In the News, December 12, 2014

December 12, 2014

Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: dogs in heaven, Muslims in China, the Confucius Peace Prize, Israeli settlements, Islamic extremism, religion and soccer, and religion in India.
AROUND THE WORLD
Dogs in Heaven? Pope Francis Leaves Pearly Gate Open
by Rick Gladstone
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/world/europe/dogs-in-heaven-pope-leaves-pearly-gate-open-.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0
Pope Francis has given hope to gays, unmarried couples and advocates of the Big Bang theory. Now, he has endeared himself to dog lovers, animal rights activists and vegans. Trying to console a distraught little boy whose dog had died, Francis told him in a recent public appearance on St. Peter’s Square, “Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.”

Where a Holy Man Lies Frozen, Threat of a Standoff Looms
by Nida Najar
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/world/where-a-holy-man-lies-frozen-threat-of-a-standoff-looms.html?ref=todayspaper
Somewhere inside the ashram, Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan, hidden away in a secret chamber, is the frozen body of its spiritual leader, Ashutosh Maharaj, who was declared clinically dead of a heart attack on Jan. 29. On Dec. 1, however, the High Court of Punjab and Haryana issued a 129-page order citing the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, and referring to the embalming of Lenin. The upshot: The state government ordered the cremation of Mr. Maharaj’s body within 15 days.

Capital of Tense Chinese Region Outlaws Islamic Veils in Public
by Edward Wong
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/world/asia/urumqi-xinjiang-outlaws-islamic-veils-in-public.html?ref=todayspaper
Officials in Urumqi, the capital of the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, have approved a ban on Islamic veils in public, according to a message posted on Thursday on the Xinjiang regional government’s website.

From Burqas to Boxing Gloves, China’s 75 Tips for Spotting Extremist Muslims
by Simon Denyer
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/12/12/from-burqas-to-boxing-gloves-chinas-75-tips-for-spotting-extremist-muslims/
But covering one’s face with a veil is just one of many ways Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang risk coming under official suspicion and being arrested. On Friday, police in the province issued a list of 75 “specific signs” that might indicate a Uighur was a “religious extremist.”

The Non-Nobel Peace Prizes Trying to Reshape the World, One Fidel Castro at a Time
by Adam Taylor
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/12/12/the-non-nobel-peace-prizes-trying-to-reshape-the-world-one-fidel-castro-at-a-time/
While they were no doubt the most high-profile winners of an international peace prize this week, Yousafzai and Satyarthi were not the only ones. The day before they received their award, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro was  announced as the winner of the rival Confucius Peace Prize at a ceremony in Beijing.

Israeli Settlements Squeeze Religious Tourism in Palestinian Areas, Officials Say
by Luke Baker
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/12/12/israeli-settlements-squeeze-religious-tourism-in-palestinian-areas-officials-say/
When it comes to Bethlehem, a city of 25,000 just eight kilometres (five miles) south of Jerusalem, the critical issue is getting foreign tourists past Israel’s separation wall and checkpoints and convincing them to stay the night. Many now choose to stay in Jerusalem and make a day trip. Palestinian officials say the growth of Israeli settlements – there are now 22 around Bethlehem – is steadily strangling access, prompting tourists to stay away.

Islamic State Extremists Top Religion Newswriters’ 2014 Religion Stories of the Year
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/12/11/islamic-state-extremists-top-religion-newswriters-2014-religion-stories-of-the-year/
The extremist Islamic State’s violent reign of terror in Iraq and Syria was voted the No. 1 Religion Story of 2014 by the world’s leading religion journalists. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision giving closely held companies the ability to claim religious objections to health care mandates was a close second.

Religion and Soccer: Shooting for Heaven
by D.R.
Economist
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2014/12/religion-and-soccer
As recently as 2009, the football authorities in Brazil got a scolding from FIFA, the body which administers soccer worldwide, because Brazilian players were in the habit of proclaiming their religious faith in spectacular ways.

Praying Politics in Modi’s India
by Pamposh Raina
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/12/praying-politics-in-modis-india-hindus-muslims-babri-masjid/
The nationalist BJP government has promised to rebuild the temple of Ram, a fiery point of contention for Hindus and Muslims.
Opens in a new window