 |
|
|
|
|
July 9th, 2010
12:06 PM ET
Europe's burqa wars: broad support for banning veils
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN Legislation banning full veils for Muslim women is now under consideration across Western Europe. On April 30, Belgium's lower house voted to ban Muslim women from wearing veils that cover their full faces. On June 30, a Tory MP introduced in the UK a Face Coverings (Regulation) Bill that would make it illegal for anyone to cover their face in public. And on July 6 the French parliament began debating legislation that would outlaw the wearing of burqas and niqabs in public places.
July 9th, 2010
12:05 PM ET
Quran doesn't call for stoning, experts insistInternational outcry - and the pleas of a devoted son - seem to have saved an Iranian woman from being stoned to death for adultery. But while Sakineh Mohammedie Ashitani has been granted a reprieve, she is not the only woman sentenced to be stoned for adultery in Iran. There have been at least six sentences carried out since 2006, says Ann Harrison, an Iran expert at Amnesty International in London. Adultery is the only crime that carries such a penalty in Iranian law, she said.
July 9th, 2010
10:58 AM ET
Anne Frank graphic story debutsA graphic "comic-book" version of a biography documenting the tragic life of Jewish diarist Anne Frank during World War II was launched Friday. "The life of Anne Frank, the graphic biography" uses cartoon drawings as well as text to cover Anne's story, making connections between her life in hiding and important historical events during this period, according to the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam.
July 9th, 2010
09:13 AM ET
Spiritual Safari: The Gospel According to Kenyan Cabbies
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN If you want to tap into the religious spirit of a country, you can go to its churches and mosques and listen to the words of its preachers and imams. But the lived religion of a nation is just as accessible on the streets. On my recent visit to Kenya, I saw lions and leopards lazing in the Samburu National Reserve and hyenas chomping on flamingo bones at Lake Nakuru, but my spiritual safari was equally intriguing. While touring through the highlands north of the capital city of Nairobi I saw religious fervor on hand-painted street signs ("El Shadai Dressmaker" and "Bismillah Butchery") and the ubiquitous minivan taxis known as matatus (nearly as deadly, I might add, as the crocodile). Thanks to the rapid growth of the spirit-filled Christian style known as Pentecostalism, Christianity is running wild in Africa, expanding from 9 million to 355 million souls over the course of the twentieth century, and Kenya is no exception. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
|
|
|
Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.