, as long as it “rules with justice.”

Appointed

Queen Elizabeth on Nov. 9 tapped Justin Welby to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury—widely seen as the figurehead of the 85 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion. A former oil executive, the 56-year-old bishop of Durham was a unique choice: His background in business and relatively short time as a leading clergyman includes advocating on behalf of the church in Nigeria, where Christians have come under attack by Islamic groups. Welby has been regarded as a conservative evangelical who has opposed same-sex “marriage” in a denomination splintered over the issue. He succeeds the uninspiring Rowan Williams, who sought to straddle divides within the communion over ordaining gay clergy and other departures from scriptural orthodoxy.

Sentenced

A district judge sentenced Mark Basseley Youssef, 55, the California man behind an anti-Muslim film that many blamed for sparking riots in the Middle East, to a year in prison for violating his probation. The charges stem from a 2010 bank fraud conviction, not from Innocence of Muslims, the film he admits to scriptwriting. But prosecutors claimed his lies about his identity and criminal past caused harm to others, including the film’s cast and crew. In September enraged Muslims put out death warrants against Youssef.

Sentenced

A federal judge sentenced Jared Lee Loughner on Nov. 8 to life in prison without parole in the January 2011 Arizona shooting rampage at a Tucson grocery store. It left six people dead and wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others. Giffords and other victims attended his hearing. She and her husband faced Loughner, with husband Mark Kelly telling the killer, “You tried to create a world as dark and evil as your own. Remember this: You failed.”

Held

A court in Kazakhstan’s capital says it will hold Uzbek pastor Makset Djabbarbergenov (see “Trumped up charges,” Oct. 6) for an additional month, awaiting documentation from Uzbekistan to certify deportation. Uzbekistan has sought extradition on terrorism charges, which could carry a prison sentence up to 15 years.

Died

Bonnie Libby, professor of literature at Patrick Henry College since 2005, died Nov. 5 of an apparent pulmonary embolism. She was 44.

Died

University of Florida professor and Southern historian Bertram Wyatt-Brown, 80, died Nov. 5. He served as president of historical societies and authored hundreds of articles and books. His Southern Honor: Ethics and Behavior in the Old South was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Novelist Walker Percy called the book, “A remarkable achievement—a re-creation of the living reality of the antebellum South from thousands of bits and pieces of the dead past.”