Religion and politics

Two stories highlighting the tensions where religious sensibilities and politics clash

(1) Via GoogleNews - report from Associated Press on Israel's opening up of the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus on the River Jordan to visitors on a daily basis - a scheme which is opposed by both the Jordanians and the Palestinians

(2) Report from Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper (online) on demands by Turkey's Syriac Christian community to be able to use traditional Syriac surnames (a law of 1934 had banned the use of "foreign" surnames in Turkey)

David and Solomon: Biblical archaeology vs. land rights and politics

Article from the latest issue of National Geographic (cover date December 2010) looking at the historical and  political controversy that has arisen from the excavation a Bronze Age settlement in Jerusalem, including what is claimed by some to be the palace of King David

Religion, the state and historical artifacts

Article by journalist Sabria Jawhar in the Huffington Post on state policy towards the preservation and display of pre-Islamic (and particularly religious) antiquities in Saudi Arabia