News

Uzbekistan remains on the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” issued by the the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In the 1880′s, Mennonites fled the Russian empire to this region in search of religious liberty. Below is an interesting religious freedom case in the country today: A report from the Associated Baptist Press:...
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http://www.pilgrimsonthesilkroad.com/ Speaking of great Treks…. Gene Roddenberry was no fan of religion, but the folks at Beliefnet just parsed his Star Trek franchise for parallels to the Ten Commandments. Very entertaining. Now someone needs to write about seeing the Beatitudes in the new Battlestar Galactica. Link: The Ten Commandments in Star Trek Bonus: Star...
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Here’s an article you might enjoy about the rebirth of the Uzbek film industry. Like many countries in the region, piracy remains a problem. Nevertheless, small film studios are beginning to crank out films for Uzbek audiences. What should this industry be nicknamed? Bukhariwood? Choyhonawood? Anyway, every Uzbek filmmaker follows in the steps of a...
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Norman Epp is an old friend from our journey in 2007 to retrace the Mennonite migration to Central Asia. His great-grandfather was Claas Epp Jr. You can see quite a bit of him in the documentary “Through the Desert Goes Our Journey.” Norman has a new website. Check out some of the amazing work...
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Hundreds of years before the Mennonites trekked into Central Asia, a group of Christians known as Nestorians lived along what is known today as the Silk Road.In a few weeks, Dr. Charles Stang of Harvard University is presenting a talk about the Nestorian Stele. The large stone tablet documents some of the earliest evidence...
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Salon’s Gabriel Winant recently wrote a cleverly-titled article summarizing a few Apocalyptic movements. The Mennonite trek to Central Asia clocks in at number three on “The Four Horsemen send their regrets.”Here is Winant’s take on the story: Name: The Great Mennonite TrekProphet: Claas EppDate of doom: March 8, 1889Revised date: Sometime in 1891Apocalypse how?:...
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Pia Chatterjee has a nice article in the San Francisco Chronicle about her recent visit to Samarkand. This city was an important stop for the Mennonite pilgrims on their way to Khiva.� Perhaps they had a similar experience more than a century ago: “I am at Siab bazaar buying figs for breakfast. The man –...
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We’re just a few months away from the launch of Pilgrims on the Silk Road: A Muslim-Christian Encounter in Khiva! Stay tuned to this web site for update on the launch celebration, signings and other news about the book. In the meantime, drop by www.ThroughTheDesert.com to check out the documentary.
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