cafebabel.com

Romance and demons of 'Arab spring' and 'islamist winter'

('Tara Ostiguy',) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:48:45 -0000

The revolutionary euphoria of the Arab uprising gave way to a complex and arduous process of transitions and shifts in the balance of power - processes that in North Africa have included the rise to power of islamist parties

Tunisia’s Arab renaissance comes out of London exile

('dominicmaciver',) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:00:00 -0000

On 23 September the arab spring achieved its most significant achievement yet. It was a rebirth for the modern Arab world without spilt blood nor fiery rhetoric in the dust and the death; instead it used ink and consensus to rebuild a country. Moderate islamist party ennahda, coming out of exile in the UK, won 41% in the country's first democratic elections on 22 October

Turkey: army and Kurdish 'toxins' flushed

('Angela Kubik',) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:15:52 -0000

For more than a month now a new broom has been sweeping clean the streets of Istanbul – as well as the country's football and armed forces. But who’s wielding the broom? What ‘rubbish’ are they trying to get rid of? ‘Turkey eats dirt’ is cafebabel.com's response to the summer ‘dust up’ by the Turkish authorities. Read the second of three articles in a series on the shake-up of the nation, about an army which resigns

World's tallest jesus and crossing out secularism in Poland

('Ems_8674',) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:30:00 -0000

Every country has its own vision of secularism.In late November, a 51-metre Jesus Christ statue was erected in western Poland, 14 metres taller than its colleague in Rio de Janeiro. Though privately funded, the Polish state is still looking for that perfect balance between sacrum and profanum in the public domain - takes its various crossings with the cross

Berlin: Eid al-Adha is our christmas

('anuja',) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:20:04 -0000

It's early in the morning. Kreuzberg lays silent in the drizzling rain under the grey sky of Berlin. It is a November day like every other - and special for the more than 4 million muslims in Germany

Press review pope Benedict XVI: condom statements

('Annie Rutherford',) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:27:04 -0000

In an interview, pope Benedict XVI accepted the use of condoms in individual cases to prevent infection with HIV. Critics have welcomed this concession but doubt that it signals a fundamental change of direction for the catholic church

Heard about the niqab, mini short wearing ‘Niqabitch’ in France?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:30:00 -0000

In September two twentysomething ‘crazy girls’ walked to the French ministry of immigration and national identity in Paris in somewhat alternative outfits; one has Maghreb origins. They're protesting over the internet against a law which bans the burqa in the public sphere - after all, 'this is a democracy’

Three muslims in Brussels: (almost) ordinary citizens

('Nettah',) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:15:00 -0000

Being Belgian and muslim poses no particular problem for Omar, Younes and Mourad. They don't wear the burqa, which is banned in Belgium, yet are often turned away from bars. In the EU capital, tolerance and rejection go hand-in-hand

German erasmus student on life in Istanbul

('Anneka',) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:00:00 -0000

Who speaks English? Why don't men look me in the eye? Why do people still wear headscarves? A score of questions hit the European newcomer studying in the Turkish city

Turkey-Israel: credibility and question of anti-semitism

('Karis Eaglestone',) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:18:48 -0000

Since heavy criticism from the Turkish side after the Israeli attack on a Gaza aid ship on 31 May, relations between the two states have entered a further ice age. There has been rising concern in Europe that Turkey is increasingly turning away from the west. A babelian political theorist explains the problems inherent to the Turkish response

Lech Garlicki on judging Europe’s religious fabric

('James Friscia',) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:15:37 -0000

The Polish jurist, who has been a judge at the European court of human rights since 2002, on religious symbols in schools, the burka, security and the status of women

Atheist campaigners: arrest pope

('donegalbabelian',) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:06:48 -0000

Enunciations and remarks by high ranking catholic clergy only serve to validate two prominent atheist campaigners' proposed legal action for 'crimes against humanity' against the pope. Rather an offbeat way to mark 19 April, which is the fifth anniversary of Benedict XVI's pontificate

It's late 2009, and Europeans are getting into a tizzle about religion

('euro topics',) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:08:44 -0000

The Swiss have banned new minarets, the European court of human rights has banned Italy from having crucifixes in every classroom. A Swedish school has rejected veils, a Dutch polytechnic shuns Christmas trees and a study claims religion stems from insecurity. The Dutch, Swedish, UK, Hungarian and Bulgarian press react

In a country of 400, 000 muslims, the Swiss vote to ban minarets

('euro topics',) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:40:42 -0000

On 29 November, the people of Switzerland voted to ban the construction of new minarets. The referendum initiated by the Swiss people's party and the conservative federal democratic union has dealt a severe blow to religious peace in the country, write the Estonian, Swiss, Portuguese and Austrian press

Subculture: sexes, hairdos and jeans in Iran

('Andrew Christie',) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0000

1 April is Islamic Republic Day, a national holiday in Iran. Thirty years after the Islamic revolution, an unpopular government is once again struggling with a dissatisfied young population. However, the Iranian resistance against its own regime has no strategy behind it, only tactics. A portrait of the mood in the land of the red squares