From the category archives:

Religion

Religion: Ramadan Karim! رمضان كريم!

Guest Post from Dragoman

Today marks the beginning of the month of Ramadan, throughout which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The fasting period culminates in the celebration of the festival عيد الفطر :Īd al-Fiṭr‎ (Romanized as Idul Fitri in Indonesia and Aidilfitri in Malaysia), which is also known as Hari Raya (Malay for “The Grand Day”) in [...]

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Religion: A Yoga Ban in Indonesia

Well, they finally decided. From the Associated Press:

Indonesia’s top Islamic body, the Ulema Council, barred Muslims from practicing yoga that contains Hindu rituals like chanting, the chairman of the group said Monday, citing concerns that it would corrupt their faith. The council issued the ruling after weekend talks by hundreds of theological experts in [...]

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Religion: After Malaysia, Indonesia Considers Yoga Ban

I had a feeling this would happen. After the fatwa on yoga in Malaysia, Indonesia is now considering a ban.
Here is an excerpt from the Straits Times:

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) will investigate the practice of yoga in the country, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, before issuing an [...]

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Religion: No Yoga for Malaysian Muslims

I have always been frustrated by the strong influence of religion in politics. Last week, I read dozens of articles about the Mormon Church’s involvement with proposition 8. This week, religion over-stepped its bounds in Malaysia. There, a top Islamic organization banned Yoga. This is what the Straights Times quoted:

‘We are of the view that [...]

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Religion: Deepavali

One of the benefits of living in a diverse country – lots of public holidays!
I was lucky to have been invited to someone’s home for my first Deepavali celebration. I got to eat some home-cooked Indian food, learn about the holiday, and embarrass myself by trying to pronounce Tamil words.
For more information about the holiday, [...]

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Religion: The Call to Prayer in Indonesia

Two days ago I finally experienced the “call to prayer wake up”. I had been pretty sick, so I was having trouble sleeping. At 4:30 am, the call to prayer is spoken over a loud speaker which spreads around the neighborhood. While I was a bit frustrated by the early wake up call, I have [...]

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