Stories about Religion from November, 2010
Cuba: The Remaining 11
As the Cardinal of Havana declares that the release of the remaining political prisoners is not in his hands, Uncommon Sense says: “The difficulty he faces in understandable. But what is indefensible is that at least publicly, he never comes across as a champion for those Cubans…”
Pakistan: Aasia and Aafia – The Tale Of Two Pakistani Women
Some Pakistanis find themselves concerned over the case of Aasia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy, the same way as they are distressed over the detention of Aafia Siddiqui, who was sentenced for 86 years imprisonment in America.
Iraq: Who is Killing the Christians?
Iraqi Layla Anwar points fingers at who could be behind the massacre of Christians in Iraq.
Yemen: The Saudi Mecca Metro makes Hajj Green
Yemeni blogger Omar Barsawad writes about the Mecca Metro at Out of Hadhramout. The blogger argues that the new railway built for pilgrims aims at making the Hajj (pilgrimage) experience green.
Bulgaria: Reactions to Hate Speech Against Arabs and Islam
Kapka Siderova, the wife of a far-right nationalist politician in Bulgaria, made some controversial statements about Arab women on a popular talk show yesterday, sparking outrage and allegations of racism and bigotry. Ruslan Trad reviews the reactions of Bulgarian Facebook users.
Pakistan: Christian Woman Sentenced To Death On Charges Of Blasphemy
“A 45-year-old Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for allegedly blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad,” reports Faheem Haider.
Haiti: Saving Lives
“The current count of patients treated in 10 days is 227″: real hope for haiti shares some of their experiences as they help to battle the cholera epidemic.
Pakistan: The Cost Of Sacrifice
Five Rupees is surprised to learn about the large number of animals slaughtered in Pakistan during the Eid-Ul-Azha festivities and the huge cost associated with it.
Iran: Online Rage against Lebanese Hezbollah Leader
Several Iranian bloggers have reacted to an online video where Lebanese Hezbollah Leader, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, makes the controversial claims that Iran does not have any Persian civilisation and that the Islamic Republic's founder was of Arab ancestry.
Brazil: new wave of discussion of the role of “Militant Atheists”
On October 10, the famous liberation theologian Frei Betto wrote an article in a major Brazilian newspaper, Folha de São Paulo – reproduced by the Blog do Miro [Miro's Blog, pt] – in which he compared “militant atheism” with torture. Atheists reactions came quickly [pt], expressing disappointment with the “explicit...
Russia: Pictures of Eid al-Adha Holiday in Moscow
Bloggers Drugoi [RUS] and Ottenki_serogo [RUS] share photos from the Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) religious holiday. After Moscow accepted tens of thousands of guest workers from Central Asia, Muslim holidays are gathering more and more people. Aleshru contributes an interesting example [RUS] of “mixture of religions.”
Cuba: Prisoners Still in Jail
Sin Evasion says of the missed deadline to release the remaining prisoners of conscience: “Once again, the government has proven that it doesn’t know how to honor its commitments.”
Arab World: Tweeting the Hajj Experience
Among the 1.8 million Muslims on pilgrimage, or Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca are a few stealing moments to send 140-character messages to the world. Here are snippets from the conversation on the Twittersphere.
Pakistan: The Real Culprit is the Way We Approach Religion
Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House comments that the general religious bigotry is rampant in the Pakistani society, “which in turn emanates from the mindset and the overall cultural set up of Pakistan”.
Haiti: Cholera Challenge
The Livesay Haiti Weblog is “praying for mercy and miracles” with the country's cholera epidemic.
Thailand's forest monks
Paul Garrigan blogs about the forest monks of Thailand. These Buddhist monks left the temples to wander in the forests and live like ascetics.
Nepal: Police Arrest Muslim Man For Selling Cow Meat
XNepali criticizes Nepalese authority's decision to arrest a Muslim man from Eastern Nepal on charges of selling cow meat.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fazeer's Firing
Bloggers discuss the firing of talk show host Fazeer Mohammed – KnowTnT.com: “If the first premise of a national media house is to promote government's agenda then it is their right to hire agents who will work towards this…”; Lisa Allen-Agostini counters: “If it is government policy to usurp the...
Serbia: Netizens and Media Report on the Kraljevo Earthquake
Sasa Milosevic reports on the online and citizen media coverage of the earthquake that hit Serbia last week.
Lebanon: Jismi, One Day, One Struggle
Lebanon-based groups Nasawiya, Helem and Meem launched a new website named “Jismi” (Ar) (My Body) dedicated to the annual “One Day, One Struggle” campaign, a unique effort to underscore the joint struggle against the violation of sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies.
Bermuda: Sexual Discrimination
bermudashorts says that when it comes the issue of sexual orientation and equal rights, “there is no such thing as compromise…passing this legislation has nothing to do with offending conservative or religious Bermudians, it is about discrimination, protecting human rights, one of a government’s main responsibilities.”