Religion

Sámi shaman drums and why owning one could get you killed

For centuries, the Sámi shaman drum was one of the most powerful sacred objects in northern Europe, and one of the most feared by church and state. If ISIS looks bad to us today for its religious fundamentalism, Christians were just as fervent. 

Adamah in Los Angeles wants to make Jewish climate action local, practical and spiritual

At a time when climate anxiety can feel abstract and overwhelming, and being Jewish something people may need to hide in big cities, Adamah Los Angeles is trying something different: turning Jewish values into local climate action with dirt-under-the-fingernails practicality.

Jewish Vegans invite global community to “Compassionate Passover” event

As Passover approaches, a global online gathering is inviting people to explore the holiday’s ancient story of liberation through a modern lens of compassion,...

Haman’s Fingers, A Moroccan Purim Specialty

There’s feasting at home on the night and the next day, and to make sure everyone gets good things to eat, families send out packages of treats to friends and neighbors. Traditional goodies are hamentaschen, and other treats like our chocolate nut clusters .

Jujube, the sidr tree of medicine and magic

A magic holy sidr bath to deflect the evil eye? It needs 7 powdered sidr leaves stirred into a bucket of warm water. The hadith of the Prophet Muhammad allows to repeat healing prayers and verses from the Koran to increase the water’s potency. 5 grams, or 1 tablespoon of sidr powder equals 7 leaves.

We saw peace – an interreligious encounter deep in our eyes

They came from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt… There are Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, Jews (Orthodox and Reform), Orthodox Christians, Coptic Christians, Protestant Christians, Druze, Baha'is, a Scientologist.

Isra and Mi’raj Festival and the Night Journey to Jerusalem that shaped Islam

The Muslim prophet Muhammad never traveled to the city of Jerusalem in his lifetime. Yet his dream is celebrated as a spiritual transformation. The Isra and Mi‘raj story describes a spiritual or visionary experience, not a recorded historical journey. Even early Islamic scholars debated whether the event was physical or symbolic. Yet today, Muslims around the world are marking Isra and Mi‘raj as a living spiritual tradition filled with prayer, storytelling, and community rituals around the world.

Zoroastrianism from Iran is the world’s first eco-religion

When Zarathustra started preaching around 1200 BCE in ancient Persia, which is known today as Iran, he wasn't just founding a religion—he was creating the world's first environmental protection movement. Good thoughts, good words, good deeds. But there was a mantra and words to live by: don't pollute the earth, water, or fire. Ever.

What is the Jewish Climate Trust?

Jewish Climate Trust has quickly attracted the attention and support of some of the most influential voices in Jewish philanthropy, drawing backing from prominent family foundations and business leaders connected to the Bronfman and Schusterman philanthropic networks, alongside climate-focused investors and community builders aligned with founding leader Nigel Savage. Together, these donors have committed many millions of dollars to build a serious, long-term climate platform for the Jewish world — not as a symbolic gesture, but as a strategic intervention in one of the defining challenges of this generation.

Female Genital Mutilation still happens — quietly, at home, and across borders in Canada

A service provider explains that women may choose midwives from within their community to keep their status private. Another line cuts to the core: “There’s a lack of understanding… especially psychologically.”

Rent a living Christmas tree in California

You can go to a site or go online, order the tree and pick it up or if if possible have it delivered. A live tree doesn't shed needles after a few weeks and it's obviously the ecological choice to cutting down millions of 7 to 15 year old trees every year.

The strange pilgrimage site of penis headstones in Iran

In places where the discussion of sexuality is either taboo or severely restricted, eco-erotic art - whether man made and intended to arouse the senses or created by the forces of nature - offers a modern day outlet for viewers to explore their sexual natures in the safer context of admiring historical relics.

The Pope visits Lebanon and the site of the deadly Beirut blast

“Lebanon, stand up,” he added. “Be a home of justice and fraternity! Be a prophetic sign of peace for the whole of the Levant!”

Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh dies at 84

As Saudi Arabia accelerates its transformation, the passing of its top cleric who memorized the Qu'ran at age 10 underscores the changing face of religious authority and perhaps tolerance in a kingdom increasingly defined by megaprojects, oil wealth, and the House of Saud’s push to rebrand itself for a post-oil world. 

