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This article is about a play. For the religious concept of faith healing, see faith healing.
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011)
Faith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.
[edit]Synopsis
The play consists of four parts, with a monologue making up each part. The monologues are given, in order, by the faith healer, Francis (Frank) Hardy himself; his wife, Grace; his cockney manager, Teddy, and finally Hardy again.
The monologues tell the story of the faith healer himself, including an incident in a Welsh village in which he cures ten people. Teddy's monologue reveals that Grace Hardy commits suicide, while Frank ponders whether his gift is for real or not. In Frank's second monologue, it is suggested that he is killed near his home after being unable to heal a cripple. He says that he knows he will not be able to heal him and, going to face death, he feels a sense of homecoming. It is not made explicitly clear however, that Frank is actually killed; Friel leaves this up to the reader's interpretation.
The fact that the play does not end definitively typifies a main point of the play; each character gives a different recollection of the same events throughout the page.
[edit]Production history
Faith Healer received its first performance in 1979 on Broadway in a production by José Quintero, with James Mason, Clarissa Kaye and Donal Donnelly. It closed after twenty performances.
It was revived in 1983 at the Vineyard Theatre, directed by Dann Florek, with J. T. Walsh, Kathleen Chalfant and Martin Shakar.
It was again revived in 1994 at the Long Wharf Theatre under the direction of Joe Dowling and starring Donal McCann, Judy Geeson and Ron Cook. The New York Times called the production "incandescent" and recommended it to "any connoisseur of theater".[1]
It was revived again at the Booth Theatre on May 4, 2006. The cast consisted of Ralph Fiennes, Cherry Jones and Ian McDiarmid in a production from the Gate Theatre in Dublin, directed by Jonathan Kent. The Broadway revival received four Tony Award nominations and won one: Best Featured Actor in a Play, Ian McDiarmid.
It is currently being staged as part of the Sydney Festival 2009, as part of a trio of works being performed to honour the eightieth birthday of Friel. The other works are The Yalta Game and Afterplay. It is also currently being staged in the Unicorn Theatre at Berkshire Theatre Festival.[dated info]
It is also currently being staged (October thru December, 2009) at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Joe Dowling is this time taking on the role of Frank Hardy himself.[dated info]
At the time of writing, the trio is being performed at The Gate theatre, Dublin, Ireland. The Gate has premiered many of Friel's works.[dated info]
In February 2011, it is being staged at Bristol Old Vic under the direction of Associate Director Simon Godwin.[dated info]
[edit]External links
Faith Healer at Internet Broadway Database
Details on 2006 Broadway production
This article on a play from the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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Categories: 1979 plays | Broadway plays | Plays by Brian Friel | 20th century play stubs
Sunday, July 31, 2011
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Vodun (a.k.a. Voodoo and related religions
Sponsored link
Vodun is sometimes called Voodoo, Vodoun, Vodou.
Religions related to Vodun are: Candomble, Lucumi, Macumba, and Yoruba)
General background:
Vodun (a.k.a. Vodoun, Voudou, Voodoo, Sevi Lwa) is commonly called Voodoo (vû'dû) by the public. The name was derived from the god Vodun of the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey. Its roots may go back 6,000 years in Africa. That country occupied parts of today's Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Slaves brought their religion with them when they were forcibly shipped to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies.
Vodun was actively suppressed during colonial times.
"Many Priests were either killed or imprisoned, and their shrines destroyed, because of the threat they posed to Euro-Christian/Muslim dominion. This forced some of the Dahomeans to form Vodou Orders and to create underground societies, in order to continue the veneration of their ancestors, and the worship of their powerful gods." 1
Vodun has been freely practiced in Benin since a democratic government was installed there in 1989; about 60% of the population follows this religion. Vodun was formally recognized as Benin's official religion in 1996-FEB. It is also followed by most of the adults in Haiti who are also nominally Roman Catholic. It can be found in many of the large cities in North America, particularly in the American South.
Today over 60 million people practice Vodun worldwide. Religions similar to Vodun can be found in South America where they are called Umbanda, Quimbanda or Candomble.
Today, there are two virtually unrelated forms of the religion:
An actual religion, Vodun practiced in Benin, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Togo and various centers in the US - largely where Haitian refuges have settled.
An evil, imaginary religion, which we will call Voodoo. It has been created for Hollywood movies, complete with violence, bizarre rituals, etc. It does not exist in reality.
History of Vodun in the west:
Slaves were baptized into the Roman Catholic Church upon their arrival in Haiti and other West Indian islands. However, there was little Christian infrastructure present during the early 19th century to maintain the faith. The result was that the slaves largely followed their original native faith. This they practiced in secret, even while attending Mass regularly.
An inaccurate and sensational book (S. St. John, "Haiti or the Black Republic") was written in 1884. It described Vodun as a profoundly evil religion, and included lurid descriptions of human sacrifice, cannibalism, etc., some of which had been extracted from Vodun priests by torture. This book caught the imagination of people outside the West Indies, and was responsible for much of the misunderstanding and fear that is present today. Hollywood found this a rich source for Voodoo screen plays. Horror movies began in the 1930's and continue today to misrepresent Vodun. It is only since the late 1950's that accurate studies by anthropologists have been published.
Other religions (Macumba, Candomble, Umbanda and Santeria) bear many similarities to Vodun.
Vodun beliefs:
Vodun, like Christianity, is a religion of many traditions. Each group follows a different spiritual path and worships a slightly different pantheon of spirits, called Loa. The word means "mystery" in the Yoruba language.
Yoruba traditional belief included a senior God Olorun, who is remote and unknowable. He authorized a lesser God Obatala to create the earth and all life forms. A battle between the two Gods led to Obatala's temporary banishment.
There are hundreds of minor spirits. Those which originated from Dahomey are called Rada; those who were added later are often deceased leaders in the new world and are called Petro. Some of these are
Agwe: spirit of the sea
Aida Wedo: rainbow spirit
Ayza: protector
Baka: an evil spirit who takes the form of an animal
Baron Samedi: guardian of the grave
Dambala (or Damballah-wedo): serpent spirit
Erinle: spirit of the forests
Ezili (or Erzulie): female spirit of love
Mawu Lisa: spirit of creation
Ogou Balanjo: spirit of healing
Ogun (or Ogu Bodagris): spirit of war
Osun: spirit of healing streams
Sango (or Shango): spirit of storms
Yemanja: female spirit of waters
Zaka (or Oko): spirit of agriculture
There are a number of points of similarity between Roman Catholicism and Vodun:
Both believe in a supreme being.
