Stories about Religion from December, 2007
Philippines: Longest Christmas season in the world
Filipino bloggers discuss how Christmas is celebrated in the Philippines. Learn Filipino Christmas traditions and find out why the longest Christmas season is to be found in the Philippines.
Russia: “Nashi” and Feminism
Natalia Antonova writes about Nashi pro-Putin youth movement – and about feminism in the former Soviet Union: “So is there feminism in Russia today? Yes. Only in many instances, it doesn’t go by that name. And perhaps never will. Is there feminism among Nashi members? I don’t believe the members...
Bahrain: Celebrations, commemorations, and demonstrations
Bahrain is approaching the end of a ten-day holiday to celebrate both its National Day and Eid Al Adha, which has seen tragedy as well as joy. December 16 is Bahrain’s National Day, and the following day celebrates the King’s accession to the throne (عيد الجلوس), but it is also a day on which the opposition mark ‘Martyrs’ Day’, commemorating the people who died during the 1990s while fighting for political reform. During demonstrations this year one man died, creating another 'martyr', and increasing tension on the streets of the kingdom.
Iraq: Celebrating Eid
Najma from Iraq shares with us how she celebrated Eid Al Adha in this post.
Egypt: Sunni-Shia Dream
The sectarian rift between the Islamic Sunni and Shia sects is haunting Egyptian blogger D B Shobrawy‘s dreams. Read about that here.
Israel: Hypocritical Arabs
“(A)ny state that defines itself as “Arab” would be equally guilty of the racism that Israel is being accused of,” writes The Elder of Zion, in this post, which lists excerpts from the constitutions of a number of Arab countries and Iran.
Israel: Interfaith Hanukkah Party
Jerusalem Gypsy, from Israel, holds an interfaith Hanukkah party – with Muslims and Jews.
Arabeyes: Celebrating Eid Al Adha
Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid Al Adha - which commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael for Allah (God). It also culminates the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which has this year attracted more than 2 million people. Here's how bloggers from the region marked the occasion.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Christmas Traditions
MACO Caribbean Living gives us a glimpse into unique Christmas celebrations in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
Russia: Lyudmila Ulitskaya
Russian Blog writes about Lyudmila Ulitskaya's latest – and, possibly, her last – novel, “Daniel Stein, translator”: “After being such a prolific writer for many years, and after the huge work she put into her last effort, she of course deserves a break. Anyone who has read this masterpiece would...
Morocco: Eid al-Adha
In my last post, I shared the thoughts of foreigners on Christmas (or a lack thereof) in Morocco. This week, we'll change focus to the celebration of Eid Al-Adha, the holiday which Muslims celebrate as a commemoration of Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael for Allah (God).
Trinidad & Tobago: Christmas Cheer
“The wonderful part of Trinidad and Tobago is that its people of all religious backgrounds celebrate the Christian holiday”: Theboookman explains.
El Salvador: Top Ten Religion Stories in 2007
Carlos X. Colorado provides a guest article on Tim's El Salvador Blog and lists the top 10 religion stories in El Salvador for 2007.
India: Women and Islam
Indian Muslims on Islam, women and the Quran.
Caribbean: A More Violent World?
Are we living in a more violent world? Some say we are; others believe that violence is simply more widely reported. Earlier this year, the World Bank suggested that the Caribbean (as a region) may have the highest murder rate in the world - and it is having a serious effect on economic growth. More and more, Caribbean bloggers are discussing the issue - and their concerns transcend territorial boundaries, economic realities and regional politics...
The Balkans: Kosovo War Inevitable?
Slovenian photographer Borut Peterlin does a photo story on a Serbian paramilitary group and leaves Kosovo and southern Serbia with a conviction that “another war in Kosovo is inevitable.”
Slovenia: Miklavz, Božiček, and Dedek Mraz
Adventures in Wheelville writes: “It turns out that instead of just one plump and rosy-cheeked wintertime gift-giver, Slovenia has three jolly old men who come baring gifts during the holidays.”
Namibia: Are Scientologists a threat to Namibia?
Rob warns Namibians against the Scientologists: “Scientologists are a big threat to poorer nations and especially to a populus who will be more vulnerable to the scheming, cunning, seconhand car sales pitch they spew. Watch out Namibia – the loony scientologists are coming for you.”
Armenia: The Kurdish Question
In response to a post by Paul Goble on the apparent belief that Armenia's Kurdish minority is obstructing a peace deal with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Oneworld Multimedia identifies a number of inaccuracies in the analysis.
Bahrain: A tenfold increase in population?!
This time the roundup from Bahrain covers three weeks. We have frustration on every front, unfortunately: frustration with being surrounded by apathy and ignorance, with being a teenager, and with a ludicrous criminal charge. One blogger is considering leaving the Gulf for a better life back in India, another admits he rarely reads, and a number of others are debating the merits of secularism.
Nigeria: Tolerance in Yoruba religious system
Loomnie writes about religion and tolerance in Yoruba culture: “My friend pointed out that that was a very important part of the Yoruba religious system. In the Yoruba traditional religious system, in the same family, one could have each member of the family worshipping a different god, without any person...
