Transitions Online
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In focus this month: "Politicking on Hallowed Ground." TOL's correspondents
across the region look at how religion has proven to be a powerful tool to
mobilize the public for ends that are occasionally far from divine.
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So Much for Brotherly Love
by Veseljko Koprivica
http://www.tol.cz/nov99/somuch.html
Montenegrins of all religious persuasion are rallying behind the
Montenegrin Orthodox Church (CPC), annexed to the Serbian Orthodox Church
(SPC) in 1920. At issue is the CPC's legitimacy as well as some 600
monasteries and churches it claims as rightfully its own. But though
Montenegrins worldwide are championing the CPC as a symbol of national
pride, Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic is pointedly steering clear of
the fray.
The Lure of Fundamentalism
by Birgit Brauer
http://www.tol.cz/nov99/funda.html
Kyrgyzstan was shaken by the taking of hostages in August by a group of
self-proclaimed "fundamentalists." But fundamentalism has become a
catch-all term, exploited by both governments and rebels to inspire fear
among the masses. Plagued by economic hardship and fearing an uncertain
future, Central Asians are turning to Islam -- some as an attempt to return
to their roots, but many more as a way of filling a spiritual vacuum.
When Church and State Collide
by Felix Corley
http://www.tol.cz/nov99/whench.html
The same day of the shootings in the Armenian parliament, holy myrrh was
being poured over the head of the new Catholicos -- the religious head of
Armenians worldwide. The run-up to Karekin II's election had been fraught
with accusations of government meddling and pressure. Bishops who claimed
that politicians rigged the election had threatened to boycott the
ceremony. Though the assassinations overshadowed the controversy, relations
between church and state will never be the same.
Let My People Go
by Felix Corley
http://www.tol.cz/nov99/funda.html
Uzbekistan has come under fire in the past decade for its cruel treatment
of religious minorities. But the Uzbek government was awfully eager to
broadcast the release of five religious prisoners -- all Christians -- to
the West. While international humanitarian organizations were busy clapping
themselves on the back, thousands of Muslims still languish in Uzbek
prisons.
The Hit Parade
by Agnes Csonka
http://www.tol.cz/nov99/hitparade.html
What do hellfire, speaking in tongues, eternal salvation, and the Alliance
of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), an opposition liberal party in Hungary, have in
common? The dynamic Christian movement Hit, which has provoked controversy
since its founding in the 80s. Some claim that -- in addition to
brainwashing members and extorting money -- Hit leaders are way too close
for comfort to the SZDSZ.
And check out our new Week in Review section (http://www.tol.cz/week.html),
where TOL correspondents throughout the region give a run-down of the
week's top stories. From the Ukrainian presidential election results to
Belarusians grudgingly celebrating the Bolshevik revolution to Bulgaria's
alarmingly shrinking population.
Opinion pieces on how a change in political power in Moldova only means new
ways to steal, plus why the killings in the Armenian parliament could unify
the country ... "In Their Own Words" excerpts include an interview with
former Slovak Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar where he proclaims his
government delivered "absolute freedom," and a plea from Belarusian workers
to beatify
President Alyaksandar Lukashenka ... and media stories on Estonia's booming
IT industry and Bulgaria's secret taping scandal.
Using a network of local correspondents in Central and Eastern Europe, the
Balkans, and the former Soviet Union, Transitions Online publishes a
monthly selection of articles focusing on a particular theme with a broad
regional impact. We also regularly post opinion pieces, media articles,
book reviews, and other feature stories.
So please visit our site, subscribe, and become part of a dynamic new media
project dedicated to building independent journalism in Central and Eastern
Europe, the Balkans, and the former Soviet Union. And be sure to also visit
our partner sides:
Central Europe Review (http://www.ce-review.org), the weekly Internet
journal of Central and East European politics, society, and culture
and
Index on Censorship, the international journal for free expression. It's
ten years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the world is a very
different place. On a journey through Germany, Russia, Yugoslavia,
Afghanistan, the Middle East, India, Africa, China and the U.S., Index
asks: "What price democracy?" Find the answers at Index's web site:
(http://www.indexoncensorship.org).
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