Global Scans · Religion · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Huge growth is expected over the next several decades as the world's Muslim population grows faster than every other major religious demographic, and as urbanization and rising incomes in developing countries with large Muslim populations mean more will be buying, rather than producing their own food.

• [New] Religious and cultural issues could limit meat consumption in some countries such as Ghana and India. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] As the semiotician Roland Barthes might observe, religious identity becomes a complex system of signs (dress, ritual, language) whose primary function is to signal difference. Medium
• [New] The crisis, triggered by attacks from Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, has crippled transport and threatens to further weaken Mali's fragile economy. OkayAfrica
• [New] Removing Netanyahu from power might well help bring an end to the unfolding disaster in Gaza and could even cause the religious right to relinquish its grip on Israeli politics. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• As investigators sift evidence and police maintain protective patrols, Jewish institutions across Britain are expected to tighten security further ahead of upcoming religious gatherings. Insurance Business
• Christian presence in Sudan, already fragile after years of persecution, risks near-total erasure in contested zones. The Rio Times
• A hardening fundamentalism within AA threatens to close the door on agnostics and atheists, or anyone wanting to gain sobriety without having to endure religious instruction. AA Agnostica
• GDP growth is being supported by the revised Vision 2030's tourism targets (150 mn visitors annually by 2030), increase in non-religious tourism (though religious tourism still dominates demand) alongside a strong hotel development pipeline. / Saudi Arabia Nasser Saidi & Associates
• Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs said last week it has begun the registration process for 2026's Hajj pilgrimage. ArabNews
• The Sahelian governments face a powerful threat from jihadist forces in two organizations, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa-l-Muslimin (the Group for Supporting Islam and Muslims, JNIM, which is part of al-Qaida) and the Islamic State Sahel Province. Responsible Statecraft
• The global security environment is becoming increasingly volatile, with deepening geopolitical divisions and risks of racial and religious polarization. ST
• In the Middle East, archaeologists uncover ancient Christian symbols in Turkey and Coptic churches in Egypt, while Iraq's faithful unite in a historic festival of hope. The Rio Times
• America could have two elite legal circles with significantly different instincts about religion and technocracy, knowledge of rural America and regional traditions, and views on politics, federalism, localism, civil society, and so on. Reason.com
• A stable, democratic Bangladesh will be a better ally and trading partner, a better setting for U.S. business investment, a better balancer of China, a better defender of religious minorities and better able to accommodate moderate Islamist politics while draining the pool of support for extremism. United States Institute of Peace
• Third, Singapore will strengthen its rehabilitation capabilities, going beyond Islamic religious counselling, considering how Singaporeans are succumbing to a wider range of extremist ideologies. ST
• Xanadu's Christian Weedbrook says his Toronto company will open a quantum data center by 2029 with hundreds of fault tolerant qubits solving big problems. The Globe and Mail

Last updated: 13 October 2025