Word: secte
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...monks’ attire was noteworthy for its many changes during the performance: A variety of shawls were put on and taken off, and the crested yellow hats of the special Galug-pa sect were donned, then doffed with the changing of the chants. These transitions were an expression of the deeply ritualistic nature of the rites, and a constant reminder of the fact that the performance was not a concert so much as the active practice of an extremely sacred and increasingly esoteric religious tradition...
...regime engaged in ferocious repression of Shi'a, Iraqis migrated throughout the area looking for work and safety. In this environment, migrants from the city of Hilla bought the land near Najaf and built a miniature community complete with bakery and infirmary. It also included a school where the sect taught its beliefs. The arrival of this new group raised few eyebrows. It's not unusual in rural areas of Iraq for extended families to buy property and then bring their more distant relatives to live in the area. Even as battle drew near sect members were waved through local...
...that the battle is over and Yamani is dead, the Iraqi government is claiming that unspeakable and impious things went on in the compound, though it is difficult to untangle reality from stories designed to make the defeated sect look bad. The government now says that it found a pool underneath a large tent where sect members engaged in orgies - in the apparent belief that immoral behavior would hasten the advent of the Mahdi...
...settlers like him were driven by a collective Zionism akin to socialism. "Our motivation wasn't religious," says the elder Harel. But younger settlers, like his son, seek more "divine reasons" for spreading into the Palestinian lands. "This transition into religious nationalism is unfortunate. It makes us into a sect," the elder Harel says. "And it doesn't represent what the majority of Israelis think...
...Among those rooting for Chen was Gao Zhisheng, a feisty lawyer who has represented underground Christians and members of the banned Falun Gong sect. Gao wore a "Free Chen Guangcheng" T shirt and spoke openly of his contempt for what he called "the gangster Communist Party" (even though he's a member). This fall, he was arrested on charges of inciting subversion. Arrests like these have sparked debate among lawyers about tactics. Teng Biao, a lecturer at the China University of Political Science and Law, says Gao's willingness to push the envelope has widened the space "for other more...