The Loa resemble Christian Saints, in that they were once people who led exceptional lives, and are usually given a single responsibility or special attribute.
Both believe in an afterlife.
Both have, as the centerpiece of some of their ceremonies, a ritual sacrifice and consumption of flesh and blood.
Both believe in the existence of invisible evil spirits or demons.
Followers of Vodun believe that each person has a met tet (master of the head) which corresponds to a Christian's patron saint.
Followers of Vodun believe that each person has a soul which is composed of two parts: a gros bon ange or "big guardian angel", and a ti bon ange or "little guardian angel". The latter leaves the body during sleep and when the person is possessed by a Loa during a ritual. There is a concern that the ti bon ange can be damaged or captured by evil sorcery while it is free of the body.
Vodun rituals:
The purpose of rituals is to make contact with a spirit, to gain their favor by offering them animal sacrifices and gifts, to obtain help in the form of more abundant food, higher standard of living, and improved health. Human and Loa depend upon each other; humans provide food and other materials; the Loa provide health, protection from evil spirits and good fortune. Rituals are held to celebrate lucky events, to attempt to escape a run of bad fortune, to celebrate a seasonal day of celebration associated with a Loa, for healing, at birth, marriage and death.
Vodun priests can be male (houngan or hungan), or female (mambo). A Vodun temple is called a hounfour (or humfort). At its center is a poteau-mitan a pole where the God and spirits communicate with the people. An altar will be elaborately decorated with candles, pictures of Christian saints, symbolic items related to the Loa, etc. Rituals consist of some of the following components:
a feast before the main ceremony.
creation of a veve, a pattern of flour or cornmeal on the floor which is unique to the Loa for whom the ritual is to be conducted
shaking a rattle and beating drums which have been cleansed and purified
chanting
dancing by the houngan and/or mambo and the hounsis (students studying Vodun). The dancing will typically build in intensity until one of the dancers (usually a hounsis) becomes possessed by a Loa and falls. His or her ti bon ange has left their body and the spirit has taken control. The possessed dancer will behave as the Loa and is treated with respect and ceremony by the others present.
animal sacrifice; this may be a goat, sheep, chicken, or dog. They are usually humanely killed by slitting their throat; blood is collected in a vessel. The possessed dancer may drink some of the blood. The hunger of the Loa is then believed to be satisfied. The animal is usually cooked and eaten. Animal sacrifice is a method of consecrating food for consumption by followers of Vodun, their gods and ancestors.
Sponsored link:
Evil sorcery:
The houngan and mambos confine their activities to "white" magic which is used to bring good fortune and healing. However caplatas (also known as bokors) perform acts of evil sorcery or black magic, sometimes called "left-handed Vodun". Rarely, a houngan will engage in such sorcery; a few alternate between white and dark magic.
One belief unique to Vodun is that a dead person can be revived after having been buried. After resurrection, the zombie has no will of their own, but remains under the control of others. In reality, a zombie is a living person who has never died, but is under the influence of powerful drugs administered by an evil sorcerer. Although most Haitians believe in zombies, few have ever seen one. There are a few recorded instances of persons who have claimed to be zombies.
Sticking pins in dolls was once used as a method of cursing an individual by some followers of Vodun in New Orleans; this practice continues occasionally in South America. The practice became closely associated with Voodoo in the public mind through the vehicle of horror movies.
Internet resources used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
"West African Dahomean Vodoun: Historical background," at: http://www.mamiwata.com/
Voodoo Authentica of New Orleans' website at http://www.voodooshop.com contains information about Voodoo, and provides a free service by which individuals can Email questions. They sell Louisiana folk art, including Voodoo dolls, Gris Gris bags, Ju-Ju's, Spells, Potion Oils, etc. They also provide spiritual work and consultations by experienced practitioners, and convention & special event planning.
The Vodun Page at http://members.aol.com/ is a good introduction to Vodun.
A Web page titled "Voodoo: From Medicine to Zombies" has a description of some Vodun altars, and a mythological dictionary. See: http://www.nando.net/ for more information about Vodun.
A Web page titled "Vodun Culture" has a glossary of Vodun terms, descriptions of songs and dances, and a list of Vodun loa with their corresponding duties, colors and symbols. See: http://www.geocities.com/
An unmoderated forum, alt.religion.orisha was started in 1996-FEB for the discussion of African-based and derived belief systems throughout the African Diaspora. This includes: Candomble, Fon, Hoodoo, Macumba Arara, Palo, Santeria, Yoruba Orisha and Voudun. Some of the expected topics include: recent books, scholarly articles and tapes, ethnography, information on acquisition and use of herbs in ritual practice, ritual music, instruments and dance, divination systems, the changing role of traditional practice in modern times, the law and repression of ritual practices.
Le Peristyle Haitian Sanctuary has a web site at: www.leperistylehaitiansanctuary.com. They sponsor the National African Religion Congress (NARC World), and are located in Philadelphia, PA. They offer spiritual readings, spiritual baths, messages from the loa, religious retreats, ceremonies, literature, as well as cultural and social events
A quarterly newsletter for beginners in Santeria/Voodoo/African Traditions is available from bpantry@tiac.net
Branwen's Pantry, a mail order store specializing in supplies for Santeria and similar religions is at: http://www.tiac.net/
"Voodoo" contains many links at: http://shecat.freeservers.com/
"West African Dahomean Vodoun: The world's oldest nature religion," at: http://www.mamiwata.com/
"Vodou," is a web site by Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen. See: http://members.aol.com/
Amazon.com's online bookstore lists the following books on Vodun/Voodoo:
If you see a generic Amazon ad here, please click on your browser's refresh key
Sponsored links:
Other References:
PoTO Books & Herbs Company "offer rare and popular books, bulk dried herbs and related items" from their Internet site at: http://poto.com/index2.ivnu
Shannon Turlington, "Do you do Voodoo? The real religion behind zombies and voodoo dolls," Garnet Publ., (2000) Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online booksgtore This is a 64 page, inexpensive book.
