In the News, January 15, 2015

January 15, 2015

Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: Pope Francis' influence in South and Southeast Asia, Boko Haram, Charlie Hebdo, the Islamic State, and Russian evangelicals.
AROUND THE WORLD
Pope Pushes for Reconciliation in Sri Lanka

by Sumnima Udas
CNN 
http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/01/15/pkg-udas-sri-lanka-pope-wrap.cnn
The Pope wrapped up his trip to Sri Lanka by speaking on interfaith coexistence and reconciliation after decades of civil war. The war ended five years ago, but reconciliation has lagged, and a new government was sworn in just a few days ago. Many are hoping that the Pope’s visit will start a new era of healing.

Philippines Throws Arms Open Wide for Pope Francis
by Floyd Whaley
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/world/asia/pope-francis-arrives-in-philippines-to-rock-star-welcome.html?_r=0
“There were four million people gathered when Pope John Paul II came to Manila in 1995,” said the Rev. Xavier C. Alpasa, a priest and professor at Ateneo de Manila, a Jesuit university in Manila. “That record will be broken because of the deep spirituality of Filipino Catholics, but also because of Pope Francis himself. People are so enamored by his inclusive statements, his revolutionary ideas, his compassion.”

Cardinal Tagle: Pope Francis says Philippines visit 'not about him'
by Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle
CNN commentary
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/14/intl_opinion/cardinal-tagle-philippines-papal-visit/
The theme of the apostolic visit -- "mercy and compassion" -- should be qualified as the mercy and compassion of Jesus manifested in the Gospels. In the light of this desire of the Pope I would like to emphasize a few expectations of the visit.

Paris Response Further Strains Relationship between Muslims, West
by Yasmine Bahrani
Washington Post op-ed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/paris-response-further-strains-relationship-between-muslims-west/2015/01/14/d8a075ea-9b72-11e4-96cc-e858eba91ced_story.html
After the horrific slaughter of 17 people in Paris last week, the already strained connection between Muslims and the West has been stretched to the breaking point. Anti-Islam, anti-immigrant demonstrations in Germany and attacks on Muslims are on the rise throughout Europe. Muslims are asking why heads of state are attending memorials for the Charlie Hebdo victims, and not for the 132 schoolchildren slaughtered in Pakistan in December and the countless Muslims murdered by drone strikes in the Middle East.

Did Boko Haram Attack Leave 150 Dead — or 2,000? Satellite Imagery Sheds New Light. 
by Adam Taylor
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/01/14/did-boko-haram-attack-leave-150-dead-or-2000-satellite-imagery-sheds-new-light/
Reports of the death toll from the recent Boko Haram attacks in northeastern Nigeria have varied wildly. New satellite images provide evidence that much of the towns of Baga and Doro Govon have been severely damaged and burned. Amnesty International confirms that at least 700 people were killed. 

An Islamic Reformer, Lashed
by Nicholas Kristof
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/opinion/nicholas-kristof-an-islamic-reformer-lashed.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
Saudi Arabia began to implement the sentence of 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for blogger Raif Badawi last Friday, delivering the first of 20 rounds of 50 lashes. The media should avoid simplifying Islam, however, as Islam is complicated and its followers range from radicals to secular reformers. The US should give more support for moderates and reformers in Islam, particularly when they are persecuted by our political allies.

The Small Miracle You Haven’t Heard About Amid the Carnage in Syria
by Malcolm Harris
Talking Points Memo
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/ts/why-is-america-ignoring-kurdish-freedom-movement
In the beginning of October, Islamic State forces surrounded and besieged the Kurdish town of Kobane in northern Syria. The Pentagon insisted that, with no ground troops to fight, Kobane could not be saved. Months after it was supposed to fall, Kobane still stands, thanks to political solidarity made possible by a “stateless democracy.”

Why Russia’s Evangelicals Thank God for Putin
by Mark. R. Elliott
Christianity Today op-ed
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/january-web-only/russia-evangelical-god-putin-crimea-ukraine.html?paging=off
Just two months after brutal conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine, the official Congress of the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists ended their May meetings with a strong endorsement of Putin. Under Putin, Russians have enjoyed real improvements in salaries and buying power, until the present economic crisis. Putin is genuinely popular—and admired—by Russians across the spectrum: among believers as well as the religiously indifferent, among Protestants as well as Orthodox, and among academics as well as taxi drivers.
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