Stories about Religion from July, 2011
Somalia: Happy Ramadan
Happy Ramadan wishes from Terror Free Somalia Foundation: “In the spirit of Ramadan, I pray that Ramadan gets into our hearts and minds and make us embrace all factions of Muslims without undermining their tradition and further pray that we treat every human on the earth with dignity, respect and...
Haiti: Revered Flag Maker Dies
Repeating Islands acknowledges the passing of “Silva Joseph, a highly regarded Vodou flag maker…in the tradition of BelAir’s famous flag artists, such as Tibout, Joseph Fortine and Luc Daniel Cedor.”
Malaysia: Letter of Catholics to Pope
A letter signed by 365 Catholics and other Christians in Malaysia was sent to Pope Benedict XVI expressing concern about the timing of the visit of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the Vatican. They remind the Pope that Najib used “unnecessarily excessive force” in dispersing a democracy walk early...
EU, Poland: Airport Body Scanners; Shaminder Puri's Case
Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska of Europe of Human Rights writes on BlogActiv.eu about airport body scanners, “human dignity” and the case of Shaminder Puri, a British Sikh who was harassed at the Warsaw Chopin Airport last year.
Colombia: Homophobia, Beyond Religion
Homophobia might have religious roots in Colombia, writes Javier Moreno in Rango Finito [es], but Javier says that campaigns against homophobia should not focus solely on the Catholic Church, but rather on people that are homophobic because of ‘tradition’ and not necessarily religion.
Tajikistan: Minors prohibited from visiting places of religious worship
Avicenna says that minors in Tajikistan are prohibited from going to mosques, churches and sinagogues, as the parliament have unanimously approved a bill “On the responsibility of parents for their children’s upbringing and education”.
Argentina: 17 Years After AMIA Attack, Case Remains Unsolved
July 18, 2011, commemorates one more year of the attack against the Israelite Argentinean Mutual Aid Association (AMIA) in 1994. Currently the case is open without resolution, yet the families of the victims and the Argentine community are still calling for justice for the 85 people killed.
India: Being A Muslim In Mumbai After The Terrorist Attacks
Azad Alam shares a personal story of facing consequences as a tenant of a Mumbai housing society after wearing a Islamic cap.
Haiti: Wikileaks & Fr. Jean-Juste
“Father Gerry Jean-Juste, a Haitian priest, was a friend of…mine. For those who follow Haitian politics, the rest of the Father Gerry story is known”: Now, Dying in Haiti republishes Wikileaks cables that “[reveal] how the Haitian Interim Government and the US Embassy were very involved with the fate of...
Cuba: “The Lion of the East” Passes On
Cuban bloggers mourn the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Pedro Meurice Estiu, who died in Miami at the age of 79. Uncommon Sense calls him “a Cuban patriot and a true man of God”, while Babalu remembers him as “a fierce and unrelenting critic of the Castro dictatorship”; Generation Y honours...
Armenia: Uproar Over Head of Church's Remarks
Angered by remarks made by the the country's spiritual leader about the upkeep of churches and monasteries, some Armenians are using social networking sites such as Facebook to call for his resignation.
Cuba: Defending “Las Damas”
Cuban bloggers continue to update their posts about the most recent attack on Las Damas de Blanco, in which members of the group were reportedly “attacked and brutally beaten…by agents of Castro State Security upon exiting a church sanctuary.”
Iran: Rage Against Pre-Islamic Statues
It seems that even statues are not safe in Iran. Religious motives appear to be behind the recent theft and destruction of several bronze statues of Iranian national heroes from public places.
Iran: Summer Heat Gives Way to Crackdowns on “Improper” Clothing
In many places, summer means sun, sea and holidays. In Iran, summer means at least one more thing: crackdowns on women wearing improper or “un-Islamic” clothing.
Bangladesh: The Link Between Aid Work And Islamic Extremism
Shawn Ahmed at Uncultured.com writes about the link between aid work and Islamic extremism in developing countries providing examples from Bangladesh.
Trinidad & Tobago: Impressionistic Art
Woman of Color blogs about a new artist who paints impressionistic landscapes.
Hungary: Legislating Religion
Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum reports on the adoption of a new and criticized law on religions and religious communities in Hungary.
Afghanistan: Study on the Taliban's rules and actions
Nick Fielding writes about the report into the Taliban's code of conduct, using it to gain an insight into the organisation itself.
Africa: Of Misunderstandings, the Best Laid Plans and Language Challenge
Find out about what's on the minds of a variety of African bloggers with Global Voices author Paula Odhiambo.
Dominican Republic: On Sacredness
Blogger Jhonatan Liriano reflects on what he considers is sacred in life [es]: “The working men and women are on my altars, as are the strangers and acquaintances who do not negotiate with justice.”
Russia: Women's Rights
Miriam Elder writes about the situation with women's rights in Chechnya.
