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Religious Intolerance in Belgium, Final Post  12 /4

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Religious Intolerance in Belgium, Final Post  12 /4

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Belgium is a lesser known Western European nation, but borders several prominent nations, including France. Belgium's official languages are French, German, and Dutch. The population of Belgium is 11.4 million, the capital city being Brussels. A prominent 58 percent of the population follows the religion of Roman Catholicism. Protestant christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity account for 7 percent of the population (Kwintessential). However, only 6 percent of Catholics in Belgium attend church regularly, pointing to the theme of decreased rigor in religious practices in Europe. the next largest affiliation following Christianity is agnostic and atheist beliefs, which are reported to be around 27 percent. 5 percent of Belgium citizens are Muslim, and 3 percent of citizens observe religions such as Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism (worldatlas). As recently as 1997, a government organization known as the Belgium Parliamentary Commission on Cults  published a report citing fears developing cults in the form of smaller, newer religions such as Buddhist groups and Evangelical christian sects. The Belgium population feared cults for their tendencies to produce radical followers adhering to extreme, often times dangerous beliefs and practices. It would appear that these groups were unfairly labeled by cults for simply not associating with the dominant religious of Catholicism and Protestantism (religioustolerance.org). Unfortunately, religious intolerance still exist in developed nations around the world, and should be alleviated by immediately by creating more inclusive communities.

Picture below: The cartoon is related to recent laws passed in Belgium concerning the slaughtering of animals. Some believe this law change is deceptively meant to practice bigotry against Jews and Muslims.

Sources:
https://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/guide-belgium-etiquette-customs-culture-business

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religion-in-contemporary-belgian-society.html

http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_belgi.htm

Picture: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/opinion/editorials/belgium-ban-animal-slaughter.html

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Archivos del Carmelo de LisieuxThérèse of Lisieux was a well known French Nun. She was born in Alençon, Orne, France on January 2nd, 1873. Her prominence was due to her practical approach to spirituality in regards to Roman Catholicism. She became a nun at the age of 15, quickly gaining popularity amongst other nuns in the convent. She soon became a very influential preacher, a rare feat for a woman at the time. She tragically dies at age 24, but her popularity lived on in part through her autobiography titled "Story of a Soul." Her fans adored her for her writings on love, and her emphasis on the importance of living a life of selflessness (TFP). Following her early death at the age of 24 due to tuberculosis related complications, Lisieux was designated by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as a Doctor of the Catholic Church. This title is given to Catholic Saints who contributed meaningful impacts to the Catholic church in the form of writing, preaching, and other acts. She is only one of three women in history to have been given this title, and was the youngest person to ever receive the title (Encyclopedia Brittanica). While alive, she earned the nickname of "The Little Flower of Jesus," for her kind demeanor and dedication to Jesus.

Sources:
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thrse-of-lisieux-10036.php

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Therese-of-Lisieux

Picture:
Archivos del Carmelo de Lisieux

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The presence and influence of the religion of Islam dominates both mainstream and independent news media regularly. This topic is relevant in the news today because of continued turbulence in the political realms of the middle east. War and terror has caused many habitants of the region to flee their homes, seeking refuge in westernized countries like Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada, the United States to name a few. A large majority of these refugees practice the religion known as Islam. Some experts in political fields have expressed their concern pertaining to refugees entering westernized nations. They feel that certain aspects of Islam are not compatible with western culture (BBVA). As a result, recent political rulings have caused the number of Muslim refugees in the United States to drop by about 1,800 in the first half of 2018 from the previous year (Pew Research Center).

In Canada, attitudes towards Islamic refugees in the ethos are less hostile, but the nation itself employs fairly strict immigration and refugee laws. Therefore, Canada does not have a very robust Islam population compared to their neighbors to the South. In 2011, there were only roughly 1,053,945 Muslims in all of Canada. This number accounted for 3.2 percent of the population. Although there are not many Muslim citizens, the number of Muslims has grown by about 900,000 from just 30 years ago (2011 National Household Survey).

