· March, 2013

Stories about Religion from March, 2013

Iranian Singer Ermia's Show Biz Veil

  31 March 2013

A young singer's decision to wear a veil on the Persian language hit television show Googoosh Music Academy attracted both cheers and jeers from Iranians who tuned in.

Religious Extremism Blamed for Myanmar Riots

  31 March 2013

The Meikhtila riots in central Myanmar which also spread to other towns have killed more than 40 people and raised fears that religious and ethnic clashes would continue to worsen in the country. Many people have analyzed the roots of the violence, in particular, the rise of religious extremism which have caused division and hate in many parts of Myanmar.

Majority Religion In A Country Is A Curse

  30 March 2013

Sri Lankan blogger Patta Pal Boru opines that the majority religion in a country is a curse as the simple weight of the established religion (inertia) gets people thinking about the wrongs rather than the rights favoring the fringe or the other religions.

Nine Street Kids Die in Senegal Quran School Fire

  25 March 2013

A raging fire that broke out in Dakar, Senegal in a crowded Islamic school room where students were sleeping killed at least nine children on the night of Sunday 3 March, 2013. The tragedy has highlighted just how tough living conditions for Quran school students, known as talibs, can be.

‘Foreign Ideas’ as Extremism in Central Asia

  25 March 2013

[I]n former Soviet Central Asia there is little debate that the root problem [of extremist beliefs] is “foreign ideas,” defined so broadly as to become a target of opportunity for both every political purpose and every local policeman or official’s ambition. Any sign of dissent from state policies or ideology <...> can be enough to bring the wrath of the state, sometimes with great violence.

Myanmar: Who is Plotting the Meikhtila Riot?

  24 March 2013

For three days, riots raged in the town of Meikhtila in the Mandalay division of Myanmar. A curfew was imposed by the police after a group of people reportedly set buildings and motor bikes on fire in the area. Netizens condemned those who are speading hate messages online and those who are provoking religious and ethnic clashes

Religious Hatred on Facebook in Tajikistan

  20 March 2013

The shattered system of primary and secondary education, corrupt and rotten system of higher education, the official clergy which has lost [people's] trust, the absence of state-controlled religious education, weak and will-less intellectuals, the presence of a large number of uncontrolled websites with extremist and jihadist content - these are the major reasons why an increasing number of young individuals in our country become extremists.

Science and Homosexuality Through the Lens of a Brazilian Pastor

  20 March 2013

Silas Malafaia, a conservative pastor and bachelor in psychology, is the head of Brazil's Victory in Christ Assembly of God Church and enemy #1 of those who fight for homosexual rights in the country. And despite heavy opposition to the ideas he espouses, Malafaia has a very large following throughout the country.

Anti-Whaling Activists Hit a Nerve in Japan

  16 March 2013

Online commentary surrounding a collision between a Japanese harpoon ship and two vessels from the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd last month has offered a glimpse into the Japanese public's nuanced perspective on whaling.