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Letter for Terry Jones
Sri Murniati
Pastor Terry Jones, the leader of a small local church in the United
States, oversaw the burning of the Qur’an on March 20 after the holy
book of Islam was found “guilty of crimes against humanity” during a
“trial” in the church and “executed.” The author, a Muslim, invites
Pastor Jones and his followers to instead embrace dialogue about
tolerance and pluralism that are inspired by the book they burned. [Read
more]
► Looking
beyond Terry Jones
Ann Gillespie
A Christian pastor in the United States adds her voice to those
calling on Pastor Terry Jones and those like him who know little
about Islam, but condemn it, to reflect on their rhetoric and
actions and to see every person, in the words of Mother Teresa, as
“Jesus in disguise.” [Read more]
► New
Briefing Paper: Burma’s Constitution—Denying Ethnic Rights
Burma Campaign UK
With the leaders of the military government of Burma shedding their
uniforms to give the public appearance of a civilian government
through the Constitution of 2008, confusion has arisen in some
quarters about what this “democratic transition” means for the
people of the country. Through a recently published briefing paper,
a leading organization in Europe promoting human rights and
democracy in Burma tries to explain the impact the country’s new
Constitution has on the lives of its ethnic communities. [Read
more]
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EU Prolongs Sanctions on Burma
People in Need
In the aftermath of last year’s Nov. 7 elections in Burma that most
observers have condemned as neither free nor fair, there has been
speculation that governments that had imposed sanctions on the
military government in the past would dilute or even end them. The
European Union, however, recently decided against changing its
policy for another year. [Read more]
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Ahmadis
and Their Neighbors at the Grassroots Level
Didin Nurul Rosidin
The author notes that much of the argument and debate about the
Ahmadiyyah in Indonesia is driven by political and religious elites
in the country. Lost in the cacophony of their intolerant judgments,
however, is the peaceful coexistence of people of different faiths
living together every day in local communities. [Read
more]
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Chinese Armed Police Cordon Off
Ngaba’s Kirti Monastery, 2,500 Monks Face Food Shortage
Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy
The self-immolation of a Tibetan monk in March to mark the third
anniversary of the uprising of Tibetans against Chinese rule in
Tibet has resulted in a security crackdown against the monastery
where he lived. [Read more]
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A Verdict on Organic vs. Chemical
Agriculture
Anil Bhattarai
A general perception is that organically grown food, while more
healthy and beneficial to the environment, cannot produce enough
food to meet the ever increasing needs of the world’s population,
thus requiring large-scale agriculture based on the use of
chemicals. Three decades of research in the United States, however,
highlighted in this article question this assumption. Moreover, the
author explains the implication of these findings for livelihoods
and food production in his country of Nepal. [Read
more]
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