Just as borders, once drawn, become subject to militant patrol, so are the lives and bodies of women once they are marked by religious tensions. The need to address the nexus between religion, gender and conflict is becoming vital to peacebuilding
‘American policy makers should understand religion better and engage with religious communities abroad’ argues the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Zainal Abidin Bagir responds to the report's co-author R. Scott Appleby.
Today, we see that the rules of western European racism are shifting. On the one hand, they are becoming less racialist; on the other hand they are seeking to become official. How should we Europeans understand this, and how should we respond? In the first of her Inter Alia columns, Markha Valenta
Engaging religious communities is a way forward for promoting democracy, human rights, and religious freedom around the world. “Failure to engage" will leave secular fundamentalists, along with the rest of us, on the outside looking in
In Chechnya there is official support for attacks on women when they are considered to have ‘flouted’ Islamic rules by not wearing a headscarf or covering up enough. Tanya Lokshina listened to some of the women’s despairing accounts.
The direct involvement of African Christians in battles over social policy in the USA is mirrored by the involvement of the American Christian Right in Africa, as they collaborate to oppose progressive forces in civil society and shape government policy
The Rt. Rev. Dr David Zac Niringiye, bishop of of All Saints Cathedral in Kampala, talks to Ute Seela about diversity and common ground in Uganda
This is a tragedy that belongs to modern powerplay and the current moment, and that calls for a much more thoughtful response from outside observers
A growing movement of African Christians are making waves at home and abroad with their ultra conservative interpretations of scripture. Far from a naïve embrace of conventional norms or a faithful embrace of scripture, these interpretations are emerging as clear political choices and are undermin
We cannot afford the direct or indirect legitimisation of extremist religious forces especially by organisations claiming the progressive mantle. The slippage is constant and must be guarded against
When it comes to religious fundamentalisms women's rights activists say Shakespeare was wrong: the way we name things does affect the way we engage with them. To address the phenomenon more effectively, it's better to use the duck test.
While fundamentalist movements may vary according to the global context in which they operate, for women this diversity is outweighed by the core characteristics, strategies and impacts that they share.
