· February, 2009

Stories about Religion from February, 2009

Jamaica, Guyana: Action or Reaction?

  26 February 2009

Both Active Voice [Jamaica] and Guyanese blogger C.D. Valere (writing at Baiganchoka) continue the discussion about recent attempts by the Jamaican Broadcasting Commission to “clean up” the airwaves.

Malaysia: Operation Valentine

  25 February 2009

Malaysian police arrested 26 unmarried Muslim couples in hotel rooms during Operation Valentine to curb premarital sex. The crime of “khalwat,” or “close proximity” forbids unmarried Muslims to meet behind closed doors.

Egyptians on the verge of insanity

  25 February 2009

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Egyptians are struggling to maintain their sanity, faith, and stability. Marwa Rakha presents the following selection from Egyptian blogs which discuss dreams, suicide, unemployment and the gruesome murder of a woman and her children - at the hands of her husband.

Pakistan: Honor Killings And Islam

  23 February 2009

Imam Zaid Shakir at GOATMILK: An intellectual playground reminds us that “the practice of honor killings has absolutely no sanction in the Qur’an, the Prophetic practice, or in the evolved systems of Islamic law.”

Japan: Pictures of Japanese festivals and ceremonies

  22 February 2009

Yoshio Wada (和田義男)'s website [jp] has fascinating photos of the most interesting Japanese festivals and ceremonies. It also includes some pictures from famous historical places aorund the world. (The website is only partially available in English)

Iraq: The Walk to Karbala

  21 February 2009

Laith walks for 67 miles from Baghdad to Karbala to mark the 40th day anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, grandson of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680. “The journey of Karbala approved that Iraqis can be only one nation although some...

Palestine: The Story of a Gazan “Martyr”

  19 February 2009

The death of anyone close to you is painful, but how do you cope with it if that person has actively sought death? Gazan blogger Samaher Al Khazandar has written about her nephew, Mu’min Musa Al Khazandar, who joined the military wing of Hamas, and was determined to die as a martyr while fighting for Palestine.

Pakistan: The Taliban Truce Deal

  19 February 2009

There is a civil war going on in Swat valley in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan for more than half a year between the Pakistani army and the pro-Taliban groups operating in that region. Hundreds of people have died and thousands of civilians have been displaced due to the...

Egypt: Bloggers Take on the “Sons of Zion”

  18 February 2009

The bombs on Gaza may have stopped falling, but a fierce cyber battle continues, with bloggers on both sides of the fence mobilising their troops to 'obliterate' the presence of the other - at least online. Marwa Rakha taps into the Egyptian blogosphere to present to us another facet of this war.

China: Religious demography and house churches

  18 February 2009

Last November (21-22, Nov 2008), the China State Council Development Research Center organized a seminar on “Christianity and Social Harmony — Special Session on House Church”. This is the first of its kind organized by a Chinese governmental sector. However, soon after the seminar, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued...