· February, 2009

Stories about Religion from February, 2009

Armenia: Repressive Religious Laws

  17 February 2009

Writing for the new Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor examines three new controversial pieces of legislation which raise serious concerns about religious freedom in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

El Salvador: A New Archbishop in San Salvador

  16 February 2009

The new Archbishop José Luís Escobar Alas recently took possession of his archdiocese of the capital city of El Salvador writes Carlos X. Colorado in a guest blog post at Tim's El Salvador Blog, where he also writes that the new Archbishops offers, “a striking contrast both in style and...

Hong Kong: Network Mobilization Against Religious Hegemony

  16 February 2009

Yesterday (Feb 15), more than 800 people participated in a demonstration against Christian Right Wing in Hong Kong. The rally has no traditional NGO back up and it is mainly mobilized via facebook groups. Sidekick reported about the rally via twitter during the rally and put the messages together in...

Jordan: Mourning Rituals

  16 February 2009

Kinziblogs, from Jordan, discusses mourning traditions and rituals in Jordan, in this post, written as she prepares to meet mourners visiting her home to pay respect for her father-in-law.

Armenia: New and old traditions mix on St. Valentine's Day

  15 February 2009

Founded in 301 AD, Armenia’s longest surviving institution, the Apostolic Church, is considered the world’s oldest national Christian order. But, over 1,700 years years later, pagan traditions remain alive in the country even if now absorbed into the Christian calendar. While much of the world marked St. Valentine's day, Armenians also celebrated one such tradition -- Trndez.

Lebanon: A Civil Marriage Valentine

  15 February 2009

Renewed calls for Lebanon to allow civil marriages were made in a Valentine ceremony at a Beirut bar over the weekend. Several inter-religious couples staged mock weddings at a bar in Beirut's trendy Gemmayze district to protest the country's stiff marriage laws. Antoun Issa has more in this post.

Brunei: Think Big ICT Business Plan Competition

  14 February 2009

The 'Think Big ICT Business Plan Competition' aims "to motivate local entrepreneurs to realise their ideas in the field of information and communications technology with the opportunity to develop their business ideas and enhance their creativity; as well as to provide a platform for identifying, nurturing and showcasing entrepreneurial talents in Brunei."

Pakistan: Using Radio To Spread Fundamentalism

  11 February 2009

Ambreen Kazmi at Chowrangi reports that a cleric in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan is using FM radio to influence the minds of an illiterate society especially the women, who are largely his listeners.

Bahrain: A ban on pork?

  10 February 2009

Bahraini blogger Ammaro cannot believe some MPs have called for banning pork: “Banning something doesn't make people more religious…Oh, and this may shock you MPs, but the people who usually purchase pork AREN'T USUALLY MUSLIM.”

Italy: In Defense of the “Right to die”

  10 February 2009

A legal battle over a young woman's 'right to die' after 17 years in a coma has spurred both vast online commentary and activism in Italy. Mostly in defense of "Eluana Englaro's choice", Italian netizens have signed petitions, organized protests, and made YouTube videos of their own 'living will' testimonies, in defiance of both prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and the Vatican.