Stories about Religion from September, 2006
Pope, Cultural Revolution, Airplane Crash and Kofi Annan
Many people in the Muslim world got angry and protested against the Pope's speech where he quoted Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire. Stressing that they were not his own words, he quoted the emperor saying: “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and...
Egypt: Egypt's fourth faith
What is Egypt's fourth faith? Zeinobia talks about the faith that both, Egyptian Muslims and Christians refuse to exist.
India: Bandra Fair
Bandra Fair in full swing and colour at Ultrabrown and Trivial Matters.
Eastern Europe: Video documents homophobia on the rise
The latest twist in the long-running saga of anti-gay violence and state oppression took place yesterday in Moscow, as an appeals court upheld the earlier lower court ruling to ban Moscow's Gay Pride March in May 2006. The gay rights activists who brought the case will now attempt to challenge...
Africa: Reactions to Pope's remarks
A speech by Pope Benedict XVI in Germany last week has received mixed reactions in the African blogosphere. The speech has generally provoked outrage in the Muslim world. The Pope quoted Byzantine Emperor Manuel II saying, “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find...
Lebanon: Pope, Politics, Post-War Casualties and Circumcision
This week Lebanese blogs discusses circumcision, the environment, the Pope's quote on Islam, Lebanese politics, post war hardships and suspicions among other things. Let us start this weeks sampling by answering these questions: What if Google was used to settled battles … who would win? Interested in knowing? Lazarus has...
South Asia: The Pope and Academia
Chapati Mystery on the controversy and the difference between the last pope and the current one. “The central irony of this controversy is that the thesis of Three Stages in the Program of De-Hellenization treats the futility of spreading faith through violence. Indeed, the quote that most infuriates some Muslims...
India: What the Pope was trying to do
Falstaff summarizes the controversy around the Pope's remarks with a good deal of sarcasm thrown in. “The pope, delivering an address at his old University, decides to use a quotation from a discussion between a Byzantine emperor and a Persian scholar, on the theory, presumably, that any discussion of contemporary...
Pakistan: Dear Pope
iFaqeer requests the Pope to please stop feeding the bears. “What he's done is a gift to the people who'd like Muslims to follow their extremist, fanatic attitude. And as I was saying here in the last few days whether he did it out of naivete, ill-advisedness (“stupidity” seems inappropriate...
Malaysia: Pope's Speech
Nik Nazmi in Malaysia asks whether the speech made by pope was really an attempt at dialogue. “While, yes, the Pope has now apologised, what is glaring is the fact that when he quoted Manuel II, there was no hint of qualification and seemingly tacit approval.”
Pakistan: View of Manuel and the Pope
Metroblogging Lahore takes a closer look at what the Pope actually said, and in the context of the entire speech, wonders what the Pope's intent is. “Specially after reading the last paragraph, I do not think he himself agrees with the views of Emperor Manuel Paleologos II but he was...
Pakistan: Reacting to the Pope's Statement
iFaqeer on the Pope's statement about Islam. “And in that sense, the complaints from the Muslim world have some basis; poking folks in the eye ain't the best way to make friends. Now if we had an official Caliph, he could challenge the man to a duel and we could...
Bangladesh: Vatican and Macaca
Or how I Learned to Stop Worrying with a brief context to the Pope's remarks on Islam and how the Vatican handled the consequences. “His statement fell short of the apology demanded by Muslim leaders and in classic macaca-esque style he apologized for how his speech was perceived rather than...
Bangladesh: What was the Pope thinking?
Sadiq on debunking the Pope's statement on Islam. “His allegation is incorrect. Surah 2 is a Medinan surah revealed when Muhammad was already established as the leader of the city of Yathrib (later known as Medina or “the city” of the Prophet). The pope imagines that a young Muhammad in...
Pope, American Embassy and Others
This week was an extremely busy week for all Syrian bloggers, notably Political Blogs had to make a number of updates, since the political atmosphere in syria was swirling with possibilities and different analysis of the aftermath of the latest attack on the US Embassy in Damascus, and the successful...
Korea: history of foreign visits
Gusts of popular feeling has two detailed posts with historical photos about the history of foreign visits to Chosun. The first visit record is 1582. The first western missionaries, two French Catholics, came to Korea in 1836. Since 1800s, more conflicts emerged.
Pope, prophet, and violence
Following the controversy resulting from a speech delivered by Pope Benedict XVI, Chipla asks, “Why is the Prophet Mohammed above public intellectual debate anywhere in the world. Why are Muslims so protective of Mohammed?”
Turkey is Typing:Best of Summer Edition
It has been quite a while since an update on the Turkish blogosphere has been done, and rather than trying to update you on every detail that I have failed to report, I thought that this post should focus on the most interesting posts of the summer. Granted, the information...
Jordan: The Pope Quotes
The Pope isn't saying the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) is “evil and inhumane” or what he preached and how he spread it was “evil and inhumane” he's just saying that Emperor Manual II Paleologos said it. But can you get away with saying something by saying someone else said it? Nassem...
Egypt: Pope Benedict
Coming from a Byzantine or a neo Zionist, those words may pass, but from the Pontiff it is very harsh and cruel, speaking ill not about today's radicals (whom all we all are against), but about our beloved Prophet Mohamed is a grave matter and with repercussions, radicals on both...
Pakistan: Progressive Muslims
ifaqueer on using the term “Progrssive Muslims”. “As to whether there is such a thing as a “Progressive Muslim”, and isn't there just one True Islam which, in its pure form is pretty darn progressive to start with, personally, I don't ever say “Progressive Islam” or “Moderate Islam” or anything;...
