Pope Francis on Monday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the pontiff’s first face-to-face interaction with the new administration of President Joe Biden, who has been challenged by US bishops. Blinken, on a tour of Europe, had a private audience with the Argentine pope after meeting with senior Vatican officials including Archbishop Paul […]
Religion
Iran grants clemency to over 5,000 prisoners
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has granted clemency to more than 5,000 prisoners to mark a Shiite religious holiday, a statement on his official website said Saturday. The statement gave no details of the identity of the 5,156 prisoners who were pardoned or had their sentences reduced. Clemency was granted to mark last Tuesday’s […]
Clashes as Indonesia jails hardline cleric over virus lies
Indonesian police fired tear gas and water cannon at supporters of a hardline Muslim cleric jailed Thursday for spreading false information about Covid-19 after he held rallies that drew thousands. Rizieq Shihab, 55, was handed a four-year jail term for claiming in a viral video that he was healthy, despite knowing that test results showed […]
Canadian MPs pass bill banning LGBTQ ‘conversion therapy’
A bill banning LGBTQ “conversion therapies” passed Canada’s House of Commons Tuesday, a victory for Justin Trudeau’s minority government which had pledged to end the practice, widely regarded as a human rights violation. Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, although over half of the main opposition Conservative party voted against it despite support […]
Ethiopians pray for peaceful vote ahead of key election
Draped in sacred white cloth, the procession drifted silently towards a priest calling the faithful to celebrate the Archangel Michael, a revered saint in Ethiopia. Around dawn, thousands of worshippers gathered at the church in Amhara, the second-largest region of Ethiopia, which is staging long-awaited elections on Monday. The devotees — some bent over canes […]
Saudi to allow 60,000 vaccinated residents to perform hajj
Saudi Arabia announced Saturday it will allow 60,000 vaccinated residents of the kingdom to perform the annual hajj, state media reported. The hajj ministry said this year’s pilgrimage would be “open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims”, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. “Those wishing to perform the hajj […]
Church criticises Austrian government’s ‘Islam Map’
The Austrian Catholic church on Friday became the latest religious group to criticise a government-backed online map of hundreds of Muslim organisations which sparked violence against the Muslim minority. The highly controversial map shows details of more than 600 Muslim associations — from youth groups to mosques — including details on their location and photos […]
Families appeal for aid freeing kidnapped Nigerian schoolkids
Relatives of scores of schoolchildren kidnapped by gunmen from an Islamic seminary over the weekend have appealed to the government to help free them, after the latest mass abduction to target a Nigerian school. Some 200 children were at the school in Tegina, central Niger state, when it was raided on Sunday, the local government […]
Sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church has been shaken by a string of child sex abuse scandals. In a bid to toughen its stance on paedophile priests and clergy, Pope Francis on Tuesday strengthened canon law on such crimes. Here are some high-profile cases from around the world: – United States – In 2019 Pope Francis […]
The Forty Rules of Love is a mesmerising blend of love, religion and spirituality
The 40 Rules of Love is a mesmerising blend of love, religion and spirituality that breathes a new air of Sufism into this world with a tarnished image of Islam. Elif Shafak is an award-winning, bilingual British-Turkish author of many artistic novels, political scientist and academician. She is considered the bravest feminist writer who meshes […]