The man calling himself Jesus’ younger brother whose Taiping Rebellion doomed Qing dynasty
- Religious movements often spring up. In Malaysia, followers of the Teacher worship the Creator. One such movement saw 20 million Chinese die
Recently, on the sad occasion of the death of a friend’s father, I came across the Baitiangong Universal Spiritual Movement, a new religious movement with members in Malaysia and Singapore.
Baitiangong, literally “worshipping the Lord of Heaven” in Mandarin, was founded by Chew Choon Ming (1936-2000) almost 50 years ago in Malaysia.
Israel-Gaza war is brutal, but China’s history shows human savagery is nothing new
- The killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza is cruel, but it’s not the first time non-combatants have suffered – look at Chinese history
It’s been eight months since the current conflict between Hamas-controlled Gaza and Israel began. More than 35,000 people have died in Gaza, many of whom were women, children and infants.
While Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens following the border incursions and the kidnapping and killing of Israeli residents by Hamas on October 6 last year, its conduct in the war has been reprehensible.
Thai Catholic church under fire for giving students Friar Tuck ‘embarrassing’ haircuts
- Boys’ haircuts, in which a crown of hair surrounds a shaved head, widely mocked online
A Catholic church in Thailand is being mocked after a group of altar boys was given haircuts that mimicked the appearance of traditional Catholic friars.
The haircut, called a “coronal tonsure”, involves shaving the top of the head completely bald while leaving a ring of hair around the fringes. This style preserves the hair on the sides and the bangs, resembling a crown. It is also called the Roman or Petrine tonsure and is named after Saint Peter.
After images of the boys’ haircuts emerged online, observers cried foul, expressing sympathy for the “poor boys” and their “embarrassing” haircuts.
Yet, the church insists it was their idea to sport the hairdo.
The coronal tonsure haircut first emerged in the 4th and 5th centuries and was a common hairstyle among Catholic monks until Pope Paul VI abolished it in 1973.
The style was said to be inspired by the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during his crucifixion.
At first, the photos of the boys received lots of negative comments, and they became the source of mockery and emoji jokes. Others wondered whether the boys had voluntarily shaved their heads and pointed out that the old-fashioned hairstyle was no longer a part of Catholic customs.
“I feel sorry for the kids,” said an online commenter.
Another added: “Personally, I don’t like it. But I have to admit that if the children and their parents are OK with it, then there is nothing wrong here.”
On June 8, the church released a statement on Facebook clarifying that the children were not forced to shave their heads and were “compensated” for their participation. The church also noted that the boys’ parents had consented to their children’s participation.
The boys’ haircuts were part of the church’s annual celebration of Saint Anthony of Padua, the church’s patron saint known for his coronal tonsure.
“The haircut was meant to elevate the event,” the statement explained.
After the celebration, the boys were allowed to shave off any remaining hair and let it grow back in any style they chose.
As altar boys, the youngsters assist the clergy in conducting mass, which includes handling the cross, candlesticks, or various vessels.
Shattering stereotypes: Indonesia’s all-women metal band Voice of Baceprot rocks Glastonbury
Taliban told to ‘include women’ in public life during UN talks in Qatar
Hong Kong author’s book makes Chinese history accessible to children around the world
As China’s influence grows, Malaysia’s wounds over 1969 race riots are slow to heal
Reflections | How 3 Body Problem recalls one of Chinese history’s worst traitors, who has been vilified for nearly 400 years
Reflections | Singapore gets a new prime minister and, unlike those in imperial China, he won’t vie for power with an absolute monarch
India election: will Pakistan-bashing again become a rallying call for Modi’s BJP?
KFC closes outlets in Muslim-majority areas of Malaysia as anti-Israel boycott begins to bite
Myanmar’s Rohingya youths abducted and forced to fight as ‘human shields’ by junta and insurgents
Reflections | Why travellers with passports issued by Malaysia and Singapore are at a disadvantage
First ‘Allah’ socks, now outrage over shoes as Malaysia’s Islamists drive outcry
Reflections | The glories of China’s oldest mosque, Guangzhou’s Huaisheng Mosque, and its doubtful origin story