G.A. Mather & L.A. Nichols, "Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult", Zondervan, Grand Rapids MI (1993), ISBN 0-310-53100-4
E. Belgum, "Voodoo", Greenhaven Press, San Diego (1991) ISBN 0-89908-089-8
Copyright © 1998 to 2010 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2010-FEB-07
Author: B.A. Robinson
Sponsored link
Go to the previous page, or to the "World religion" menu, or choose:
Web ReligiousTolerance.org
Sponsored link:
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Relig. violence
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Assisted suicide
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Homosexuality
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Nudism
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Spanking kids
Stem cells
Transexuality
Women-rights
Other topics
Laws and news
Religious laws
Religious news
Religions of the world
Vodun (a.k.a. Voodoo and related religions
Sponsored link
Vodun is sometimes called Voodoo, Vodoun, Vodou.
Religions related to Vodun are: Candomble, Lucumi, Macumba, and Yoruba)
General background:
Vodun (a.k.a. Vodoun, Voudou, Voodoo, Sevi Lwa) is commonly called Voodoo (vû'dû) by the public. The name was derived from the god Vodun of the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey. Its roots may go back 6,000 years in Africa. That country occupied parts of today's Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Slaves brought their religion with them when they were forcibly shipped to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies.
Vodun was actively suppressed during colonial times.
"Many Priests were either killed or imprisoned, and their shrines destroyed, because of the threat they posed to Euro-Christian/Muslim dominion. This forced some of the Dahomeans to form Vodou Orders and to create underground societies, in order to continue the veneration of their ancestors, and the worship of their powerful gods." 1
Vodun has been freely practiced in Benin since a democratic government was installed there in 1989; about 60% of the population follows this religion. Vodun was formally recognized as Benin's official religion in 1996-FEB. It is also followed by most of the adults in Haiti who are also nominally Roman Catholic. It can be found in many of the large cities in North America, particularly in the American South.
Today over 60 million people practice Vodun worldwide. Religions similar to Vodun can be found in South America where they are called Umbanda, Quimbanda or Candomble.
Today, there are two virtually unrelated forms of the religion:
An actual religion, Vodun practiced in Benin, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Togo and various centers in the US - largely where Haitian refuges have settled.
An evil, imaginary religion, which we will call Voodoo. It has been created for Hollywood movies, complete with violence, bizarre rituals, etc. It does not exist in reality.
History of Vodun in the west:
Slaves were baptized into the Roman Catholic Church upon their arrival in Haiti and other West Indian islands. However, there was little Christian infrastructure present during the early 19th century to maintain the faith. The result was that the slaves largely followed their original native faith. This they practiced in secret, even while attending Mass regularly.
An inaccurate and sensational book (S. St. John, "Haiti or the Black Republic") was written in 1884. It described Vodun as a profoundly evil religion, and included lurid descriptions of human sacrifice, cannibalism, etc., some of which had been extracted from Vodun priests by torture. This book caught the imagination of people outside the West Indies, and was responsible for much of the misunderstanding and fear that is present today. Hollywood found this a rich source for Voodoo screen plays. Horror movies began in the 1930's and continue today to misrepresent Vodun. It is only since the late 1950's that accurate studies by anthropologists have been published.
Other religions (Macumba, Candomble, Umbanda and Santeria) bear many similarities to Vodun.
Vodun beliefs:
Vodun, like Christianity, is a religion of many traditions. Each group follows a different spiritual path and worships a slightly different pantheon of spirits, called Loa. The word means "mystery" in the Yoruba language.
Yoruba traditional belief included a senior God Olorun, who is remote and unknowable. He authorized a lesser God Obatala to create the earth and all life forms. A battle between the two Gods led to Obatala's temporary banishment.
There are hundreds of minor spirits. Those which originated from Dahomey are called Rada; those who were added later are often deceased leaders in the new world and are called Petro. Some of these are
Agwe: spirit of the sea
Aida Wedo: rainbow spirit
Ayza: protector
Baka: an evil spirit who takes the form of an animal
Baron Samedi: guardian of the grave
Dambala (or Damballah-wedo): serpent spirit
Erinle: spirit of the forests
Ezili (or Erzulie): female spirit of love
Mawu Lisa: spirit of creation
Ogou Balanjo: spirit of healing
Ogun (or Ogu Bodagris): spirit of war
Osun: spirit of healing streams
Sango (or Shango): spirit of storms
Yemanja: female spirit of waters
Zaka (or Oko): spirit of agriculture
There are a number of points of similarity between Roman Catholicism and Vodun:
Both believe in a supreme being.
The Loa resemble Christian Saints, in that they were once people who led exceptional lives, and are usually given a single responsibility or special attribute.
Both believe in an afterlife.
Both have, as the centerpiece of some of their ceremonies, a ritual sacrifice and consumption of flesh and blood.
Both believe in the existence of invisible evil spirits or demons.
Followers of Vodun believe that each person has a met tet (master of the head) which corresponds to a Christian's patron saint.
Followers of Vodun believe that each person has a soul which is composed of two parts: a gros bon ange or "big guardian angel", and a ti bon ange or "little guardian angel". The latter leaves the body during sleep and when the person is possessed by a Loa during a ritual. There is a concern that the ti bon ange can be damaged or captured by evil sorcery while it is free of the body.
Vodun rituals:
The purpose of rituals is to make contact with a spirit, to gain their favor by offering them animal sacrifices and gifts, to obtain help in the form of more abundant food, higher standard of living, and improved health. Human and Loa depend upon each other; humans provide food and other materials; the Loa provide health, protection from evil spirits and good fortune. Rituals are held to celebrate lucky events, to attempt to escape a run of bad fortune, to celebrate a seasonal day of celebration associated with a Loa, for healing, at birth, marriage and death.
