Global Voices » Religion

Brazil: ‘Hands That Cure, Words That Heal'

Paula Góes — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:13:13 +0000

[All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted]

With their herbs, gestures, prayers and comforting words, the “doctors of the people” are an important element of Brazilian popular culture and religious syncretism. Folk healers are found throughout the country, but play a special role in remote areas, where medical professionals are scarce and allopathic medicine is inaccessible.

In a post called ‘Hands that cure, words that heal', Ricardo Câmara recalls the history of faith healing and highlights the work of benzedeiras (women who pray for and bless the ill), usually a free and voluntary activity that has spread throughout Brazil as an alternative to traditional medicine since the sixteenth century:

Terço e folhas nas mãos, oração na ponta da língua e muita fé em Deus. As benzedeiras e benzedores que surgiram no Brasil com a chegada dos Jesuítas, no século XVI, são figuras presentes na cultura popular até os dias de hoje.
A benzeção, como várias outras práticas religiosas e médicas populares, aflorou-se com intensidade no período Colonial Brasileiro e os fatores que propiciaram o desenvolvimento da prática da benzeção, com certeza, remetem à precariedade da vida material, destacada pela raridade de médicos, de cirurgiões, de produtos farmacêuticos, e ao sincretismo dos povos em geral, que também contribuíram, e muito, para que a prática da benzeção se propagasse ainda mais.

Rosaries and leaves at hand, prayers on the lips and much faith in God. Folk healers, who emerged in Brazil with the arrival of the Jesuits in the sixteenth century, are present in popular culture up to now.
Blessing, like many other popular religious and medical practices, surfaced with intensity in the Brazilian colonial period and the factors leading to the development of the practice refer, of course, to the precariousness of material life, highlighted by the scarcity of doctors, surgeons, pharmaceutical products, and by the syncretism of the population in general, which in turn contributed to spread the practice of blessing even further.

Blessing woman Dona Izabel. Photo by Fredox Carvalho, for Agência de Notícias Cavaleiro de Jorge (used with permission).

The training of folk healers, individuals who according to Maria Luiza Benitez are usually “predestined and born with a special gift of power, talent or knowledge”, requires great dedication:

O estudo do curandeiro difere grandemente dos estudos e práticas da medicina convencional. Não há livros de medicina, nem notas de aprovação. Mas é preciso vencer todos os testes e provações. E é exclusivamente por meio da dor, do sofrimento, da doença e da própria morte que o curador adquire acesso ao universo das realidades extraordinárias. O mundo do além é o terreno onde se pode obter o conhecimento, a experiência, as qualificações e o poder para auxiliar os demais.
O chamado costuma vir em sonhos ou por intermédio de um acidente, doença, injúria sofrida, ameaça de morte eminente, da morte e mesmo morte clínica temporária.

Studying to become a healer differs greatly from the study and practice of conventional medicine. There are no medical books or passing grades, but you have to overcome all tests and trials. Additionally, it is only through pain, suffering, disease, and death itself that the healer gets access to the world of extraordinary realities. The world beyond is the land where you can obtain the knowledge, experience, skills and power to help others.
The call usually comes in dreams or through an accident, illness, injury, suffering, threat of imminent death, even death itself, and temporary clinical death.

Shaman in a Pataxó indigenous tribe in Bahia. Photo by Flickr user Mario Niveo (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Teacher Glauco Ricciele Ribeiro reveals how women become folk healers:

Benzedeiras senhoras de coração puro, servem ao próximo sem interesses ou cobiça. O dom adquirido por elas são passados de geração a geração. Mas em nosso mundo atual, tal prática cada vez mais desaparece e junto dela a fé popular perde suas características. […]
Mas poucos sabem como uma benzedeira inicia seu “sacerdócio”. Tradicionalmente a Sexta-feira Santa é a única data onde se ordena o Dom de ser Benzedeira a uma mulher de bom coração e sem impedimentos. Esta pessoal deve ajudar através das rezas todo tipo de necessitado sem distinção de classe ou credo.

Folk healers are women with pure hearts, who serve others without self-interest or greed. The gift they acquire is passed from generation to generation. But in our world today, such practices are increasingly disappearing and, together with them, the popular faith loses its characteristics. […]
But few people know how a healer began her “ministry”. Traditionally, Good Friday is the only day in which the gift of healing is given to a woman of good heart and without hindrances. Through all kinds of prayers, she ought to help people in need without distinction of class or creed.

The Blessing Culture. Photo from the Etnia Brasil website by Livia Zaruty (CC BY-NC-ND).

Journalism student Angélica Weise disagrees that the art of healing is disappearing:

Elas fazem parte da cultura popular. A maioria é de uma generosidade incrível. Por mais antiga que seja a tradição, as benzedeiras se encontram mais vivas do que nunca. Basta ter vocação e força de vontade. Mesmo com a medicina avançada, muitas pessoas recorrem a elas para os diversos tipos de cura. […]
Para encontrá-las não há endereço. Basta perguntar nas ruas que logo alguém conhece ou já ouviu falar delas. Na maioria são velhas e simples. É olhando para o rosto e contando suas rugas que encontramos a idade delas. Quem acredita em benzedeira, jura que elas fazem milagres.

