DOCSLIB.ORG

Church Names

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Church Names OUR CHURCH'S MANY NAMES MELKITE Using this word to describe the historic n our contemporary culture, it is his term comes from the Semetic Church is usually credited to St. Ignatius of usual to be precise about names. words for king, “melko” or “melek”. Antioch who employed it in the second cen- Businesses have corporate titles, The king in this case was the Byzan- tury. Thus the Greek-speaking Christians of I T the Middle East were the first to be called musical and literary compositions tine emperor who supported the have copywrited designations, all of which are teachings of the council of Chalcedon, held In Catholics. protected by law. Legal documents confer 451. The opponents of this council, most of And so to say that we are Melkite Greek specific names on individuals and to change whom were in the Middle East, called its sup- Catholics means that we are a Church which: one's name is a matter for the courts. porters Royalists (malikiyeen). So the name, Is in the fulness of the Gospel (Catholic); This is, of course, a fairly recent develop- which today refers to the Byzantine Catholics Follows the Traditions of the Greek ment in history, chiefly in the Western world. of the Middle East, originally was an insult Fathers; and In the Middle East as our Church developed aimed at all Christians, both Eastern and Is in harmony with the Chalcedonian there was a much greater fluidity in the use of Western, who supported the Council of Chal- teachings. names. In addition there is even a difference cedon. in the terminology employed in the Middle There are a number of other names asso- East today vs. that which we use in this coun- GREEK (“ROOM” IN ARABIC) ciated with our heritage, although they are try. not part of the official name of our Church. In the Western world today our Church his word refers to the spiritual tradi- These are: is called Melkite Greek Catholic (Grec Mel- tion of the Greek Fathers which our Church follows. At the time of chite Catholique), as is explained below. In the T BYZANTINE Middle East we are generally known as Room Christ, Greek was the spoken lan- his word refers to the city of “New Katuleek, literally “Roman Catholic”, just as guage in the major cities of the Middle East. Rome” mentioned above. Originally those whom we call Antiochian or Greek The New Testament and the writings of the known as Byzantium, it is chiefly Orthodox here are known as Room Orthodox most important Church Fathers were com- T known in history as Constantinople, (“Roman Orthodox”) there. However the Rome posed in Greek. In contrast, people in the rur- the “city of Constantine”. Its present name is they are referring to in these titles is not the al areas spoke Aramaic or Syriac, the historic Istanbul, the Turkish pronunciation of the Rome in Italy, but Constantinople, which the language of the Chaldean, Maronite and Syri- Greek words for “in the city”. Our Church fol- ancients called New Rome. Those whom we an Churches. Only after the Muslim conquest lows the ritual of the Great Church of Con- call Roman Catholics here are known as La- of the Middle East did Arabic become the uni- stantinople for the Divine Liturgy. teen (Latins) overseas. versal language of this area. This often causes confusion when immi- grants arrive from the Middle East and, with a CATHOLIC ANTIOCHIAN literal translation, speak of themselves as Ro- his word means universal. When we t the time the Christian Church be- man Catholics when they actually mean Room say that the Church is Catholic we gan, Antioch was the capital of the Katuleek. It is also confusing for others who mean that it teaches universally and Roman province of “the East” (Anato- come to our churches and are confronted T A completely the full Gospel of our lia). It was the principal economic with the multitude of names our Church uses. Lord Jesus Christ. In contrast, sects stress one center of the entire Middle East, as it was at It is to help clarify some of this confusion that doctrine and exclude another. the crossroads of trade routes connecting the following definitions are offered. Europe and Asia. For these reasons it quickly became the center of Church life in the area as well. Although the city was destroyed by an Serbian) who accept the Council of Chalcedon earthquake in the seventh century, the chief and are generally referred