Vodun priests can be male (houngan or hungan), or female (mambo). A Vodun temple is called a hounfour (or humfort). At its center is a poteau-mitan a pole where the God and spirits communicate with the people. An altar will be elaborately decorated with candles, pictures of Christian saints, symbolic items related to the Loa, etc. Rituals consist of some of the following components:
a feast before the main ceremony.
creation of a veve, a pattern of flour or cornmeal on the floor which is unique to the Loa for whom the ritual is to be conducted
shaking a rattle and beating drums which have been cleansed and purified
chanting
dancing by the houngan and/or mambo and the hounsis (students studying Vodun). The dancing will typically build in intensity until one of the dancers (usually a hounsis) becomes possessed by a Loa and falls. His or her ti bon ange has left their body and the spirit has taken control. The possessed dancer will behave as the Loa and is treated with respect and ceremony by the others present.
animal sacrifice; this may be a goat, sheep, chicken, or dog. They are usually humanely killed by slitting their throat; blood is collected in a vessel. The possessed dancer may drink some of the blood. The hunger of the Loa is then believed to be satisfied. The animal is usually cooked and eaten. Animal sacrifice is a method of consecrating food for consumption by followers of Vodun, their gods and ancestors.
Sponsored link:
Evil sorcery:
The houngan and mambos confine their activities to "white" magic which is used to bring good fortune and healing. However caplatas (also known as bokors) perform acts of evil sorcery or black magic, sometimes called "left-handed Vodun". Rarely, a houngan will engage in such sorcery; a few alternate between white and dark magic.
One belief unique to Vodun is that a dead person can be revived after having been buried. After resurrection, the zombie has no will of their own, but remains under the control of others. In reality, a zombie is a living person who has never died, but is under the influence of powerful drugs administered by an evil sorcerer. Although most Haitians believe in zombies, few have ever seen one. There are a few recorded instances of persons who have claimed to be zombies.
Sticking pins in dolls was once used as a method of cursing an individual by some followers of Vodun in New Orleans; this practice continues occasionally in South America. The practice became closely associated with Voodoo in the public mind through the vehicle of horror movies.
Internet resources used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
"West African Dahomean Vodoun: Historical background," at: http://www.mamiwata.com/
Voodoo Authentica of New Orleans' website at http://www.voodooshop.com contains information about Voodoo, and provides a free service by which individuals can Email questions. They sell Louisiana folk art, including Voodoo dolls, Gris Gris bags, Ju-Ju's, Spells, Potion Oils, etc. They also provide spiritual work and consultations by experienced practitioners, and convention & special event planning.
The Vodun Page at http://members.aol.com/ is a good introduction to Vodun.
A Web page titled "Voodoo: From Medicine to Zombies" has a description of some Vodun altars, and a mythological dictionary. See: http://www.nando.net/ for more information about Vodun.
A Web page titled "Vodun Culture" has a glossary of Vodun terms, descriptions of songs and dances, and a list of Vodun loa with their corresponding duties, colors and symbols. See: http://www.geocities.com/
An unmoderated forum, alt.religion.orisha was started in 1996-FEB for the discussion of African-based and derived belief systems throughout the African Diaspora. This includes: Candomble, Fon, Hoodoo, Macumba Arara, Palo, Santeria, Yoruba Orisha and Voudun. Some of the expected topics include: recent books, scholarly articles and tapes, ethnography, information on acquisition and use of herbs in ritual practice, ritual music, instruments and dance, divination systems, the changing role of traditional practice in modern times, the law and repression of ritual practices.
Le Peristyle Haitian Sanctuary has a web site at: www.leperistylehaitiansanctuary.com. They sponsor the National African Religion Congress (NARC World), and are located in Philadelphia, PA. They offer spiritual readings, spiritual baths, messages from the loa, religious retreats, ceremonies, literature, as well as cultural and social events
A quarterly newsletter for beginners in Santeria/Voodoo/African Traditions is available from bpantry@tiac.net
Branwen's Pantry, a mail order store specializing in supplies for Santeria and similar religions is at: http://www.tiac.net/
"Voodoo" contains many links at: http://shecat.freeservers.com/
"West African Dahomean Vodoun: The world's oldest nature religion," at: http://www.mamiwata.com/
"Vodou," is a web site by Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen. See: http://members.aol.com/
Amazon.com's online bookstore lists the following books on Vodun/Voodoo:
If you see a generic Amazon ad here, please click on your browser's refresh key
Sponsored links:
Other References:
PoTO Books & Herbs Company "offer rare and popular books, bulk dried herbs and related items" from their Internet site at: http://poto.com/index2.ivnu
Shannon Turlington, "Do you do Voodoo? The real religion behind zombies and voodoo dolls," Garnet Publ., (2000) Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online booksgtore This is a 64 page, inexpensive book.
G.A. Mather & L.A. Nichols, "Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult", Zondervan, Grand Rapids MI (1993), ISBN 0-310-53100-4
E. Belgum, "Voodoo", Greenhaven Press, San Diego (1991) ISBN 0-89908-089-8
Copyright © 1998 to 2010 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2010-FEB-07
Author: B.A. Robinson
Sponsored link
Go to the previous page, or to the "World religion" menu, or choose:
Web ReligiousTolerance.org
Sponsored link:
VOODOO PROTECTED HOME FROM EARTHQUAKE
Every evening, Monique Henri offers thanks to the voodoo deity Ogu Feray at a shrine in her home for sparing her family from the earthquake. She used to be a regular worshipper at her local Catholic church. But these days she goes there less often.
The disaster has moved voodoo centre-stage in Haiti. Yesterday, 1,000 members of the national convention of voodoo priests met in an emergency session to formulate their response to it. Failure to take decisive action, they warned, could bring down another disaster on the shattered country.
The devastation in Haiti has led many in the traumatised population to seek solace in faith and mysticism and there has been a move by some to turn back towards the old religion, with a marked rise in the numbers taking part in voodoo ceremonies and rituals.
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Back to Africa: A new Haitian homeland?
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The "day of calamity", as Haitians call it, was greeted by some Christian fundamentalists in the US with sanctimonious Schadenfreude rather than compassion. Pat Robertson, the former presidential candidate and spiritual guide of the Republican right, declared that the thousands dead an injured got what they deserved because they had made a "pact with the devil".
