In the News, April 10, 2015

April 10, 2015

Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: reflections on the Muslim veil, India plans to resettle Hindus in the Kashmir, and Pew results on Americans' views of Islam.  
AROUND THE WORLD
Terrorists and Their Quranic Delusions
by Shawki Allam
Wall Street Journal op-ed
http://www.wsj.com/articles/terrorists-and-their-quranic-delusions-1428620268
Terrorist groups who flagrantly use religion as a cloak to cover up acts of violent extremism cannot hide their serious ideological flaws. These reveal the warped logic and ill-informed and unauthentic sourcing from religious texts as they try to justify what in reality is an insatiable desire for power, control, and bloodshed. 

Sectarianism Is the Result of Conflict, Not the Cause
by Alan Philps
National op-ed
http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/sectarianism-is-the-result-of-conflict-not-the-cause
While sectarian feelings have been rising since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, this is not the whole story. Sectarianism is usually the result, not the cause, of a wide variety of tensions—between states, tribes, regional identities, classes and ethnic groups, or between the haves and the have-nots in society. These tensions exist throughout the world. The question is why they have become unmanageable in the Middle East. 

Yemen Strikes Boost Saudi Nationalism and Wahhabi Sunni Sectarianism
by Angus McDowall
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/04/10/yemen-strikes-boost-saudi-nationalism-and-wahhabi-sunni-sectarianism/
As Saudi Arabia’s war against Yemen’s Houthi militia enters its third week, a surge of nationalist fervor is sweeping the conservative Sunni Muslim kingdom, bringing with it a sharp sectarian edge. While Yemen’s complex internal conflict is not yet dominated by friction between Sunnis and Shi’ites, Yemeni analysts have repeatedly warned that sectarianism is a growing danger and could lead to a dangerous escalation in fighting. 

My Unveiling Ceremony
by Mona Eltahawy
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/11/opinion/mona-eltahawy-my-unveiling-ceremony.html
My head scarf came off 22 years ago, but I have never stopped wrestling with what veiling means for Muslim women. Authenticity is about more than a layer of cloth on one’s head. To be acknowledged as more than our head scarves is the right of every Muslim girl and woman. 

India Plans New Townships to Resettle Hindus in Muslim-Majority Kashmir
by Sanjeev Miglani
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/04/10/india-plans-new-townships-to-resettle-hindus-in-muslim-majority-kashmir/
India’s nationalist government plans to resettle tens of thousands of Hindus in three new townships in Muslim-dominated Kashmir, setting up a confrontation with separatists who say it is an Israel-style policy of creating settlements in occupied territory. 

Religious Hatred Spreads in Sri Lanka as Buddhists Target Muslim Minority
by Ric Wasserman
Worldcrunch
http://www.worldcrunch.com/culture-society/religious-hatred-spreads-in-sri-lanka-as-buddhists-target-muslim-minority/buddhist-violence-islam-muslims-religious-hatred/c3s18541/#.VSfcffnF-Sq
The peaceful coexistence between religions in the country came crashing down last June 15when hundreds of anti-Muslim Buddhists, led by a dozen monks from the extremist organization Bodu Bala Sena, stormed into Dharga Town, a Muslim suburb of the city of Aluthgama. 

Cubans Love the Pope and the Catholic Church, but They’re Just Not That Into Religion
by Scott Clement
Washington Post blog
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/04/10/cubans-love-the-pope-and-the-catholic-church-but-theyre-just-not-that-into-religion/
The tenuous nature of religious identity in Cuba appears to be a residual from decades where religions were suppressed by the government and atheism was a prerequisite for membership in the ruling Communist Party. Coupled with that troubled past, the latest survey indicates religious identity is just as complex as it ever was.


The World of 2050: More Muslims, Fewer Buddhists
by Greg Scoblete
RealClearWorld blog
http://www.realclearworld.com/blog/2015/04/the_world_of_2050_more_muslims_fewer_buddhists_111105.html
If demographics truly are destiny, the world is destined to have nearly as many Muslims as Christians, fewer Buddhists, and a declining share of agnostics and atheists by the year 2050, according to a new demographic survey from Pew Research. 

DOMESTIC
More Than Half of Americans Have Unfavorable View of Islam, Poll Finds
by Jaweed Kaleem
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/10/americans-islam-poll_n_7036574.html?cps=gravity_2677_4484529379884001881
More than half of Americans say they have unfavorable views of Islam, and six in 10 either aren't interested or don't know whether they want to learn more about the faith, according to a new poll. Younger Americans are the most likely to have positive views on Islam, be interested in learning about the religion and have Muslim friends. The findings show a nation of fractured opinions and experiences when it comes to Islam, with stark differences among age groups and political affiliations.
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