They are part of popular culture. Most are incredible generous. No matter how old the tradition is, folk healers are more alive than ever. It only takes calling and will. Even with the advancement of medicine, many people turn to folk healers for various types of healing. […]
To find them, you need not to have an address. Just ask in the streets and you will find someone who knows or has heard of them. Most are elderly and humble. It is looking at their faces and counting their wrinkles that we find out their age. Those who believe in spiritual healing, swear that they promote miracle cures.

Conventional doctors are not so convinced of the miraculous power of spiritual healing and are concerned about the practice, considering that “the scientific safety should not be set aside”.

Meanwhile, traditional healers of two cities in the Brazilian state of Paraná, Rebouças and São João do Triunfo, have seen their activity recently recognized by pioneering municipal laws in Brazil. This resulted in a project of Social Mapping of Folk Healers, whose unprecedented legislation was celebrated as a victory by the local network of traditional communities and peoples:

Num processo de continua luta e organização social das benzedeiras articuladas no Movimento Aprendizes da Sabedoria (MASA) em 22/02/2012 o Presidente da Câmara Municipal de São João do Triunfo promulgou a lei municipal nº 1.370/11, a qual reconhece a identidade coletiva das benzedeiras de Triunfo, regulariza o livre acesso as plantas medicinais por parte dos detentores de ofícios tradicionais de cura e propõe a construção de política municipal especifica de acolhimento das práticas tradicionais de cura nos sistema formal de saúde.

After a process of continuous struggle and social organization of folk healers from the Learners of Wisdom Movement (MASA), the president of São João do Triunfo's City Council passed City Ordinance No. 1,370/11 on on February 22, 2012, a law which recognises the collective identity of the folk healers of Triunfo, regulates free access to medicinal plants by the holders of traditional healing craft, and proposes the elaboration of municipal policy specifically to bring traditional healing practices in the formal health system.

City ordinance recognises the work of folk healers of Triunfo. Photo by Rede Puxirão de Povos e Comunidades Tradicionais published by Flickr user Cultura Viva (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Regardless of whether the cures are a reality or the result of a placebo effect, the act of healing through non-traditional means is considered an intangible heritage of Brazilian culture by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) [en], which belongs to the federal government of Brazil as part of the Ministry of Culture.

In addition to bringing spiritual comfort, folk healers inspire artists, like the writer Sinval Santos da Silveira, who tells us the story and secret of a woman who lived in a very humble house, with no electricity or running water:

Mulher de idade avançada, magrinha, mal alimentada,
e de um coração cheio de bondade…
Sobre uma pequena mesa, a imagem da Santa, em
quem deposita sua fé e a sua vida.
Benze, em nome da Santinha, curando torcicolo, arca
caida, dor de dente, dor nas costas, dor de olhos, de
garganta, de cabeça, mal olhado, inveja, etc.
Seus pacientes ou clientes, pelo trabalho milagroso,
nada pagam, nada devem.
O prazer de poder ajudar alguém, que lhe procura,
está acima de qualquer outro valor.
Só agora entendo, que o poder de cura daquela mulher,
sempre residiu numa única coisa, que tinha em excesso,
em sua humilde casinha: muito amor…

Elderly, skinny, malnourished woman,
whose heart was full of goodness…
On a small table, there is an image of the Saint in
whose care she places her faith and life.
She blesses, on behalf of the sweet Saint, healing stiff neck,
lumbago, toothache, backache, sore eyes and throat,
headache, evil eye, envy, so on.
Her patients or clients pay nothing, nothing owed
for the miraculous work.
The pleasure of helping someone who looks for her
is valuable above anything else.
Only now I understand that the healing power of that woman
was always based on the only one thing that her humble house
had in excess: lots of love…

South Korea: Monks Caught in Gambling, Smoking and Drinking Scandal

Lee Yoo Eun — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:14:26 +0000

In South Korea, six leaders of the nation's biggest Buddhist order were caught playing high-stakes poker, along with drinking and smoking. The case was disclosed through leaked video footage that shows high-profile monks gambling at a luxury lakeside hotel just days before a national holiday celebrating the birth of Buddha.

The stakes of the monk's gambling reportedly exceeded $US 875,000 (10 million Korean Won) and the gambling continued overnight for 13 hours straight. In South Korea, it is illegal to gamble outside designated casinos and horse racing spots and such an act by religious leaders is more than being frowned upon - it is unimaginable. South Korean online space erupted with various responses from sarcastic comments, harsh criticisms and bitter lament for the corrupted religion.

Twitter user @uxost01 tweeted [ko]:

어머니가 조계종 억대 도박 뉴스를 아시고서 충격과 비탄에 빠지셨다.

My mom was shocked and devastated by the news of Jogye monks' gambling with stakes of several tens of millions of Korean Won.

Twitter user @Arirang5886 pointed out [ko] that the money the monks staked was religions donations made by people:

조계종간부들의 도박, 음주, 흡연행위는 자정의 한계를 넘은 것입니다. 신도들은 피땀어린 시주하면서 절에 다니고, 승려는 그것으로 스릴있게 도 닦는 형국입니다. 부처는 신도의 마음에 있지 절간에 있는 것이 아니라는 것을 잘 나타내고 있는 사건입니다.