Canadian Muslims are very diverse, as well as educated. Originating from South Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Sub Saharan Africa, 44 percent of Muslims in Canada between the ages of 25 and 64 have a university degree. The percentage of Canadians as a whole that have obtained a university degree is only 26 percent (iHistory). Although Muslim refugees are framed as a net negative for a country's fiscal strength, there is proof to suggest that Muslim refugees can be beneficial to a nation's well being overall.

Word Count: 324

Pictured below: A beautiful, elaborate Muslim mosque located in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

Sources:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/03/the-number-of-refugees-admitted-to-the-u-s-has-fallen-especially-among-muslims/

https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/muslims-in-europe-the-construction-of-a-problem/

https://web.archive.org/web/20110603225424/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/survey-enquete/household-menages/5178-eng.htm

http://www.ihistory.co/the-history-of-islam-in-canada-2/

Picture: https://www.bramptonguardian.com/whatson-story/9480431-thousands-of-muslims-to-pray-for-canada-at-brampton-s-biggest-mosque-on-canada-day/

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Culture and Religion in French Guiana, Post 9  11/5

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Culture and Religion in French Guiana, Post 9  11/5

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French Guiana, or in French, Guyane, is a small coastal nation lying in the Northeast corner of South America. It is classified as an overseas department of France, meaning it is a French controlled territory outside of metropolitan France. French Guiana is the only nation in the mainland Americas to hold allegiances with a European nation (United Nations). French Guiana has a population of roughly 296,711 citizens. Half of the population lives in the capital city of Cayenne, giving French Guiana a very low population Density . The people are known to be very friendly with foreigners, and actually adhere to French/Western cultural standards. Interestingly, a large indigenous population inhabits the interior of French Guiana. Members of this population are known to be some what hostile towards foreigners (Countries and Their Cultures).

Aligning with traditional Francophone culture, a majority of the inhabitants in French Guiana observe Roman Catholicism. Bastille Day, Labor Day, and other Roman Catholic holidays are celebrated in the country. Catholic rituals concerning life after death are followed closely, including a cycle of prayers and a traditional funeral with family after a death. However, because of this French influenced- territory's unique location, the religion in this culture has mixed with religions from all over the world. Many minority groups practice Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, as well as African based religions (Countries and Their Cultures).

Pictured below: The intricate interior of a Roman Catholic church in French Guiana.

Sources:
https://population.un.org/wpp/

https://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/French-Guiana.html

Picture:
https://www.best-country.com/en/south_america/guiana/religion

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As previously discussed in one of my previous post, Quebec is the prominent majority French speaking state on the eastern seaboard of Canada. Having a robust Christian population, certain cities in Quebec have embraced the Christmas spirit, especially Quebec City, which lies in the southeastern part of the state. Several news networks in the United States have deemed Quebec City to be one of the best destinations for the world for Christmas festivities. CNN ranked Quebec City number 8 on their list, saying "A haven for environmentally friendly, outdoor enthusiast, Quebec bustles with winter activity, offering holiday programs for all tastes." (CNN Travel). At the end of every November, a neighborhood in Quebec City known as Old Quebec, embodies old Christmas traditions by adding lights and decorations to the already rustic looking architecture of the neighborhood. This transformation has garnered comparisons to the Christmas Village from the famous Charles Dickens Novel, A Christmas Carol. Also available, is the European style Christmas market. Like other traditional European markets, this market in Quebec City is open air and sports over 80 small kiosk that offer good ranging from jewelry to baked goods. Although the traditions of the town revolve around Christian traditions in Germany, the presence of French influence in the state of Quebec creates a unique cultural experience in Quebec City around Christmas time, which draws eager travelers from all over the state and Canada.

The picture below shows the beautiful Christmas market in Quebec City.
Sources:
https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do/activities-attractions/ideas/holiday-season/

http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/christmas-destinations-2015/index.html

Picture:
https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do/activities-attractions/ideas/holiday-season/

