scholarly journals The Civilizations Choir of Antakya: The Politics of Religious Tolerance and Minority Representation at the National Margins of Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seçil Dağtaș
Keyword(s):  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Intercultural Dialogue ◽  
Religious Tolerance ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Minority Representation ◽  
Minority Religions ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Anthropological Study ◽  
Representational Politics ◽  
Arabic Speaking

This article examines the politics of minority representation focusing on the Civilizations Choir of Antakya, a multireligious ensemble formed in the mid-2000s against the backdrop of Turkey’s democratization process and involvement in globally funded programs of intercultural dialogue. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in the choir’s hometown, Antakya, near Turkey’s border with Syria, I compare the experiences of Arabic-speaking religious groups who simultaneously represent and are represented in the choir. These experiences, I argue, manifest different historical positions and political tensions that defy the choir’s categorization of minority religions as equally representable constituents of a tolerant nation. Together, they expose the uncertainties of ethno-religiously defined citizenship and the representational work such uncertainties demand for constructing nationhood. By analyzing this process, the article foregrounds representational politics as one key site for the anthropological study of religious diversity, and for addressing broader problems of minority recognition inherent in liberal regimes of tolerance. Özet Bu makale, 2000’li yılların ortalarında Türkiye’nin demokratikleşme süreci ve küresel olarak finanse edilen kültürlerarası diyalog programlarına katılımı zemininde kurulmuş çok dinli bir topluluk olan Antakya Medeniyetler Korosu özelinde azınlık temsili politikalarını incelemektedir. Koronun kurulduğu, Türkiye’nin Suriye sınırı yakınında bulunan Antakya şehrinde yapılan etnografik saha çalışmasından yola çıkarak hem koroyu temsil eden hem de koroca temsil edilen Arap kökenli dini grupların deneyimleri karşılaştırıyorum. Savım, bu deneyimlerin, koronun azınlık dinlerini hoşgörülü bir ulusun eşit temsil edilebilir bileşenleri olarak sınıflandırmasına ters düşen farklı tarihi konumları ve siyasi gerilimleri ortaya koyduğu. Bu konum ve gerilimler, etnik ve dini köken temelinde tanımlanan vatandaşlık kavramının belirsizliklerini ve bu tür belirsizliklerin milliyet inşası için gerektirdiği temsili çabayı gözler önüne sermektedir. Makale, temsil politikalarını kilit bir çalışma alanı olarak ön plana almak suretiyle, hem dini çeşitliliğin antropolojik olarak incelendiği klasik çalışmalara, hem de liberal hoşgörü rejimlerinde esas olan azınlıkların tanınmasına dair daha geniş çaplı sorunların analizine katkı sağlamaktadır.

scholarly journals Ο ρόλος των Συμβουλίων Ένταξης Μεταναστών στη συνύπαρξη ετερόθρησκων πληθυσμών σε τοπικό επίπεδο: Το παράδειγμα του Ισλάμ στην Ελλάδα

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Νάσια Ιωάννου
Keyword(s):  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Intercultural Dialogue ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Sufficient Condition ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient Condition ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient

The article examines the contribution of MICs in the coexistence of different religious groups at local level. It presents the basic problems encountered by Christians and Muslim migrants in Greece and proceeds by analysing the potential contribution of MICs in the harmonious coexistence of different religious groups. MICs are seen as providing a forum for intercultural dialogue and for acknowledging religious diversity as a necessary and sufficient condition for the inclusion of migrants.

scholarly journals Rekognisi Agama Lokal Prasyarat Menuju Demokrasi Majemuk

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Sudarto Sudarto
Keyword(s):  
High Intensity ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
The Other ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
Religious Tolerance ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Political Language

<p><em>The biggest challenge for plural democracy is how to manage the diversity of its people according to the principles of equality and justice. In this connection, it cannot be denied Indonesia as a plural state is being faced with the maturation of democracy on one side, and the challenges of managing the diversity of its people on the other side. Some of the challenges of pluralism that still occur in Indonesia include: First, there are still many overlapping regulations. Especially regarding the management of religious diversity. Secondly, law enforcers do not provide protection. Mainly related to freedom of religion or belief. Third, although Indonesian people basically live in a pluralistic reality, but in fact the foundation of tolerance of the plural Indonesian society is still relatively fragile. The problem of managing the diversity of religions or beliefs as described above, has an interconnected relationship with the difficulty of presenting the moderation of religions in Indonesia. The question is how to manage the diversity of religions and beliefs according to the principle of equality and fairness, especially for the local belief groups of the archipelago, which in political language is called the flow of trust nomenclature? How is the portrait of the state's treatment of local religious groups? And offers the concept of diversity management which is expected to contribute to reaffirming Indonesia's diversity towards Islamic moderation. Because it cannot be denied, speaking of religious moderation actually speak of religious tolerance amid diversity in high intensity.</em><em></em></p><p><em><br /></em></p>

scholarly journals Addressing Religious Diversity through Children’s Literature: An “English as a Foreign Language” Classroom in Israel

