Stories about Religion from November, 2009
Trinidad & Tobago: Right the Wrongs
Now Is Wow Too says the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's position on gay rights “leaves much to be desired”.
Chile: Council Rejects Giant Pope Statue in Santiago
The proposed construction of a giant statue of the late Pope John Paul II that was to be placed in a square of the capital city Santiago, was rejected by Chile's National Monuments Council.
Yemen: The Greatest Journey
Yemeni Omar Barsawad reflects on Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam.
Russia: At Least 25 People Killed in the ‘Neva Express’ Train Crash
An express train traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg derailed at 9:34 PM on Friday, Nov. 27, near the town of Bologoye, killing at least 25 people. Below are some of the initial reactions from the Russian blogosphere.
South Asia: Mass Murder Of Animals
Dipen Bhattacharya at Mukto Mona criticizes the rituals of sacrifices – be it during Kali Puja for Hindus or Eid-ul-Adha sacrifices for Muslims. “Man might need to eat meat, but...
Pakistan: Spare The Animals
Pakistani blog Baithak suggests that people should understand the spirit of religion rather than just following the rituals of sacrificing animals during Eid-ul-Azha: “The purpose of sacrifice is to understand...
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan: One State Solution Week 2009
The One State Solution Blog invites bloggers to express their opinions to redress the problems the Partition of India has created: “it did not achieve the goals or resolve the...
India: Politics And Tolerance
I love life… so I explore quotes Allama Iqbal on the philosophy of Hindu God Rama to showcase that: “India’s biggest strength is it’s secularism and it’s philosophy of tolerance...
Sri Lanka: Transformation Of Buddhism
Daya Dissanayake at Groundviews opines: “In Sri Lanka, the Dhamma preached by the Buddha has gone through many transformations.”
Trinidad & Tobago: On Sex
As a prelude to World AIDS Day, Alien In The Caribbean is “doing a thorough three part exploration of sex and sexuality, particularly in the Caribbean.”
Poland: Catholics Propose Adding Cross to National Emblem
Sylwia Presley reviews the reactions of Polish bloggers to a recent proposal by a Polish Catholic group to include the symbol of the cross in the national coat of arms.
Indonesia: Some groups want to ban ‘2012’ movie
Several regional branches of the Indonesian Ulema Council want to ban the movie ‘2012’ claiming the film's content is “unsuitable to be viewed by Muslims because only Allah knew when...
Thailand: Extravagant temple toilets
Richard Burrow from Thailand reported that temple toilets at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai in Samut Prakan have recently built a toilet which cost as much as 5 million baht.
Saudi Arabia: We'll Defend Ourselves – For The Right Reason
In recent weeks a longstanding conflict between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government has expanded to involve Saudi Arabia, which which has been carrying out bombing raids within Yemen. In this post one Saudi blogger gives his view of the situation.
Serbia: Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle Dies
Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, died on Sunday, November 15. On Monday, Serbia’s government declared a three-day mourning. Sinisa Boljanovic translates some of the reactions from the Serbian blogoshere.
Cameroon: On Catholicism, abortion and homosexuality
Rosemary Ekosso discusses the politics of abortion and homosexuality in Cameroon: “As a woman, I have learnt by trial and error (mostly error) not to believe automatically what large groups...
Barbados, Jamaica: The Politics of Homosexuality
“In Barbados we have a long way to go regarding how as a country we want to deal with the issue of homosexuality”: Barbados Underground says “it would be unfortunate...
Africa: Allah is not obliged
Sokari reviews Ahmadou Kourouma's novel, Allah is not obliged: “There are three sets of interwoven stories. The story of Birahima and his many wanderings with different militias across the region...
India: Time To Reclaim The Swastika
Runa at Uber Desi comments on the outrage on the Hindu religious symbol swastika printed on gift papers: “Isn’t it time people broadened their horizons a little to recognize that...
Egypt: Nidal Hassan – Psychiatrist or Psychotic?
Major Nidal Hassan is the US military psychiatrist of Arab origins who went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 13 people. He is now facing charges of premeditated murder. "Psychiatrist or Psychotic?", ask Egyptian bloggers.
Qatar: No one is above the law – really?
Doha bloggers bemused, incredulous and wistful by official remarks that no one in Qatar is above the law. A debate over the merits of that statement quickly evolves into a discussion on press freedom, as more clamor for a new law press law, free from any imprisonment penalties against journalists.