to as “Eastern hierarchs of Churches in the Middle East still Orthodox”. The second group includes those bear the title patriarch of Antioch and all the non-Byzantines (e.g., Annenians, Copts, OUR CHURCH'S East. Ethiopians, Syrians) who do not follows Chal- For the first thousand years of Christian cedon and are usually called “Oriental Ortho- MANY NAMES history, the Greek Church in the Middle East dox”. Since what divides them is precisely the employed the Antiochian ritual, which greatly acceptance of the teachings of an ecumenical resembles the liturgy of the Syrian or Ma- council, it is evident that these two groups of ronite Churches. The only difference was in Churches are not in communion with one an- language: they prayed in Syriac and we in other. Greek. During the Middle Ages, especially as a result of the Muslim conquest and the Cru- EASTERN sades, the Greek Christians of Antioch were drawn closer and closer to their brethren in ased on Mediterranean geography Constantinople. For many years the Antiochi- as seen from a European perspec- an patriarchs and bishops actually lived in B tive, those Churches whose heritage Constantinople and were influenced by its us- sprang from the Eastern Mediter- ages. In time the Byzantine liturgical tradition ranean area have been called Eastern, while became the accepted practice among the An- those whose heritage is that of western tiochian Greeks and it is that worship tradi- Europe have been called Western. It is inter- tion we follow today. esting to note that those Churches of Syriac or Assyrian tradition consider Byzantines as Westerners! ORTHODOX his word literally means “right glori- UNIATE fying”. Like the term Melkite, it was T first used to describe those who re- riginally used in eastern Europe, this mained faithful to the true faith in is a derogatory term used to refer to the theological controversies of the early cen- O Byzantine (Greek) Catholics. Literally turies. One of the most ancient and respected it means those who are living in an ways of describing the Church and its people, “unia”, or dependence for favors on the it is – along with the word Catholic – the term Church of Rome. usually used in our liturgical texts to refer to the Church. In modern usage, the term is employed as a specific designation by two major groups of Eastern Christians. In the first group are OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES those Byzantines of various ethnic jurisdic- MELKITE EPARCHY OF NEWTON http://melkite.org/ tions (e.g., Albanian, Bulgarian, Carpatho-Russ- ian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Romanian, Russian, Photo courtesy Joseph Koczera, S.J..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Origins and Beliefs of the Melkite Catholics
    in worship. Our style of worship in the Eastern continuing to observe them, we maintain a living Origins and Beliefs of the churches reflects the presence of the risen Christ connection with the early Church. We cherish our among us in glory and joy. All the senses take part tradition as a continuous stream flowing from the Melkite Catholics in our worship to express this glory. We see icons, first Christians to us under the guidance of the vestments and candles, we hear continual singing, Holy Spirit: truly “the old-time religion” in a new The doctrines of the Catholic Church were we taste blessed foods are use physical gestures land. established in the first seven Ecumenical Councils. such as bowing, prostrating and crossing ourselves These councils were Nicea (325 AD), to express our wonder at the glory of God. Another How holy is Tradition? Constantinople I (381 AD), Ephesus (431 AD), important aspect of our community life is our joy Not everything is helpful for salvation is Chalcedon (451 AD), Constantinople II (553 AD), in each other’s company, expressed in the frequent written in the Bible. John said he could have Constantinople (680 AD) and Nicea II (787 AD). meals and social times we share. Finally, we open written a lot more about Jesus (John 21:25). Surely Many churches denominations were formed ourselves to support one another in the trials of other accounts about Jesus and His teachings over these years because not all Christians agreed daily life. In this way the unity we celebrate at the would be helpful and life giving but the fullness of on points of doctrine, theology and church Eucharist is lived out day by day.