And in the quake's aftermath, the island has seen a surge of religious organisations, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and even Sikh, mostly offering relief, but some also proselytising.
The Scientologists have the highest profile, with one of their most prominent members, Hollywood star John Travolta, flying in members of the church and supplies, on his private jet. An outfit called Faith Comes By Hearing have sent 600 solar powered Bibles. The Church of the True Path recommends that Haitians should cleanse themselves by fasting – something which many are already doing, albeit involuntarily.
But the foreigners have trouble competing with voodoo, the fusion of African religions and Christianity which found its first adherents among the original slave population, and which is now deeply ingrained in the culture of the country.
It's a faith that leaps barriers: as the Haitian saying goes, people here are "60 per cent Catholic, 40 per cent Protestant and 100 per cent voodoo."
"If everything is good, they go to church," said Pierre Andre Laguerre, a parish priest at Sainte Bernadette Church in Port-au-Prince .""If something bad is happening to them, they go to the voodoo priest to get help."
Ms Henri, 36, who has three children, sees no contradiction between her voodoo and her Christian worship. Wearing a silver crucifix over her brown jumper, she said "We all believe in God. But I also feel voodoo is powerful. We feel the luas [deities] will protect us from further dangers. We are all seeking answers to what happened."
Standing beside her, Clavius Philisquer, 72, was keen to point out "Voodoo is part of our history, our culture. It unified us when we fought in the war of independence against the French. Voodoo gave power to the black people, that is why some Western countries say bad things about the religion. I have seen how the luas can cure people who have become mentally ill because they were possessed. It is real."
Max Beauvoir, the chief hungan, or priest of the voodoo hierarchy, was busy at his home in Mariani, near Port-au-Prince, distributing bags of rice to his followers. "This is the first relief that the voodoo people have received," he said. "We are being discriminated against. The aid distribution is being done by American Protestants who seem to have taken over the airport. We know what Pat Robertson said, it was ignorant, but it is part of trying to denigrate voodoo and promote evangelism".
Mr Beauvoir, 75, a biochemist trained at the Sorbonne and in New York, said "We have suffered from the Hollywood version of voodoo, with blood sacrifices and pins being stuck into dolls. They try to denigrate us, the man from Hollywood who became president talked about 'voodoo economics' and he left America with one of the worst budget deficits in its history.
"In reality, what has happened in the earthquake is the end of an era. It has turned many more people towards us. They realise that we cannot go on the way we were. There are changes taking place spiritually throughout the world. We have had white people joining us from the US, Britain and Germany. Many of them are successful people, but belief in voodoo has made them even more successful.
"But the way the Christian missionaries are doing their conversion is wrong. They are going after the most vulnerable people. They are going after children. Why do you think they want to take so many of our children away for adoption?"
The UN and relief agencies have warned of an increase in child smuggling. Nadine Perrault, Unicef's child protection officer for the region, says "This is a huge, huge opportunity for the gangs. There's lots of evidence of the traffickers moving fast, using all sorts of means." A Canadian priest, Pastor Noel Asmonin, said he was offered a young boy for $50 at a refugee centre.
Growing Haitian anger at their children being taken across the border was fuelled by the arrest of 10 American Baptists at Port-au-Prince as they tried to take 33 young orphans, aged from two months to 12 years, into the Dominican Republic.
The Haitian authorities claim that the group, the Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission, from Idaho, lacked authorisation. The government now requires the personal authorisation of the Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, for the removal of any child.
Defending the group's action, its leader, Laura Silsby, said: "In this chaos, we are just trying to do the right thing." Sean Lankford of Meridian, Idaho, whose wife and 18-year-old daughter are due to appear at a court today charged with trafficking, protested. "Nothing can be further from the truth. The children were going to get the clothes, food and love they need."
Haitians bitterly point out that while trying to take their young to America, the US authorities have imposed restrictions on earthquake victims being taken there for medical treatment. Medical air-lifts came to a halt after Charlie Crist, the Florida Governor, warned that hospitals in his state, which has been receiving most the of the patients, are "quickly reaching saturation". However, there was a beacon of hope for many with the announcement last night that Medevac evacuation flights to the US would resume "within 12 hours".
"Having received assurances that additional capacity exists both here and among our international partners, we determined that we can resume these critical flights," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said, adding that Florida was identifying hospitals to receive the patients.
American doctors working in Haiti have warned that the only hope of survival for many critically ill patients lies in removal to a US hospital. Dr Barth Green, who has come from Miami, said at a field hospital near the international airport: "We have a hundred patients who will die in the next day or two if we don't Medevac them." His colleague, Dr David Pitcher, pointed to five-year-old Betina Joseph suffering from tetanus lying on a cot with flies buzzing around her. "If we can't save her by getting her out right away, we won't save her".
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said: "There has been no policy decision to suspend evacuee flights. This situation arose because we started to run out of room."
Some evangelical relief workers have seized on reports which appear to show that voodoo's "real dark side" has begun to show itself. One prevalent belief, it is claimed, is that loup-garou have emerged from the torn earth to prey on humans. The word is French for werewolf, but it also applies to other animals which possess men and women and impel them to suck the blood of children.
According to the same reports night-time patrols have been organised in some neighbourhoods against the malignant spirits, and there have been reports of a lynching at a refugee camp, La Grotte. Michaelle Casseus, one of the camp residents, said " After the earthquake, the loup-garou fled from prison. He was boasting that he was in jail because he was caught eating children. During the night, he went into the tents and tried to take someone's child. He was killed."
The Independent could not find any loup-garou patrols in Port-au-Prince, and Haitian officials say the death at the refugee camp was the result of an attempted child snatching for trafficking rather than vampirism.
Anthony Pascal, a senior hungan in the capital Port-au-Prince, stressed " Voodoo is not about black magic. It is a combination of various religions including Christianity and it was started partly as a reaction to the brutality of slavery. It is not there to harm people, but to help and protect them.
"We have a lot of beliefs modern people should believe in. For example, we believe that trees have spirits which we should not harm otherwise we will all suffer. But then we had deforestation here and the ecology suffered."