The Jogye order managerial level monks' gambling, drinking and smoking - these acts show that that they have lost the ability to control themselves. While the followers regularly pay visits to the temple to offer their hard-earned blood money, those monks use that money to enjoy a thrilling truth-seeking. It is an exemplary case that tells that the real Buddha is in each follower's heart, not in the temple.

Another Twitter user @Nabiwahighhill compared those monks [ko] to corrupted nobles:

2007 년 명지스님이 100억원 사찰재정을공개하며“수행자는 수행에전념하고,재정은 재가자에맡기자”했다.조계종 승려들이 시줏돈으로 밤샘 도박사건은 승가사회가 타락했음을보여준다.MB정권에서 종교인과 정치인 언론사주가 앙사앙레짐의 2%타락한 귀족이돼간다.

Back in 2007, Monk Myung-ji made public that the temples have about ten billion Korean Won worth of financial resources (around $US 8.75 million) and argued that they need to separate their truth-seeking and money-handling. Jogye order monks' overnight gambling shows that the Korean Buddhist community is corrupted. Religious leaders, politicians and media owners have become the corrupted nobles, the top 2 percent of the “ancien regime”.

Image of monks going down to their rooms after evening worship at Haeinsa temple which is one of the foremost Chogye Buddhist temples in South Korea (not necessarily related to the gambling case mentioned in the article) Image: joonghijung, Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

Jogye order has more than 10 million followers which comprises about a fifth of the entire South Korean population. The head of Jogye order made a public apology right after the gambling case made national headlines, vowing “self-repentance”. Although there were media speculations [ko] that the video leakage was carefully planned out by rival powers within the order, no reason or excuse was strong enough to calm disappointed Korean people.

Park Tae-su (@sjts200) tweeted [ko]:

조계종 자승 중은 도박사태 책임지고 사퇴하라.참회만으로 덮을려고?어림없는 소리[…]

Monk Ja-seong should take full responsibility for this gambling fiasco and resign. Do you really think you can cover up the case just by vowing self-repentance? Hell no.

Yun Hee-sung (@yunheesung) t weeted [ko]:

불교 조계종 도박파문이 조계종 내부간의 갈등 때문에 일어난 거라 억울하신가요? 그건 당신들 끼리의 다툼이고, 국민은 억대판돈을 놓고 도박하고 술. 담배를 먹고 피워도 되냐를 묻는 겁니다. 아직도 문제가 뭔지 모르세요?

Do you feel that all these (accusations) are unfair since the gambling scandal was all caused by internal power conflict? Whether you had internal power struggles or not, what concerns Korean people is whether it is justifiable for the monks to gamble tremendous amounts of money and smoke and drink. Can't you still see what is the real problem here?

South Korea used to be a highly religions country but as so many scandals broke out both in Christian and Buddhist communities [ko], frustrated, more and more Koreans are turning away from religions. Twitter user @tinypencil tweeted [ko]:

이제 불교에서도 개신교와 매를 같이 맞아주기로 한건가. 요즘 이미지 참 좋아지던 와중에 승려들의 불법도박이라니.

So Buddhism has decided to share the harsh criticisms with the Christian community? Public sentiment toward Buddhism used to be quite good. But now the monk's illegal gambling has ruined it.

and added [ko]:

조계종 승려들의 밤샘도박. 종교가 세상을.치유하는건지 세상이 종교의 뒤에 숨은 저런자들을 먹여살리는건지.

Monks from Jogye order pulled an all-nighter gambling. Is it the religion that cures the world OR the world that feeds these people who hide under the name of the religion?

Zimbabwe: TB Joshua's Visit Stirs Hornet's Nest

Madalitso Mwando — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:02:27 +0000

Controversial “Prophet” TB Joshua's visit to Zimbabwe on the invitation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has spurred a “holy war” of sorts with mixed reactions from ordinary Zimbabweans, politicians and local pastors. Some pastors aligned to Zimbabwe's ruling party plan to block his visit.

TB Joshua's popularity seemed to rise in Zimbabwe after after his prediction that an “aging African leader” would die, with critics of long time ruler President Robert Mugabe concluding that the prophecy was referring to Mugabe. Malawian President Bingu wa Mutarika died shortly afterwards, apparently confirming that indeed TB Joshua is a “prophet.”

Now, social media sites and blogs are on fire ahead of his May 25 Day of Prayer visit.

TB Joshua prayer banner. Image source: scoan.org

Patrick Kabwela describes TB Joshua as a man “intensely hated and crazily loved”:

If there is one name in Africa that sparks more controversy, heightens emotion both of ardour and anger or breaks up a conversation more than TB Joshua, then tell me. Some express intense hatred towards him, so much so, that you would think he had personally inflicted all their woes and sorrows. On the contrary, others talk with such rapture about him that you would think they couldn't live without him.

Who is this man that is constantly causing a stir, a rift in the breach, rippling the still waters? Who is this man who has become a topic of conversation from the mouths of the most impoverished to societies finest and elites? Who is this man who keeps ardent bloggers happily awake throughout the night (either attacking or defending him), knowing they have to get up in the morning and monotonously trudge to their respective places of work? Who is this man who can utter a few words of “God says” and within seconds set the global computer village abuzz, some scoffing and misinterpreting, others gaping in admiration.

