Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: Myanmar's historic election, Hindi and Islamic tension in India, and the Mormon Church bans same-sex couples and their children.
AROUND THE WORLD
A Brief Guide to Myanmar’s Election
by Patrick Beohler
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/world/asia/myanmar-election-president-aung-san-suu-kyi-explainer.html?ref=world
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority, have been excluded from voter lists this year amid a wider government-led effort to disenfranchise them.
Why Burmese Monk Accuse Aung San Suu Kyi of Being an Islamist
Economist
http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/11/economist-explains-2
Myanmar has never really made peace with its plural identity. Though it is home to scores of ethnic groups, Burmans have wielded unchallenged power since independence. The incumbent government has signed ceasefires with several armed ethnic groups, but has never fully delineated how much local autonomy it is prepared to cede. Candiates Suu Kyi’s popularity presents Myanmar’s army with the most potent challenge it has ever faced, and the accusations against her represent its last-ditch effort to cling to power.
Every Monday, Thousands of Germans Rally Against Muslims. Here Are the 6 Things You Need to Know About the ‘Pegida’ Movement
by Kai Arzheimer
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/11/04/every-monday-thousands-of-germans-rally-against-muslims-here-are-the-6-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-pegida-movement/
A year ago, a new movement began taking to the streets of the east German city of Dresden: Every Monday night, hundreds, if not thousands of “concerned citizens” gather for yet another “Pegida” rally.
Indian Muslim, Accused of Stealing a Cow, Is Beaten to Death by a Hindu Mob
by David Barstow and Suhasini Raj
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/world/asia/hindu-mob-kills-another-indian-muslim-accused-of-harming-cows.html?ref=todayspaper
Amid a politically charged national debate over religious intolerance, a Muslim man was beaten to death on Monday by a mob of Hindus who suspected him of stealing a cow, a revered symbol in the Hindu religion. It was the fourth time in six weeks that Hindus had killed Muslims they suspected of slaughtering, stealing or smuggling cows.
Assad’s Sunni Foot Soldiers
by Thanassis Cambanis
Foreign Policy
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/05/assads-sunni-foot-soldiers-syria/
Russia and Iran's intervention in Syria gets all the attention, but many in the country’s majority sect are still fighting for the government. They may hold the key to Syria’s future.
Sponsoring Sufism
by Fait Muedini
Foreign Affairs
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2015-11-03/sponsoring-sufism
Just over a year ago, Assad government spokesperson Mohamed Jihad al-Laham reached out to the U.S. Congress to ask for support in the fight against ISIS and to promote Sufism. The inclusion of Sufism in Laham’s plea for military support might seem out of place. But since 9/11, such sentiments have become routine as the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western countries have come up against hard-line Islamist groups.
Obama Administration Concedes that Mideast Peace is Beyond Reach on His Watch
by Steven Mufson
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-administration-concedes-that-mideast-peace-is-beyond-reach-on-his-watch/2015/11/05/35edda9c-8413-11e5-9afb-0c971f713d0c_story.html
President Obama has concluded that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is beyond reach during his presidency and will press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take steps to preserve the mere possibility of a two-state solution, senior administration officials said Thursday.
The West Is Sending Mixed Messages to Egypt about Human and Religious Rights
Economist
http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2015/11/egypt-and-religious-freedom
Are things in Egypt getting better or worse in respect of basic human freedoms, including minority rights and liberty of conscience? And should the answer to that question affect the way Western governments treat President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi? America, Britain and other democracies seem unsure.
Dalai Lama Reminisces About Meeting Kindred Spirit Thomas Merton
by Morgan C. Atkinson
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/morgan-atkinson/dalai-lama-reminisces-about-meeting-kindred-spirit-thomas-merton_b_8481898.html
The possibility of upsetting conventional minds did not deter Merton from traveling to Dharamsala, India to meet with the Dalai Lama. Recounting their time together the Dalai Lama's face lit up. He observed that Merton seemed a genuine practitioner of his Christian faith one for whom "the message of Jesus carry 24 hours."
NATIONAL
A Centennial Celebration for Brooklyn’s Only Saint
by Andrew Newman
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/nyregion/a-centennial-celebration-for-brooklyns-only-saint.html
Brooklyn has just one saint, and his name is Raphael Hawaweeny. He was not Catholic. Or of European descent. He was Syrian, and at the turn of the 20th century he helped build the Eastern Orthodox Church in this country. He founded a cathedral in Brooklyn’s Little Syria and crisscrossed the country tending his scattered flock.
Mormon Church Bars Same-Sex Couples and Their Children
by Laurie Goodstein
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/us/mormons-gay-marriage.html?ref=us
Children of same-sex couples will not be able to join the Mormon Church until they turn 18 — and only if they move out of their parents’ homes, disavow all same-sex relationships and receive approval from the church’s top leadership as part of a new policy adopted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
How Faithful People Can Change Politics
by John C. Danforth
Religion and Politics
http://religionandpolitics.org/2015/11/03/how-faithful-people-can-change-politics/
Faithful people have much to offer American politics, much that can mend what is so obviously broken. But to make this offering, we will have to show up and speak up. This may seem an unpleasant prospect for many of us, but nothing in religion says that we should be content with the pleasant.
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