Religion Dispatches
…on, let us hope the offense of racism finds such recompense in America. In Malaysia and Indonesia, at the end of Ramadan there is a custom to seek forgiveness zahir and batin for offenses done knowing and unknowingly. We do not know all the time how our actions affect another person. So to keep the level of humanity in forgiveness straight let me say, in writing this blog, if I have offended anyone knowingly or unknowingly, please forgive me and a…
Read More…more if I had no knowledge of Arabic or of the Qur’an. A friend of mine in Malaysia was complaining that her local mosque had decided to go with an Egyptian hafiz rather than the basic eight by the local imam from his limited memorization. I don’t know why, she said, since most of us do not understand Arabic. Do they think they have to go with some Arab? I guess it must be difficult to stand and not understand, but I also think after more than 50…
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…t had arrived at independently while collecting specimens in Indonesia and Malaysia. For a beautiful account of man’s evolutionary history, and a glimpse into just how much scientists understand about our origins, in the past month, Nova aired on PBS the three-part series, Becoming Human. Last week, Comfort was quoted in Charisma saying he doubts intelligent design will ever be taught in schools alongside evolution. “That’s because we have to reme…
Read More…Abdul-Rauf’s return to the United States, first from an extended visit to Malaysia and then an a short State Department-funded trip to several Arab nations, reignites the questions about leadership at the Park51 Project. His return resulted in a coordinated media outreach that continues to confuse the issue and show that no one really seems to be in charge. Abdul-Rauf begins this media offensive by writing an op-ed in the New York Times, in which…
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…s been in contact with Buddhist monks from Thailand’s southern border with Malaysia, where pitched battles have been taking place between Buddhists and the Muslim majority in that locale. Wirathu said it wasn’t just Buddhists who were concerned about Islamic extremists. He said that his fears were shared by some Muslims, and gave the name of a leader of the Muslim community in Mandalay who he said was in agreement with him. Later that day I talked…
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…tionships to physical sites in London and throughout the United States and India, on websites and in publications, and to other contemporary areas of cultural production, such as yoga studios and public parks. The result was a comparative study of modern yoga, its popularization, and its intersections with consumer culture. What’s the most important take-home message for readers? Unfortunately, pop culture varieties of postural yoga are often dism…
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…e or transgressive and how did they serve to empower her in her pursuit of India and eventually yoga? MG: I think Devi was transgressive and conservative all at once. Clearly, she was a proto-feminist and a fiercely independent, adventurous woman. She forged her own identity at a time when that was much harder than it is today. She took off for India on a spiritual quest, alone, in 1927. When she was nearing 50, she moved, again on her own, to Hol…
Read More…s David Noriega and John Templeton report in “America’s Quiet Crackdown on Indian Immigrants,” our government seems to be working with India’s to turn victims of police overreach and repression, many of whom have reasonable and legitimate expectations of asylum, to deny asylum and return them to the very conditions they fled. It is an article that should be read, not least for the fact that this story goes nearly entirely unknown. But I found this…
Read More…try ratings here. Dominican Republic: Govt Commission Bans Miley Cyrus For Promoting Lesbian Sex We have reported previously on some religious leaders’ resistance to James “Wally” Brewster, the openly gay US ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Last week, Blabbeando reported, “The National Commission for Public Performances in the Dominican Republic announced today that they were banning a September 13th Miley Cyrus concert for, among other thing…
Read More…rcent of the population, as opposed to the more sizable Muslim minority in India—as an example of the commission’s particular concern over anti-Christian propaganda and legislation. While Obama-era appointees introduced a broader spectrum of ideological stances and religious affiliations to the commission, its membership nevertheless remained largely Christian and conservative enough to maintain the commission’s status quo. “I think the legislativ…
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