Ezekieli says:

Why should Joshua’s hatred become a national affair in Zimbabwe? Why should some debased ‘pastors’ insist on misleading Zimbabweans and their chosen path to true Chrsitianity? Are Christians not supposed to be united instead of being separated, hateful, jealous? These “palace pastors” are doing much damage to Christ and His body because He preached tolerance, unity, love, forbearance, understanding and humility. What do these hypocritical evangelical touts teach people in Zimbabwe? Deceit? Hypocrisy? Indiscipline? Pride? Mischief?

What Joshua has done in the lives of people, through God’s anointing, has not been done for Zimbabweans by all these “pastors” and their funny spirituality. And we are talking of millions of widows, widowers, the poor, jobless, helpless, sick, and spiritually trapped. These “pastors” have a role to watch more of Emmanuel TV to know what their exact work should be in Zimbabwe and other places, if their world is not polluted by the devil and the acrobats of ritual bigots. Enough is enough!

Online reactions to news reports about the “Prophet's” visit are just as lively. For example, commenting on a story published on MyZimbabwe website, Annatiwi Mutasa argues that TB Joshua is a true man of God:

hahahahahaha let me just laugh, touch not my annointed ones, PLEASE, PLEASE, tuch not the MAN OF GOD, call him names but he is a true man of GOD, period coz we have different beliefs so let it be, I personally enjoy his teachings!

Sicelani Mthombeni Ndhlovu responds to the same story saying:

shame on you pastors who are u judge TB Joshua. Arikuvinga imimi here or the nation vanhu vemuzim munongoda kuisa politics pese pese. [Is he here for you or the ordinary man? You Zimbabweans want to include politics everywhere].

Richard Manyanga wonders whether Zimbabwean pastors are afraid of TB Joshua because they have skeletons in their closets:

These Pastors, Bishops, or whatever titles are also unknowingly to them, showing that they are Partisan. Anyone in a free country, regardless of political affiliation is allowed to invite a religious leader to minister to the people at any day. What did they say about a rapist, Apostle who was once prisoned and pardoned on a party ticket, so he could campaign for the party that pardoned him during prayer sessions. Weather, prophecies are for death or healthy, let him come to Zim and if these Pastors have got a Unity of purpose with their congregations, then the congregations will not set foot at the ZNSS, instead they will attend their usual prayer points. Why deny TB? Do you have skeletons in your closets.

Johannes Tafadwa Chibamu writes:

my qsn to u zimbos who seems to b touched by tb where was he when we were struggling to make ends meet in 07 & 08 please b advised mukaita semapaper bags ekumasupermarket muchingotora zvese zvese hameno, (Please be advised if you behave like supermarket paper bags that pick everything, I don't know)even in this country these other new churches that are mushrooming up seems there is some honey behind, is it not abt the USD we are now using, were these guys going to come or start their churches way before 07 & 08 nguva yema bearer chqs, be careful and remember that the bible tells us that there shall come at time when yu shall c mountains being moved and rivers bcoming playing fields but bcareful those may no b the works of Jesus, remember there is no-one who is going to do more than what The Savoiur did 4 Us- kutifira! think u zimboz!

Martin Phineas Begede advises Zimbabweans to learn from Ghana:

Its unfortunate we politicise everything. Take a leaf from Ghana. the President & his run off rival all visited the SCOAN. So is this being partisan? How many of our M.Ps / Ministers went to the SCOAN from the different Zim political formatioms? From the comments I have read, I am just wondering who these pastors and bishops are representing. Emmanuel!

Misheck Makora explains why Zimbabwean pastors are against his visit:

he is a threat to their shacky denominations I gess. warikukwata kuti church yose inoenda ikoko.manje zvaari kuda kutotanga church muZim wachaita sei? [the pastors and bishops are angry that the whole church is going there. But then since he (TB Joshua) wants to start a church in Zimbabwe what are they going to do?].

Wisdom Gokoko is sorry for church leaders in Zimbabwe:

I'm really sorry for these church leaders. This is a show that they don't know the word of God. T.B. Joshua has long been in Zimbabwe with his Emmanuel TV. There is no way they are going to stop him. At least vanhu vaona nekunzwa [people have seen by hearing] his prophecies come true and these leaders feel so threatened.

The Cameroonian government has blacklisted TB Joshua, saying that he is an agent of Satan hoodwinking unsuspecting members of the public with miracles.

Thumbnail image: TB Joshua. Image source: scoan.org

Sri Lanka: Buddhism and Violence

Rezwan — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:25:44 +0000

Ameena Hussein at Groundviews tries to analyze why there is a growing tendency among Sri Lankan Buddhists to embrace violence and hatred.

Ethiopia: Muslims Take Campaign Online for Religious Independence

Endalk — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:29:54 +0000

Signs of Ethiopian Muslims online activism are mounting as they protest against government’s meddling in their religious affairs.

Ethiopian Muslims both online and offline have been protesting for over three months against alleged government's interference in their religious affairs. The protests, however, have received very little attention from international media.

Daniel Berhane explained on Facebook why the protests have received less attention from international media:

I ask: Why did the foreign media and NGOs ignored the months long Awelia Muslim school protests/disturbances, while giving extensive coverage to minor events in the right-wing camp?

I answer: That is because, the westerners media & NGO involvement in Ethiopian affairs is tuned on specific ideological agenda.