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Switzerland is a small nation in Western Europe bordering France to the West, Germany to the North, Austria to the East, and Italy to the south making this country somewhat of a melting pot from a cultural standpoint. The four official languages of Switzerland are German, Italian, Romansh, and French, making Switzerland part of the Francophone world (Official Swiss National Languages). Religiously, Switzerland is not very diverse, with their religious demographics aligning with most of Western Europe. 38.2 percent of the Swiss population is Catholic, while 26.9 percent practice mainstream Protestantism. In part because Switzerland is fairly close to Turkey and the Balkans, 4.9 percent of citizens from Switzerland are Muslims. Only .3 percent of people practice Judaism. An interesting statistic shows that 21.4 percent of Switzerland has no religious affiliation. That is over 1 and 5 people. In 1970, only 1.2 percent had no religious affiliation, so this number has grown dramatically in the last 50 years (All religious statistics from Discover Switzerland). A point of emphasis in Switzerland is the freedom of religion. This concept is written in Federal Constitution of Switzerland, acting as a fundamental right (Discover Switzerland). Pope Francis, head of the Catholic church and Vatican City state, is protected by a protection unit known as the Swiss guard (The Roman Curia). This shows the how certain outdated religious traditions have been maintained in Switzerland, and the region as a whole.
(Bottom picture shows the extravagant dress and archaic weaponry of the Swiss guard.)
Sources:
http://official-swiss-national-languages.all-about-switzerland.info/swiss-german-dialects.html

https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/gesellschaft/religionen/religionen---fakten-und-zahlen.html

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/index.htm

Picture: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/01/24/popes-swiss-guard/

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The existence of Judaism in Christian-dominant Europe has always provided for interesting occurrences and legislations in European societies. France currently hold the largest Jewish population in all of Western Europe. There are between 500,000 and 600,000 French citizens who practice the faith (Harvard Divinity School). Arab Jews or Sephardic Jews are Jewish people from Algeria and North Africa, are very prevalent in French Jewish communities. This is the result of the massive immigration to France in the last decade. Despite Judaism composing a significant majority of religion in France, the nation has come into question regarding the general attitudes towards Jewish people and their beliefs in France. Despite some parts of Paris cultivating vibrant Jewish communities complete with synagogues and Kosher grocery stores, many Jewish citizens feel growing pressure and loathe for Judaism stemming from the increasing presence of Muslims in Paris and the country as a whole. In 2018, A Jewish resident of France brought to light reasons she moved away from her original home in a Parisian suburb. Joanna Galilli said "anti-Semitism is pretty high [in her old neighborhood close to Paris]. And you feel it enormously." She also mentioned how her religious expression in public involved wearing the Star of David on a necklace, was met with people spitting at her feet (New York Times). Although Judaism and Islam have been at odds for years, the French parliament must continue efforts to peacefully integrate opposing religions into nearby communities.

Sources:
https://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-france

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/world/europe/france-new-anti-semitism.html

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Religion in the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Civil War, Post 5  10/9 

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Religion in the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Civil War, Post 5  10/9 

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The Ivory Coast, or Côte d'Ivoire in French, is a small nation sitting on the bend of the West coast of Africa. The Ivory Coast is a former colony of France, and still exhibits certain French customs including culture, food, and religion. The religious demographics of the Ivory Coast is important for implications of conflict. The nation has a large number of Christians, and a large number of Muslims. Most Francophone nations contain a large number of Christians and a minute number of Muslims. Protestant and other non-Catholic forms of Christianity make up 26 percent of the population while Catholicism accounts for roughly 19 percent. A whopping 40 percent of Ivory Coast citizens are Muslims. 8 percent practice traditional African religions. These traditional African religions differ from region to region in the Ivory Coast, but all of them revolve around a supreme being, and ancestral spirits. Buddhism and and Sikhism account for 3 percent, and 2 percent of the population does not practice any established religion (All stats from worldatlas). The two Reigning religions of Islam and Christianity have led to intense conflict in the past. The First Ivorian Civil War began in 2002 when rebel forces representing northern Muslims felt that the politically dominant Christians in Southern Ivory Coast had discriminated against them. This event even caused France to send their troops to the Ivory Coast to act as peacekeepers. (UnitedExplanations). The Ivory Coast is a secular state, and the constitution emphasizes freedom of religion in the country, but clearly certain political figures in the Ivory Coast have undermined this policy, showing the importance religion plays in the structure of a nation.

Picture below shows an intricate, grand Christian Basilica in the Ivory Coast.

