Stories about Religion from March, 2010
Trinidad & Tobago: On Corruption
“On the day the Uff Report was submitted to a happy looking President, the Prime Minister suddenly realized the people needed more hospitals and Summits”: This Beach Called Life takes a tongue-in-cheek look at Trinidad and Tobago's political landscape.
Indonesia: Anti-smoking Fatwa
An Islamic organization in Indonesia has issued a fatwa (edict) which named smoking cigarettes as haram or forbidden.
Trinidad & Tobago: Shouter Baptist Liberation Day
“It seems hard to believe or to fully understand the idea that practicing a faith could be considered illegal here in T&T where we pride ourselves on religious tolerance and diversity, however for many decades that was exactly what the Shouter Baptist community endured”: TriniGourmet.com has some ideas for local...
Liberia: Girl's murder sparks violence
Ruthie Ackerman, founder of Rising Voices grantee Ceasefire Liberia, charts the source of recent violence in Lofa County, Liberia since the murder of a young girl in February.
Sri Lanka: The Akon Controversy
A recent video of R&B singer-songwriter Akon featuring a group of scantly clad women dancing at a pool party in front of a Buddha statue caused much uproar in Sri Lanka. This became a hot topic in the Sri Lankan blogosphere.
Palestine: Anger At Opening Of Hurva Synagogue
Last week the rebuilt Hurva, or Ruin, Synagogue was opened in the old city of Jerusalem, amidst a wave of protests by Palestinians. The opening has been denounced by a number of Palestinian leaders as being part of a project to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is only 700 metres away. Mays Dagher reports on what Palestinian blogs are saying.
El Salvador: 30th Anniversary of Assassination of Oscar Romero
Each year on March 24, the people of El Salvador and around the world commemorate the life of Roman Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated 30 years ago for his outspoken criticisms of the repressive government.
Guyana: I & I
Guyana-Gyal has a theory about “how tongues all over the world latch on to the I-Talk.”
Saudi Arabia: Call to Demolish the Grand Mosque
“Shiekh (?) Yousuf al-Ahmad from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh has shamelessly called for demolishing of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and rebuilding it in a way that prevents women from mingling with men during tawaf and prayers,” reports Saudi Jeans, who links to the video in...
Macedonia: International Women's Day in the Blogosphere
International Women's Day is not an official public holiday in Macedonia, but is widely observed through interpersonal interactions and at some workplaces. This year, a number of bloggers used the occasion to draw attention to gender issues or to find creative ways to congratulate women online.
Palestine: Bashing Islam Vs Criticizing Israel
“Bashing Islam is Freedom of Speech, Criticizing Israel is a Hate Crime,” is the title of a post by Mohamed Khodr at Palestinian blog Sabbah Report.
Saudi Arabia: Journalist Leaves to be with Canadian Husband
From Saudi Arabia, Tara Umm Omar shares the story of a Saudi female reporter who has decided to leave her country to be with her Canadian husband. “Hassna'a will go to Canada where she is not oppressed in regards to her marriage. Isn't it such a shame that a Muslim...
Egypt: RIP Fouad Zakariyya
On The Arabist, Issandr El Amrani marks the death of Fouad Zakariyya, a leading Egyptian philosopher and sophisticated critic of Islamist thought, in this post.
Bahrain: F1 Missionaries
Bahraini Mahmood Al Yousif took this “really interesting and clashing shot” during the Formula One weekend. Click on the link to check it out.
The Balkans: Byzantine Nostalgia
Similar to Yugo-nostalgia, the nostalgia for the common Byzantine past can sometimes transcend some of the barriers erected through modern nationalism and racism in the Balkans.
Morocco: Christian Aid Workers Expelled
Last week, 20 staff members of the Village of Hope, a small orphanage in a small town in rural Morocco, were deported from the country without warning, under charges of proselytizing.
Jamaica: Remembering Watson
The blog of the National Gallery of Jamaica pays tribute to the late painter and sculptor Osmond Watson.
Middle East: Mourning the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque
Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, the Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, Egypt, has died at age 81. Reactions to his death have varied from mourning to critical recollections of his many controversial fatwas.
Liberia: Confusion about the cause of violence in Lofa County
Violence erupted in the towns of Voinjama and Zorzor in Liberia last week. There are conflicting reports about the cause of the conflict in which four people died. While the mainstream media reports seem to attribute the violence to religious tensions, blogger Johnny Dwyer disagrees.
Nigeria: Jos erupts in violence again
In Jos, conflict seems to recur in ever-narrowing cycles: deadly riots rocked the city in 1994, 2001, 2008, and, not even two months ago, in January 2010. The current conflict is said to have begun in reprisal for the destruction that occurred in January, and, like the previous riots, has been fought along sectarian lines.
Armenia: S.O.S. Save Cinema Moscow's Open Hall
Unzipped comments on plans to demolish Yerevan's only open air cinema hall to make room for the construction of a new church. Although the cinema itself was constructed after the demolition of a previous church standing in the same spot, the blog says that there are enough churches in the...