Ethiopian Muslim women. Photo source: Boyznberry Flickr page (CC BY-NC 2.0)

However, for the past two weeks the protests have generated a significant amount of news on international media as the government made it clear that it will not tolerate any activities by subversive groups that have been using Islam as a disguise to create instability in the country.

The Ethiopian government has expelled two Arabs who flew in from the Middle East after they went to Grand Anwar Mosque and allegedly tried to incite violence in the country. Just a week prior to the deportation of the two Arabs, it was also reported that security forces arrested a Muslim religious leader in the Oromia regional state for calling for Jihad. A group of Muslims who tried to free him clashed with police. Four demonstrators were killed and 10 police were wounded.

Rumours were circulating on Facebook that the government has conceded to one of their demands. Jawar Mohammed, a respected political commentator, wrote:

Rumor has it that Meles has conceded to one of the demands put forward by Muslim activists – removing the current unelected leaders of Mejlis. But there is no official news yet. Two scenarios sound plausible: a) The government has not conceded but is spreading the rumor to create a debate and confusion among the activists. The confusion will distract them from planning and coordinating their actions and could also create division..

b) The government is making such fake gesture in order to prevent this Friday's protest, which is slated to be the biggest yet, because more than 700 foreigners will be gathering in the capital for the World Economic Forum. A large protest in the presence of foreign dignitaries will give the movement more visibility. A visibility that will not only hinder the government's ability to crack down on the protesters this Friday but could also make future such crackdowns backfire.

c) The government is actually removing the Mejlis leaders ( use and throw is Meles well known game) with the hope of sucking the momentum out of the protesters and eventually replacing the Mejlis with other set of puppets.

Following these events, Ethiopian Muslims have turned to Facebook and Twitter to make their voices heard. On one of the Facebook pages created in order to coordinate the protests says [amh]:

ጠቃሚ መሳሰቢያ!!! አንዳንድ ወንድሞች በነገዉ ጁምአ ተቃዉሞን በዝምታ መገለፅ አለበት የሚለዉን መልዕክት ወይም ማሳሰቢያ የግለሰቦች ሀሳብ እየመሰላቸዉ ተክቢራዉ መቀጠል አለበት ይላሉ:: ሁሉም ሰዉ በተክቢራ ተቃዉሞን መግለፁ ጠቃሚ እንደሆነ ይስማማል::ነገር ግን የነገዉን ጁምአ በተመለከተ በሁሉም መስጂዶች ሙስሊሙ በዝምታ ተቃዉሞዉን መግለፅ እንዳለበት ሹራ ተደርጎ እና ከብዙ አቅጣጫ ታይቶ የተወሰነ መሆኑን በመረዳት ይህንን መልዕክት በየመስጂዳችን ተግባራዊ እንድናደርገዉ እናሳስባለን …….አሁንም ይህን የተለመደዉን ታዛዥነታችንን በማስቀጠል በየመስጂዶቻችን በዝምታ ተቃዉሞአችንን እንድንገልፅ በአላህ ስም እናሳስባለን::

Important notice! In tomorrow’s Juma’a (Friday) our peaceful protest should continue in silence! Some brothers might consider this message as an idea of some individuals. They might insist we should persist our protest through “tekbira” (intone), though it is agreeable to protest through chanting it has been decided that across all mosques that tomorrow’s Juma’a (Friday) our peaceful protest should continue in silence! In the name of Allah we urge you to show your protest in silence tomorrow.

Another Facebook group advocating for their cause is Ethiopia Muslims:

The overall development, prosperity and democratization processes of a country can never be realized with a marginal participation of only a segment of its population. Having passed through centuries of systematic and unfair policies, the Ethiopian Muslim community has been struggling to ascertain its very existence.

Finally, there is Nur-Ethio:

The purpose of this group is to fully empower Ethiopian Muslims socially, economically, and politically based on the Ethiopian constitution and International law..

Islam, which arrived in Ethiopia in 615, is the second-most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity.

Iran: Calls for killing of ‘apostate’ rap artist

Fred Petrossian — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:38:30 +0000

Several bloggers announced their support to Shahin Najafi, Europe based Iran singer.A Shi’ite cleric, has issued a death sentence against rap artist Shahin Najafi for apostasy. The sentence was issued after Najafi released a controversial song called “Naqi” (a Shi'ite saint).

Cuba: Radio Marti Editorial Controversy

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:03:45 +0000

“Radio Marti last week published and broadcast an editorial, ‘The Cardinal’s limits,' that asserted that Cardinal Ortega is involved in ‘political collusion' (contubernio) with the Cuban government…”: The Cuban Triangle suggests that Radio Marti also has its limits.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Stunned by Suicides

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:55:59 +0000

And Still I Rise is saddened by “news of three suicides by hanging have stunned the nation.”

Jamaica: Better to Give

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:29:58 +0000

“The Bobo Shanti youth are well spoken and have a serene gentleness about them…[they] are excellent ambassadors of Rastafari”: Jamaian litblogger Geoffrey Philp finds himself “drawn to how they greet each other and me with the words: ‘Blessed Love.'”

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Political Letters

Matthew Hunte — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:20:22 +0000

Vinci Kallaloo wants to know if former New Democratic Party Senator Anesia Baptiste had written a letter to Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace in search of an appointment to Parliament much in the same way she wrote one contesting her recent dismissal.

Indonesia: Should Mosques Lower Prayer Volume?

