The accounts of Perpetua and Felicity have been passed down through the centuries to Christians living in 21st century Tunisia. Today, Christians living there can come together for worship; but many face loneliness and isolation. As a convert, they are no longer welcome by their families; they lose not only the family community, but the communal support it brings. Currently, there are about 1,500 Tunisian Christians, most with a Muslim background.
Student Tahira, 18, is one of these Tunisian Christians. She is fortunate because her sister and mother also became Christians. Tahira is very open about her faith, even speaking out about it on Facebook. “For me, Perpetua and Felicity are great examples,” Tahira reflects. Continue reading “Open Doors – Tunisian Christians on the Footsteps of Perpetua and Felicity”
Religious Dispatches has just published an excellent article on the Arab Spring and its political and religious implications, written by Haroon Moghul, a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a senior editor at the Islamic Monthly and a doctoral candidate at Columbia University. Here are some significant quotes (emphases mine).
* * *
…
In Morocco, recent elections have put forward an Islamist party with the same name as Turkey’s governing party—they are not connected, however—and the King has nominated an Islamist as Prime Minister as well. The Moroccan King saw the Arab spring arrived around him, and pushed reforms to preempt any uprising in his country.
In Tunisia, the Islamists won a plurality of the vote; now, the latest news from Egypt suggests that the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, as well as the primary Salafi party, al-Nour, are doing quite well. (Jadaliyya has a great and exhaustive round-up, with all the detail you ever wanted). There will be three rounds of voting for the lower house of the Egyptian Parliament, and these results so far only reflect the first round. There will be separate procedures for the upper house and for president. Continue reading “The Islamists vs. The Markets”
Freedom As an Accelerant « Connecting the Dots.
I would like to encourage you to read this short article on the uprising in the Arab world on Mary Perry’s blog.
Persona 