December 2009 Archives

Global Restrictions on Religion, a new study by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, finds that 64 nations - about one-third of the countries in the world - have high or very high restrictions on religion. But because some of the most restrictive countries are very populous, nearly 70 percent of the world's 6.8 billion people live in countries with high restrictions on religion, the brunt of which often falls on religious minorities.




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Here is another good piece in the Christian Science Monitor, written in anticipation of upcoming trials of 11 murder suspects moved to US soil from Gitmo,

Washington - The coming trials of 11 Muslim men in the United States for several separate acts of mass murder will sharply refocus attention on Islamic theology. It will also present the Muslim world with a "moment of truth."

Walter Rogers does an excellent job mostly by the simplicity and sincerity of the voice he has managed to secure for his article.  Because of this he is able as an outsider to bring the right questions before the Ummah, the global Muslim community. 

We hope the good questions raised by Walters will be engaged by the many fine Muslim leaders in the US, who bear these special challenges at the current time.

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From December 3 - 9 of this year in Melbourne, Australia, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (founded in 1993) convened its fourth global meeting. (Prior meetings have been Chicago 1993, Cape Town 1999, Barcelona 2004). This meeting (according to its own claims) convened approximately 5,000 people from approximately 200 faiths.






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While this might seem obvious to the near total majority of normal, thinking people in the Muslim world and without, still the formal declaration forbidding suicide/genocide coming from several important, established, and respected theological schools in the region is a vital step toward solving the problem of violent militants who pervert religious teachings to defend their bestial horrors.

ANI     Monday 14th December, 2009    

Lahore, Dec. 14 : Religious leaders from various schools of thought across Pakistan have termed suicide attacks 'haram' or un-Islamic.

Former Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed has said that Islam doesn't allow the killing of "Muslim brothers" by launching suicide attacks and bomb blasts.

"Suicide attacks are not allowed in Islam and our religion does not allow the killing of innocent people. The murder of a Muslim is in fact the killing of all humanity," the Daily Times quoted Ahmed, as saying.



He added that US drone attacks in Pakistani territory were a violation of international law and the country's sovereignty.

Meanwhile, several religious leaders in Punjab passed a unanimous resolution declaring that suicide attacks were 'haram' (prohibited).

Presented by Muttahida Ulema Board Chairman Sahibzada Fazle Karim after a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister, the resolution stated that suicide bombings had no place in Islam.

This article first appears here

Surely we cannot affirm the notion that a public official should be removed from office for "not believing in God," but what do you think of his own defense?  Do you agree that the matter is not relevant to public office?

Asheville City Councilman Cecil Bothwell believes in ending the death penalty, conserving water and reforming government -- but he doesn't believe in God. His political opponents say that's a sin that makes him unworthy of serving in office, and they've got the North Carolina Constitution on their side.



"The question of whether or not God exists is not particularly interesting to me and it's certainly not relevant to public office," the recently elected 59-year-old said.

The entire article is here

Three government ministers were among some 22 people killed in the attack.

A suicide bomber disguised as a woman in a veil blew himself up at a graduation ceremony in the capital last Thursday.

Most of those killed were medical students. More than 60 people were injured.

We read here of one of the greatest challenges facing peace loving citizens in many parts of the world. Entire territories and even nations face intense terror and oppression on a daily basis by violent groups with agendas stemming from perversions of righeousness or so-called religious fervor. 

The emergence of non-state groups with massive capacity for violence requires greater complexity of reflection both in international relations and in matters pertaining to sovereignty and tyranny.

As the world prayed for the welfare and safety of post-election Iranian protesters, how much more must we pray intensely and seek creative ways to support such heroes as these Somalis demonstrating courage in a time of grief.



Hundreds of Somalis have taken to the streets of Mogadishu to protest against al-Shabab,

Please read the entire article here




the group held responsible for a deadly suicide attack last week. Protesters burned the group's flag in what analysts say is an unprecedented show of anger at the militants, who control large parts of the country. Although al-Shabab has been widely blamed for the atrocity, the group has issued a statement denying involvement.

Three government ministers were among some 22 people killed in the attack.

A suicide bomber disguised as a woman in a veil blew himself up at a graduation ceremony in the capital last Thursday.

Most of those killed were medical students. More than 60 people were injured.