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Friday, October 30, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Religion
TURKEY: Ruling Party Challenges Closure
Facing closure by the Constitutional Court, Turkey's Islamic-rooted governing party has launched its formal defence, claiming that the case against the highly popular party and its leaders has no legal basis, and that it defends secularism despite charges that it plans to turn the country into an Islamic state.
LEBANON: Hezbollah Unleashes a Coup Bid
Men clad in black have roamed the streets of Beirut since Wednesday, their faces covered with ski masks or dark kaffiya, as they wreaked havoc in the large avenues leading to the airport or dividing Sunni and Shia areas. As darkness loomed over Lebanon, the winds of discord seem to set the Lebanese capital ablaze.SCIENCE-US: Evolution Under Siege in Classrooms
Darwinian evolution - the 19th century geologist and naturalist Charles Darwin's acclaimed theory of natural selection of species and the origins of humanity - is apparently still a source of controversy, most recently here in the state of Florida.LEBANON: Al-Qaeda on a Slippery Base
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman Zawahiri, announced in an audiotape broadcast Apr. 21 that Islamic groups would play a pivotal role in the war against Jews, and encouraged militants to expel invading 'Crusaders' masquerading as peacekeepers, referring to UNIFIL troops deployed in South Lebanon.DEATH PENALTY-PAKISTAN: Stonings – Sign of Taliban Resurgence
The Taliban have confirmed that their sympathisers have executed by stoning a runaway couple in this remote tribal region bordering Afghanistan - their first known use here of this long drawn-out death sentence for a so-called "honour crime".RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Inquiry Into Terror Suspect Haneef's Case 'Pointless'
Concerns are being raised that the judicial inquiry into the case of former terrorism suspect, Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef, could be a waste of time and taxpayers’ money.GERMANY: Churches Going on Sale
What do you do with churches that have long since lost their congregations? In Germany, some are put up for sale, and get converted into luxury apartments, offices, theatres, bistros and restaurants.
Q&A: A Bishop with His (Sandalled) Feet on the Ground
Fernando Lugo has rocketed into Paraguayan history. Not only is he the first Catholic bishop to be elected president, but he has also ended 61 years of rule by the Colorado Party.RELIGION: Ethics – The Best Weapon Against Domestic Violence
Domestic violence, which is widespread in Latin America as in the rest of the world, makes it imperative to recover ethics as the core value for practices and efforts aimed at creating more equitable and just societies.CANADA: Jewish Defence League Energised by Israel’s Far Right
Like an aging group of retro rocker musicians, the Jewish Defence League (JDL) resurfaced in Toronto recently after a decade of dormancy, trying to look a little more mainstream.
Q&A: How Faith Communities Can Help Fight Violence Against Children
"It’s important to know how families view the power relations that make them protective or destructive of rights," in a world where every year 275 million children witness scenes of domestic violence, said United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expert Eduardo Gallardo.RELIGION-COLOMBIA: Children of Hope in a Violent World
When she was 12 years old in her native Colombia, Ornella Barros decided that she did not want to be "the future, but the present; not a hope, but a certainty." Six years later, as a political science student, Barros says she made the right decision when she joined the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC).
MIDEAST: Israel Could Make Orphans Homeless Again
Nibaal Shriteh may soon be homeless. The 17-year-old Palestinian lives in a Hebron orphanage but, if the Israeli military has its way, she and 240 fellow orphans like her will be out on the streets.LEBANON: Christian Divisions Complicate Politics
The political crisis gripping Lebanon has chipped away at what has been viewed by most since the 2005 parliamentary elections as an unlikely alignment of two political heavyweights.
JAPAN: Zenkoji Temple Leads Pro-Tibet Protests
As Olympic torchbearer Senichi Hoshino started the Japanese leg of the relay in Nagano - home of the 1998 Winter Games - a prayer vigil began at the landmark Zenkoji Buddhist shrine in the city for those who have died in Tibet following the Mar.10 crackdown.
EGYPT: Islamists Given Jail, and a Message
A year-long military trial of 40 leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood opposition movement ended last week with stiff jail terms for most of the defendants. Although the group is officially banned by the state, many observers were taken aback by the severity of the rulings.LEBANON: Assassinations Shake Christian Town
The lush Bekaa Valley is nestled between snowy Mount Lebanon and the Syrian border. The region, reputed for its wine production, was this week the witness to a violent crime in the Christian city of Zahleh, where two members of the anti-Syrian Kataeb party (Phalangists) were gunned down.
EGYPT: New Ban Tightens Noose Around Freedom
Egypt's parliament ratified legislation earlier this month outlawing public demonstrations in or near religious establishments. While government officials say the move is meant to preserve the inviolability of Egypt's mosques and churches, critics say the new law aims to further stifle freedom of expression.PARAGUAY: An Injection of Hope
"This is an injection of hope," said Ricardo Cáceres, a resident of Asunción, celebrating the victory of former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo, who was elected president of Paraguay in elections that put an end to six decades of rule by the conservative Colorado Party.
MIDEAST: Israel Strengthens Hamas Leadership
The one political result of Israel's attacks and sanctions on Gaza has been that the Hamas leadership, and particularly Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, have emerged greatly strengthened.RIGHTS-US: Trials of Muslim Charities Likened to a Witch-hunt
The U.S. government's anti-terrorist financing programmes are based on the "guilt by association" tactics of the McCarthy era and have had a widespread negative impact on U.S. charities, critics say.« 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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