Religion

Rosh Hashana 5772 begins tonight

Rosh Hashana 5772: Hope and the Social Justice Movement While right-wing politicians are rolling back democratic rights in Israel, a new generation of protesters is demanding more powers for the people. The Jewish year 5771 brought two diametrically opposed developments in Israel. One was the flood of anti-democratic laws passed […]

Understanding honour killings

National Post The following is a condensed version of a speech delivered by National Post columnist Barbara Kay on Monday at the “Islamism’s War Against Women” seminar in Toronto. Every time I write about honour killings of girls or women in which the father or brother who killed them claimed, […]

Meeting of Religious Scholars in Germany

Source: Qantara Under the banner “Bound to live together”, an international peace congress promoting dialogue and reconciliation was held in Munich with representatives from all major religions. Yet, issues such as the Middle East conflict, the Arab Spring, and the role of Islam in Europe pose new challenges for Jews, […]

Why 9/11 was good for religion

Source: The Guardian Author: Andrew Brown 9/11 strengthened fundamentalism in every global faith – and in atheism too. But it has also led to backlashes against these doctrines wherever they have appeared. In Islam there have been positive developments. The attacks were repeatedly and clearly condemned by Muslim leaders all […]

Islam in Indonesia: A Scholar’s View

Jakarta Globe: Lydia Tomkiw Historian Michael Laffan’s new book explores the influences of trade, travel and traditions on the spread of Islam in Indonesia. Historian, author and professor Michael Laffan studied Indonesian in high school in Australia before going on to study Arabic in college. Laffan wanted to connect the […]

When Is a Martyr a Martyr?

Source: Qantara Ten years after the attacks of 11 September 2001, international media need an East–West consensus – and not just with regard to the usage of key terms. Common standards and ethical norms are indispensable for reporting in crisis situations. A commentary by Loay Mudhoon   How can international […]