Stories about Religion from August, 2008
Barbados: Crop-Over Culture
Although the recent Crop Over celebrations were well attended, Barbados Underground thinks that should not be the only criterion for measuring success: “Cultural development and expression are important to the...
Saudi Arabia: It's all in the name
It is common practice for converts to Islam to adopt Muslim names. But is it necessary - and what kind of name is appropriate? One Saudi blogger ponders the question, while some others are thinking about the use of aliases in the blogosphere - and yet another encourages the government to 'name names'.
Olympic Hijab Style
British blog Hijab Style shares photographs of Olympians who wear hijab, including Bahrain's Ruqaya al Ghasra and Yemen's Waseelah Fadhl Saad.
Japan: Yasukuni Shrine on August 15th
James from Japan Probe has a sum-up on the demonstration at Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, the anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War.
Grenada: Carnival is Over
Blah Bloh Blog‘s wide range of photos and video offers a comprehensive overview of Grenada's recently-concluded Carnival celebrations.
Fiji: Methodist Church forgives military regime
Methodist Church leaders have forgiven the military rulers of Fiji, as reported by Raw Fiji News. The military is asked to initiate a process that will restore democratic elections in...
Palestine: H Daboor at the Islamic University
Gazan blogger Nostalgia parodies the recent Egyptian comedy H Daboor in a critique of Islamist trends in Gaza today.
Angola, Brazil: A culture shock divide
Angola and Brazil's special relationship means that business between the two former Portuguese colonies is booming - as well as migration both ways across the Atlantic. But, how are these two sibling peoples getting on? This post offers the perspectives of both an Angolan and a Brazilian blogger living in Luanda.
Bahrain: Code of Ethics Site Launched
“In order to consolidate all our efforts regarding the Code of Ethics Against Hate Speech and the mechanisms which will be adopted in the future to effect the Code and...
Iran: Baha'i minority
MideastYouth.com's Censeo Productions and BahaiRights.org announce the release of their new video defending the rights of the Baha'i minority in Iran.
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Stating the Facts
A freelance writer pens an Emancipation Day article for The Jamaica Observer that suggests “slavery was good for the black man”, prompting The Modest Goddess to point out “the staggering...
Lebanon: The image of Islam
While Muslims are frustrated with the way western media portrays Islam negatively, Nash argues that some Muslims, by abandoning some of Islam's basic teachings, like tolerance and forgiveness, are themselves...
Trinidad & Tobago: Equal Opportunity?
Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, Alien in the Caribbean thinks that religious extremists are the only ones threatened by the Equal Opportunity Bill.
Trinidad & Tobago: Talk Yuh Talk
“Who honestly thinks they can change anything by talking?” Trinidad-based blogger Jeremy Taylor thinks there may be nothing left to say.
Maldives: Non-Muslims to be Barred from Citizenship?
On 7 August, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the President of the Maldives, and Asia's longest serving ruler, ratified the amended constitution of the country. It culminated a process of constitutional amendment that lasted four years. One controversial amendment would prevent non-Muslims from becoming citizens of the Maldives, curtailing freedom of religion in the country.
USA: Blogging for Anglican Inclusion of LGTB Priests and Bishops
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual priests and bishops made efficient use of citizen media to support their campaign for inclusion in the Anglican Church at the recent Lambeth Conference, a global gathering of 650 bishops and archbishops held at the Canterbury Cathedral in the United Kingdom.
Barbados: Police Accountability
“A life full of promise and potential has been lost to us – both as a community and as a people”: Martial arts instructor Wayne Quintyne describes the I’Akobi Maloney...
Iran: High ranked cleric is upset about Olympics Opening
Kamangir reported that the Leader of the Friday Prayers in the religious city of Mashhad, Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Alam Alhoda, stated regret because Iran’s team in the opening of the...
China: Citizen reporter to be deported
The day after live-vlogging the rare phenomenon that is a loud Free Tibet protest in the middle of Tiananmen Square, Noel ‘noneck’ Hidalgo has just tweeted that he is to...
Russia: Religious leaders call for stopping the bloodshed
Voices from Russia reports that Russian religious leaders – including Orthodox Patriarch Aleksei II – are calling for a stop of the bloodshed in South Ossetia
MENA: Obama's Muslim Outreach Coordinator Resigns
Mazen Asbahi, the attorney who had volunteered as Barack Obama's outreach coordinator to Muslim and Arab-Americans, has resigned after accusations of ties to Jamal Said, an imam at a fundamentalist mosque in Illinois. Asbahi briefly sat on the board of Allied Assets Advisors Fund with Said in 2000. Bloggers from the Middle East react in this post from Jillian York.