    [Show full text]
  • Saleh Poll Tax December 2011
    On the Road to Heaven: Poll tax, Religion, and Human Capital in Medieval and Modern Egypt Mohamed Saleh* University of Southern California (Preliminary and Incomplete: December 1, 2011) Abstract In the Middle East, non-Muslims are, on average, better off than the Muslim majority. I trace the origins of the phenomenon in Egypt to the imposition of the poll tax on non- Muslims upon the Islamic Conquest of the then-Coptic Christian Egypt in 640. The tax, which remained until 1855, led to the conversion of poor Copts to Islam to avoid paying the tax, and to the shrinking of Copts to a better off minority. Using new data sources that I digitized, including the 1848 and 1868 census manuscripts, I provide empirical evidence to support the hypothesis. I find that the spatial variation in poll tax enforcement and tax elasticity of conversion, measured by four historical factors, predicts the variation in the Coptic population share in the 19th century, which is, in turn, inversely related to the magnitude of the Coptic-Muslim gap, as predicted by the hypothesis. The four factors are: (i) the 8th and 9th centuries tax revolts, (ii) the Arab immigration waves to Egypt in the 7th to 9th centuries, (iii) the Coptic churches and monasteries in the 12th and 15th centuries, and (iv) the route of the Holy Family in Egypt. I draw on a wide range of qualitative evidence to support these findings. Keywords: Islamic poll tax; Copts, Islamic Conquest; Conversion; Middle East JEL Classification: N35 * The author is a PhD candidate at the Department of Economics, University of Southern California (E- mail: [email protected]).
    [Show full text]
  • Who Are Christians in the Middle East?
    Who Are Christians in the Middle East? Seven Churches, each bearing a great and ancient history with Patriarch, who chose as his patriarchal seat the monastery at unique liturgical traditions and culture, comprise the Catho- Bzommar, Lebanon. After a brief relocation to Constantinople, lic Church in the Middle East. Each of these Churches is in the Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics returned his seat full communion with Rome, but six with an Eastern tradition to Bzommar, with his residence and offices in Beirut, Lebanon. are sui iuris, or self-governing, and have their own Patriarchs. The Chaldean Catholic Church has almost 500,000 mem- All these Churches are Arabic-speaking and immersed in Ar- bers, with about 60 percent residing in the Middle East. The abic culture. Chaldeans are historically concentrated in Iraq as they came The Maronite Catholic Church is the largest of the East- from the Assyrian Church of the East. In 1552, a group of As- ern Catholic Churches in the Middle East at around 3 million syrian bishops decided to seek union with Rome. Although members. It has a strong presence in Lebanon, with smaller Pope Julius III proclaimed Patriarch Simon VIII Patriarch “of communities in Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, and the Holy Land. the Chaldeans,” pro- and anti-Catholic parties struggled with- However, slightly over half its members have emigrated from in the Assyrian Church of the East until 1830, when another the Middle East to countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Aus- Chaldean Patriarch was appointed. The Patriarch of Babylon of tralia, Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Palamas and Bonaventure on the Experience of God— a Contribution to Orthodox-Roman Catholic Dialogue
    Journal of Ecumenical Studies 44 3, Summer 2009 MIRROR OF EXPERIENCE: PALAMAS AND BONAVENTURE ON THE EXPERIENCE OF GOD— A CONTRIBUTION TO ORTHODOX-ROMAN CATHOLIC DIALOGUE Rüssel Murray PRECIS In this essay, the author places into a "dialogue of love" the mystical theologies of Saints Gregory Palamas and Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, as developed in their respective masterpieces, the Defense of the Holy Hesychasts and The Soul's Journey into God. It is the author's contention that when this dialogue is engendered, one is able to see how these saints, precisely within the diversity of their respective ecclesial traditions, mirror each other's understanding of how the human person experiences God and, in the process, mirror how Orthodox and Roman Catholic faithful alike can both perceive anew and visibly witness once again to the faith, hope, and love that even now unites them as one body in Christ. / Introduction In his apostolic letter Orientale Lumen, Pope John Paul II noted, with regard to the enduring schism between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, "We have increasingly learned that it was not so much an historical episode or a mere question of preeminence that tore the fabric of unity, as it was a progres­ sive estrangement, so that the other's diversity was no longer perceived as a Rüssel Murray, OFM (Roman Catholic), is an Assistant Professor in the Dept of Systematic The­ ology at Washington (DC) Theological Union, where he has taught since 2007 He previously served on the staff of St Anthony Shrine in Boston, 1998-2000 He
    [Show full text]
  • A Review of Dissident Sacramental Theology
