· July, 2007

Stories about Religion from July, 2007

Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Harry Potter Launch

  23 July 2007

“It’s only after he puts on the pair of round fake-Italian sunglasses with the slightly reflective lenses that I realise that the figure in the purple cape I’d seen earlier lurking sheepishly near the self-help section is meant to be Harry.” Caribbean Free Radio posts an entertaining piece on the...

Benin: Debating, feting Voodoo

  22 July 2007

Benninese blogger Blaise Aplogan writes about the upcoming festival of Voodoo, set to take place in Paris this week, and the ongoing Voodoo debate (Fr): “More and more, prophetic religions, notably Christianity, are investing in a dialogue with traditional African religions…[and] traditional African religious leaders are asking themselves what meaning...

Bahrain: Does A PlayStation 2 Gun Count As A Weapon?

Bahrain's bloggers have moved on this week to comment on a protest held outside the Iranian Embassy in protest against an editorial by Iranian editor Hossein Shariatmadari, which started that Bahrain should become a part of Iran. Others talk about Embassy interviews for Visas, the release of a Guantanamo detainee, why Bahrain is vying to build the highest skyscraper and preparing for the new release of Harry Potter.

Morocco: A Kingly History

While the His Majesty King Mohammed VI is changing the face of the country, former king Mohammed V has been nominated for the title of Righteous Among Nations. More discussion of the royal family, the city of Meknès, and more in this week's Morocco roundup.

Ethiopia: Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodoxy churches sign truce

  20 July 2007

The end of two decades of tension between the Coptic Orthodoxy and the Ethiopian Orthodox churches: ““You have made history”. This is how a Coptic Metropolitan described the reconciliation brought about by His Holiness Aram I (Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church) between the...

Frustrations with Malawi Soccer, President looks to God, Questions about AIDS and Sex, and Benefits of SourceForge

  20 July 2007

In recent years, Malawi’s soccer scene has been less exciting due to poor performance of national team, The Flames. Its performance has attracted a number of bloggers calling for action now. At the heart of the matter are issues of coaching and finances. Such problems have not only affected the national team but also many clubs. Malawian bloggers look at the whole situation from different angles.

Iran: Man is stoned after 11 years in prison

Jafar Kiani was stoned to death in Takestan in the province of Qazvin on 5 July, after serving an 11-year prison term. His crime was adultery. His partner, Mokarameh Ebrahimi, has also been jailed for 11 years along with her two small children, and may be next on the list....

Jamaica: Reggae and the Diaspora

  20 July 2007

“One of the implications of this nexus between Rastafari and the work of songwriters such as Burning Spear, Bob Andy and Bob Marley was their insistence in giving voice to the plight of the dispossessed by using the prophetic discourse of the Bible.” Jamaican Geoffrey Philp explains.

Bahamas: Crime Wave

  19 July 2007

“Experts say homicide is a reliable barometer of all violent crime, and we have had 46 murders so far this year – one of the highest per capita rates in the world.” Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit examines the roots of crime in the Bahamas.

Georgia: Fundamentalist church?

Georgia on my Mind is concerned that the Georgian church might be on a path back to the middle ages and is not as hospitable as Georgian society. Her reason to think so? Wearing skirts has become obligatory for female visitors in some of the country's churches.

Pakistan: Bloggers discuss the bomb blast in Islamabad

  18 July 2007

In Islamabad, a bomb blast triggered by a suicide bomber killed at least ten people at a rally in support of Pakistan's suspended chief judge. Following the tense time in Pakistan with the Lal Masjid issue as the Pakistani Army stormed the mosque, the country's bloggers have been closely watching...

Jamaica: A Caribbean Harry Potter?

  18 July 2007

As the world anticipates the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this weekend, Geoffrey Philp wonders whether there could ever be a similar series from the Caribbean: “While it is possible to write a children’s book using the nature religions of Great Britain, it is unthinkable to write...