Conflict Religion And Culture

By examining the sometimes surprising and unexpected roles that culture and religion have played in mitigating or exacerbating conflicts, this book explores the cultural repertoires from which Southeast Asian political actors have drawn to negotiate the pluralism that has so long been characteristic of the region. Focusing on the dynamics of identity politics and the range of responses to the socio-political challenges of religious and ethnic pluralism, the authors assembled in this book illuminate the principal regional discourses that attempt to make sense of conflict and tensions. They examine local notions of "dialogue," "reconciliation," "civility" and "conflict resolution" and show how varying interpretations of these terms have informed the responses of different social actors across Southeast Asia to the challenges of conflict, culture and religion. The book demonstrates how stumbling blocks to dialogue and reconciliation can and have been overcome in different parts of Southeast Asia and identifies a range of actors who might be well placed to make useful contributions, propose remedies, and initiate action towards negotiating the region's pluralism. This book provides a much needed regional and comparative analysis that makes a significant contribution to a better understanding of the interfaces between region and politics in Southeast Asia.

Four Australian thinkers come together to ask and answer the big questions, such as: What is the nature of the universe? Doesn't religion cause most of the conflict in the world? and Where do we find hope? We are introduced to the detail of different belief systems - Judaism, Christianity, Islam - and to the argument that atheism, like organised religion, has its own compelling logic. And we gain insight into the life events that led each author to their current position. Jane Caro flirted briefly with spiritual belief, inspired by 19th century literary heroines such as Elizabeth Gaskell and the Brontë sisters. Antony Lowenstein is proudly culturally, yet unconventionally, Jewish. Simon Smart is firmly and resolutely a Christian, but one who has had some of his most profound spiritual moments while surfing. Rachel Woodlock grew up in the alternative embrace of Baha'i belief but became entranced by its older parent religion, Islam. Provocative, informative and passionately argued, For God's Sake encourages us to accept religious differences but to also challenge more vigorously the beliefs that create discord.

This book examines the nature of American congregations as institutions.

As religiously grounded moral arguments have become ever more influential factors in the national debate-particularly reinforced by recent presidential elections and the creation of the faith-based initiative office in the White House-journalists' ignorance about theological convictions has often worked to distort the public discourse on important policy issues. Pope John Paul II's pronouncements on stem-cell research, the constitutional controversies regarding faith-based initiatives, the emerging participation of Muslims in American life-issues like these require political journalists in print and broadcast media to cover religious contexts that many admit they are ill-equipped to understand. Put differently, these news events reflect subtle theological nuances and deep faith commitments that shape the activities of religious believers in the public square. Inasmuch as a faith tradition is an active or significant participant in the public arena, journalists will need to better understand the theological sources and religious convictions that motivate this political activity. The current national discourse has brought faith and its relationship to public policy to the forefront of our daily news. Since 1999, the Ethics and Public Policy Center, through the generosity of the Pew Charitable Trusts, has hosted six conferences for national journalists to help raise the level of their reporting by increasing their understanding of religion, religious communities, and the religious convictions that inform the political activity of devout believers. This book contains the presentations and conversations that grew out of those conferences.

This book looks into the different aspects of Islam and culture, and how culture rather than Islam is affecting Muslims, today. It will examine the conflict between Islamic values, and social and culture ones. How Islam has always seen as a religion of oppression and terrorism through the Western eyes, this book will illustrates the factors which created those stereotypes and impression about it. The book, frankly explores the events and life in the Islamic world, Kuwaiti society and the wrongdoings of Muslims. It also finds out how Muslims are influenced by the surrounding circumstance and the folklore of their ancestors whether living amongst their compatriots or expatriates. The book refers to some practices of Muslims briefly by extracting religious texts: The Quran, The Sunnah, and the Sharia, and explaining the misconception of those referred texts by fanatics and very conservative Muslims. The book compiled information and references about different Islamic topics such as social relationships, jurisprudence, and Islam and the modern world. It also explores how Islam is compatible with the past, present and future. The Intertwined Conflict: The reason I chose this title for my book The Intertwined Conflict is because of the conflict most of Arab countries have when it comes to culture, tradition and religion. Everything is embedded with Islam when it has nothing to do with it. It s all about making Islam seem to be the problem when it s all about culture, tradition and the wrong doings of the real means of Islam. People take Islam as an excuse to cover up what they believe in and what they think is right so they relate it to Islam. Fanatics mostly misunderstand Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah and tend to decipher things according to their preference. Matrimony and divorce vs. Islam: Marriage is the most complicated issue which is affected by traditions of the country in where one lives. Different countries have different interpretations of Islam and marriage. Different tribes, ethnic groups and races in a country have different interpretations of marriage. In terms of marriage, In Islam, the conjugal right is as much a woman s right as it is a man s right because one of the purposes of marriage is to protect the chastity of both men and women. This right is also based on the fact that if woman does not have the right to sexual intercourse, it would not have been mandatory in Islamic law for both spouses to insure the maximum possible self-fulfillment for each other. Racism and Islam: Racism in Islam is forbidden and in the sight of Allah no man is superior to another by color, race, class or ethnicity. Indeed, all human beings are equal to Allah and what distinguishes them from another is their good deeds, religious commitments, good manners and following and obeying the Quran and the Sunnah. Equality is one part of the targets of Islam and one of its fundamental bricks. Equality is embedded in most of the Islamic manners and rules. Women, their role and Property Owning: Women in Islam have the full right to own property and possessions, money in whatever manner they prefer. They do not transfer their possessions to their husbands once they get married. They get to keep their money and belongings, and the husband still has to pay for her trivial expenses, such as the household, her children and whatever she needs as a woman, not extravagantly but fairly. Islam and Neighborhood: Neighborhood is one of the important things that Islam exhorted us to pay attention to. It is one of the things that we should not neglect. Taking care of your neighbor urges peace, love and tolerance. Not only Islam exhorts it, but also Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) he was a good example to all of us Muslims in all matters and this matter too. He use

The contemporary conflict scenarios are beyond the reach of standardized approaches to conflict resolution. Given the curious datum that culture is implicated in nearly every conflict in the world, culture can also be an important aspect of efforts to transform destructive conflicts into more constructive social processes. Yet, what culture is and how culture matters in conflict scenarios is contested and regrettably unexplored. The Handbook of Research on the Impact of Culture in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding is a critical publication that examines cultural differences in conflict resolution based on various aspects of culture such as morals, traditions, and laws. Highlighting a wide range of topics such as criminal justice, politics, and technological development, this book is essential for educators, social scientists, sociologists, political leaders, government officials, academicians, conflict resolution practitioners, world peace organizations, researchers, and students.

With the prevailing violent conflict situation of our world, perpetuated sometimes even in the name of religion, humanity today faces extinction. To reverse this ugly trend, humanity has no choice than to build a society where every tribe and tongue can coexist in peace. This work analyzed the violent conflicts from anthropological, behavioral, politico-philosophical, and theological perspectives, and makes a demand on humanity to save herself through proper education and dialogue with all men and religions.