Religion

Holy Sites Hold Fast to Status Quo

By Pierre Klochendler
“With our spirit, with our blood, we’ll redeem you, O Noble Sanctuary!” the veiled teenagers fervently sing in unison in honour of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan. Israeli police officers in uniform and full battle gear sit unimpressed under pine trees; others patrol the compound.
A makeshift girls

Pouring Edible Oil on Pakistan’s Troubled Areas

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR,  Jul 28 2012 (IPS) -Taking turns to lug a heavy can of edible oil, Mushtari and Sheema Gul, twin sisters aged nine, trip home happily from their school in Ghareebabad village in Pakistan’s troubled Bajaur Agency.

Balkans Bristles Under Turkey’s Gaze

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic
In the decade following the break-up of Yugoslavia, it was rare for a statement made by a foreign politician to stir heated debate in the Eastern European bloc.

Report Details Steady Erosion of Iranian Justice System

By Jasmin Ramsey
While Iran’s human rights record has “never been satisfactory”, since the 1979 Islamic Revolution the situation has deteriorated daily, according to Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi.

IOC in Talks with Saudi Arabia over Male-Only Team

By AJ Correspondents
The International Olympic Committee has said it is in talks with Saudi Arabia, after Human Rights Watch called for Riyadh to be barred from participating in the London Olympic Games.

Birth Control – Roping in Pakistan’s Men

By Zofeen Ebrahim
“No scalpel, no stitch and no rest needed,” guarantees Dr. Ghulam Shabbir Sudhayao, referring to the surgical procedure called vasectomy - the least popular method of birth control around the world, including Pakistan.

Widespread Muslim Scepticism of U.S. as Democracy Advocate

By Jim Lobe
Despite continuous assurances that the United States favours democratic rule during the 18-month-old "Arab Spring", majorities or pluralities in six predominantly Muslim countries see Washington as an obstacle to their democratic aspirations, according to a new survey released here Tuesday.

Family Planning Summit Offers New Hope

By A. D. McKenzie
The Summit on Family Planning that is taking place in London on Wednesday is a bid to get governments around the world to commit more resources to safeguarding women’s reproductive rights, according to the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Libya May Steer Clear of the Islamist Way

By Mel Frykberg
Libyans appear to be putting their hopes in Mahmoud Jibril’s liberal National Forces Alliance (NFA) to cement a coalition and build bridges between Libya’s fractious militias. Many believe the party can also unite other ideologically opposed political parties, and both opponents and supporters of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Taliban Thwarts Global Polio Eradication

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
By ordering a ban on polio immunisation, in its strongholds along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the Taliban is holding up an ambitious global programme to rid the world of  the crippling childhood disease, say World Health Organisation (WHO) doctors.

Key Syrian Defection Heartens U.S.

By Jim Lobe and Samer Araabi
The defection this week of a key general with longstanding ties to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad was hailed Friday by officials in the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as an important step towards ending the regime.

Israel Divestment Campaigns Gain Momentum in U.S.

By Mitchell Plitnick
A resolution at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to divest from three corporations which provide equipment used to maintain Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands failed by a mere two votes on Thursday.

Sri Lanka Emerges as Launchpad for Human Smuggling

By Amantha Perera
If you hold a Pakistani or Afghan passport, be prepared for an unusually lengthy immigration process on entering neighbouring Sri Lanka. Immigration authorities in the island tell IPS they have set up special procedures to check passengers from these two countries.

Muslim Brotherhood Rises Under a Military Thumb

By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi faces a host of daunting political hurdles after being officially declared Egypt's first freely-elected president on Sunday.

Maldives Sees Islamist Resurgence

By Ethan Freedman
Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed expressed concerns Monday about the state of democracy in his home country, noting the dividing effect of a rising tide of Islamist extremism.

OP-ED: Bahrain Repression Belies Government Stand on Dialogue

By Emile Nakhleh
Bahrain remains a repressive state, and civil rights are violated daily.

Behind Self-Immolations, a Cultural Genocide?

By Emily-Anne Owen
The Chinese government must not “eliminate individualism” but instead encourage diversity of religion, culture and language, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, stressed - after yet another Tibetan self-immolated last week in China’s Qinghai province.

NIGERIA: Three Boko Haram Leaders Put on U.S. Terrorism List

By Jim Lobe
In its first legal action against the northern Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, the U.S. State Department Thursday designated three of the group's alleged leaders to its global terrorism list.

Nigerian Cities in Lockdown after Deadly Riots*

By AJ Correspondents
Soldiers and police are patrolling the empty streets of two Nigerian cities after three days of violence left at least 101 people dead, with some residents still unable to return home.

What is Stopping the Algerian Spring?

By Giuliana Sgrena
The on-going hunger strike of nine Algerian court clerks, coupled with the government’s indifference to their demands for an independent labour union, have stirred debate about Algeria’s role in the Arab Spring, which many see as an incomplete attempt to overturn a deeply flawed political and economic system.

Communal Violence Threatens Democratic Change in Myanmar

By Jim Lobe
The outbreak over the past week of communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine State seriously threatens the ongoing reform process in Myanmar, according to experts here.
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