Word: islam
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Divorced. By Achmed Sukarno, 65, recently ousted President of Indonesia; Haryati Sumantri, 27, one of his four official wives allowed by Islamic law; on grounds of disinterest (as is permitted in Islam, he simply wrote her a note telling her she was out); after four years of marriage, no children; in Djakarta. Simultaneously, Sukarno announced his secret marriage, probably three years ago, to Yurike Sanger, 21, from northern Celebes, whom he met when she was chosen to entertain at a state function...
Sharing Poverty. The festival's curious blend of saintliness and savagery, paganism and piety, is typical of the ancient, isolated Ethiopian Church, which has managed to keep Christianity alive in its corner of Africa for more than 1,500 years, despite the aggressive proselytizing of Islam. Most of its priests are uneducated and cannot understand the words of their exhausting liturgies, which are celebrated in a long-dead language called Geez. Although monks and nuns are bound to celibacy, the rule has frequently been ignored. The clergy share the poverty of the people, even though the church itself...
...same time that Roman Catholic canon lawyers were putting together their reform proposals, another group of ecclesiastical legal experts-the ulema (scholars) of Islam-was meeting in Cairo to update the Sharia, or code of spiritual rules, which governs their own ancient faith. Since the Sharia is based exclusively upon Mohammed's words in the Koran and the equally authoritative oral tradition of his deeds and sayings, the ulema had a tougher task adapting its provisions to fit the changes in modern life...
...were Zoroastrians, and many scholars believe that echoes of Zoroastrian theology can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Revived by the Sassanid dynasty during the 3rd century A.D., Zoroastrianism died out once again when Persia was conquered by the Moslem caliphs 400 years later. Rather than submit to Islam, the ancestors of today's Parsis took refuge in India during the 8th century; to this day, the sect's name bespeaks its Persian origin...
Fire & Urine. How accurately the Parsis reflect Zoroaster's own teachings is a matter of much scholarly debate. Many of their religious customs-such as abstention from both beef and pork -appear to have been borrowed from Islam or Hinduism. But in their temples, which nonbelievers are forbidden to enter, the Parsis still worship fire, which was Zoroaster's chosen symbol of divine power. At their marriage feasts, wedded couples ceremoniously sip bull's urine because it allegedly purifies both body and soul...