    A REVIEW OF DISSIDENT SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY Five years ago it was my privilege to address this Society, making a cursory review of the main points on which Catholics and Orthodox disagree in the realm of dogmatic theology. These points are neither too numerous nor too difficult to preclude a harmonious solution. The most fundamental issue is the primacy of the pope. But even here, since the Orthodox already believe in the infallibility of the Church and in an honorary primacy of the Bishop of Rome in that Church, it might not be too sanguine to posit the possibility of arriving at an understanding of the pope as the mouthpiece of the infallible Church. This year the officers of the Society have requested a review of Orthodox sacramental practice in the hope that this might furnish some summary of Orthodox moral theology by providing a glimpse of the actual religious life in an Orthodox parish, as well as bring- ing our Catholic theologians up to date on the practical questions they must face regarding intercommunion if any reunion should ever be achieved. At the outset we should express the caution that in this practical as well as in the theoretical sphere, we must beware of absolute predications—because there is apt to be a divergency of practice between the various national groups of Orthodox and even within the same national group. The chief bodies of Orthodox—at least as far as theological leadership is concerned—are the Greeks and the Russians. Usually the Syrian and Albanian Orthodox will follow Greek practice, while the various Slav groups like the Serbs, Bulgars and Ukrainians will be content to follow the hegemony of the Russian Orthodox Church.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ESTABLISHMENT of the MELKITE CATHOLIC MILLET in 1848 and the POLITICS of IDENTITY in TANZIMAT SYRIA Bruce Masters in 1848, S
    THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MELKITE CATHOLIC MILLET IN 1848 AND THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY IN TANZIMAT SYRIA Bruce Masters In 1848, Sultan Abdülmecid granted the Melkite Catholic commu- nity offi cial status as an ‘autonomous religious community’ (millet) by adding his seal to an imperial patent (berat) naming Maksimus Mazlum ‘Patriarch of Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria and wher- ever else Melkite Catholics reside in the sultan’s protected realms’. Th e patent further stated that although the Chaldean, Syrian, Melkite, and Maronite Catholic priests had been under the authority of the ‘Catho- lic Patriarch of Istanbul’, they constituted separate communities and would henceforth be recognized as such.1 With Mazlum’s elevation, the Melkite Catholic Church joined the ranks of the Orthodox (the Rum in Ottoman Turkish) and the Apostolic Armenian Churches that had long enjoyed de facto recognition and the rather more recently legiti- mated Catholic, later to be known as the Armenian Catholic, (1830) and Jewish (1835) communities. Mazlum’s victory came in the face of resistance on the part of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch in Istan- bul who claimed that the Melkite Catholics were both heretics and traitors, disloyal both to their Mother Church and their sultan. Having recognized the Melkites, the sultan opened a fl oodgate of repressed aspirations for autonomy from the empire’s myriad Christian denomi- nations, with the result that the list of offi cially sanctioned Christian millets had expanded to twelve by 1900. Although the various millets within the Ottoman Empire were offi cially constituted as religious communities, a particular commu- nity’s own sense of distinctiveness, and hence the need for recogni- tion, arose more oft en out of a nascent ‘proto-nationalism’ (to borrow Eric Hobsbawm’s term)2 than from questions of religious dogma.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Man Shall Live by Wheat' Wheat Porridge ('Qamh Masluq')
    JISMOR 3 Note “Man Shall Live by Wheat” Wheat Porridge (“qamh masluq”) as a Symbol of the Identity of Arab Christians in Israel Akiko Sugase Introduction In the eastern Mediterranean region, Arab Christians account for less than ten percent of all the Arab population, even when Greek Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians are combined. Because they are a minority group, however, they are more conscious of their identity as Christians and are more willing to let their “standing as Christians” be known in various aspects of everyday life. While Muslims constitute a majority in the eastern Mediterranean region excluding Greece, Arab Christians in Israel have an identity diff erent from that of their counterparts in other countries in the region, because in Israel, only Jews are in a position to play a central role in society. Unlike Muslim countries where being an Arab is taken for granted, Israel, fi rst of all, has two diff erent population groupsJews and Arabs. In this country, declaring that you are a Christian is equal to identifying yourself as an Arab. This means that Christian identity and that as an Arab, which inherently are two diff erent things, are closely associated with each other and have gradually coalesced into one because of the presence of non-Muslim Arabs, namely, Jews. Th is does not mean that Jews are the only “others” for Arab Christians in Israel. Arab Christians share elements of culture including clothing, food, and housing with Muslims who are also Arab, and therefore have more occasions to interact with them on a daily basis than Jews.
