Fasting protesters defy military rule in massive Sudan marches
Khartoum, Sudan Reuters Despite high temperatures, tear gas, and a Ramadan fast, tens of thousands of Sudanese protesters marched in the capital Khartoum and more in towns across the country on Wednesday, marking the third anniversary of the fall of former President Omar al-Bashir and rejecting the recent power grab by the generals that ousted […]
“A new world”: As Afghan refugees celebrate Islam’s holy month, US church gives Ramadan lessons
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER, of Religion News Service, reports on how United Church of Christ churches are supporting Afghan families who have recently arrived in the US…
Muslims and Catholics in California’s Orange County to unite for Eid al-Fitr prayers
Los Angeles, USRNS Leaders at the Islamic Center of Fullerton, a growing congregation in Orange County, California, feared they would go a second year without gathering in person for Eid-al-Fitr prayers that mark the end of Ramadan. Normally, they’d host Eid prayers at a gym in a nearby park, but the pandemic posed challenges for […]
Explainer – Jerusalem tense over evictions and holidays
Jerusalem, IsraelReuters East Jerusalem has seen nightly clashes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with Palestinians pitted against Israeli police and settlers. The issues and the scale of the protests have varied, covering religion, land and politics, but running through them all is the core conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over the city that […]
COVID crisis: Sanctions-battered Iran, weary of pandemic, faces worst wave
NASSER KARIMI and AYA BATRAWY, of Associated Press, report on how Iran is faring during the global coronavirus pandemic…
New players pose additional threats to Jerusalem tensions
Jerusalem, IsraelAP The holy city of Jerusalem, a tinderbox of competing religious and political claims, has repeatedly triggered bouts of Israeli-Palestinian violence. This time around, there have been some additional sparks, including Jewish extremists who, emboldened by their political patrons’ recent election to parliament, staged a provocative march to Jerusalem’s walled Old City chanting “death […]
RELIGION IN SPACE: FROM APOLLO 8 TO SPACE IL – HOW SPACE TRAVELLERS HAVE TAKEN THEIR FAITH BEYOND THE EARTH
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER and JACK JENKINS, writing for Religion News Service, look at how Earth’s space explorers have expressed their faith in space…
ESSAY: HOW EVANGELICALS CAN SUPPORT MUSLIMS THIS RAMADAN
In an article first published on Religion News Service, KEVIN SINGER, co-director of Neighborly Faith – a US organisation helping evangelicals to be good neighbours to people of other faiths, looks at how Christians – and evangelicals in particular – can reach out to their Muslim neighbours during Ramadan…
Tunisians protest against closure of cafes and restaurants during Ramadan
World Watch Monitor Non-Muslims in Tunisia have taken to the streets during this year’s Ramadan to protest the closure of many cafés and restaurants, saying they can’t be forced to fast, reports the New York Times. Around 100 protestors began Ramadan this year by drinking water and eating sandwiches in central Tunis in the middle of […]
Muslims and Christians unite to restore ancient Iraqi church
World Watch Monitor An historical Christian site in Iraq is receiving visitors again for the first time in 20 years, having previously been shut off due to security concerns, Al-Monitor reports. The remnants of the first-century Church of Kokheh, located 32 kilometres south of the capital Baghdad, were discovered and excavated by the German Oriental Society […]