Bahrain sentences 3 for questioning Islamic teachings

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Prosecutors in the Arab Gulf nation of Bahrain have handed down yearlong prison sentences to three people for debating Islamic theology in a series of blog posts and online videos. The three are part of a local cultural society called Tajdeed, which is Arabic for Renewal. The society says it questions traditional Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence but not the religion itself. Critics, including prominent Shiite clerics in the kingdom, have accused the group of attacking Islam and have waged a campaign of incitement against them. The case has divided the majority Shiite community in Bahrain, which is ruled by a Sunni monarchy.