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India’s Elections and the “Doniger Affair”

…eligion as a tool of social oppression. This is perhaps why the most vocal Indian (or Indian expatriate) defenders of Doniger in the wake of the controversy have, for the most part, been intellectual or activist Marxists. Penguin’s decision to withdraw her book gave them new ammo in a battle against what they perceive as Hindu majoritarian aggression, exemplified by the destruction of the Babri mosque and the 2002 Gujarat riots. Many of these inte…

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Mexican Marriage Marches Show Struggle Between Church and Secular State; Pro-LGBT Mormon Group Grows After ‘Apostate’ Declaration; Botswana Gives Anti-Gay US Pastor the Boot; Global LGBT Recap

…lished a report this month on “Discrimination Against Transgender Women in Cambodia’s Urban Centers.” The report notes, “Cambodia’s predominantly Buddhist religious tradition suggests that there may have been a greater historic tolerance of diverse gender identities in Cambodia, compared with many other parts of the world.” But still, “Traditional family values, which encourage marriage and children, are deeply felt and often conflict with trans i…

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Conservative Bishops Unhappy At Synod, But Ignore Walkout Call; Australian Religious Leaders Step Up Marriage Equality Opposition; Italy Debates Civil Unions; Global LGBT Recap

…minique Mosbergen reports at Huffington Post on efforts by some parents in Cambodia to “cure” LGBT people through a traditional healer known as a Kru Khmer. Such attempts at “curing” are not uncommon in Cambodia, where LGBT people are often seen as being mentally ill or as being possessed with “bad spirits.” “Usually the Kru Khmer will chant something [at the LGBT person], sometimes they burn the head, back or palm,” Srun Srorn, an LGBT activist,…

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BYU Honor Code Used to Harass Black Atheletes

…de, we sounded a note of caution here at RD about the “dark side” of honor code enforcement. After all, the honor code had been created during the 1960s in an effort by ultra-conservative BYU President Ernest Wilkinson to root out liberals, and honor code enforcement (including anonymous referrals) had been used to bait and harrass feminist, liberal, and gay students, shut down campus free speech, and compromise the privacy of pastoral counseling…

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Policing Academic Freedom: A Book, a Controversy, and the Ominous Aftermath

…nguin publishing house, arguing that the book violated Article 295A of the Indian Penal Code, which forbids “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class of citizens.” The school teacher was Mr. Batra, a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization. As early as 2001, Mr. Batra has engaged in political and legal measures to affect educational curriculum through his…

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Religious Affiliation, ‘Mankind’: India’s Anti-Corruption Activist Leads Second Freedom Struggle

…demands to vote for the reformers’ version of the Lokpal Bill. “Tune into Indian television and watch the India parliament debate the law. Link yourself, pit yourself, against Indian corruption. The future depends on what you do today,” she implored. [As of the end of August a compromise had been reached, but 73-year-old activist Anna Hazare has said the battle is only half won. -Eds.] “Prisoners Threatened to Kill the Teachers, But They Kept the…

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“Americans Hate Muslims, Too” (And Other Impediments to U.S. Advocacy for Religious Freedom Abroad)

…that those intending to attack Muslims in America often mistakenly attack Indian American Sikhs or Hindus, as reported in this Times of India story.) All of this, of course, simply serves to confirm the impression of many Indians that “Americans hate Muslims, too,” and that our advocacy for religious freedom is really just Christian advocacy. Overcoming this impression, so that the United States might become a more effective, credible advocate fo…

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Marriage Debate in Australia Shifts To Push For Religious Exemptions; and More in Global LGBT Recap

…e “registration and control of eunuchs” and marital rape exceptions in the Indian Penal Code. … Depictions of gender-fluid identity are common in ancient texts found in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, gods transform into goddesses, or they cross-dress. Men become pregnant. But when the British colonized India, they imported “a great discomfort with all things pleasurable and sensual,” said Devdutt Pattanaik, the author of several book…

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Bill to Stone Gays to Death Introduced in Kenya

…xual Behaviours.” Theravada is the prominent form of Buddhism practiced in Cambodia. At least 96 percent of Cambodians practice Buddhism. The Pali Canon does not specifically prohibit homosexuality. Buddhist teachings are relatively free of misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. The steps of the Eightfold Path to enlightenment speak about sexual activity. The second step states, “You must renounce all pleasures of the senses.” This is thought to re…

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With Trump’s Failure to Protect Religious Minorities, Afghan Hindus and Sikhs Face an Uncertain Future in India

…r Singh Shergill, remains optimistic despite the history of persecution in India: “Although India has a troubling history in protecting the rights of minority communities, I see this as a positive development since it gives a much-needed option to the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus at risk, particularly given the failure of Trump and the Republicans to take any action.” Afghan Hindus may have little to fear, but Afghan Sikhs may find themselves going fro…

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