Cached from pdf--

Conference of European Churches – Office of Communications
Press Release No.07-40/efg 31 October 2007

TOM HENEGHAN, REUTERS RELIGION EDITOR, WINS
JOHN TEMPLETON EUROPEAN AWARD FOR RELIGION WRITING

The Office of Communications of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) is pleased to announce that Tom Heneghan, Paris-based Religion Editor for the news agency Reuters, has been named as the winner of the John Templeton Award for the European Religion Writer of the Year 2006.
The award is administered by the Office of Communications of CEC on behalf of the USA based John Templeton Foundation. The aim of the award is to honour journalists who write about religion in the secular press with accuracy, impartiality and in a spirit of ecumenical openness. The prize was inaugurated in 1994.
Born in New York in 1951, Heneghan holds dual U.S. and Irish citizenship. He studied modern languages in New York and Göttingen, and international relations in Boston. Since joining Reuters as a trainee in 1977, he has held positions as correspondent and editor in London, Vienna, Geneva, Islamabad, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Bonn and Paris. From Paris, he now directs the agency’s coverage of religion worldwide and writes mostly on Christianity and Islam in Europe.
Mr Heneghan’s entry for the Templeton award included three stories on Islam: a portrait of the French cartoonist René Pétillon, whose book “The Headscarf Affair” has been praised by French Muslim leaders; an interview with Sheikh Adnan Ibrahim, a Vienna imam who “says yes to Europe, no to Euro-Islam”; and a feature story on Muslim creationists in Turkey.
“The three articles Tom Heneghan submitted”, said one of the judges, “are very informative in regard to Muslim communities and their relation to Christians, and he provides real insights in a tight space”. “Writing on the French cartoonist Pétillon”, stated another judge, “Heneghan underlined his contribution to more understanding and dialogue: this applies to Heneghan’s work as well”.
"We are very proud that Tom has won this award”, said Sean Maguire, Editor for Political and General News, Reuters. “Tom does a marvelous job exploring how differing beliefs interact with each other and with society. His work illuminates issues of faith and the broader cultural, ethical and social challenges facing our world. We are particularly pleased that the award recognises those who write about religion with accuracy and impartiality, values which we strive for throughout Reuters Editorial.”
The award carries with it a prize of 5,000 Swiss Francs. The award ceremony will be held in Paris on 27 November at the Maison du Protestantisme, in co-operation with the French Protestant Federation.

*****