10 Essential Points About Boston Bombers, Islam, and America
 by Omid Safi
Here are ten basic points that we would all do well to keep in mind as we try to make sense of a world that seems to be in need of sanity and compassion.
1) Those who know the suspects best say that this had nothing to do with being Chechen, or with Islam.
Ruslan Tsarni, the suspects’ uncles, went to meet the national media, and gave a powerful, honest, and passionate presentation. He encouraged his nephew, Dzhokhar, to turn himself in. He also called his own nephews “losers,” andstated that this atrocity had nothing to do with being Chechen or Islam. Tsarni spoke powerfully about his love for America, and how silly it is to associate this crime with an ethnicity or religion. Tsarni also encouraged Dzhokhar to beg his victims for forgiveness.
2) The experts you see on TV opining on Chechnya and the Chechen people do not know anything about Chechnya.
Chechnya is a fairly remote region. There are few people on TV with actual expertise about Chechnya. Most of these “instant experts” go to Wikipedia to get their information. Because of the 24-hour news media, we now have created a cult of instant experts who need to be able to fill the airways now about Iraq, now about Afghanistan, now about Chechnya, without necessarily having set foot on these places, knowing their languages, their history, or spoken with their peoples. Complex geo-political realities are collapsed into cliché tropes of “jihad” and “terrorism.” The late Edward Said made this same point 30 years ago for the first time. It is even more true today with social media and the fake experts paraded on Fox and elsewhere. Read more... |
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The "Nones" Are Off the Bus... and Many of Them are "Alls"
By Rev. Anne Benvenuti, PhD.,
CPWR Board Trustee
The "Nones" are the largest and fastest growing segment of the population on the religious landscape in America, according to the most recent Pew survey. In just the last five years, this group of willfully unaffiliated people has grown from 15% to 20% of the population. They are people who have no religious affiliation, and who don’t want one. Yet only 5% of those surveyed call themselves atheists. In other words, the Nones include many people who, while they don’t want a religious label also don’t want the traditional secular-rationalist-humanist label. 28% of them have practiced yoga, and I wonder how many of them have meditated. Read more... |
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Dalai Lama Would Support Woman Successor
Via The Telegraph
In 2009, the Dalai Lama was reported as saying that a female successor was possible because Buddhism does not restrict spiritual leadership by gender. In a recent statement in British media, he described his positive view of women stating, "I think [it would be] good because you see, biologically, female[s] have more potential to develop affection or love to other [sic]," the Dalai Lama told Newman. "Some scientists, they tested two person, one male, one female looking at one sort of movie. Female [was] more sensitive: response is much stronger. So therefore…now we are 21st century…female have more potential so should take more active role regarding promotion of human compassion [all sic]." Read more...
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Parliament Kicks Off Anniversary Events
On Saturday, May 11, the Council for a Parliament of World Religions is launching the "Looking Back to Move Forward" anniversary calendar with a Chicago-local Interfaith celebration at the Sikh Gudrwara in Palatine, IL. The public is welcomed to our celebration of Interfaith prayers, performances, speakers, and a Langar evening meal. Past leaders of the Parliament will convene in the early afternoon to glean lessons from our important 20- and 120-year heritage of the modern council, and first major 1893 Parliament. Read more...
"Will You Come to My Home for a Cup of Tea?" How Norway Fights Racism...
 There was a silent but growing chasm in Norway between the native population and the immigrant Muslim community largely fueled by negative media coverage, and the fact that the two never actually interacted. Sometimes, though, the most challenging of problems can be solved with a simple clear insight. We discovered that it only took was one contact to sweep away the misconceptions and break down the barriers. What we needed was an opportunity for native Norwegians to meet their new neighbors themselves." Watch Video...
U.N. Calls On Global Youth To Illustrate Migration, Diversity, and Social Inclusion in Film Contest
The PLURAL+ project organized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilations and the International Organization of Migration are accepting video submissions from youth 9-years-old through 25-years-old though June 30, 2013. The application is viewable in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Chinese. Read more...
Academic Eye on Religious Politics of Latin America
Religion, Social Movements, and Progressive Reform in Latin America is one of the projects underway at Boston University's Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs. As Latin America is attracting relationships through the global Interfaith movement, it becomes important to learn how religious communities interact. In this podcast, “Everyday Politics in the Periphery of São Paulo: Catholic Church and Housing Movement Intertwined," Brazil-based graduate student Amanda Horhardt shares experiences from her field work that illustrate the dynamics between the housing movement, Evangelicals, and Catholics. Hear more...
Pagan Flames Firing Up for May Day
The Parliament of the World's Religions is inclusive to diverse faith and spiritual communities comprising Pagan traditions. The Pagan diaspora claims origins in Celtic regions, where Pagans are now gathering for the largest Beltane celebration worldwide: the fiery festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. The [BBC] British Broadcasting Company's religion profiles showcase these visually-stunning photos of this contemporary festival with ancient roots. . View photos... |
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