Inside the Kaaba: Islam’s Hidden Heart

We've all heard about Mecca, but what does it look like inside the black cube that Muslim pilgrims walk around? We take a peek inside.

Hot this week

Art from Oman at the Venice Biennale

Oman is returning to the Venice Biennale with Zīnah, an immersive installation by artist and curator Haitham Al Busafi that transforms a traditional form of horse adornment into a large-scale sensory experience.

Korean researchers create battery from greenhouse gases

Professor Ji-Soo Jang, in collaboration with Professor Taekwang Yoon of Ajou University and Professor Hansel Kim of Chungbuk National University, has developed a novel energy device that generates electricity during the process of capturing greenhouse gases.

SunZia comes online and America’s 11B, and largest renewable project begins wind power

The impact is already being felt. California has broken its wind generation record multiple times in recent weeks as SunZia begins feeding electricity into the grid. It’s a glimpse of what a renewable-powered future could look like when large-scale infrastructure finally comes online. Can we start saying goodbye to Saudi Aramco and Arabian Gulf oil? 

Married People Have Lower Cancer Risk, But the Reason is Complex

According to the research, cancer risk was 68% higher in never-married men and 85% higher in never-married women.

40 more migratory animals need protecting, warns UN group

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), governments agreed to extend protection to 40 more migratory species, from cheetahs and striped hyenas to snowy owls, giant otters, and great hammerhead sharks. Too many of them are slipping toward extinction .

Topics

Art from Oman at the Venice Biennale

Oman is returning to the Venice Biennale with Zīnah, an immersive installation by artist and curator Haitham Al Busafi that transforms a traditional form of horse adornment into a large-scale sensory experience.

Korean researchers create battery from greenhouse gases

Professor Ji-Soo Jang, in collaboration with Professor Taekwang Yoon of Ajou University and Professor Hansel Kim of Chungbuk National University, has developed a novel energy device that generates electricity during the process of capturing greenhouse gases.

SunZia comes online and America’s 11B, and largest renewable project begins wind power

The impact is already being felt. California has broken its wind generation record multiple times in recent weeks as SunZia begins feeding electricity into the grid. It’s a glimpse of what a renewable-powered future could look like when large-scale infrastructure finally comes online. Can we start saying goodbye to Saudi Aramco and Arabian Gulf oil? 

Married People Have Lower Cancer Risk, But the Reason is Complex

According to the research, cancer risk was 68% higher in never-married men and 85% higher in never-married women.

40 more migratory animals need protecting, warns UN group

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), governments agreed to extend protection to 40 more migratory species, from cheetahs and striped hyenas to snowy owls, giant otters, and great hammerhead sharks. Too many of them are slipping toward extinction .

When peace returns, will we rediscover Saudi Arabia’s mud-brick soul?

When the region settles after the American war with Iran, and it will, American and European travelers will come back. Not just for spectacle or headline projects, but for places that feel real. Places that haven’t been engineered to impress and which get into your soul. We predict that visitors to Saudi Arabia will want to see places like Rijal Alma.When the region settles after the American war with Iran, and it will, American and European travelers will come back. Not just for spectacle or headline projects, but for places that feel real. Places that haven’t been engineered to impress and which get into your soul. We predict that visitors to Saudi Arabia will want to see places like Rijal Alma.

A baking soda trick could help clean “forever chemicals” from our water

“Forever chemicals” like the ones ejected by Lulelemon yoga pants into strategic areas don’t go away. They don’t break down in nature, and once they’re in water, soil, or our bodies, they tend to stick around. But scientists at Florida International University think they’ve found a smarter way to deal with them, and it uses something as simple as pH.

Koh Phangan’s angels for the dogs and the cats

Koh Phangan may be known for yoga, detox retreats, and full moon parties, but beyond the curated paradise lies a different reality—one of injured stray animals and the quiet work of rescue. This story explores PACS (Phangan Animal Care for Strays), a grassroots animal shelter tackling overpopulation, disease, and neglect on the island. Through firsthand experience with teens, it reveals how meaningful travel, volunteerism, and compassion offer a deeper kind of healing—far from the Instagram version of paradise.
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