    [Show full text]
  • Sts. Peter and Paul Melkite Catholic Church Package 2021 - 2022
    Sts. Peter and Paul Melkite Catholic Church Package 2021 - 2022 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa - 613-741-9530 – www.beechwoodottawa.ca The Persons in charge of the day to day operations: Isabelle Gallen – Funeral Director (301277) James Patterson, Director of Family Service Beechwood Establishment Licence Number - 1071 Price List - April 2021 - March 2021 1 Established in 1873, Beechwood is recognized as one of the most beautiful and historic cemeteries in Canada; designated as a National Historic Site. It is the final resting place for over 85,000 Canadians. Beechwood is proud to be the home of the National Military Cemetery, the RCMP National Memorial Cemetery and the Ottawa Police Service Memorial Cemetery. Beechwood has served all cultures and faiths with care and compassion and is proud to have sections designed to meet the interment needs of the Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Lebanese, Latvian, Muslim, Polish, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Vietnamese communities. BEECHWOOD’S MISSION STATEMENT: “Beechwood, operating on a not-for-profit basis, will be governed efficiently and effectively in the spirit of public service for our community and our nation. Beechwood will ensure that, both at time of need and in perpetuity, it will be operated and maintained in the highest order in memory, honour and respect of those who have left this world before us.” 2 The story of Beechwood is the story of our country The story of Beechwood Cemetery is the story of Canada, in all its diversity of colour, religion and culture. “Whenever I enter a cemetery,” former governor general Michaëlle Jean once said, “I feel as though I am opening the door to a library.
    [Show full text]
  • Catholic Christians – Freedom of Religion – Islamist Groups 22 March 2010
    Country Advice Syria Syria – SYR36307 – Catholic Christians – Freedom of religion – Islamist groups 22 March 2010 1. Please provide information on the number, status, activities and profile of Catholics in Syria. Syria has a population of 20 million of which Christians constitute 10%.1 There are 368,000 Catholics in Syria, approximately 2% of the total population.2 The Catholics of Syria follow several different rites, including Armenian, Chaldean, Syrian, Maronite, Melkite (Greek) and Catholics of the Latin Rite. 3 The largest Catholic church in the country is the Greek Catholic Church (Melkite).4 According to the US Department of State, most Christians live in urban centers in and around Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, and Lattakia, although significant numbers live in the Hasaka governorate in the northeast.5 The Melkite Church The Melkite Church is a community with its religious centre in Syria. 6 In 2008, there were approximately 234,000 adherents in Syria.7 Greek Catholic communities are Arab Syrians but are called Greek to highlight that their religious celebrations are focused on the Greek / Byzantine rites.8 The Church is affiliated to the Roman Catholic Church, through the regime of Eastern Rite Churches, allowing it a great deal of autonomy and the right to preserve its original character. The Patriarch of the church is in Damascus. 9 The 1 US Department of State 2009, International Religious Freedom Report for 2009 – Syria, October 26, Section 1 – Attachment 1. 2 „Roman Catholicism in Syria‟ updated 25 August 2009, Wikipedia website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism_in_Syria – Accessed 3 March 2010 – Attachment 2.
