http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:29:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26538/islamic-love-guru-mama-widad-urges-women-to-enjoy-sex http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26538/islamic-love-guru-mama-widad-urges-women-to-enjoy-sex#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:49:42 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26538 Wearing a full-length black niqab -- with only her brown eyes showing through narrow slits -- Widad Lootah does not look like a sexual activist.

Yet this conservative Muslim is one of the best known -- and most outspoken -- marriage counselors in the United Arab Emirates.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26538/islamic-love-guru-mama-widad-urges-women-to-enjoy-sex/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26495/muslim-teenager-attacked-by-brother-and-sisters-for-kissing-white-man http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26495/muslim-teenager-attacked-by-brother-and-sisters-for-kissing-white-man#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:08:46 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26495 A Muslim teenager in England was kidnapped, beaten and threatened with hammers and knives by her brother and sisters after kissing a white man, a court heard yesterday.

The barbarians deny kidnap, actual bodily harm and false imprisonment charges.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26495/muslim-teenager-attacked-by-brother-and-sisters-for-kissing-white-man/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26483/dutch-government-going-ahead-with-burqa-ban http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26483/dutch-government-going-ahead-with-burqa-ban#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:52:43 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26483 People wearing burqas, balaclavas or all-in-one motorbike helmets in public in the Netherlands will soon face fines. On Friday, government ministers voted to outlaw all clothing which covers the face.

"People must be able to look each other in the face and be recognisable to one another. The wearing of face-covering clothing does not fit in with the Netherlands' open society, in which participation in social traffic is actually crucial," the cabinet said Friday.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26483/dutch-government-going-ahead-with-burqa-ban/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26456/christians-in-sudan-and-south-sudan-facing-death-and-detention http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26456/christians-in-sudan-and-south-sudan-facing-death-and-detention#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:53:28 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26456 Christians in Sudan and newly created South Sudan face possible detention, beatings and even death amid a "deteriorating humanitarian situation" with thousands of people being killed this year alone, aid workers and Christians say.

In Sudan's capital Kharthoum, minority Christians have also been pressured to leave the country towards South Sudan, with reports of detentions and beatings, church leaders said. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26456/christians-in-sudan-and-south-sudan-facing-death-and-detention/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26453/uk-muslims-convicted-in-gay-hatred-case http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26453/uk-muslims-convicted-in-gay-hatred-case#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:19:29 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26453 Three Muslim men in England have been found guilty of stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation after distributing a leaflet that said Islam called for anyone caught committing homosexuality to be executed.

Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed and Razwan Javed handed out the pamphlet, called The Death Penalty?, which showed an image of a mannequin hanging from a noose and quoted Islamic texts that said capital punishment was the only way to rid society of homosexuality.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26453/uk-muslims-convicted-in-gay-hatred-case/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26421/anti-christian-incidents-nearly-doubled-in-indonesia-in-2011 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26421/anti-christian-incidents-nearly-doubled-in-indonesia-in-2011#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:51:02 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26421 Acts of violence and intolerance against Christians in Indonesia almost doubled in 2011, with an Islamist campaign to close down churches symbolizing the plight of the religious minority.

The worst is perhaps yet to come if authorities continue to overlook the threat of extremism, said a representative from the Jakarta-based Wahid Institute, a Muslim organization that promotes tolerance.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26421/anti-christian-incidents-nearly-doubled-in-indonesia-in-2011/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26403/muslims-attack-bishop-with-acid http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26403/muslims-attack-bishop-with-acid#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:11:55 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26403 Islamic extremists threw acid on a church leader on Christmas Eve shortly after a seven-day revival at his church, leaving him with severe burns that have blinded one eye and threaten sight in the other.

On Oct. 15, area Muslim leaders declared a fatwa against him demanding his death.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26403/muslims-attack-bishop-with-acid/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26395/pakistani-christian-falsely-charged-with-%e2%80%98blasphemy%e2%80%99-after-argument http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26395/pakistani-christian-falsely-charged-with-%e2%80%98blasphemy%e2%80%99-after-argument#comments Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:34:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26395 A young man has been charged with desecrating the Quran under Pakistan’s controversial “blasphemy” laws after the Christian had an argument over rent with his Muslim landlord, his attorneys said.

Police charged the man after his landlord accused him of burning pages of the Quran in order to prepare tea.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26395/pakistani-christian-falsely-charged-with-%e2%80%98blasphemy%e2%80%99-after-argument/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26392/dutch-government-to-appoint-commission-on-ritual-animal-slaughter http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26392/dutch-government-to-appoint-commission-on-ritual-animal-slaughter#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:45:53 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26392 The Dutch government said it will appoint a commission to study new tightened rules for ritual slaughter to satisfy animal rights activists without infringing on  Jewish and Muslim traditions.

Before voting in January, the Senate will review a compromise offer by Henk Bleker, state secretary for agriculture.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26392/dutch-government-to-appoint-commission-on-ritual-animal-slaughter/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26385/algeria-stalls-appeal-of-convicted-christian http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26385/algeria-stalls-appeal-of-convicted-christian#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:47:14 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26385 A judge’s decision this month to indefinitely postpone the appeal of a Christian sentenced under Algeria’s defamation and anti-proselytizing laws shows how the judicial system keeps Christians in limbo without officially punishing or acquitting them, according to sources.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26385/algeria-stalls-appeal-of-convicted-christian/feed 0