· January, 2011

Stories about Religion from January, 2011

Pakistan: Protest Against Incitement To Violence

  10 January 2011

Citizens For Democracy writes a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan requesting for Suo Moto action against a cleric of the Mohabat Khan mosque Peshawar who had offered a reward for the murder of Aasia Noreen if the Lahore High Court acquits her.

Japan: Firewalking Festival

  8 January 2011

A blogger at The Roving Ronin Report posted videos and pictures [en] of the Firewalking Festival (Akibasan Gongen Hibuse Matsuri) in Odawara, where “Buddhist Priests dressed as Yamabushi – mountain hermits – walked over hot coals.”

Pakistan: There Is No Justification For Murder

  6 January 2011

Sana Saleem slams the people who are uttering words of sympathy for the killer of the Punjab governor Salman Taseer. She says: “there’s no justification for his murder, and every single one who instigated violence, has blood on their hands.”

Nigeria: Attacks in Northern Nigeria are ethno-religious

  6 January 2011

Yomi Ogunsanya argues that attacks in Northern Nigeria are mostly ethno-religious: “My concern is with the deliberate denial, by Nigerian leaders and theocratic elite, that most, if not all the violence we have seen in, particularly, Northern Nigeria, are attributable to religion or ethnicity or both.”

Cuba: Three Kings Day

  6 January 2011

“In Cuba and possibly most Hispanic countries, the children would be getting up and opening gifts this morning. The gifts were delivered by the Three Kings”: My Big Fat Cuban Family blogs about The Day of the Three Kings.

Pakistan: A Nepali On The Assassination Of Salman Taseer

  5 January 2011

Nepali blogger Bhumika Ghimire comments on the recent assassination of the Punjab governor Salman Taseer: “Yes, the murderer was called a hero. I will not mention his name here, he does not deserve to be known. His deeds are enough to condemn him. But to honor this man by the...

Zimbabwe: 2011 SMS Resolutions

  5 January 2011

2011 SMS resolutions in Zimbabwe: “This morning we asked our email and SMS subscribers “Whats your resolution about how you’ll get involved in making change happen in 2011′?” Of the 70+ responses we’ve received so far, the most popular response from our subscribers is that they would vote (21 said...

Kazakhstan: Bloggers discuss religion

  4 January 2011

Because Kazakhstan does not have a clear religious policy, it has become the norm that everyone is entitled to his or her own perspective on faith. As it was twenty years ago, no one is really bothered by this multitude of views, which is evidenced by the debate on religion...

Lebanon: Banning land sale between religions

“This law is an insult to each and every one of us. It lays bare the state of bankruptcy that our sectarian democracy has reached,” states Mustapha in describing the draft law, authored by the Lebanese labor minister, that would prevent Christians and Muslims from selling property to each other...

Lebanon: Iraqi refugees and Lebanese sectarianism

“If I do not wear my cross, and I speak in the Iraqi dialect, automatically people think I am Shiite, and I get the very lousy treatment…”, said Joseph, an Iraqi refugee living in Lebanon, in an interview with Seif. The contact and interview for this post took place through Facebook.