Sources:

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-ivory-coast.html

http://www.unitedexplanations.org/2011/04/04/international-response-to-the-current-situation-in-cote-divoire-and-the-origins-of-the-conflict/

Picture: https://www.studycountry.com/guide/CI-religion.htm

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Religion in Quebec and Bill 21, Post 4  10/2

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Religion in Quebec and Bill 21, Post 4  10/2

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Quebec is the massive French speaking state of Canada that composes a large portion of the Canadian eastern front. Quebec sits directly above the US states of Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania, and has a population of roughly 8.9 million. (World Population Review). Although Canadiens sport a reputation of being excessively kind, Quebec has seen it fair share of religious strife and prejudice in recent years. First of all, at Quebec's inception a majority of the population practiced Roman Catholicism, and the same remains true today. The capital city of Quebec, Montreal (population: 1,704,694), is 65.8 percent Catholic. The city's Muslim population is 9.6 percent, followed by Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism all of which hover around 2 percent (Canada Population). Freedom of religious expression was put in peril on March 28, 2018, when the controversial Bill 21 was passed by the CAQ government. Similar to the 2004 bill passed in France, Bill 21 banned all public workers in position of authority from wearing religious symbols while they are on duty (CBC News). This ban extends to government employees and politicians as well. Examples of religious symbols include a Muslim hijab, Jewish kippah, and the Sikh turban amongst other religious symbols (Montreal Gazette). The passing of this bill was preceded by many unfortunate events and examples of religious suppression. Following the 2001 terrorist attacks, Muslims in Quebec became victims to suspicious glares and scrutiny from the community. Many Muslim men and women started to avoid confrontations by staying indoors. Then in 2003, Quebec published census figures on religious affiliations in the state. The data revealed that the Muslim population in Quebec had became the largest non Christian religion, and grew 140 percent over the last decade in Quebec. Drawing close comparisons to the 2004 French bill and the 2015 French face cover ban, it could be argued that Bill 21 aimed to discriminate against the Muslim community more than other religions due to the strict practice of Muslim women covering up their body in public, and wearing a hijab on their face. These pieces of clothing would be classified as religious symbols, and would be banned in the realm of public work under Bill 21.

Above, protestors express concerns over Bill 21.

Sources:

http://worldpopulationreview.com/canadian-provinces/quebec-population/

https://canadapopulation.org/montreal-population/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-laicity-secularism-bill-1.5075547

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/since-quebecs-early-days-religion-has-been-a-burning-issue

Picture:
https://www.bnaibrith.ca/caq_religious_symbols_ban_an_assault_on_fundamental_freedoms

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Religion in French-Speaking Haiti, Post 3  9/25

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Religion in French-Speaking Haiti, Post 3  9/25

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The Caribbean nation of Haiti, which shares half an island with the Dominican Republic, caters to an extremely diverse religious demographic. Once colonized by the Spanish and then the French, about 80 percent of the citizens of Haiti practice Catholicism (World Atlas). The aspects of religious practices in Haiti that are unique compared to other islands once settled by European nations is the strong presence of West African religions that exist in Haitian culture. Many have deemed these religions to be very unorthodox, probably due to the fact that some of these religions counter traditional monotheistic religious concepts. Included in the West African religions is Voodooism. The prevalence of Voodooism in Haiti has been a source of controversy. Practices of this religion revolve around which craft, and sorcery, which seem to be at odds with traditional Catholicism. The two religions have even mixed over the years, creating household who would practice both. The name of this newly formed tradition is called "Catholic -Voodoo Syncretism". The official religion of Haiti was Catholicism until 1986. Religious liberties are strong in Haiti, and religious groups are typically not marginalized. The removal of a official religion in Haiti has allowed for other religions to flourish such asProtestant Christianity (16 percent of population), and Islam (.004 percent of population). There are no records of Judaism existing o the island of Haiti. The religion demographics of Haiti were very interesting to me because the diversity of religion has not led to much conflict or violence, but rather a coexistence which in turn has created a unique and interesting culture.