Mr Pascal is better known as Kompe Filo, the host of a popular television show. He and his fellow priests, he claims, foresaw the earthquake. "We knew something big was going to happen six months ago and it would involve an upheaval."
God's anger with man was the cause of this upheaval, Mr Pascal insisted, a view echoed by Protestant and Catholic priests on the island. "People have turned away from spiritual values. They have become too obsessed with money. They are losing their humanity. That is why this happened. People realise that and that is why they are joining us more and more."
Exactly how many are joining, however, is open to conjecture. Among the hundreds gathered outside Mr Beauvoir's house waiting for the food distribution was 76-year-old Andy Jameau. "All the people around here are supposed to be Voodoo believers," he said. "But I would say around 40 per cent are not that and I am one of them. I would say I am Voodoo, Catholic or anything if it means I would get food for my family. I believe in any God who fills my stomach."
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The disaster has moved voodoo centre-stage in Haiti. Yesterday, 1,000 members of the national convention of voodoo priests met in an emergency session to formulate their response to it. Failure to take decisive action, they warned, could bring down another disaster on the shattered country.
The devastation in Haiti has led many in the traumatised population to seek solace in faith and mysticism and there has been a move by some to turn back towards the old religion, with a marked rise in the numbers taking part in voodoo ceremonies and rituals.
Related articles
Back to Africa: A new Haitian homeland?
Search the news archive for more stories
The "day of calamity", as Haitians call it, was greeted by some Christian fundamentalists in the US with sanctimonious Schadenfreude rather than compassion. Pat Robertson, the former presidential candidate and spiritual guide of the Republican right, declared that the thousands dead an injured got what they deserved because they had made a "pact with the devil".
And in the quake's aftermath, the island has seen a surge of religious organisations, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and even Sikh, mostly offering relief, but some also proselytising.
The Scientologists have the highest profile, with one of their most prominent members, Hollywood star John Travolta, flying in members of the church and supplies, on his private jet. An outfit called Faith Comes By Hearing have sent 600 solar powered Bibles. The Church of the True Path recommends that Haitians should cleanse themselves by fasting – something which many are already doing, albeit involuntarily.
But the foreigners have trouble competing with voodoo, the fusion of African religions and Christianity which found its first adherents among the original slave population, and which is now deeply ingrained in the culture of the country.
It's a faith that leaps barriers: as the Haitian saying goes, people here are "60 per cent Catholic, 40 per cent Protestant and 100 per cent voodoo."
"If everything is good, they go to church," said Pierre Andre Laguerre, a parish priest at Sainte Bernadette Church in Port-au-Prince .""If something bad is happening to them, they go to the voodoo priest to get help."
Ms Henri, 36, who has three children, sees no contradiction between her voodoo and her Christian worship. Wearing a silver crucifix over her brown jumper, she said "We all believe in God. But I also feel voodoo is powerful. We feel the luas [deities] will protect us from further dangers. We are all seeking answers to what happened."
Standing beside her, Clavius Philisquer, 72, was keen to point out "Voodoo is part of our history, our culture. It unified us when we fought in the war of independence against the French. Voodoo gave power to the black people, that is why some Western countries say bad things about the religion. I have seen how the luas can cure people who have become mentally ill because they were possessed. It is real."
Max Beauvoir, the chief hungan, or priest of the voodoo hierarchy, was busy at his home in Mariani, near Port-au-Prince, distributing bags of rice to his followers. "This is the first relief that the voodoo people have received," he said. "We are being discriminated against. The aid distribution is being done by American Protestants who seem to have taken over the airport. We know what Pat Robertson said, it was ignorant, but it is part of trying to denigrate voodoo and promote evangelism".
Mr Beauvoir, 75, a biochemist trained at the Sorbonne and in New York, said "We have suffered from the Hollywood version of voodoo, with blood sacrifices and pins being stuck into dolls. They try to denigrate us, the man from Hollywood who became president talked about 'voodoo economics' and he left America with one of the worst budget deficits in its history.
"In reality, what has happened in the earthquake is the end of an era. It has turned many more people towards us. They realise that we cannot go on the way we were. There are changes taking place spiritually throughout the world. We have had white people joining us from the US, Britain and Germany. Many of them are successful people, but belief in voodoo has made them even more successful.
"But the way the Christian missionaries are doing their conversion is wrong. They are going after the most vulnerable people. They are going after children. Why do you think they want to take so many of our children away for adoption?"
The UN and relief agencies have warned of an increase in child smuggling. Nadine Perrault, Unicef's child protection officer for the region, says "This is a huge, huge opportunity for the gangs. There's lots of evidence of the traffickers moving fast, using all sorts of means." A Canadian priest, Pastor Noel Asmonin, said he was offered a young boy for $50 at a refugee centre.
Growing Haitian anger at their children being taken across the border was fuelled by the arrest of 10 American Baptists at Port-au-Prince as they tried to take 33 young orphans, aged from two months to 12 years, into the Dominican Republic.
The Haitian authorities claim that the group, the Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission, from Idaho, lacked authorisation. The government now requires the personal authorisation of the Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, for the removal of any child.
Defending the group's action, its leader, Laura Silsby, said: "In this chaos, we are just trying to do the right thing." Sean Lankford of Meridian, Idaho, whose wife and 18-year-old daughter are due to appear at a court today charged with trafficking, protested. "Nothing can be further from the truth. The children were going to get the clothes, food and love they need."
Haitians bitterly point out that while trying to take their young to America, the US authorities have imposed restrictions on earthquake victims being taken there for medical treatment. Medical air-lifts came to a halt after Charlie Crist, the Florida Governor, warned that hospitals in his state, which has been receiving most the of the patients, are "quickly reaching saturation". However, there was a beacon of hope for many with the announcement last night that Medevac evacuation flights to the US would resume "within 12 hours".
"Having received assurances that additional capacity exists both here and among our international partners, we determined that we can resume these critical flights," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said, adding that Florida was identifying hospitals to receive the patients.