Agung Harsya — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:58:24 +0000

In a speech delivered during the national congress of the Indonesian Board of Mosques (DMI) last week, Vice President Boediono sparked a debate when he suggested that mosques should lower the volume of loudspeakers during the daily prayer call.

Mosques in Indonesia use loudspeakers to broadcast the “adzan” five times a day reminding people to pray. Boediono warned that the loud volume might disturb other people, including fellow Muslims. He added that a less noisy call to prayer is more likely to enter a person's heart rather than loud sounds.

But many Indonesians advised Boediono to address other more important issues. Blogger happydsf [id], voices his concern:

Grand Mosque Al-Mashun. Photo from Flickr page of hophoptuing (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

Sungguh disayangkan, bahkan sepertinya negara ini ingin mengintimidasi kebebasan warga muslim, di negaranya sendiri, yang notabene juga di sebut negara dengan jumlah penduduk muslim yang mayoritas. masih banyak hal yang harus diselesaikan para wakil rakyat daripada harus mengurusi pengeras suara untuk panggilan sholat.

Too bad that this country even tries to intimidate freedom of religion in the most populated Muslim nation. There are still a lot of problems that should be solved by the lawmakers rather than taking care of the prayer's call volume.

Another blogger, Tototapalnise [id], tries to understand the Vice President's message:

Namun, kalau kita coba cermati dengan hati dan kepala dingin, perkataan wapres tersebut merupakan teguran halus buat kita kaum musliman dalam menjaga kualitas para muadzin sekaligus kualitas sound system di masjid-masjid….

…Lalu kenapa kita umat muslim harus memasang muka marah dengan ucapan tersebut dan langsung naik pitam? Apakah sedemikian reaktifkah umat muslim Indonesia yang merupakan mayoritas di negeri ini dengan sebuah kritikan atau masukan?

If we try to think about it carefully, the statement is a soft warning for Muslim people to maintain the adzan's quality and also the mosques' sound system quality…

…So why we have to be angry with that and losing our temper? As the majority religion in the country, why are we so angry when we receive criticism?

Haris El Salman [id] said that the loudspeaker's volume has never been an issue in the real world:

Bukankan selama ini tenggang rasa antar pemeluk agama masih dalam tahapan yang baik? Bahkan di daerah saya masih ada masjid dan gereja yang hanya dipisahkan oleh sebuah dinding, namun belum pernah saya melihat atau mendengar terjadi pertentangan antara jemaat masjid dan gereja ditempat tersebut, mereka akur-akur saja menjalankan ibadah masing-masing…

…Bukankah ini hanya akan menimbulkan perdebatan-perdebatan yang tidak esensial? Mungkin maksud beliau baik, tapi tidak pada tepatnya. Great idea in the wrong place?

We still have great tolerance among different religions. In where I live, there's a mosque and a church only separated by a thin wall, but I never see a conflict between people. They get along together when practising their religions…

…It will only provoke non-essential arguments. His intention might be right, but not in the right place. Great idea in the wrong place?

There were also mixed reactions on Twitter [id]:

@fgaban: Dalam soal TOA, pernyataan Pak Boed itu otokritik bagus bagi Muslim Indonesia.

@fgaban: In case of the speaker's volume, Boediono's statement is a good self-criticism for Indonesian Muslims.

@anatriyana: Knp jd msalah? Selama ini kan adzan gak ganggu? RT @Yahoo_ID: Wakil Presiden Boediono meminta suara azan diatur supaya tdk trlalu kncang

@anatriyana: Why it should be a problem? All this time adzan has never been disturbing.

@gitaputrid: Sayah senang Wapres Boediono ngomong soal TOA masjid u/azan; minimal ada nyali berani buka front versus suara mayoritas.

@gitaputrid: I'm happy VP Boediono talked about speaker's volume for adzan. At least someone bravely started a discussion against the majority opinion.

Cuba: Bloggers Offended by Archbishop's Statements

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:02:46 +0000

As if the Archbishop of Havana hadn't sufficiently ruffled bloggers' feathers over the recent papal visit to Cuba - specifically his request to have protesters removed from a church and his lack of cooperation in facilitating a meeting between the pontiff and dissident groups - in a recent address at a Harvard University conference, Cardinal Ortega referred to those church protesters as criminals, once again raising the ire of Cuban netizens.

babalu called the comments “derisive” and “nothing less than reprehensible”:

This latest sin against God and His flock is only another example of what a truly despicable man Ortega is. Fortunately, the Good Lord has provided the objects of Ortega's sinful ridicule and scorn the opportunity to respond.

The blog then linked to a mainstream media article in which some of the protesters were interviewed and denied that they had criminal records. In a subsequent post, the blog got hold of a petition for Cardinal Ortega's retirement and encouraged readers to sign:

According to the rules established by Pope John Paul II, all bishops are required to retire when they reach the age of 75. Cardinal Ortega was born in October 1936. This means he is overdue for forced retirement, yet, he clings to his post, and the Holy Father allows him to do so.

Finally, at Translating Cuba, Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada confessed that they had “no words to describe the recent statements made by his Eminence Cardinal and Archbishop of Havana Jaime Lucas Ortega Alamino during his stay last week in the United States of America”:

Despite the fact that he has spoken in a deliberate tone, the language used by the Cuban cardinal places at disadvantage the credibility of the good function of the Catholic hierarchy in the island. He has repeated in his discourse the same phrases used by the ruling class.

