COMMENT: Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan

By Benedict Rogers (Reposted from one year ago. Extended version available here) Benedict Rogers is a writer and human rights campaigner with Christian Solidarity Worldwide based in London. He also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission. On 11 August 1947, Pakistan’s founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah spelled out his vision for … Continue reading →

NEWS: Pakistan to Monitor Websites for ‘Blasphemy’

The BBC has recently reported Pakistan’s plans to monitor ‘seven major websites’ for material deemed offensive to Muslims. These include perennial favourites: Amazon, Hotmail, YouTube and Google, along with seventeen other less well known websites. Given the two week ban imposed by Pakistan in May, it is perhaps surprising that the popular social networking site … Continue reading →

NEWS: Islam and Reality TV in Malaysia

Imam Muda (trans: “Young Leader”) is a new Reality TV show in Malaysia in which—not new pop stars, or models, or best housewives, but—a new religious leader is chosen from among contestants! Half-way through its first season, the show is hugely successful, having quickly become, as the NY Daily News points out, the most watched program on its Islamic-themed channel. … Continue reading →

NEWS: The Burqa and the Economy

Given the polemical nature of much discourse which often surrounds the burqa, Matthew Campbell of the Sunday Times identifies another layer to the debate.  There has been a great deal of discussion across Europe as to whether or not women choose to wear the burqa or alternatively if it is something forced upon them. With … Continue reading →

NEWS: Lifting the veil on the ‘free world’

Cross-posted from Geography Directions By Michelle Brooks Recent reporting of the debate on banning the burkha in Belgium has highlighted widespread anxiety over legislating against women who choose to follow this cultural practice. It is proposed that on the first offence women will be fined a small sum of money, however in the second instance … Continue reading →

NEWS: Burqa Comes Under Attack Again

France with its tradition of ensuring the separation of state and religion, has long acknowledged concerns with outward displays of religious symbols, in particular certain items of clothing worn by Muslim women. Given the proximity of French regional elections (21 March 2010) it appears likely that this issue will come to the forefront once again, … Continue reading →

NEWS: Fatwah Issued against Full-Body Scanners in Airports

The Fiqh Council of North America has issued a fatwah—a religious edict—contesting the compulsory use of full-body scanners in airports as a violation of Islamic law. The scanners, in use in many U.S. airports, produce grainy full body images that can detect weapons or other items carried under an individual’s clothing. Though the images are … Continue reading →

NEWS: Update: Muslim Punk Rock Media Explosion

After a wave of of attention in Summer 2009, the Muslim Punk Rock movement known as Taqwacore is back in the media spotlight.  (Read the original post here) This time a religious studies news source, ReligionDispatches, offers two articles that explore this part-religious, part-artistic phenomenon. In “Kill Your Patriarchs” (found here) Religious Dispatches contributor Hussein … Continue reading →

NEWS: Religious Terrorists Most Often Elite

According to a recent article by Richard Bernstein, though many suicide bombers worldwide are poor and disenfranchised, most of the religious extremists who have engaged in acts of violent terrorism against the U.S. in the last decade have been intellectuals from elite backgrounds. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian Muslim accused of attempting to bomb a … Continue reading →

Islam: A “Dangerous” Religion?

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans have become increasingly interested in the religion of Islam and in the politics of the Muslim world. 2009 has been a year full of news regarding American/Muslim relations, from President Obama’s June address to the worldwide Islamic community to the shootings at Fort Hood in November. Although … Continue reading →

NEWS: H1N1 and the Hajj, Part Two

Last summer, Arab health ministers and the World Health Organization decided to ban certain groups of people from making the hajj pilgrimage this year because of fears the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as “swine flu,” would spread more quickly. (For the earlier Religion Compass Exchanges post, “H1N1 and the Hajj,” click here.) But Saudi … Continue reading →

NEWS: Religion and AIDS

Today marks the twenty-first World Aids Day, yet despite a massive growth in knowledge of the infection, its transmission and its treatment, people continue to become infected. Robert Pigott, Religious Affairs Correspondent for the BBC has looked at the problems faced by many religious communities when it comes to propagating the safe sex message, particularly … Continue reading →

Religion Compass December Issue – now available

  Online ISSN: 1749-8171    Print ISSN: 1749-8171 Religion Compass Volume3, Issue6,2009. Early View (Articles Available Online in Advance of Print) © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd   African Religions   921-934 Divination: Epistemology, Agency, and Identity in Contemporary Urban West Africa Laura S. Grillo Abstract Published Online: 25 Nov 2009 DOI 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2009.00174.x   Buddhism   935-950 Local … Continue reading →

NEWS: Islam on the catwalk

In spite of the current global recession, designers in Malaysia are keen to try and exploit the previously ‘untapped’ area of Islamic fashion. Designers including Tom Abang Saufi, Abdul Kareem Said Khadaied and Nuraini Mohammed Ariffin aim to inspire both Muslim and non-Muslim women with their clothing ranges. Although, Tom Abang Saufi believes that ‘many … Continue reading →

NEWS: BNP Accused of Hijacking Christianity

After Nick Griffin’s recent appearance on the BBC Question Time programme – aired on Thursday 22 October 2009 – the media has been caught up in a frenzy of analysis. Much of this has focused upon the discussion as to whether or not the British National Party [BNP] should have ever been allowed to propagate … Continue reading →