American doctors working in Haiti have warned that the only hope of survival for many critically ill patients lies in removal to a US hospital. Dr Barth Green, who has come from Miami, said at a field hospital near the international airport: "We have a hundred patients who will die in the next day or two if we don't Medevac them." His colleague, Dr David Pitcher, pointed to five-year-old Betina Joseph suffering from tetanus lying on a cot with flies buzzing around her. "If we can't save her by getting her out right away, we won't save her".
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said: "There has been no policy decision to suspend evacuee flights. This situation arose because we started to run out of room."
Some evangelical relief workers have seized on reports which appear to show that voodoo's "real dark side" has begun to show itself. One prevalent belief, it is claimed, is that loup-garou have emerged from the torn earth to prey on humans. The word is French for werewolf, but it also applies to other animals which possess men and women and impel them to suck the blood of children.
According to the same reports night-time patrols have been organised in some neighbourhoods against the malignant spirits, and there have been reports of a lynching at a refugee camp, La Grotte. Michaelle Casseus, one of the camp residents, said " After the earthquake, the loup-garou fled from prison. He was boasting that he was in jail because he was caught eating children. During the night, he went into the tents and tried to take someone's child. He was killed."
The Independent could not find any loup-garou patrols in Port-au-Prince, and Haitian officials say the death at the refugee camp was the result of an attempted child snatching for trafficking rather than vampirism.
Anthony Pascal, a senior hungan in the capital Port-au-Prince, stressed " Voodoo is not about black magic. It is a combination of various religions including Christianity and it was started partly as a reaction to the brutality of slavery. It is not there to harm people, but to help and protect them.
"We have a lot of beliefs modern people should believe in. For example, we believe that trees have spirits which we should not harm otherwise we will all suffer. But then we had deforestation here and the ecology suffered."
Mr Pascal is better known as Kompe Filo, the host of a popular television show. He and his fellow priests, he claims, foresaw the earthquake. "We knew something big was going to happen six months ago and it would involve an upheaval."
God's anger with man was the cause of this upheaval, Mr Pascal insisted, a view echoed by Protestant and Catholic priests on the island. "People have turned away from spiritual values. They have become too obsessed with money. They are losing their humanity. That is why this happened. People realise that and that is why they are joining us more and more."
Exactly how many are joining, however, is open to conjecture. Among the hundreds gathered outside Mr Beauvoir's house waiting for the food distribution was 76-year-old Andy Jameau. "All the people around here are supposed to be Voodoo believers," he said. "But I would say around 40 per cent are not that and I am one of them. I would say I am Voodoo, Catholic or anything if it means I would get food for my family. I believe in any God who fills my stomach."
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US commanders concerned about Ramadan fighting
By LOLITA C. BALDOR - Associated Press | AP – 1 hour 0 minutes ago
RELATED CONTENT
Enlarge Photo
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen addresses troops Kandahar …
Enlarge Photo
U.S. Marine Cpl. Patrick Ducey, 21, of Garfield, N.J., with the 2nd Battalion 12th …
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has until mid-October to submit a plan for the initial withdrawal of American troops, decisions that may hinge in part on whether the latest surge in attacks continues through the holy month of Ramadan.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says commanders are hearing that Taliban leaders may leave their fighters in the country to try to regain lost ground during the Islamic holy period which begins Monday.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him in Afghanistan, Mullen said Marine Gen. John Allen, who has just taken over as top U.S. commander here, needs time to evaluate the combat, training and other requirements before presenting a detailed withdrawal plan.
Mullen's comments for the first time laid out a deadline for Allen to structure the planned withdrawal of 10,000 U.S. troops by the end of the year, as announced by President Barack Obama.
"The next month will be very telling," said Mullen, noting that often the Taliban leaders will travel back to Pakistan for Ramadan. It's unclear at this point what they will do, or if there will be any decline in the fighting.
A Western official said that while Taliban leaders have pushed for an increase in violence through Ramadan, information suggests there will be some spikes but that they don't have the ability to carry off a sustained surge. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said some leaders and fighters had already left Afghanistan to cross the border into Pakistan, but it is too soon to tell how many may stay.
Mullen, who arrived Friday in Afghanistan, met Saturday with commanders in southern Afghanistan. He was traveling in the east Sunday.
He said that so far commanders are saying they are seeing some signs of improved security, but his comments came amid a series of spectacular deadly attacks across the south, including a bombing Sunday outside the main gate of the police headquarters in the southern Afghan city of Lashkar Gah. The suicide bomber killed at least 11 people in a city where Afghans had only recently taken control of security.
That attack comes on the heels of bombings in the southern province of Uruzgan that killed at least 19 people, and the assassination of Kandahar's mayor.
The mayor was the third southern Afghan leader to be killed in the last three weeks.
There are nearly 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Under Obama's troop withdrawal plan, 10,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of the year, and another 23,000 by the end of next summer.
A key to the withdrawal is the ongoing effort to train Afghan forces so they can take control of their own security. Mullen said that while training remains a top priority, and commanders would like to accelerate it, it's not clear how possible that will be over the coming months.
For more updates, follow Yahoo! Singapore on Twitter and Facebook
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By LOLITA C. BALDOR - Associated Press | AP – 1 hour 0 minutes ago
RELATED CONTENT
Enlarge Photo
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen addresses troops Kandahar …
Enlarge Photo
U.S. Marine Cpl. Patrick Ducey, 21, of Garfield, N.J., with the 2nd Battalion 12th …
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has until mid-October to submit a plan for the initial withdrawal of American troops, decisions that may hinge in part on whether the latest surge in attacks continues through the holy month of Ramadan.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says commanders are hearing that Taliban leaders may leave their fighters in the country to try to regain lost ground during the Islamic holy period which begins Monday.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him in Afghanistan, Mullen said Marine Gen. John Allen, who has just taken over as top U.S. commander here, needs time to evaluate the combat, training and other requirements before presenting a detailed withdrawal plan.
Mullen's comments for the first time laid out a deadline for Allen to structure the planned withdrawal of 10,000 U.S. troops by the end of the year, as announced by President Barack Obama.
"The next month will be very telling," said Mullen, noting that often the Taliban leaders will travel back to Pakistan for Ramadan. It's unclear at this point what they will do, or if there will be any decline in the fighting.
