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Friday, September 25, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Religion
IRAQ: Seculars Gain as Religious Parties Lose Ground
Iraq's largest secular bloc appears to be the biggest surprise of the parliamentary elections at a time when some of the most well-known religious groups and figures have sustained great losses, preliminary election results so far indicate.
PERU: Priest on Campaign Trail Defrocked
A priest who is touring the country in his bid to run for president next year, at the head of a leftist movement, was indefinitely suspended by the Catholic Church for getting involved in politics.
MIDEAST: ‘Day of Rage’ Engulfs Palestine
On Tuesday tens of hundreds of Palestinians of all political persuasions took to the streets, alleys and sidewalks as widespread rioting and protests spread across East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and into Israel proper.
MIDEAST: Israel Lands in Public Relations Nightmare
Israeli riot police and soldiers have, since Friday, sealed off the Al Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, restricting entry to women and Palestinian men over 50.SOMALIA: U.S. Should Accept Islamist Authority, Report Says
The United States should accept an "Islamist authority" in Somalia as part of a "constructive disengagement" strategy for the war-torn country, according to a new report released here by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on Wednesday.MIDEAST: Iran, Israel Spoiling for a Fight?
Iran and Israel appear to be spoiling for a fight, going by recent belligerent statements emanating from several regional capitals.
MIDEAST: Israeli Left Emerges From Coma Amid Atrocities
Amid the wave of violence that swept through the occupied Palestinian West Bank, including East Jerusalem, over the last few days, there are signs that the Israeli left may be emerging from its collective coma.
Q&A: ‘Israeli Siege Causing De-development of Gaza’
For the first time since September 2006, Mahmoud Abu Rahma, a leading figure in the Palestinian human rights group Al Mezan, has been granted permission to travel outside Gaza.IRAQ: Secular Candidates Have Their Best Chance
As Iraqis go to the polls on Sunday, a key question in the minds of many in Iraq and Washington is whether secular candidates can continue their recent rise and possibly come out as winners.RELIGION-MEXICO: Legion of Christ Scandal Escalates
A new scandal has increased the pressure on the conservative religious order Legion of Christ, one of the most influential in the Catholic Church, to compensate the victims of alleged sexual abuse by its founder, Mexican priest Marcial Maciel, and carry out internal reforms.MIDEAST: Palestinian Homes on ‘David’s Garden’ Spared for Now
Outside the Bedouin-style protest tent in the heart of this Palestinian neighbourhood, the anger is palpable, but controlled.RIGHTS-GERMANY: ‘Catholic Church Protects Paedophile Priests’
The Catholic Church has for decades protected paedophile priests and clerics who sexually abused children from judiciary prosecution, according to German theologians, law experts, and internal church documents.MIDEAST: Opposition Grows Against Egypt-Gaza Barrier
Activists and opposition groups are stepping up pressure on the Egyptian government to stop constructing a barrier along the border with the Gaza Strip. Officials say the barrier will prevent cross-border smuggling, but critics say it will seal the fate of the people on the Gaza Strip.US-CHINA: Dalai Lama Visit Adds to List of Grievances
U.S. President Barack Obama met with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, Thursday in the White House, raising objections from China and adding to existing U.S.-China tensions over Taiwan arms sales, internet censorship and hacking, tariffs on Chinese tyres and calls for Beijing to readjust its currency.RELIGION-TURKEY: Alevi Future Bleak Despite Equality Moves
A political initiative to eliminate discrimination against the Alevi, Turkey’s main religious minority, risks being stymied by the Diyanet, the country’s powerful religious body that does not recognise anything but Sunni Islam.
RELIGION: Young Western Muslims Fight Misperceptions
Islamophobia is rising in the West, and sectarian clashes have undermined unity in the Muslim world, but there is hope from "within", says a group of young Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow (MLTs) working to address these problems.BALKANS: Arrest of Wahhabis Highlights Extremist Threat
The arrest of seven Wahhabis, following a police crackdown on the remote Bosnian village of Gornja Maoca, has raised concerns over the continued presence of Islamist fundamentalists who first arrived in the country during the bloody 1992-1995 Balkans war.
RELIGION: Fighting Hunger – A Matter of Faith
The world's major religions might disagree on theology and matters like the foods we ought to eat and the days we should rest on, but when it comes to fighting hunger, they see eye to eye.
PERU: CIA, Military Trade Blame Over Missionary Plane Shootdown
Nine years after the 2001 shootdown of a small airplane carrying U.S. missionaries over the Peruvian jungle, the CIA and the armed forces of this South American country are pointing fingers at each other over who was responsible for the fatal mistake, which cost the lives of two people.MIDEAST: Gaza Energy Crisis Averted – For Now
Pressure exerted on the Palestinian Authority (PA) by international and regional officials has given Gazans a last minute reprieve, albeit temporary, from plunging into darkness and plummeting temperatures.MIDEAST: Raze Illegal Buildings – Unless They Are Jewish
Backed by armed security men, the municipal inspectors race their jeeps through the narrow alleyways and up a hillside crowded with buildings.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Religion plays a big and in some cases growing role in the socio-political dynamics within countries and often is a factor in civil and cross-border conflict, conflict resolution and peace building. From Burmese monks' marches to the role of religious fundamentalism, this dedicated site gathers IPS stories about how religion affects our world, from daily life to geo-politics.
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