Stories about Religion from May, 2008
Burkina Faso: Level four culture shock
In The United Kingdom a bit more than a week ago, the Office of National Statistics reported that in the past ten years, nearly two million Britons have moved abroad, making up the second largest emigration in the country’s history. Presently, that means that 5.5 million Britons live in foreign countries. So, what does this have to do with Burkina Faso? It proves a point, a fundamental truth really, about foreigners: They eventually go home. Or at least most of them do. It just happens that in Burkina Faso, a number of foreign bloggers are getting ready to pack up their things and head elsewhere.
Egypt: On the Hijab
Egyptian Arima shares her ideas on a controversial post on the Islamic headscarf worn by women.
Iran:”Propaganda against Shi'ites in Saudi Arabia
Ghaghnoos, an Iranian blogger, says[Fa] that in Saudi Arabia some preachers publicly talk against Shi'ites. He has published several photos from his trip in Saudi Arabia.
From the Diary of a Sinister Egyptian Spinster
Egyptian women have their own set of challenges, ranging from the right to marry themselves off to inequality in marriage and divorce rights. Marwa Rakha sheds light on the thoughts and writings of Eman - a self-confessed spinster.
Bahrain: Shia Shrines
Bint Battuta in Bahrain visits two Shia shrines and posts pictures here.
Bahrain: When sect determines your spouse
Coolred38 is an American Muslim living in Bahrain, and she often finds herself frustrated at examples of what she sees as bad and even harmful behaviour being justified by religion. She recently posted about a ‘scandal’ in the family of a friend of hers: Long story short…Sunni girl and Shiite...
India: Sanskrit and Hindutva
The politics of a classical language, education and secularism in India explored at varnam.
Bangladesh: A cartoonist and the state
E-Bangladesh has an interview with Arif ,the condemned cartoonist who was charged by the state of profanity and sedition.
Israel: How Well Do You Know Jerusalem?
How well do you know your Jerusalem trivia? Jacob Richman of Good News from Israel puts your knowledge to the test in preparation for Jerusalem Day, which will be celebrated this year on June 2nd.
Africa: The challenge of the cults in East Africa
Pea discusses “The Challenge of the Cults in East Africa,” a video series on YouTube: “I was on YouTube just now and came across a series of videos titled “The Challenge of the Cults in East Africa.” The videos are posted by ACFAR, which I believe stands for African Centre...
Vesak Day in Malaysia and Thailand
Vesak Day is the most holy time in the Buddhist Calendar. saengthai writes about Vesak Day activities in Thailand and Dhamma Delights blogs about Vesak Day in Malaysia
Iran: 10 Christians were arrested
Schrr reports[Fa] that 10 Iranian Christians were arrested in Shiraz today. It seems all of them are Ex-Muslims and they can face death penalty.
The Victimization of Egyptian Women and Children
Fantasia's World raises crucial issues that hold back the Egyptian society all together; namely women's rights, violence against women and children, and the general misconceptions of male-female relationships in the Egyptian society and in the Arab world. Marwa Rakha zooms into a new post which discusses how Egyptian women and children are being victimized by traditions, law, and the Muslim Brothers.
Bangladesh: Women and the headscarf
Unheard Voices on a bank in Bangladesh that has made it mandatory for female employees to wear the headscarf.
Uzbekistan: IMU Arrest in Europe
Nathan reports that police in the Netherlands, France, and Germany arrested 10 men suspected of financing the IMU, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, aimed at establishment of an Islamic theocracy in central Asia and the overthrow of the regime of Uzbek President Islom Karimov.
Afghanistan: A Case of the Judiciary
SunLeaf tells story of a Journalist student convicted of insulting Islam (the punishment for this crime is death), which vividly reflects the state of the Judiciary in Afghanistan.
Uganda: Being gay in Uganda
Being gay in Uganda is like banging your head against the wall: “Can you imagine how hard it is realizing that you are gay, growing up and realizing that your sexual orientation is different in such a society, where ‘officially’ sex is a taboo subject, demonized. And on television and...
Ukraine: Crimean Tatar Deportations; “Tercuman”
Window on Eurasia writes about the 64th anniversary of the Crimean Tatar deportations by Stalin – and about Tercuman, a newspaper launched by Ismail Gaspirali, a Crimean Tatar educator and publisher.
Egypt: A Taxi Driver's Words of Wisdom
Israeli-American blogger Daniel Lubetsky, traveling in Egypt, interviews his taxi driver on leading figures in the Middle East. “I asked him to rank people or countries, thumbs up or thumbs down. Here were his rankings on 24 questions from Bush to Ahmadinejad, from Olmert to Nasrallah, from Bin Laden to...
Poland: Religion
Polandian writes about religion in Poland.
Egypt: Islamic Feminism Alive
Islamic feminism is alive and well, writes Egyptian blogger Arima, in this first of a two-part series.