All of us who follow the evolution of the Catholic Church in Cuba, have denounced on many occasions the so badly called relationship between Church and State, and the complicity of the Church with the silence of the true existing situation in the island related to the lack of a state of rights and also the lack of places for free religious worship.

They went on to say that the Cardinal's speech “was similar to one of the many speeches dictated by the office of the Department of Ideology of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba”:

Today’s comment does not attempt to criticize the role of the Church in Cuba, but it tries to put in its right place he who uses the Catholic Church for his own benefit and in defense of those who are sinking the nation into an increasing poverty.

We would have to ask such a Cuban Cardinal, “How could he have access to the police records of each person who occupied the Caridad Church in Havana?” We would also ask, “How could he obtain the information that such acts of civil disobedience were organized from Miami?” I understand this time, like many other times, that the Cardinal spoke more than he should, and now he has to withstand all the critics coming from different latitudes.

I never imagined to hear, from the lips of the highest pastor of the Cuban Church, so much malice for those who try to promote full respect to the basic freedom of each man. To call those who serve unfair sentences under the most terrible conditions not described by people like him “common delinquents,” at some international meeting, makes him an accomplice of a corrupt and inert government.

The thumbnail image used in this post, Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana, is by RC_Fotos, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Creative Commons license. Visit RC_Fotos' flickr photostream.

Hong Kong: Evangelists Accuse Lady Gaga of Leading Youth Astray

Oiwan Lam — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:32:15 +0000

American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga is currently touring Asia with her ‘Born this Way Ball'. Hong Kong shows are scheduled to take place between May 2 and May 7, 2012. On the eve of her first concert there, an evangelist group's campaign against her presence in Hong Kong has ignited debate within the local community.

A right wing evangelist group, Media Evangelism Limited, has launched an online campaign against Lady Gaga's tour, inviting Christians to sign in and “pray for youth in Hong Kong against the temptation of Lady Gaga”. The online poster [zh] states:

Lady Gaga 演唱會將於 2/5 - 7/5 來港舉行，演唱會帶有色情、同性戀及崇拜撒旦的元素，亦容讓 3 歲以上人士進場。我們籲請信徒支持緊急代禱簽到行動，為青少年的心智守望禱告。

Poster calling for Christians to sign in to pray for youth against the

Lady Gaga's concerts will be held between May 2 and May 7 in Hong Kong. The concert has pornographic, homosexual and satanic elements and it allows children below the age of three to enter. Here we plead Christians to sign up and pray for the youth's mind and spirit.

Facebook user Julie Lam explained the Christian's action in her prayer [zh]:

她的新歌 Born This Way “生來如此” — 聲稱上帝創造同性戀者及同性戀不是罪，她積極推動同性婚姻合法，影響了數個國家的立法。她的表演志在香港及亞洲打開黑暗的大門讓邪惡進入，目標是要嚴重影響青少年, 導致道德墮落。

Her new song, Born This Way, said that God created homosexuals and it is not a sin. She advocates for the legalization of same sex marriage and has influenced several countries' legislation. Her performance will open the door for evil to come in. Her objective is to influence the youth and bring moral decadence.

Less than 100 people have signed in to the page with the majority being against the evangelist group's propaganda. Below is a selection of some of the prayers in the sign-up page [zh].

Johnny Cheung said [zh]:

求主使青年人有清昕頭腦, 分辨壞思想, 壞行為, 分辨到造假的諾亞方舟或者lady gaga 教壞人熟輕熟重的問題。請所有被洗腦影音洗腦的人清醒, 回到你身邊, 呀門.

Pray for god to clear our youth's brain. Let them know how to distinguish bad thought and behavior. Let them know the fake business of the Noah's Ark theme park. Isn't that more of a problem than Lady Gaga in terms of corrupting people's minds? I pray all those who have been brainwashed by the evangelist media to regain their senses and come back to God's side.

Chan Kwan Yeung defended Lady Gaga [zh]:

慈悲天父嘅主呀,求你為被”影音使團”所說的話而被蒙蔽的人,清洗他們的眼睛哦!
LadyGaga是一個歌手,她所行的一切都是引導現今青少年於正道。宣揚,愛與自由,任何種族,性別,性取向的人皆是平等。她本人並沒有崇拜撤旦,只是在節目上回應主持人的玩笑。她的心是永遠追遠追隨父神你的。神呀,請你為那些被影音使團對LadyGaga的誤解,而寬恕。請你引導這班被該團體而誤入歧途的信徒,帶回正道!阿門~

Our Father, Please let those who have been blinded by the evangelist media to regain their sight!
Lady Gaga is a singer. She guides the youth to choose a righteous path. She promotes love, freedom and equality among those of different race, gender and sexual orientation. She is not a Satan worshipper, she was joking with the program host. Her heart follows our Heavenly Father. God, please forgive those who misjudge Lady Gaga because of the evangelist media's propaganda. Please guide the believers who have been led by the evangelist group to the righteous path. Amen.

