Global Voices » Religion

Peru: Controversy Over Banning of Popular Priest

Gabriela García Calderón — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:16:20 +0000

On Friday May 11, 2012, local online edition of newspapers [es] broke the news that the Cardinal Priest and Archbishop of Lima, Juan Luis Cipriani, had decided not to renew the ministerial license for Father Gaston Garatea [es], a well-known Peruvian priest from the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Father Gaston communicated he will abide by that decision.

According to some analysts, the cause of the decision was Father Gaston's stance on homosexuality and civil unions. Cardinal Cipriani is well-known for his conservative position on matters such as birth control, homosexuality, civil unions, etc.

Father Gaston has embraced various fair causes, most related to poor and extremely poor people.

He has served as Chairman of the Consensus-Building Board on the Fight Against Poverty, and as such, he also participated in the National Agreement. He also acted as commissioner for the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The Archdiocese of Lima issued a statement [es] regarding Father Gaston's situation:

[…] para realizar trabajo pastoral en una determinada jurisdicción, requieren que el Obispo, Ordinario del lugar, les otorgue las respectivas Licencias Ministeriales (cfr. canon 265).

2. En ese sentido, el Obispo Ordinario del lugar, por motivos suficientes y anteriormente advertidos al Superior Mayor de la respectiva comunidad religiosa, puede disponer que un sacerdote religioso no trabaje pastoralmente en su jurisdicción eclesiástica. Ello, que es lo que ha ocurrido con el Padre Jorge Gastón Garatea Yori, SS. CC., no suspende o prohíbe al sacerdote religioso el ejercicio de su ministerio sacerdotal en otros lugares.

[… ] in order to accomplish pastoral labor on a specific jurisdiction, [priests] require that the Bishop, the Ordinary from the jurisdiction, grant them the respective Ministerial Licences (cfr. canon 265).

2. As such, the Ordinary Bishop of the jurisdiction, due to sufficient motives already warned to the Superior of the respective religious community, may provide that a religious priest won't work pastorally on his ecclesiastic jurisdiction. As it has happened with Father Jorge Gaston Garatea Yori, SS. CC., this doesn't suspend nor forbid the religious priest from exercising his ministry elsewhere.

The website ACI Prensa [es] cites an unnamed source and explains that the process against Father Gaston was made according the due process. This source explained:

Existe en todas las diócesis un tribunal sinodal, que examina a todos los que piden las licencias ministeriales, y todos los sacerdotes -diocesanos y religiosos-, están sometidos al examen sinodal previo a las licencias ministeriales”.

Por ello dijo que “cuando el Obispo toma una decisión, en este caso de no renovar las licencias ministeriales, previamente ha tenido que pedir informe a este tribunal sinodal y también a su senado, que es el colegio de consultores. No es una decisión personal, previamente ha tenido que cumplir todo un procedimiento“.

In every diocese, there is a synod tribunal that examines all people who ask ministerial licences, and every priest -diocesan and religious-, are subject of that synodal examination prior to ministerial licences”.

That's why [this source] said that “when the Bishop makes a decision, in this case, not to renew ministerial licences, ha has to request a report to this synod tribunal and to its Senate as well, which is the consulting board. It's not a personal decision, previously there has been a whole process to be observed“.

The site later adds:

Indicó además que el P. Garatea ha tenido “un sinfín de pronunciamientos contrarios (a la doctrina católica) explícitamente aunque hoy quieran maquillarlo”.

“No sólo es lo último del ‘matrimonio gay’, que lo dijo y ahora pretende decir que se refería al contrato civil. En su momento dijo ‘matrimonio gay’, y si dice ahora que se refería al contrato civil, en la práctica es lo mismo. Lo único es que está maquillando una doctrina que va en contra de la Iglesia“, afirmó.

[…]

Sin embargo, indicó que las autoridades eclesiásticas no revelarán los motivos por los que no se renovaron las licencias porque el derecho canónico pide que se guarde “absoluta reserva por la dignidad, honor y fama de esa persona.

[The source] also remarked that Father Garatea has made “countless statements against (the Catholic doctrine), although today there is an intention to sugar coat it”.

“It's not just about the latest statement on ‘gay marriage’ [es], which he said and now pretends to say he meant the civil contract. Back then he said ‘gay marriage ’, and if he says now he was refering to the civil contract, technically it's the same thing. The only thing he is doing is disguising a doctrine that is contrary to the Church [es]”, he declared.

[…]

Nonetheless, he noted that ecclesiastical authorities won't reveal the motives for not renewing the licenses, as Cannoic Law demands “absolute reservation on behalf of the dignity, honor and fame of that person.