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rawia Hayik
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Practitioner Inquiry ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Reader Responses ◽  
Region I ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Efl Students

Conflicts between different religious groups occasionally arise in my Christian and Muslim Israeli-Arab EFL students’ school and area. In an attempt to increase students’ knowledge of and respect for other faiths in the region, I conducted practitioner inquiry research in my religiously diverse Middle-Eastern classroom. Grounded in critical literacy, I used a book set of religion-based literature alongside critical literacy engagements to effect some change in students’ tolerance towards other faiths. This article describes my journey of exploring students’ reader responses to religion-based texts and issues.

scholarly journals Tradisi Doa Berantai dan Inklusi Sosial Keagamaan di Desa Kepung Kabupaten Kediri

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-153
Author(s):  
Asyhabuddin Asyhabuddin
Keyword(s):  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Active Participation ◽  
Religious Conflict ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Religious Attitudes ◽  
Unique Method

This paper seeks to examine the tradition of chain prayer and religious social inclusion in Kepung Village, Kediri Regency. The idea of this paper came from the growing religious conflict. The inhabitants of Kepung village in Kediri, East Java district, have a unique method to build harmonious relations between religions amid the potential conflicts of religious diversity they have. The data were obtained by interviewing people in Kepung Village, Kediri Regency. That method is a tradition of chain prayer which is carried out as a series of village cleaning traditions every month of Sura in the Javanese calendar. This tradition fosters social religious inclusion because this tradition builds inclusive religious attitudes, inclusive religious policies, and guarantees access and active participation of religious social groups. In addition, this tradition also narrows ethnic distance because it can provide the expectations of minority religious groups, thus generating trust between religious groups.   Tulisan ini berusaha untuk mengkaji tentang tradisi doa berantai dan inklusi sosial keagamaan di Desa Kepung Kabupaten Kediri. Ide tulisan ini berasal dari semakin berkembangnya konflik keagamaan, warga desa Kepung di kabupaten Kediri Jawa Timur memiliki cara unik untuk membangun keharmonisan hubungan antar agama di tengah potensi konflik keragaman agama yang mereka miliki. Data-data diperoleh dengan wawancara kepada orang-orang di Desa Kepung Kabupaten Kediri. Cara itu adalah tradisi doa berantai yang dilakukan sebagai rangkaian dari tradisi bersih desa setiap bulan Sura dalam penanggalan Jawa. Tradisi ini memupuk inklusi sosial keagamaan karena tradisi ini membangun sikap keagamaan inklusif, kebijakan keagamaan inklusif dan menjamin akses dan partisipasi aktif kelompok minoritas keagamaan. Selain itu, tradisi ini juga mempersempit ethnic distance karena mampu memberikan ekspektasi kelompok keagamaan minoritas, sehingga memunculkan rasa percaya (trust) antar kelompok keagamaan yang ada.

Interpreting Citizenship Amendment Act: Its Content and Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-572
Author(s):  
Keshab Chandra Ratha
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Religious Tolerance ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Citizenship Rights ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
History Of ◽  
Constitutional Morality ◽  
Arbitrary Selection ◽  
Selection Of

India is endowed with a proud history of inclusive government and religious tolerance. Indian citizenship has always been firmly rooted in the country’s constitution, which lays priority on equality, regardless of gender, caste, religion, class, community or language. Attaching citizenship rights to religious affiliation runs counter to the letter and spirit of India’s Constitution and constitutional morality. The major thrust of the present article is to project government’s stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, constitutional provisions in relation to the Act, thematic arguments of critics and constitutional experts on the matter, multifarious challenges ahead in respect of its implementation, by establishing the fact that any measure taken must remain in conformity with international norms and values and necessity of amending the law to do away with the arbitrary selection of countries and religious groups so that the current agitation can be easily tranquilised.

Religious Diversity Reconsidered: Local Religious Contexts and Individual Religiosity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaeyoon Lim ◽  
Nan Dirk de Graaf
Keyword(s):  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
Religious Groups

Abstract This study examines how the religious composition of a local U.S. population shapes an individual’s religious involvement. We reconsider Berger’s plausibility thesis and unpack its theoretical mechanisms by (1) conceptualizing religious diversity from each religious group’s perspective, because a specific local religious environment has different implications depending on one’s religion; (2) decomposing the diversity of the population into the religious outgroup’s share and diversity; and (3) including non-affiliated as part of local religious contexts. Furthermore, we adjust for the detailed categories of religious family in a multilevel framework, which addresses the problem of non-substantive correlation and potential heterogeneity among religious groups. Focusing on Protestants, Catholics, and non-affiliated, the analysis reveals that although religious diversity, especially the share of the religious outgroup, tends to be associated negatively with an individual’s religious involvement, there are important differences in how religious diversity is related to religiosity among different religious groups including Protestants and Catholics.

