· November, 2012

Stories about Religion from November, 2012

Yemen: Ashoura Celebration in Sanaa Attacked

  26 November 2012

November 24th is Ashoura Day, and it is a day that is commemorated in the Muslim world by both the Sunni and Shite sects. However in Yemen, it was a tragic day as four people were killed and more than a dozen were wounded in an explosion that targeted a Shiite Ashoura Celebration in the capital Sanaa. This was the first sectarian bombing to occur in Sanaa, an alarming development with the clear aim to fuel sectarianism in Yemen.

Pakistan: Five Bomb Explosions Rock Three Cities In A Day

  24 November 2012

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 was a horrendous day when a series of suicide bombings were targeted at Imambargahs (Muharram mourning processions) and law enforcement agencies in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Quetta. However, netizens noted that acts of terrorism perpetrated against Shia Muslims didn't get the same level of attention compared to Israel's attacks on Gaza Strip.

Mobs Burn Dalit Homes in Response to Intercaste Marriage in India

  22 November 2012

On 7 November 2012 up to 2,000 people attacked three Dalit settlements in the Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu, India. A nursing student, from a Shudra community married a man from a Dalit community and when the father of the bride committed suicide in disgrace, mobs attacked the Dalit community.

Anti-Falun Gong Campaign in Hong Kong

  18 November 2012

Large scale anti-Falun Gong campaign has appeared in Hong Kong since the new Chief Executive C.Y Leung came into office. Dictionary of politically incorrect HongKongese posted a photo map of anti-Falun Gong banners in Tsim Sha Tsui and translated some reports about the political background of the anti-Falun Gong organization....

Mumbai Comes to a Halt After Bal Thackeray's Death

  17 November 2012

"Mumbai Shut - Fear or Respect?!" Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray (86), founder of the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena party in India, died today. Mumbai soon came to a halt - shops shut, public transportation stopped and residents stayed inside their homes.

Egyptians are Writing their own Secular Law .. on Twitter

  16 November 2012

Egyptians are drafting their very own secular law - on Twitter. It all started when Mahmoud Salem - aka Sandmonkey - suggested writing such a law after noting that Islamists have no respect for secular people and consider them to be both un-Islamic and controlled by non-Muslims. On cue, the hashtag #شريعة_العلمانية [ar] (Secular Law) soon came up, and was populated with suggestions on what this new sharia (law) for secular people should be.

Student Beating Raises Issue of Homophobia in Jamaica

  4 November 2012

A gay student at Jamaica's University of Technology (UTech) was allegedly caught in a "compromising position" and suffered a beating at the hands of campus security guards. The incident was captured on video and immediately went viral, raising the question of homophobia and gay rights in Jamaica.

The Latest LiveJournal Sensation, Courtesy of the Russian Special Forces

RuNet Echo  4 November 2012

The anonymous LJ blog hardingush was created on September 15. Now, less than two months later, the blog, subtitled "Ingush Special Forces, is number 425th in LJ's general user rating. Netizens have left over 4,000 comments on its various posts. Four of these posts also made it into the October top-25 list of North Caucasus bloggers. But who's behind the account?

Tajikistan: ‘Halloween is not for Patriots’

  2 November 2012

There are not many people in Tajikistan who know anything about Halloween, let alone mark it. Yet even rare celebrations of the holiday in the country make some people uneasy. Is Halloween an 'alien' tradition endangering Tajik culture? Or is it just an 'innocent prank'?

Founder of Banned Militant Group in Pakistan Offers Aid to U.S.

  1 November 2012

Amidst the furor and damage the super storm sandy caused in the US East Coast, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the founder of banned militant organization Lashkar e Taiba (LeT) and head of Jaamat ud Dawa (JuD) offers a considerable amount of humanitarian aid to the US to bear losses.

Wedding Party at Petrol Station with Greece in Crisis

  1 November 2012

In a blog post entitled “Crisis wedding in Greece”, Belgian freelance photographer Nick Hannes posts the story of a bride and groom in Patras, Peloponnese who decided to hold their wedding party at the groom's petrol station. “This is how we respond to the crisis”, a family member said to...