Islamophobia In China China’s repression of the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group based in Xinjiang, has prompted widespread condemnation by the international community in recent years. The Trump and Biden administrations both placed economic sanctions on China for its treatment of the Uyghurs. Congress has been busy, too, passing legislation that bars imports from Xinjiang unless they’re proven to have been made without forced labor. The Asian superpower, for its part, denies any wrongdoing. Tracing their ancestry to the sixth century C.E.…
Faith in time of crisis Kay Bajwa, a real estate agent in Washington, D.C., spends his solitary confinement praying five times a day and working with members of his mosque to find ways to help those in need during these difficult times. He says: “All these trials keep us close and close to Allah."Spending time praying with her is comforting." Bajwa is not alone in converting his faith into stormy weather. Religion and beliefs are now seen by many researchers and therapists as an important way to deal with trauma and depression as a…
The Abuse of Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan A Sri Lankan working in Pakistan, Priyantha Kumara, was lynched by a mob of hundreds of people on Dec. 3, 2021, over allegations of blasphemy, or sacrilegious act. After being assaulted, he was dragged into the streets and set on fire, and the lynching was recorded and shared widely on social media. Such tragic killings in Pakistan over blasphemy accusations are the new normal. Pakistan has the world’s second-strictest blasphemy laws after Iran, according to the U.S. Commission on International Re…
In Islamic culture, Ramadan is the holiest month of the year. It's a time for spiritual reflection and growth, as well as helping those in need and spending time with loved ones, for Muslims. It's also the month of Ramadan, when Muslims all across the world fast during daylight hours. Continue reading to learn more about Ramadan traditions and practices, as well as why it is so significant to the Islamic faith. What is Ramadan? Ramadan is the Muslim lunar calendar's ninth month. Muslims observe Ramadan to commemorate the reve…
The Tribe of Kalash The Kalasha Valleys surrounded by beautiful Hindu Kush Mountains in Chitral District consists of Kalash people. Today, around 3000 in number, the Kalash refuse to accept Islam which is the root cause for their marginalization in the region. For the longest time, Pakistan has been known for hatred and disgust towards religious minorities. This led to creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Pakistan has unfair (or even non-existing policies) for minorities, such as Muhajirs, Balochis, Shias, Ahmadis, Ismailis, and more. Even th…
Magic is an ancient element that is the result of human thought combined with primitive tools and empty hands. Humans have employed it in disasters, and it has long dominated human society's public culture. According to the history of religions, people believed in magic and witchcraft in several aspects of their lives at the time. And, in times of crisis and despair, people's beliefs become even stronger. It may be stated that humans were attempting to obtain prosperity in some way. One of the causes that drove humans to practice mag…
Religious Minorities in Pakistan In terms of religion, Pakistan is quite homogenous with a 95% Muslim population. However, the remaining 5% of Pakistanis consist of Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Ahmadis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Shias, Bahais, etc. While Pakistan was created on the premise that Muslims needed a land of their own where they could practice their religion without judgment and persecution, every citizen of Pakistan was to be guaranteed the freedom to practice his or her own faith. Ironically, even the Shias, a Muslim community in the m…
Religion and mental health Religion and spirituality are both based on an attempt to understand the purpose of life and, in some cases, how strong relationships can influence that definition. Although religion and spirituality are the same, they are very different in function. Religion is a system of beliefs, based on society, while spirituality resides with the individual and what he himself believes. “Religious and spiritual perceptions are like a rectangle compared to a square. Religion is spiritual, but if you are religious, it does no…
Religious symbolism contains a purposeful and existential element that connects ultimate reality, social reality, and the human yearning for salvation, which is innate in the human condition and supports all faiths in some way. Religious symbols transcend these restrictions and give meaning to an otherwise chaotic reality by encapsulating the limitations posed by human biological, psychological, and social life, as well as death. Cosmology: Religion, according to anthropologist Clifford Geertz, is "a system of symbols" that is …
Strange Religious Practices Around The World Religious practices all around the world bind people with similar interests together. However, there are some odd rituals that still exist in the 21 st century that might shock you to the core. · Bringing good luck for the baby: In some parts of western India, there is a ritual of throwing a newborn from a rooftop, commonly known as Baby Tossing. The baby is first shaken by a priest and then dropped from a height of nearly 50 feet. Baby Tossing, practiced in the first week of Decembe…
The role of religion in the history of education and science Religion and education, two of the earliest human efforts, have long been closely related. Historians and social scientists have written about this relationship and how both can influence each other. Islam Islamic rulers have built libraries and educational institutions, such as the Baghdad House of Wisdom and the Al-Azhar University of Cairo, to promote advanced scholarships. Under Islamic rule, Southern Spain was a center of higher learning, producing people like the famous Mus…
What is religion or belief discrimination? It is when you are treated differently because of your religion or belief, or lack of religion or belief, in one of the situations contained in the Equality Act. Treatment may be a single action or as a result of law or policy. It does not have to be deliberate to be legal. There are some cases where discrimination on the basis of religion or belief is legal, described below. What the Equality Act says about religion or belief discrimination · The Equality Act 2010 says you should not be distinguishe…