Religious divide in view of American culture

According to the recent Pew Global Attitudes Survey (PDF here), 71% of Lebanese respondents like American music, movies and TV. However, when broken down by religion and sect, it turns out that 87% of Lebanese Christians and 84% of Lebanese Sunni Muslims like American cultural exports, but only 37% of Lebanese Shi'ite Muslims do.

58% of Ethiopians like American cultural exports; 73% of Ethiopian Christians do, but only 36% of Ethiopian Muslims.

59% of Nigerians like American music, movies and TV; 82% of Nigerian Christians do, but only 38% of Nigerian Muslims.

54% of Malaysians like American cultural exports; 73% of Malaysian Buddhists do, but only 40% of Malaysian Muslims.

What is really interesting, apart from the religious distinctions within these countries, is the fact that many more Muslims seem to like American culture than the proportion that likes the country itself.

Star Academy winner unites Iraqis

Shada Hassoun, a 25-year old Iraqi woman of Iraqi and Moroccan parentage has sparked raucous celebrations in Iraq by winning the Star Academy Middle East TV show, one of the myriad imitators of the British show Pop Idol. Sunni and Shi'ite Iraqis were united in celebrating Hassoun's victory in the final stage of the competition, where she defeated participants from Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia (BBC).

If a pop-song competition on TV is enough to give Sunni and Shi'ite Iraqis a sense of unity, not much divides them. This response indicates to me that the majority of Iraqis are not keen on observing the sectarian differences that political groups and militias are reminding them of everyday. Let's hope the unity displayed by Hassoun's audience can be translated into other spheres of Iraqi life.

Pigs back in school play in England

A school in the English county of West Yorkshire was planning to perform a Roald Dahl story entitled "Little Red Riding Hood and the Pigs" at a children's concert. It was asked by the organisers to turn the pigs into puppies in order to avoid giving offense to Muslims. However, the council of the district of Kirklees has intervened, and the pigs are now back in the play. There have, in fact, been no complaints regarding the issue, from Muslims or otherwise (BBC).

It should be noted that pork is forbidden in Islam, but that does not mean a ban on mentioning pigs.

Morning radio, Christian style?

Or perhaps Christian radio, morning-radio style. In either case, a New Jersey radio station has launched a show that mixes the banter, news and traffic reports of traditional morning radio with lines from the Bible and Christian rock (Washington Post).