A Western official said that while Taliban leaders have pushed for an increase in violence through Ramadan, information suggests there will be some spikes but that they don't have the ability to carry off a sustained surge. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said some leaders and fighters had already left Afghanistan to cross the border into Pakistan, but it is too soon to tell how many may stay.
Mullen, who arrived Friday in Afghanistan, met Saturday with commanders in southern Afghanistan. He was traveling in the east Sunday.
He said that so far commanders are saying they are seeing some signs of improved security, but his comments came amid a series of spectacular deadly attacks across the south, including a bombing Sunday outside the main gate of the police headquarters in the southern Afghan city of Lashkar Gah. The suicide bomber killed at least 11 people in a city where Afghans had only recently taken control of security.
That attack comes on the heels of bombings in the southern province of Uruzgan that killed at least 19 people, and the assassination of Kandahar's mayor.
The mayor was the third southern Afghan leader to be killed in the last three weeks.
There are nearly 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Under Obama's troop withdrawal plan, 10,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of the year, and another 23,000 by the end of next summer.
A key to the withdrawal is the ongoing effort to train Afghan forces so they can take control of their own security. Mullen said that while training remains a top priority, and commanders would like to accelerate it, it's not clear how possible that will be over the coming months.
For more updates, follow Yahoo! Singapore on Twitter and Facebook
EDITORS' PICKS1 - 4 of 4
US soldier held in new Texas base 'terror plot'
Singapore ousts Malaysia in WCup qualifier
Mother of murdered UK girl on hacking list - charity
Norway buries first victims as police question gunman
TODAY ON YAHOO!1 - 4 of 24
Married men most likely to stray at...
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Sun Yang breaks oldest world record in swimming AP - 8 minutes ago
Bomb kills 11 at police HQ in southern Afghanistan AP - 37 minutes ago
Japan PM criticizes nuclear safety agency AP - 41 minutes ago
More »
TOP STORIES
Thailand's 'lese majeste' laws under scrutiny AP - Fri, Jul 29, 2011
Philippines says militants beheaded 2 marines AP - Fri, Jul 29, 2011
Norway buries first victims as police question gunman AFP News - Sat, Jul 30, 2011
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Saturday, July 30, 2011
Jul 30, 2011
CHANGES TO MASS
S'pore Catholics to make switch early
Church to introduce some changes in September ahead of November launch
By Yen Feng
Brochures will be distributed to the congregation at Our Lady Star of the Sea (above) and other parishes in the coming months to prepare them for the missal changes. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
ROMAN Catholics in Singapore will be among the first in the world to embrace critical changes to the Mass. These will alter prayers recited by millions of English-speaking believers around the world.
The changes are contained in a new English translation of the Roman Missal, the book of texts and prayers used in the liturgy for more than 40 years.
English-speaking Catholic churches worldwide are expected to use the new text from Nov 27 - Advent Sunday or the first day of the Christian calendar.
Singapore's 185,000 Catholics, however, can expect changes to the Mass as early as in September. The first of a series of information sessions for priests and parishioners will begin today at the Church of St Teresa in Kampong Bahru.
Children will be taught the changes in Catechism classes from next week.
Archbishop Nicholas Chia said that this was to give Catholics here time to 'get used to some of the new texts'.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
zengyan@sph.com.sg
CHANGES TO MASS
S'pore Catholics to make switch early
Church to introduce some changes in September ahead of November launch
By Yen Feng
Brochures will be distributed to the congregation at Our Lady Star of the Sea (above) and other parishes in the coming months to prepare them for the missal changes. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
ROMAN Catholics in Singapore will be among the first in the world to embrace critical changes to the Mass. These will alter prayers recited by millions of English-speaking believers around the world.
The changes are contained in a new English translation of the Roman Missal, the book of texts and prayers used in the liturgy for more than 40 years.
English-speaking Catholic churches worldwide are expected to use the new text from Nov 27 - Advent Sunday or the first day of the Christian calendar.
Singapore's 185,000 Catholics, however, can expect changes to the Mass as early as in September. The first of a series of information sessions for priests and parishioners will begin today at the Church of St Teresa in Kampong Bahru.
Children will be taught the changes in Catechism classes from next week.
Archbishop Nicholas Chia said that this was to give Catholics here time to 'get used to some of the new texts'.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
zengyan@sph.com.sg
Jul 30, 2011
Quran is emphasis of this Ramadan
By Feng Zengkun
Muis, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, also wants more Muslims to focus on the Quran. -- BH PHOTO : MOHD KHALID BABA
RAMADAN may be going high tech with new smartphone applications and other online platforms to better engage followers here.
But Muis, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, also wants more Muslims to focus on the Quran, hence the decision to make it the theme of this year's festivities.
Muis president Mohammad Alami Musa said it had chosen the holy book to encourage younger Muslims to see it as a companion and source of knowledge.
'The lessons in the scripture can guide them in their daily lives,' said Mr Mohammad, who was speaking at an event on Saturday to launch the holy fasting month, which starts on Monday.
Other events over the 29-day fasting period will include a Quran recitation clinic and an exhibition roadshow to better acquaint Muslims here with the holy book.
More than 200 volunteers will also distribute packages that have mineral water, dates and Quran introductory materials to fellow Muslims around Singapore.
Quran is emphasis of this Ramadan
By Feng Zengkun
Muis, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, also wants more Muslims to focus on the Quran. -- BH PHOTO : MOHD KHALID BABA
RAMADAN may be going high tech with new smartphone applications and other online platforms to better engage followers here.
But Muis, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, also wants more Muslims to focus on the Quran, hence the decision to make it the theme of this year's festivities.
Muis president Mohammad Alami Musa said it had chosen the holy book to encourage younger Muslims to see it as a companion and source of knowledge.
'The lessons in the scripture can guide them in their daily lives,' said Mr Mohammad, who was speaking at an event on Saturday to launch the holy fasting month, which starts on Monday.
Other events over the 29-day fasting period will include a Quran recitation clinic and an exhibition roadshow to better acquaint Muslims here with the holy book.
More than 200 volunteers will also distribute packages that have mineral water, dates and Quran introductory materials to fellow Muslims around Singapore.
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