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Monday, November 9, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Religion
CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Terror Prosecutions Shed More Heat Than Light
The U.S. government's spotty record in obtaining convictions of people charged with providing "material support" to terrorist organisations is adding new impetus to the efforts of prominent constitutional lawyers to seek substantial changes in the law.POLITICS-US: Religious Right Bringing In 'More Money Than Ever'
In 1897, the great American author and humorist Mark Twain, responding to stories that had him lying at death’s door declared, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." One hundred ten years later, Twain’s rejoinder could be applied to mainstream media reports about the demise of the Christian Right in the United States.
SCIENCE: What the “Wise Men” Saw…
The Biblical tale of the "three wise men" who followed a particularly bright star to the birthplace of the Baby Jesus continues to fascinate amateur and professional astronomers more than two millennia after the event allegedly occurred.CUBA: Women Apply for Masonic Rites
A group of women are looking forward to founding the first women’s Masonic Lodge in Cuba next year, and so put an end to their traditional exclusion from Freemasonry, an esoteric society which is based on the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.ENVIRONMENT-BRAZIL: Catholic Hierarchy Backs Bishop’s Hunger Strike
The upper echelons of the Brazilian Catholic Church have decided to lend their support to Bishop Luiz Cappio, who is on hunger strike against the diversion of water from the Sao Francisco river, after the government confirmed it would go ahead with the project.POLITICS: U.S. Jews Tilt Rightwards on Israel
U.S. Jews appear to have become more opposed both to Israel's making key concessions in renewed peace talks with Palestinians and to the U.S. carrying out a military attack against Iran's nuclear facilities, according to the latest in an annual series of surveys of Jewish opinion released here this week by the American Jewish Committee (AJC).ENVIRONMENT-BRAZIL: Bishop Fasts Again for Sao Francisco River
Brazilian Catholic Bishop Luiz Cappio has entered the third week of his hunger strike against the diversion of water from the Sao Francisco river, in the arid northeast of the country, amid expressions of support.POLITICS-US: Clergy Joins “Tapegate” Battle
A coalition of more than 130 religious organisations has joined a growing chorus calling for appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations regarding the Central Intelligence Agency's destruction of videotapes and its use of "harsh" interrogation techniques.RELIGION-MEXICO: Outspoken Bishop Backed by Civil Society
Former members of the Catholic Church hierarchy and over 100 social organisations closed ranks behind Monsignor Raúl Vera, the only Catholic bishop in Mexico who still adheres to liberation theology, and whose unorthodox stances and confrontational style are disturbing conservative sectors.POLITICS-US: Dark Horse Surges with Religious Right Backing
Although several of the leading Republican Party presidential candidates have won endorsements from Religious Right leaders and organisations, no one has brought more Christian conservative leaders into their camp than former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.RIGHTS-CUBA: Incident Could Hurt Relations With Catholic Church
A police raid on a church in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba to arrest a group of dissidents was called "a deplorable incident" by a member of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, who said it could harm the good relationship between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government.EGYPT: Political Fatwas Draw Fire
Egypt's ruling party often accuses its Islamist opponents of exploiting religion to achieve political ends. But in the wake of several controversial fatwas - religious edicts - issued by the grand imam of the influential Al-Azhar Islamic establishment, critics are now accusing the state of playing the religion card.
Q&A: ‘Death Penalty Serves Interests of Despotic Regimes’
Syria strongly opposed the recently passed U.N. resolution calling for an immediate moratorium on executions and end to capital punishment. But Nedal Naeiseh - Syrian writer and journalist - believes the regime is close to the day when it will join the growing number of abolitionist nations.WORLD AIDS DAY: Catholics Snub Vatican’s Condom Ban
As millions of people plan to show solidarity with the struggle against HIV/AIDS on Saturday, a new multi-nation poll released in Washington by the group Catholics for Choice shows that a majority of Catholics around the world believe that - contrary to the edicts coming from Rome - "good Catholics can use condoms".
COLOMBIA: The Chibcha Culture – Forgotten, But Still Alive
Use of the sacred coca leaf, respect for water and nature, and other practices of the pre-Columbian Chibcha or Muisca culture survive in Colombia in spite of five centuries under attack. The culture was as highly-developed as those of the better-known Inca, Maya and Aztec people, according to scholars.DEVELOPMENT: Faced with Clashes, It's Good to Talk
With clashing civilisations, as with clashing people, there's one strategy that works: talk your way out of it. Just how is, of course, the more difficult question.
Q&A: 'People Who Work Every Day For Harmony Do Not Make Headlines'
The daily work of ordinary people committed to building dialogue both within and outside their communities make for less spectacular news reports than stories about communities at odds, says Imam Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini. These ordinary people are the majority, and they are more open to productive communication with the West than we generally believe, he says.POLITICS: Does the Media Incite Religious Tensions?
When Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi addressed the United Nations General Assembly last September, he rejected the argument that religion was responsible for disputes between nations.
MIDEAST: Christians And Muslims Coexist In Gaza
As Sunday dawns in Gaza City the traditional Islamic call to prayer mingles melodically with church bells.
Q&A: "Religion Is The Private Sphere, Not The Public"
To curb fundamentalism and fight terrorism, "Religion must be kept out of politics," warns Shlomo Ben-Ami, former Israeli foreign minister.
RELIGION-IRAN: Attack on Sufis Reveals Intolerance of Muslim Sects
The destruction of a monastery belonging to the Gonabadi Sufi order in Boroujerd town of Luristan province, this month, has once again highlighted the hostile environment in which Iran’s many religious minorities and non-conformist sects exist.« 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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