NPR recently shared the story of moderate Pakistani Muslims known as Barelvis who feel they are under attack from more hardline Deobandis Muslims. The Barelvis follow a form of Islam that incorporates folk traditions and mystical Sufi traditions, including praying to saints. The ultra-conservative Deobandis see such incorporation as un-Islamic. Read or listen to the full story here. NPR spoke to sociologist Mushtaq Gadi who noted that “Pakistan’s authorities lean towards the more clear-cut doctrine of Deobandi Islam in order to reinforce Pakistan’s national identity.” “The creation of Pakistan was on the basis of religion,” says Gadi. “So if the state…

Saudi Arabia has the world’s highest Twitter and YouTube usage per capita. It seems surprising, notes The Guardian, that a country with a monarchy, no parliament or political parties, enforced gender segregation and modesty police has such a flourishing social media world. But in a society where movie theaters and bars are non-existent and seventy percent of the population is under thirty, social media appears to be an outlet to escape boredom. Read the full story here. Saudis use Twitter like many Americans, for swapping jokes, sharing news, complaining about work, pointing out government inefficiencies and the like. Twitter has given…

Farmers in Afghanistan grow corn, cotton, potatoes, and opium. A recent crop monitoring report completed by the United Nations found that “opium poppy cultivation hit a record level this year despite the ongoing efforts by Western countries and the Afghan government to reduce production and find alternatives for farmers.” National Public Radio (NPR) took a closer look at the circumstances of Afghan farmers that grow opium as a means of making a living, despite the dangers and disapproval that come with the crop. Read and listen to the NPR story here. Pray for the people of Afghanistan. Pray for the…

An imam in Turkey joined a rock band, but religious authorities in the country are not sure they agree. The question, according to a story in USA Today, is whether Ahmet Muhsin Tuzer can be involved in a such business outside his religious profession. Read the full story here. A search on YouTube reveals a couple videos on the “Rocking Imam.” The first is a short piece from Deutsche Welle that documents Tuzer’s story, and the second is a music video from his band FiRock.

Say Hello: Serving Muslim Women shared this post on its blog last week: Nobel Peace Prize nominee Malala Yousafzai discusses the importance of education in diffusing terrorism and empowering women on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. You can see the full extended interview here: Malala’s courage is inspirational. For her and the many girls like her, their longing for value represents real battles. Pray their journeys would take them to the One who values them the most.

The story of the Hazara people group is like that of many persecuted peoples. The Atlantic recently ran a short feature on the plight of the Hazara now residing in war-torn Syria. Read the full story from The Atlantic here. The Hazara are Shia Muslims that trace their ancestry to Asia with one theory being that they descend from Mongol soldiers left behind in Afghanistan by Genghis Khan in the 13th century. They once were the majority in Afghanistan until large numbers were massacred in 1893, and today the Taliban continues to attack them. The largest number of Hazara live in Afghanistan…

The uprisings against the Taliban started in early February, reports The New York Times. Villagers in Panjwai joined police forces and started ousting Taliban fighters. Nearly 100 village elders vowed at a public meeting Monday to keep the Taliban out as the new fighting season sets in, and Afghan flags are flying from rooftops in the villages, residents said. Read the full story here. The locals show pride at the uprising but concede that they will need continued government support to see the Taliban kept out permanently, though the Taliban have not given up. Says The Times, “One Taliban commander, who…

Interfax reported the announcement by the Tajik Government Committee on Religious Affairs that over 99 percent of people in Tajikistan are Muslims. The committee gave the report on Tuesday (March 5). The Interfax story continues: The committee said it drew the conclusion from citizens’ nationality rather than polls or census. “As on February 5, 2013, Tajikistan had a population of eight million. Judging by nationality, 7,952,000 are Muslims and 48,000 belong to other religions,” the committee said. “Hence, Muslims amount to 99.4% of the entire population,” it said. The committee referred to the nationality data presented by the Tajik Statistics…