Sources:
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-haiti.html

http://countrystudies.us/haiti/33.htm

https://www.indexmundi.com/haiti/religions.html

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French Religious Demographics, and Religious Strife , Post 2  9/18

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French Religious Demographics, and Religious Strife , Post 2  9/18

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Although France's long history of religion revolves mostly around the conflicts amongst different forms of Christianity, today France's population displays diversity in religions practiced by the French people. 63 percent of the roughly 65 million French citizens identify as Christians. Surprisingly, the second highest proportion of people claim they are unaffiliated with any religion. This number is 28 percent. Unaffiliated refers to atheist, agnostics, people who ignore religion in general, etc. Muslims make up 7.5 percent of the population, and every other religion, including Judaism and Buddhism make up less than one percent. The rapidly changing religious demographics in France has been anything but peaceful. The rise of Muslim migrants grew dramatically between the years 2010 and 2016. France received over 500,000 Muslim migrants, a majority of whom were not seeking asylum, but rather were normal migrants. In the year 2050, under medium migration scenarios, France is expected to sport a Muslim population of 12,630,000, the second highest number of Muslims in Europe only behind the United Kingdom. This transition has not been smooth, especially with the 2004 French law banning the expression of religious symbols in public, which greatly hindered the ability of Muslim women to practice Islam. To further fringe on individual rights, in 2010, French parliament also passed a law banning the covering of one's face in public, putting the religious practice of wearing a burqa at further risk. As troubling as this sounds, the French government struggled to convey condolences towards another religious group in 2015 Following the 2015 terrorist attacks committed by Islamic extremist, Israeli Prime Minister made the invitation for Jewish people (for whom Muslim extremist held particular disdain for) to move back to Israel. These comments were seen as a suggestion that France was no longer safe for Jewish people, or any minority religion for that matter. In the near future, public interest will lie in the attitudes of the French government towards the religious demographics of the French people. Will the government cultivate a more inclusive environment for all religions in the future?

Sources:
https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/articles/1771/the-israelization-of-judaism-and-the-jews-of-france/

https://www.thelocal.fr/20171201/how-frances-muslim-population-will-grow-in-the-future

http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/france#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016

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1. To me, social justice is the search for political, economic, and cultural freedom for everyone, especially members of social groups that have routinely been oppressed by society in the past.

2. I am interested in the two very different topics. First, the phenomenon of France banning the covering of one's face with cloths or clothing is of interest to me. I would like to explore this  topic and examine the impact on Muslim women, as they traditionally cover their faces when in public. Secondly, I would like to study lasting impacts of racial inequality stemming from the colonial days in African nations that were once part of the French empire. I know debate in the United States has increased recently around the topic of whether slavery reparations should be implemented. I want to learn whether or not this dialogue or action exist in West African nations that used to be part of the French empire like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Sudan, and more.

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French Ban on Face Covering, Implications for Muslim Women, Post 1  9/11

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French Ban on Face Covering, Implications for Muslim Women, Post 1  9/11

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On September 14, 2010, the French Parliament made an intriguing decision. A national law was passed titled "Loi interdisant la dissimulation du visage dans l'espace public," or "Act prohibiting concealment of the face in public space." Initial thought about the ban displays a harmless narrative. Banning the covering of the face will protect the general public. After all, whenever someone is covering their face in public, they must be attempting to hide their identities to commit crimes and not be apprehended, correct?  Unfortunately, a rapidly growing population in France will have their individual freedoms encroached on. This group is Islamic women, who traditionally must cover all body parts except for the face, covering the head with traditional head wear known as a bur qua. This decision by the French parliament drove dialogue throughout the country about nationalism, immigration, secularism, sexism, individual rights, and many other essential topics concerning demographics. The French Parliament defended their decision by claiming that covering of the face prevents the clear identification of a person, which could allow them to commit dangerous crimes. Interestingly, supporters of the ban in France did not shy away from nationalistic arguments. Many French citizens stated their desire for immigrants, especially Muslims, to conform to French society. They think the traditional attire of a Muslim woman is abusive, and sexist. Individuals against the ban make the argument that this decision strongly infringes on individual, and is an attempt to marginalize Islamic communities within France.

Sources:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/14/france.burqa.ban/?hpt=T1

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1312016/Frances-Senate-bans-women-wearing-burka-public.html

https://www.thejournal.ie/france-face-veil-ban-to-take-effect-next-month-2011-03/