The blog Pastores y líderes publishes [es] the explanation of Father Jose Chuquillanqui, episcopal vicary of the Archbishopric of Lima:

[…] no renovación de licencias ministeriales al padre Gastón Garatea no ha sido una decisión tomada de un día para otro, sino tras un proceso de diálogo y advertencias.

Por ello, dijo que a Garatea “se le ha llamado la atención desde hace seis años” por sus opiniones polémicas, y que el cardenal Juan Luis Cipriani ha sostenido constantes conversaciones y diálogos con el supuesto afectado.

“No podemos juzgar abruptamente y decir que ha sido una decisión intolerante e impronta. Se le pidió que tenga cuidado en sus expresiones”, dijo Chuquillanqui en RPP.

[…] asserted that the decision of not renewing Father Gaston Garatea's ministerial licenses hasn't been a decision made overnight, but after a process of dialogue and warnings.

So, Garatea was “warned for six years” because of his controversial opinions, and that Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani has talked constantly with the alleged affected [priest].

“We can't judge abruptly and consider this has been an intolerant and sudden decision. He was asked to be careful with what he said”, declared Chuquillanqui on [local radio station] RPP.

Meanwhile, Twitter is abuzz with comments using the hashtag #GastonGaratea [es]:

Eduardo (@edurpeque) [es] expresses surprise:

Q #Cipriani no le haya renovado el permiso a #GastonGaratea me parece hasta benigno,no creen? Raro es q no lo haya recriminado o excomulgado.

That #Cipriani hasn't renewed #GastonGaratea's licence seems benign to me, don't you think? It's odd he reproach or excommunicate him.

‏@eromanp [es] is ironic:

El padre Gastón #Garatea ha recibido la mejor carta de recomendación que pueda existir: #Cipriani le ha prohibido ejercer su labor pastoral.

Father Gaston #Garatea has received the best cover letter ever: #Cipriani has banned him from practicing his pastoral labor.

Victor Mantilla (@yourjournalist) [es] recommends:

Cierto, no olviden el #FF para #GastónGaratea y el #ReportSpam para Juan Luis.

Right, don't forget the #FF for #GastónGaratea and #ReportSpam for Juan Luis.

Elí Castelo R. (@primerafuente) [es] wonders, a little annoyed:

Buenos dias, siguen con lo del Padre #GastonGaratea. Que lo resuelvan los catolicos y no los convenidos. Parece lo mismo, pero no es asi.

Good morning, still talking about Father #GastonGaratea? Let the Catholics solve it and not the freeloaders. They may seem the same thing, but they are not.

Santiago Correa Jara (@SantiagoCorreaJ) [es] adds some international context:

Que feo día en #Perú. Expectoran al Padre #GastónGaratea y fallece #DonnaSummer. A veces la vida, por mas que protestemos NO TIENE SENTIDO!!

Ugly day in #Perú. Father #GastónGaratea is expelled and #DonnaSummer passes away. Sometimes, no matter how much we protest, life MAKES NO SENSE!!

Thumbnail image by Flickr user Alex E. Proimos, under Creative Commons license Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Pakistan: Twitter Goes Through Weekend of Censorship

Teeth Maestro — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:22:52 +0000

Starting 1pm on Sunday 20 May, 2012, Twitter users in Pakistan suffered a total blanket censorship across all Internet Service Providers (ISP) in Pakistan. Some ISP have received an email from Mohammed Ali, Deputy Director (Enforcement) at Pakistan Telcommunucation Authority at around noon to block Twitter.com immediately and ordering them to flush out the cache as soon as possible.

Around 1pm Sunday afternoon internet users in Pakistan started facing the blockage, and flooded Herdict Web with reports of blockage across all ISP:

traceroute twitter.com traceroute: unknown host twitter.com

HerdictWeb : Raw Data Feed

Express Tribune through its sources claimed that the block was due to a blasphemous cartoon competition:

Express News correspondent Suhail Chaudhry had reported that the access to Twitter was blocked due to an ongoing “competition” of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) caricatures. This move was made, keeping in mind the “emotions of the masses” reported Chaudhry.

Aamir Atta of ProPakistani also confirmed via his sources:

We have got the confirmation that decision for blocking Twitter was taken yesterday on account of Draw Mohammad Day, during a meeting held at Ministry of Information Technology and chaired by Raja Parvez Ashraf, Federal Minister for Information and Technology. Meeting was attended by MoIT members, PTA and other concerned stake holders. A source who is directly aware of the meeting told ProPakistani that it was decided that Twitter will remain blocked on May 20th, 2012 to avoid any possible access of blasphemous content to Pakistani internet users.

While I opined in my personal blog that it was PTA merely testing their new url Filtering service:

My gut feeling is that PTA is just testing their URL Filtering system, we had reports of them testing some image servers on facebook last week, and it disappeared by the evening. PTA choose Sunday to avoid any legal backlash exploiting the courts day off.

