EXCERPT: For centuries, Islamic scholars have said that Muslim women must cover their hair. But many Muslim women don’t. There are about 1 million Muslim women in America; 43 percent of them wear headscarves all the time, according to the Pew Research Center. About 48 percent – or half a million women – don’t cover…
Author: Martin Surridge
Article18: France — Controversial Veil Ban for Muslim Women Continues to Divide Nation
By Martin Surridge – France can’t seem to stay out of global headline news at the moment. In a two week period, Sarkozy’s government managed to team up with the U.N. to lead the charge against Gbagbo in the Ivory Coast, play an important military role in the ongoing efforts in Libya against Gaddafi’s forces,…
Chinese police detain members of unregistered church (LA Times)
EXCERPT: Chinese police on Sunday detained more than 100 churchgoers who tried to hold an outdoor prayer service on a pedestrian bridge in Beijing after having failed to secure permission to open a church. Although it is not uncommon for police to raid unregistered churches, this latest bust in the very heart of Beijing suggests…
Article18: Egypt — 29 Christians Dead After Attacks on Egyptian Churches; Terrorist Violence Concerns Population of Changing Nation
By Martin Surridge – Just a couple weeks before the revolution in Egypt inspired the Middle East and captured the attention of the world, we posted a link to an article that explained how Egypt’s Coptic Christian community was calling for more religious freedom after attacks on churches in Nag Hamadi and Alexandria left 29…
Bus advertising campaign tackles Islamophobia (BBC)
EXCERPT: An advertising campaign to tackle Islamophobia has been unveiled on buses across the UK. Vehicles in several cities will carry the message “Muslims for loyalty, peace and freedom” in an attempt to challenge negative stereotypes of the faith. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, the group behind the campaign, said it hoped it would educate people…
Article18: Thailand Part 2 — Special Interview with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Thailand Volunteer Bob Young
By Martin Surridge – Just a few weeks ago, I returned from one of the most beautiful and enchanting countries in Southeast Asia-Thailand-a country known for its love of soccer, its patriotic fervor, sandy beaches, and the rapidly developing, international city of Bangkok. But there’s much more to Thailand than the capital. In fact, much…
Article18: China — Personal Observations of Liberty and Reflections on Life in Beijing, China
Part 2 of the profile on Thailand will be featured next week. This slightly more personal entry previously ran under the title “Observations of Liberty in China” back in Spring of 2010 and is rerun this week as part of Article18. By Martin Surridge -The mass of strangers and suitcases pressed against me so tightly…
Article18: Thailand Part 1 — Dissenters Arrested for Insulting the Monarchy; Malay Insurgents Continue Terror Campaign in South
By Martin Surridge – On Tuesday I returned from one of the most beautiful and enchanting countries in Southeast Asia–Thailand–a country known for its spicy cuisine, tropical mountainous rainforests, marvelous Buddhist temples, and the cosmopolitan city of Bangkok. But there’s much more to Thailand than the glossy posters in the travel agent’s window. …
Article18: Thailand Preview
By Martin Surridge – This week’s entry will be short. In just a few hours I will be boarding a plane to Thailand to work with a non-profit group setting up a freshwater system for villages in the north of the country. I will also be speaking to people in the region about religious liberty…
Article18: Indonesia — Ahmadis Viciously Killed While Police Watch; Courts to Sentence Muslim Cleric to Life in Prison on Terrorism Charges
By Martin Surridge – President Barack Obama’s Kenyan connection and family lineage is well known, but the Hawaiian-born democrat from Illinois also spent several formative years in the nation of Indonesia–which he hailed last year as a country “defined by more than its Muslim population” and where “individuals are not defined solely by their faith.” The president may…