Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation involving rituals and acts of worship that every Muslim must fulfil if they have the money and are physically able to do it. Hajj Ministry spokesperson Ghassan Al-Nuwaimi provided an approximate number for foreigners at this year’s pilgrimage. He did not say how many domestic pilgrims were taking part. Last year, there were 1,611,310 pilgrims from outside the country. (Anwer, AP News)
Read MoreJapan has recently banned what is known as "shiny" or "glittery" names, which are names with unusual pronunciations, according to The Guardian. These names could include anything from Pikachu to Nike, according to CNN. But Japan isn't the only country to have banned baby names. The United States is more relaxed on naming protocol than other countries, but there are still some rules. (Gomez & Cross, USA Today)
Read MoreOn this small island in rural Nagasaki, Japan’s Hidden Christians gather to worship what they call the Closet God. In a special room about the size of a tatami mat is a scroll painting of a kimono-clad Asian woman. She looks like a Buddhist Bodhisattva holding a baby, but for the faithful, this is a concealed version of Mary and the baby Jesus. Another scroll shows a man wearing a kimono covered with camellias, an allusion to John the Baptist’s beheading and martyrdom. (Klug, Yamaguchi & Ono, AP News)
Read MoreThe hajj, one of the largest annual human gatherings in the world, begins on Wednesday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Amid rising temperatures and logistical challenges, the pilgrimage has increasingly become a test of endurance both for pilgrims and the Saudi government. Millions of Muslims from around the world travel to the city to take part; Saudi Arabia said 1,475,230 pilgrims from abroad have arrived since Sunday. (Naar, The New York Times)
Read More“Many of those leaving the pastorate feel they are moving at God’s direction to another role of ministry. However, it’s easy for those outside and those inside the church to fixate on those who leave because of conflict, burnout or moral failure. Speculation always overstates these cases, yet these are the outcomes churches can seek to prevent.” (Earls, Christianity Today)
Read More[Rachel] Accurso is a children’s YouTuber and host of a show called Songs for Littles. She’s both integral to the Netflix business plan and a lightning rod for the culture wars – one suspected by the pro-Israel group StopAntisemitism to be operating as a pro-Hamas foreign agent (a claim she vehemently denies). But watching a Ms Rachel video, you wouldn’t immediately pick that up. (Armstrong, The Telegraph)
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