Ingrid Luden on TechCrunch wrote ‘Sure, Draw Something. Just Not The Prophet‘:

Pictures of the Prophet Mohammad have always been a highly contentious issue — they’re not explicitly prohibited in the Qu’ran but many Sunni Muslims forbid the idea, while others do not seem to mind as much. Among the latter group are those who feel that banning such images is a restriction on freedom of expression.

Farieha Aziz comments on BoloBhi:

Speaking to Dunya TV, Minister for Information and Technology, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said Facebook complied with the government’s request to remove blasphemous content, but Twitter refused. According to Yaseen, PTA simply passed on the orders to the ISPs and has no knowledge of how long the website is likely to remain blocked.

BytesforAll also talked about Raja Pervaiz Ashraf ordering the block on Twitter due to blasphemous content:

Late last night, the newly appointed Minister for Information Technology, Raja Parvez Ashraf spoke to the media showing his concerns about the blasphemous content on different websites and threatened that Twitter will be banned soon if the company did not comply with the government’s orders. Within half an hour of this statement, past midnight, an official directive was issued to all Internet Service Providers in the country and Twitter started disappearing from Pakistani Cyberspace starting 10 a.m. today.

Dawn.com quotes Chairman PTA Mohammed Yaseen saying that they tried to negotatiate with Twitter to remove the content:

We have been negotiating with them until last night, but they did not agree to remove the stuff, so we had to block it

By around 10pm, roughly nine hours after the ban started suddenly the block seemed to have been removed which resulted in tweets by Rehman Malik, Interior Minister claiming responsibility for the unblocking of Twitter:

@SenRehmanMalik: Dear All yes I spoke to PM and informed how people are feeling about it.PM ordered to reopen the twitter.I also spoke to Raja pervez abt it

Reporting the opening of the internet blockage ProPakistani narrates:

However, as per our sources, ban was lifted before time due to bad name the incident had earned for Pakistan, especially in foreign media.

While Fiza Batool Gilani the daughter of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also laid claim for the Prime Minister to have restored the twitter connection.

@FizaBatoolGilan: The Prime Minister has ordered the IT Minister to restore Twitter service in Pakistan

@FizaBatoolGilan: @abidbeli- I was with him when he ordered & I'm tweeting while sitting in Pakistan . So that's confirmation enough :)

The netizens fear that with this incident the PTA successfully tested their url filtering service which may threaten freedom of speech in the future.

Georgia: No Sex and the City

Onnik Krikorian — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:37:51 +0000

No Sex and the City — Georgian Liberal (an oxymoron) blog comments on the physical confrontation between priests accompanying religious parents and LGBT activists marching in Tbilisi, Georgia. The blog details events as they happened, including the alleged inaction of the Georgian police when they were asked to intervene to defuse tensions.

Georgia: LGBT Activists Attacked by Orthodox Religious Group

Mirian Jugheli — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:21:40 +0000

In the first ever event of its kind in the country to mark the 17 May International Day Against Homophobia, Georgian LGBT activists were blocked by a group of Orthodox Christians as they marched in downtown Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.

Priests leading the Union of Orthodox Parents (UOP) demanded the march stopped, alleging that it would lead to moral depravity among the younger generation in the predominantly Christian country.

LGBT activists responded by asking them to clear the way so that the march could continue, but when attempts by the priests and UOP to convince nearby police to to stop the march failed, a physical altercation ensued.

Photo by TSpress.ge

@gabo_ge: პოლიციამ იდენტობის სამი აქტივისტი დააკავა მათ შორის ლევან გერიანიძე

@gabo_ge: Police arrested three activists of Identoba, an organization working on LGBT issues.

@temuchin22: მმკ ხალხს სცემს და ნაცემი ხალხი მიჰყავთ განყოფილებაში. მიმიფურთხებია ასეთი სამართალდამცავი ორგანოსთვის! მოვითხოვ მმკელების დაპატიმრებას!

@temuchin22: UOP (Union of Orthodox Parents) beats people and those who got beaten are taken into custody, screw such law enforcement, I demand UOPs to be arrested.

@lishtotah: LGBT activism limited to “holding the very first pride” will only fuel #homophobia in #Tbilisi :queer here:

@JohnHesslewood: If your main argument is ‘how can you promote something like that in the street' then I would ask the same thing of you, christians #tbilisi

Photo by TSpress.ge

Photo by TSpress.ge

Follow this link to view more photos.

The confrontation was denounced by many on Facebook who changed their profile pictures in support of the activists.

'International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia'

Incidentally, this is not the first time the UOP has disrupted a peaceful gathering. In 2008, for example, several young Georgians were attacked for organizing an open air Halloween party.

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.