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Wednesday, November 11, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Religion
POLITICS-US: Will Catholics Lean Right or Left in 08?
Over the past two decades, Catholic voters in the United States - once consistent supporters of the Democratic Party - have been heavily courted by the Republicans.BRAZIL: Stiff Sentence for Killer of US-Born Nun Upheld
The 27-year sentence handed down to the hired killer who murdered U.S.-born nun and activist Dorothy Stang in 2005 was upheld by a court in Brazil.BOOKS-US: Decoding the Enigmatic Republic of Iran
Condoleezza Rice was in a triumphant mood the day Baghdad fell in April 2003, writes journalist Barbara Slavin in her new book, "Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies".IRAQ: Assassination of Sheikh Shakes US Claims
Resistance to occupation seems to have risen after the assassination last month of Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, head of the al-Bu Risha tribe. Abu Risha had begun to cooperate actively with U.S. forces.MEXICO: Cardinal Off the Hook, But Sex Abuse Controversy Rages On
The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico celebrated a legal ruling that dismissed a case against Cardinal Norberto Rivera in which he was accused of protecting an alleged pedophile priest, while the press published Church guidelines in which the clergy are asked to sign a letter releasing the archdiocese of responsibility in case of charges of sex abuse.RELIGION-US: Keeping the Muslim Faith – And a Low Profile
Ali Hanif is an African-American Muslim living in Oakland, California. On Fridays, his day off, he attends group prayers at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Northern California (CCNC). But Hanif says that he never volunteers his religion to strangers.
RIGHTS-BURMA: Buddha's Peace Prevailed in Mandalay
When Burma’s military regime mounted an attack on unarmed Buddhist monks and civilian protestors in Rangoon, the residents of this ancient city feared similar treatment.RIGHTS-ARGENTINA: Priest’s Life Sentence Draws Widespread Praise
The life sentence handed down to former police chaplain Christian Von Wernich, a symbol of the Argentine Catholic Church’s complicity with the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, was described Wednesday by Argentine President Nestor Kirchner as "a good example for the world."US-IRAQ: Unable to Defeat Mahdi Army, U.S. Hopes to Divide It
Although the U.S. military command's frequent assertions that the primary threat to U.S. forces in Iraq comes from Iranian meddling, its real problem is that Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr's Mahdi army is determined to end the occupation and is simply too big and too well entrenched to be weakened by military force.POLITICS-US: Three Iraqs Worse Than One?
With a strong majority of U.S. citizens favouring withdrawal from Iraq within a year and presidential elections set for 2008, Democrats and moderate Republicans continue to face an uphill struggle to force President George W. Bush to change course.BURMA: Fear Over the Country
Nights are no more the same for the 45-year-old Buddhist monk who lives in a monastery in the Myay Ni Gone area, close to the heart of this dilapidated city. Nor is sleep.POPULATION-PHILIPPINES: Manila Women to Fight Ban on Contraceptives
Lourdes Esplana-Osil has seven children, all born within a space of 12 years. Warned by her doctor of complications from repeated pregnancies, she started using injectable contraceptives provided free at a local government health centre.
Q&A: 'Islam and Abolition Are Compatible'
Many in the Arab world find support for the death penalty in the Quran. But this is a false reading of the texts, says Mustapha Bouhandi, professor of comparative religion at Hassan II university in Casablanca.RELIGION: Episcopal Leaders Forestall Split over Gays
A compromise has been worked out over the consecration of gays in the Episcopal Church that may mend what has been nearly an unraveling of the third largest Christian community worldwide.RELIGION-PAKISTAN: Shia-Sunni Tensions Surface on Campus
Prayer time at Pakistan’s hallowed University of the Punjab (PU), normally a solemn averment of the brotherhood of the faithful, is nowadays marked by the deep Shia-Sunni schism that has riven the Muslim world.
RIGHTS-BURMA: Protesting Monks Set Upon by Riot Police
In a desperate bid to cling on to power, Burma’s military junta stomped on the country’s rich Buddhist traditions on, of all days, a religious holiday, when people usually spend their time in prayer at the hundreds of pagodas that dot this country.
BURMA: Monks Lead Protests, Challenge Junta
Like they did for over a week, the monks who gathered at Burma’s most sacred site - the Shwedagon pagoda - performed a ritual on Tuesday under a blistering mid-day sun. They sat on the hallowed grounds of the majestic temple in Rangoon to pray for the people’s ‘victory'.POLITICS-BURMA: Buddhist Clergy on Collision Course With Junta
Burma’s Buddhist monks are threatening to turn an on-going protest against steep hikes in fuel prices into a religious and moral showdown with the country’s oppressive military regime.MEXICO: Church Lashes Out at Sex Abuse Victim
Catholic Church leaders in Mexico accused a victim of sexual abuse, who brought charges in a U.S. court against Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera for protecting an alleged pedophile priest, of seeking economic gain.
Q&A: 'War on Terror Served Iran's Interests Best'
Eminent writer, historian and filmmaker Tariq Ali was born in Lahore in 1943. While a student at Oxford University, he became involved in the movement against the war in Vietnam. That was the beginning of a long career in the literary arts and in peace activism that has earned him iconic status.US-IRAQ: Religious Violence Spiking, State Dept Says
Despite the addition of 30,000 U.S. troops to enhance security in the country, the freedom of average Iraqis to practice their religions deteriorated sharply during the past year, according to a report released Friday by the U.S. State Department.« 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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