Lead story
Editor's note:
Tens of thousands of Iranians have been on the streets for over two weeks following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of morality police. Shouts of “death to the dictator” and “woman, life, freedom” are reverberating throughout the country. Since the Islamist regime came to power after the 1979 Revolution, many such protest movements by younger Iranians demanding a more democratic regime have been brutally crushed in the past.
However, writes University of Montana anthropologist Pardis Mahdavi, who has been studying the gender and sexual politics of Iran for the past two decades, this time the protests have spread to at least 50 Iranian cities. And even the religiously devout suffering from the pain of economic sanctions are losing faith in the government and its morality rhetoric. The current protests may have echoes from the past, she writes, but they also carry hope.
Religion News
Amid crises, rural roots anchor Southern Baptists’ president
Small church pastor and Texas rancher Bart Barber is the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the nation. He assumes this top pastoral leadership role amid a clergy sex abuse crisis, including a federal investigation, and deep division among the ranks. By Bobby Ross Jr./The Associated Press
In India, where Hindu majority has complex views, Supreme Court liberalizes abortion law
The judgment will have significant implications for Muslim, Christian and other minority faith groups but will likely face pushback from conservative Hindus. By Kalpana Jain/Religion News Service
A few recent hits for Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus are shifting Hollywood's narrative about American Muslims. They also have another thing in common: Azhar Usman. By Monique Parsons and Silma Suba/Religion News Service
AP-NORC poll: On game day, some see prayer as a Hail Mary
Prayer is not a fundamental part of most sports’ fans playbooks. But some still give it a shot anyway. A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research provides fresh details on those who believe in the power of prayer. By Holly Meyer/The Associated Press
Two prophets, century-old prayer duel inspire Zion mosque
A holy miracle happened in Zion, Illinois, 115 years ago. Or so 10 million Ahmadi Muslims around the world believe. The Ahmadis view the city, 40 miles north of Chicago, as an important pilgrimage site for their faith -- a reverence dating to a prayer duel with a Christian rival who died in 1907. By Deepa Bharath/The Associated Press
Commentary and Analysis
Many religions value forgiveness, but the details of their teachings differ. A psychologist of religion explains how Christian and Jewish attitudes compare. By Adam B. Cohen for The Conversation
Pressure from Arab governments and other Christian groups has only contributed to evangelicals' cooperation in the region. By Daoud Kuttab/Religion News Service
Native Hawaiians see Mauna Kea mountain as sacred. Scientists use its summit for research. A new policy called co-management may help resolve this land conflict and similar ones across the US. By Rosalyn R. LaPier for The Conversation
The Wahhabi school of Islam has spread throughout the world, along with its disapproval of the holiday. By Deina Abdelkader for The Conversation
Orthodox Jews gather at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, the great grandson of the founder of Hasidic movement, in the town of Uman, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Ukraine's capital Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. Thousands of Hasidic Jewish pilgrims flocked to central Ukraine to mark the Jewish new year Sunday, ignoring international travel warnings as Russia struck more targets from the air and mobilized its citizens to stem losses in the war that has entered its eighth month. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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- This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
- The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
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