Stories about Religion from December, 2008
Afghanistan: Female Voice Banned From Radio
Azar Balkhi reports that the authorities of Ghazni province in Afghanistan has put a ban on female voice on Radio and other entertainment shows for the “religious reasons”.
Azerbaijan: Destruction of Ancient Cemetery Commemorated
Three years after a cemetery dating back to the 9th Century was deliberately destroyed in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan, bloggers recall an ancient culture annihilated and condemn the world for closing its eyes to what many consider to be an official attempt to rewrite history.
Iran:Religion and Human Rights
Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, former vice president and blogger, wrote about “relation between religion or religious leaders with human rights”.
India: Betrayed By Own Democracy
“We feel betrayed by our own democracy,” comments an Indian Jew while sharing the pain of the loss of the Jewish community during the recent Mumbai terror attacks.
Middle East: Snapshots of Eid
For millions of Muslims around the world, Eid Al Adha was a time for celebrations, family gatherings and reflections on the occasion. Here's a snapshot of reactions from bloggers in Tunisia, Kuwait, Egypt and Turkey.
Kuwait: Marzouq Goes to Hajj
Kuwaiti blogger Marzouq performed Hajj, the pilgrimage Muslims perform to Mecca, at least once in their life time, if they have the means to do so.
Iraq: Not in the Mood for Eid and Special Occasions
Muslims around the world are marking Eid Al Adha, a religious festival which marks the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son to Allah and the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Iraqi bloggers seem to be united and are in no mood for celebration.
Bulgaria: Anti-Muslim Petition
Veni Markovski writes about an online petition against Bulgarian Muslims.
Egypt: Inanities on Homosexuality
Sarah Carr, blogger and journalist addresses how a published feature titled “Honey, I’m homosexual” and online comments perpetuate myths about homosexuality and, in doing so, contributes to the culture of intolerance in Egyptian society.
Israel: Praying for Rain
The first hard rains of winter fell this week after months of waiting, causing all of Israel to breath a sigh of relief. Jews, Muslims and Christians were also united in their prayer for rain, reports Maya Norton.
Israel: Perceptions of Breastfeeding Throughout Jewish Tradition
In “Breastfeeding and Judaism: Why Moses’ Mother Didn’t Put Bottles Into The Ark Of Bulrushes,” Hannah Katsman of the Green Prophet explains the importance of breastfeeding in Jewish law and tradition compared with its role in Israeli society today.
Kazakhstan: Krishnas Save Kazakhstan Farm
Gumir reports that the Kazakhstan government withdrew its claim for demolition of the only Temple of the Krishna Society in Kazakhstan after 1,5 years of standoff.
Paraguay: Jesuit Ruins
Osval visits the Jesuit ruins in Paraguay [es/en], where the Tupi-Guaraní indigenous groups were taught by the Roman Catholic group.
Russia: Aleksiy II
Updates on the media and Russian blogosphere reports on the death of Aleksiy II, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia – at IZO. Stella Rock of OpenDemocracy.net writes about the late Patriarch's legacy. Window on Eurasia writes on Aleksiy II's legacy, too, and discusses the patriarch's potential successors.
Central & Eastern Europe: Mikołajki, Mikuláš
In Poland, “Santa Claus visits twice” – according to the POLSKI blog: on St. Nicholas Day and for Christmas. Same in Slovakia, writes The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia, and in the Czech Republic (more about it on CzechFolks.com and on My Czech Republic Blog.
Slovenia: A Mosque for Ljubljana
Sleeping With Pengovsky writes that “the city of Ljubljana is one of the few (if not only) European capital with a substantial Muslim community and without a mosque” and highlights the political obstacles to building the mosque.
Morocco: Reflections of Eid
It's been quite awhile since we last looked into the Moroccan blogosphere...so it's about time! As the Eid al-Adha celebration has recently passed, bloggers are wishing each other well and sharing stories from the holiday.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: The Burning of a Mosque
Cafe Turco and Yasmin's Heart discuss the burning of a mosque in the village of Fazlagića Kula in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Ethiopia: Is the Orthodox church losing ground?
Arefe of Addis Journal comments on the decrease in the number of Orthodox Christians, traditionally the dominant church in Ethiopia, in the new census of the country. And, drawing on Professor Medhane Tadesse's essay, “Religion, Peace and the Future of Ethiopia”, he analyses the reasons for this decrease.
South Africa: On freedom of religion
Constitutionally Speaking comments on the “lack of knowledge and appreciation of minority religious practices” in South Africa, sparking quite a debate in the comments section of his post.
Libya: Eid Al – Adha 2008
After a long hiatus, Libyan bloggers are back at work behind their keyboards, wishing each other a happy Eid, discussing the increasing prices and reflecting on Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca which Muslims perform. Fozia Mohamed tunes in to bring us the story.