    [Show full text]
  • St. Elias Melkite Catholic Church Serving San Jose Valley & Bay Area, CA
    St. Elias Melkite Catholic Church Serving San Jose Valley & Bay Area, CA Church Information Sunday, October 16, 2016 14263 Mulberry Dr. 4th Sunday After the Holy Cross – Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council Los Gatos, CA 95032 th (408) 785-1212 Troparion of the Resurrection (5 Tone) [email protected] Let us, O faithful * praise and worship the word * coeternal with the Father and the Spirit * born steliasmelkite.org of the Virgin for our Salvation * for He was pleased to be lifted in the flesh upon the cross * and facebook.com/steliasmelkitechurch to endure death * and to raise the dead * by His glorious resurrection. Mailing Address نشيد القيامة باللحن الخامس P.O. Box 26274 لننشد نحن المؤمنين ونسج ْد للكلمة، اﻷزلي مع اﻵ ِب والروح، المولود من العذراء لخﻻصنا. ﻷنه ارتضى أن يصعدَ بالجس ِد على San Jose, CA 95159 الصليب، ويحتمل الموت، وينه َض الموتى بقيامته المجيدة. Pastor Epistle of the Fathers Titus 3:8-15 Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo Phone: (831) 229-8350 My son Titus, this saying is true, and in this matter I want to insist that those who believe in God [email protected] be careful to excel in good works: these are good and useful to people. But avoid foolish __________________________ controversies and genealogies and quarrels, and disputes about the Law, for they are useless and Sunday Service Time futile. Avoid a factious man after warning him once or twice, knowing that such a man is Divine Liturgy: 11:00 am perverted and sins, since he is condemning himself. When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to meet me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
    [Show full text]
  • John of Damascus and the Consolidation of Classical Christian Demonology
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (1934 -) Projects Imagining Demons in Post-Byzantine Jerusalem: John of Damascus and the Consolidation of Classical Christian Demonology Nathaniel Ogden Kidd Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Kidd, Nathaniel Ogden, "Imagining Demons in Post-Byzantine Jerusalem: John of Damascus and the Consolidation of Classical Christian Demonology" (2018). Dissertations (1934 -). 839. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/839 IMAGINING DEMONS IN POST-BYZANTINE JERUSALEM: JOHN OF DAMASCUS AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN DEMONOLOGY by The Rev. Nathaniel Ogden Kidd, B.A., M.Div A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin December, 2018 ABSTRACT IMAGINING DEMONS IN POST-BYZANTINE JERUSALEM: JOHN OF DAMASCUS AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN DEMONOLOGY The Rev. Nathaniel Ogden Kidd, B.A., M.Div Marquette University, 2018 This dissertation traces the consolidation of a classical Christian framework for demonology in the theological corpus of John of Damascus (c. 675 – c. 750), an eighth century Greek theologian writing in Jerusalem. When the Damascene sat down to write, I argue, there was a great variety of demonological options available to him, both in the depth of the Christian tradition, and in the ambient local imagination. John’s genius lies first in what he chose not to include, but second in his ability to synthesize a minimalistic demonology out of a complex body of material and integrate it into a broader theological system.
    [Show full text]
  • Jordan 2020 International Religious Freedom Report
    JORDAN 2020 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution declares Islam the religion of the state but safeguards “the free exercise of all forms of worship and religious rites” as long as these are consistent with public order and morality. It stipulates there shall be no discrimination based on religion. It does not address the right to convert to another faith, nor are there penalties under civil law for doing so. According to the constitution, matters concerning the personal and family status of Muslims come under the jurisdiction of sharia courts. Under sharia, converts from Islam are still considered Muslims and are subject to sharia but are regarded as apostates. Converts to Christianity from Islam reported that security officials continued to question them to determine their “true” religious beliefs and practices. The government continued to deny official recognition to some religious groups, including Baha’is and Jehovah’s Witnesses. In October, the government eased COVID-19-related restrictions, allowing movement on all days of the week except Fridays. The government amended this decision after Muslim worshippers organized small-scale, uncoordinated, nationwide protests about what they viewed as an unfair limit on attendance at Friday prayers. On July 15, the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court, dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) branch in country, saying the organization had failed to resolve its legal status. The court’s decision did not affect the MB’s political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), which won 10 seats in the November 10 parliamentary election, down from 15 in the previous election.
    [Show full text]