While assuming someone’s religion is an extremely personal question and often quite jarring in public settings, it’s also a common practice in Pakistan, a Muslim majority nation where religious questions are raised around vegetarian lifestyles. In recent years, the flip side to this debate has also arisen, with an increasing number of Muslims questioning the need to sacrifice animals on holidays such as Eid al-Adha.
Read MoreCatholics in Kenya commemorated the life of American missionary John Anthony Kaiser, a Catholic priest and human rights defender. He was particularly vocal in condemning politically motivated tribal clashes during the 1990s and whose assassination in the year 2000 shocked the country.
Read MoreSingle men are often overlooked for preaching roles in Churches of Christ — typically, but not always, for practical reasons — but they could be the perfect fit for many congregations.
Read MoreHarding School of Theology in Memphis, Tennessee, the only freestanding seminary among Churches of Christ, will move to the main campus of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, beginning in fall 2024.
Read MoreEgypt’s holiest monastery is now also home to one of the largest statues of Mary in the world. Located at the Virgin Mary Monastery in the village of Durunka, some 250 miles from the capital, Cairo, the statue stands at 28 feet in height atop a 46-foot pedestal.
Read MoreMany U.S. churches are rebounding from the pandemic, but many challenges remain, a new report reveals. The study, funded by the Lilly Endowment and led by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, offered a snapshot of this evolving landscape.
Read MoreOn the morning of Aug. 7, 1998, two powerful explosions ripped apart the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, sending debris and glass shrapnel across the central business district and beyond. In the end, some 200 Kenyans lay dead and another 4,000 people injured as a result of the attack. At the same time, another attack at the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam in neighboring Tanzania killed 11.
Read MoreThe growth of Christianity in China has stagnated over the past decade, while one-third of the country’s adult population identifies as Buddhist. A new Pew Research Center report found that only 10% of Chinese adults identified with any religious group — but the number rose significantly when survey questions focused on spirituality, customs and superstitions.
Read MoreCases such as the one involving Pastor Joseph Sserubiri have garnered attention, both in Uganda and internationally, due to their heinous nature. The government and law enforcement agencies have made efforts to combat these crimes, but addressing the issue has proven to be complex due to a combination of factors.
Read MoreMosques will no longer need a permit to publicly broadcast the Muslim call to prayer under a new rule announced by New York City Mayor Eric Adams as part of an effort to foster inclusivity. Adams said the guidelines make it easier for mosques to broadcast on Fridays, a traditional Islamic holy day, and at sundown during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Read MoreOrthodox Christianity is gradually gaining interest among diverse ethnic groups around the world, including African Americans. Mother Katherine Weston, for example, became Orthodox in the late 1980s. She is an abbess and also the president of the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black, a nonprofit committed to training Orthodox Christians for the ministry of racial reconciliation.
Read MoreMore than 150 individuals have lost their lives in confrontations between the Meitei and Kuki ethnic groups that have swept through Manipur, a northeastern state of India situated on the border with Myanmar. The unrest originated in Churachandpur, a town located just south of the state capital, Imphal, on May 3.
Read More(EXPLAINER) French officials said they will bar children in public schools across the country from wearing the “abaya,” a full-length robe used by some Muslim women to convey modesty. The rationale for the ban, they said, was to stem a growing number of disputes in its secular schools.
Read MoreThe chaos at the end of a long war. The frenzy to leave a troubled homeland. The challenge of a new and different culture. Hong Kluver identifies closely with the Afghan refugees she has worked so hard to help. In their experiences, she sees herself.
Read MoreThe Saudis have lots of money, easily outspending European clubs for players. Since the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund took control of four teams earlier this year, the deep-pocketed Saudis are recruiting players — and specifically Muslim talent — in their quest to change their global image. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have called this process “sportswashing.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) While machines have yet to replace all writers, the threat is real. This isn’t just limited to journalists. AI has impacted Hollywood (look at the current writers strike), education (from grade school to college) and the retail industry. And yes, journalism is up there to when it comes to an industry seen as under threat.
Read MoreDespite Sikhism’s denouncement of dowry, the tradition of demanding monetary or material gifts from the spouse’s family persists. As more individuals from Punjab pursue opportunities abroad, “reverse dowry” has left families shattered, marriages in ruins and spouses abandoned.
Read MoreThousands of internally displaced Nigerians are currently being kept in camps that are not habitable. But the Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria, a local nongovernmental organization, is providing support to victims of attacks in the country.
Read More(ANALYSIS) While this pontiff has been a divisive figure in the Catholic Church (especially in the United States and Western Europe), Francis’ popularity in his homeland is also waning. It’s a departure from the fervor of a decade ago when Jorge Bergoglio, the cardinal of Buenos Aires, was elected pope. Much of the country celebrated. These days, Francis generates divided opinions.
Read MoreKenya’s Conference of Catholic Bishops said it opposes the sex education content in the country’s primary education curriculum, citing flaws in the curriculum’s “permissive” framing and design. The bishops have further said the curriculum’s content would contribute to the rate of teen pregnancies and exacerbate moral decline in the East African country.
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