· May, 2012

Stories about Religion from May, 2012

Slovakia: “God Can Cure You”

On May 26, approximately 50-60 opponents of the upcoming Gay Pride gathered [sk] in Bratislava for a rally organized by the Association for Protection of Family, together with the Citizens’...

26 May 2012

Egypt: No, the Revolution is Not Over

On May 23 and 24, the eyes of the whole world were once again on Egypt as the country held its first presidential election after the huge popular uprising that brought down Hosni Mubarak a year and a half ago.

26 May 2012

Iran: Cyber Hezbollah Meeting

Farsnews reported “Cyber Hezbollah’ will hold its eighth meeting in Tehran on Wendesday.One of main points of discussion is Shahin Najafi‘s “insults regarding one Shi'ite Saint.”

23 May 2012

Mali: Protests Call for National Unity in Gao and Timbuktu

Following protests in Timbuktu in April 2012, citizens of the city of Gao have taken to the streets to protest about the demands and orders imposed by the Islamic groups currently occupying northern Mali. Malian bloggers and their readers react to the protests as well as to the current situation in Northern Mali.

22 May 2012

Peru: Controversy Over Banning of Popular Priest

Netizens immediately reacted after news broke that the Cardinal Priest and Archbishop of Lima, Juan Luis Cipriani, had decided not to renew the ministerial license for Father Gaston Garatea, a well-known Peruvian priest. According to some analysts, the cause of the decision was Father Gaston's stance on homosexuality and civil unions.

21 May 2012

Pakistan: Twitter Goes Through Weekend of Censorship

On Sunday 20 May, Twitter users in Pakistan suffered a total blanket censorship across all ISPs in Pakistan on order of the Pakistan Telcommunucation Authority who cited the reason as censoring blasphemous contents. However, the netizens think that the authorities were testing their url filtering service.

20 May 2012

Georgia: No Sex and the City

No Sex and the City — Georgian Liberal (an oxymoron) blog comments on the physical confrontation between priests accompanying religious parents and LGBT activists marching in Tbilisi, Georgia. The blog...

17 May 2012

Brazil: ‘Hands That Cure, Words That Heal’

With their herbs, gestures, prayers and comforting words, folk healing is an important element of Brazilian culture. Although some people believe that traditional healing art is disappearing, folk healers from two Brazilian cities have just had their activities recognised by pioneering laws.

15 May 2012

South Korea: Monks Caught in Gambling, Smoking and Drinking Scandal

In South Korea, six leaders of the nation's biggest Buddhist order were caught playing high-stakes poker, along with drinking and smoking. The case was disclosed through leaked video footage that shows high-profile monks gambling at a luxury lakeside hotel just days before a national holiday celebrating the birth of Buddha.

15 May 2012

Sri Lanka: Buddhism and Violence

Ameena Hussein at Groundviews tries to analyze why there is a growing tendency among Sri Lankan Buddhists to embrace violence and hatred.

13 May 2012

Cuba: Radio Marti Editorial Controversy

“Radio Marti last week published and broadcast an editorial, ‘The Cardinal’s limits,’ that asserted that Cardinal Ortega is involved in ‘political collusion’ (contubernio) with the Cuban government…”: The Cuban Triangle...

9 May 2012

Jamaica: Better to Give

“The Bobo Shanti youth are well spoken and have a serene gentleness about them…[they] are excellent ambassadors of Rastafari”: Jamaian litblogger Geoffrey Philp finds himself “drawn to how they greet...

9 May 2012