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Wednesday, November 11, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Religion
INDIA: Women As Hindu Priests Have An Edge
Defying Hindu orthodoxy and intolerant male priests, women in Maharashtra state, western India, have revived a Vedic tradition and become priests.POLITICS-US: Right Seizes on Ft. Hood Killings as “Islamic Terror”
Senior military and Barack Obama administration officials have been on a full-court press to preempt an anti-Muslim backlash since the shooting spree by a Muslim soldier at Fort Hood, Texas, but right-wing pundits have wasted no time in characterising Major Nidal Malik Hasan's actions as an act of terrorism by a radical Islamic extremist.
SWAZILAND: Help Sex Workers – Senator
It is one of the world's oldest professions, dating so far back that it is even mentioned in the Bible. But in the deeply cultural and religious country of Swaziland, Senator Thuli Msane stirred a hornet's nest when she publicly challenged a new strict bill opposing prostitution.RIGHTS: Iraqi Minorities Dying Over Turf War
Iraqi minority groups are caught up in a power struggle between the country's Arab-dominated central government and the Kurdish-controlled regional government over the oil-rich Nineveh province - and they are paying with their lives, according Human Rights Watch.
Q&A: Geert Wilders Gets a Big Email Hug
Since the terror attacks of Sep. 11, 2001, persistent misconceptions about Islam have contributed to a dangerous climate of mistrust and disharmony between the Muslim world and the West.POLITICS-US: New Moons Rising
Earlier this month, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon went to Washington to introduce "As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen", his autobiography that, according to the Moon-owned Washington Times, "recounts the joys and challenges, the teachable moments and the monumental experiences of his life - much of it spent as a spiritual leader."SWITZERLAND: Muslims Targeted in the Name of Minarets
Switzerland's Muslim community is witnessing a xenophobic campaign by the political right-wing ahead of a vote next month on the banning of Islamic minarets.DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Protests Surround New Constitution
The Dominican Republic passed the 38th version of its constitution Thursday evening, amending more than 40 articles that drew public protests and opposition from civil society groups and many average Dominicans.
Q&A: “Women Will Benefit From Secularism”
Controversy stalks dissident writer Nawal El-Saadawi, whose views on women and religion have put her at odds with Egyptian conservatives.PORTUGAL: Bible Is “A Catalogue of Cruelties,” Says Saramago
After a nearly two-decade truce, Portuguese Nobel literature laureate José Saramago has returned to the charge against the Catholic Church. This time his target is the Bible itself, which he describes as "a manual of bad morals," and a "catalogue of cruelties and of the worst of human nature."RIGHTS-CHINA: Children Among “Missing” Xinjiang Detainees
"It was late in the evening, and we were just getting ready for bed. Three men in black police uniforms and another four in military camouflage came to our house. They said my sons have been involved in attacks against Chinese... they twisted their arms and led them away," said Kamalutdin K.RIGHTS-EGYPT: Invoking Religion Against Liberals
Self-appointed guardians of public morality are invoking an ancient instrument of Islamic jurisprudence against those whose ideas they deem immoral or heretical - or simply to gain fame.CANADA: Harper Courts Religious Right, But Quietly
Stephen Harper's ruling Conservative government has managed to muddy the ideological right-wing aspects of his political agenda to stay in power in Canada without alienating his western and rural base of moral and social conservatives.ENVIRONMENT-US: Interfaith Leaders Back Climate Bill
An interfaith group of religious leaders Thursday announced the launch of DaySix.org, an initiative aimed at influencing the passage of Senate legislation on climate change.PHILIPPINES: Muslim Unrest ‘A Political Problem in Religious Garb’
Pushing Muslims' long-held aspirations for genuine self-determination in mainly Catholic Philippines is a complicated struggle "because we are not a priority issue" for the central government.JAPAN: Buddhist Priests Use Pop Culture to Win Back Faithful
Hip hop. Fashion. Zen café. Animation.RIGHTS-EL SALVADOR: Anti-Gay Reform Fails in Congress
Constitutional reforms that would ban same-sex couples from marrying and adopting children in El Salvador failed to obtain the required number of votes in Congress.TRINIDAD: Radical Muslim Leader Sparks Corruption Probe
Ever since he literally blazed into the lives of Trinidadians when he led more than 100 armed followers in a failed attempt to remove the A.N.R. Robinson government in 1990, radical Muslim leader Yasin Abu Bakr has been able to taunt the country with impunity.
POLITICS-ITALY: Don't Even Speak of Equality! – Part 2
Angelica Mucchi-Faina, psychology professor at the Perugia University, thinks that "in Italy you cannot even talk about equal opportunities for women in politics."
POLITICS-ITALY: Where Are the Women? – Part 1
Four ministers out of 21; 193 parliamentarians out of 952 (upper and lower houses); no party leaders. Why are there so few women in Italian politics?RIGHTS: Govt Enforcing Ramadan Fast
Hundreds of Egyptians are reported to have been arrested for eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours as part of a police campaign against people caught breaking the Ramadan fast.« 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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