Chu Ka Yu criticized the evangelist group for spreading a ‘gay sin' message [zh]:

將社會分化, 將同自己價值觀唔同既野打壓, 向年青人洗腦, 向佢地灌輸Gay Sin呢個message, 將自己所知所信既視為世界上唯一正確既真理, 唔去用批判思考去想上帝既道理, 用”人”既腦去解讀上帝既意旨, 呢d就係”教會”

我信主, 我信神, 我讀聖經, 所以, 我反對任何教會既存在…

你話我係魔鬼又好, 話我係咩都好…

Divide society, oppress those who do not share their own value, brainwash the youth with the message of Gay Sin, uphold one's belief as the only truth in this world, refuse to reflect upon God's message, impose upon God's will by one's limited intelligence, these are acts of the ‘church'.
I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I read the Bible. That's why I oppose the Church.
I don't care if you call me a devil or anything else….

Siu Heng pointed out that young people know how to make their own choices [zh]:

我唔係lady gaga fans, 亦冇打算去睇佢show；我亦好尊重人地既宗教信仰。但頂唔蒲有人以為青少年係白痴，睇個show就會變壞；以為自己係道德塔里班，人地同你唔同就話係歪風。

I am not a fan of Lady Gaga and do not plan to see her show. I respect the beliefs of others. But I can't stand people treating the youth as idiots who would become bad because of a show. You are just a bunch of moral Talibans who accuse each other of being morally wrong because they are different.

Vita Lam criticized the right wing for spreading hatred [zh]:

基督徒表達對信仰的立場令到小數族群飽受歧視公平嗎.
假設所有人針對基督來打壓你們會怎樣想
與其說神愛世人不如說是宗教挑起仇恨比較貼切

Is it fair for the Christian to impose discrimination against the social minority when expressing their belief?
If all other people are attacking Christian beliefs, how would you react?
God loves everyone in this world, but in reality, it is more accurate to say that religion has instigated hatred.

The thumbnail and featured image used in this post is by Domain Barnyard, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Creative Commons license. Visit Domain Barnyard's flickr photostream.

This post was sub-edited by Jane Ellis.

The State And The Religion In South Asia

Rezwan — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:29:05 +0000

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the 5th President of Sri Lanka, posts in Groundviews an analysis on the state and the religion in South Asian countries.

Sri Lanka: Monks Demand Demolition of a Mosque

Rezwan — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:04:47 +0000

Although Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and multi-cultural society, recent cases of religious intolerance has kept the blogosphere debating on this notion. Last Friday around 2,000 Buddhist monks and local residents staged a violent protest in Dambulla town demanding that a mosque along with a Hindu temple situated in an area designated as a Buddhist sacred zone be demolished.

The police evacuated the mosque and its Friday prayers were cancelled. Local Muslims claim that the mosque is there for 50 years.

According to Raashid Riza:

Reports suggest that the mosque had been hurled at with petrol bombs the night before, causing minor damage, and security forces were deployed to control the situation. The targeting of the Muslim community was instigated by a group of racist Sinhalese individuals, consisting largely of hooligans, who were motivated by the uproar and attention such an act would create, rather than by any identifiable ideology.

A Mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Image by Angelo Samarawickrema.Copyright Demotix

Groundviews posts the contracts of the mosque and asks how can the structure be illegal. The debate went further as the Government had decided to demolish the mosque after caving in to public demand. Moreover, Groundviews reveals:

The Mahanayaka of the Rangiri Dambulu chapter Inamaluwe Sumangala thero, one of the key figures in the on-going tensions in Dambulla over the presence of a mosque and kovil near his Temple, perhaps in response to the public outcry against the violence instigated by him, has told the BBC that TV footage that showed monks engaged in violence – including one monk disrobing and exposing himself to the mosque – were fake.

However evidences show otherwise. Inamaluwe Sumangala thero is the Director General of the private radio station Rangiri Radio and on both the homepage of the Rangiri Radio website, and on the Facebook page, the following video appears which showcase the most violent moments of the mob:

Sri Lankan Doctor comments:

The Buddhist monks of Dambulla embarrassed the Buddhists world over by the way they conducted themselves on 20.4.2012.

The Dambulla mosque attack has to be seen in isolation regarding the Muslim-Buddhist bond the country witnessed over centuries and it is not going to be broken just because of a few such incidents. This Tweet from the Muslim community supports that thought:

@muslimLK: We #Muslims in #srilanka need to handle #dambulla in a sensible, legally permitted & exemplary manner rather than confrontation, inshallah

Serendipity reminds in a blog post:

No matter what religious bigots may profess, Sri Lanka has not as a nation, taken responsibility for exclusively protecting Theravada Buddhism or that the country is solely a Buddhist country. The constitution just states that “Buddhism should be safeguarded and nourished” and if that wording is open to interpretation, we may have to ask the Supreme Court to determine what was meant by that statement.

Indi.ca, who has covered the news extensively, comments:

Muslims are Sri Lankans. They are neighbors and friends. Yet today they are an ethnic minority which, while on the rise economically, is viewed with suspicion by many. [..]

Seriously people, this is a small island and we all have to live together. Forget the culture conflicts and petty annoyances, Muslims are friends and neighbors and they deserve to be treated the way.. [..] Whatever the specifics of the case, it is damn important to emphasize that the Sri Lankan Muslim community is a vital part of Sri Lanka, a respected part of Sri Lanka, and, ultimately, family.

I’m sorry about the Dambulla thing. I hope we’re still cool.