Protecting Freedom of and from Religion: Questioning the Law's Ability to Protect Against Unethical Conversions in Sri Lanka

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Owens
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Recent Case ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Minority Religions ◽  
Unequal Treatment ◽  
The Right

AbstractIn recent years, the issue of improper and unethical conversions has attracted much attention in Sri Lanka. The issue is a highly emotive one, with members of the majority Buddhist population calling for measures to protect their religion from 'threats' from other minority religions, and members of these other religious groups expressing growing feelings of discrimination and unequal treatment. This article examines recent case law in the field of unethical conversions in Sri Lanka. An analysis of the decisions of Sri Lanka's Supreme Court relating to the incorporation of Christian organizations suggests that the legal system in Sri Lanka has struggled in its attempt to secure the right to freedom of religion and the right to manifest a religion for all people. Moreover, it is argued that the law has ultimately fuelled the growing religious tensions across the island. This article questions the law's ability to protect against unethical conversions in Sri Lanka, and therefore seeks to add weight to the calls for a non-legislative approach to the issue in order to allow for respect for the human rights of all concerned.

Implications of Lived and Packaged Religions for Intercultural Dialogue to Reduce Conflict and Terror

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Gary D Bouma AM
Keyword(s):  
Small Groups ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
Intercultural Dialogue ◽  
Lived Religion ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Sacred Spaces ◽  
Violent Extremism ◽  
Ritual Practices

AbstractThe use of intercultural dialogue (ICD) to promote intergroup understanding and respect is considered as a key to reduce tensions and the likelihood of conflict. This paper argues that understanding the differences among religions – those between packaged and lived religion – enhances the chances of success and makes the effort more challenging. Religions contained and packaged are found in formally organised expressions of religion – churches, denominations, synagogues, mosques, temples and so on. For packaged religions, religious identity is singular and adherents are expected to identify with only one religion and are assumed to accept the whole package of that religion. ICD in this context involves communicating with religious groups such as organisations and encouraging different leaders to speak with each other resulting in platforms filled with ‘heads of faith’ – bishops muftis, ayatollahs, chief rabbis, swamis and so on. In contrast, lived religions involve ritual practices engaged in by individuals and small groups, creation of shrines and sacred spaces, discussing the nature of life, sharing ethical concerns, going on pilgrimages and taking actions to celebrate and sustain hope.There is some evidence that, although packaged religions are declining, lived religions continue at persistent levels. Violent extremism is more likely to be associated with lived rather than packaged forms of religion, making a more balanced intercultural competences approach to ICD critical to countering conflict.

scholarly journals Lebanon and Iraq: Two Distinct Demonstrations of Confessionalism’s Failure as a Means to Manage Ethnic and Religious Pluralism

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour Mohsen
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Religious Pluralism ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
National Identities ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Institutional Power

The Iraqi and Lebanese political systems stemmed from each country’s distinctive mosaic of sub-national identities but have been deemed corrupt and incompetent, prompting ongoing protests and calls for unity in both contexts. However, this dissatisfaction is unsurprising given the challenging task of translating the ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity that characterizes each population into an overarching national identity. The Lebanese and Iraqi political systems have attempted to manage ethnic and religious pluralism through confessionalism, or a “consociational government which distributes political and institutional power proportionally among religious sub-communities.” This paper argues that Lebanon and Iraq are two specific examples of confessionalism, demonstrating its failure to manage ethnic and religious pluralism, which seems to inevitably beget sectarianism—a discriminatory structure in which each group advances its privileges at the expense of others. Nevertheless, confessional systems are challenging to transform, namely because they institutionalize different ethnic or religious groups’ identities instead of promoting a unified, national identity. 

scholarly journals Promoting Ethnic and Religious Diversity for the Nigerian School Children: A Preliminary Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Onyebuchi
Keyword(s):  
School Children ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
School Library ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Safe Place ◽  
Gender Culture ◽  
Passive Learning ◽  
Nigerian School

The  aim  of  this  study  is to  provide  evidence  on  the  school  library  as  an  important  medium for promoting ethnic and religious diversity among the Nigerian school children. Though the issue of  diversity  continues  to  evolve and  expand  in  the  21st  century  to  include dimensions  of  race, ethnicity,  gender,  culture,  abilities,  sexual  orientation,  socio-economic  status,  age  and  religious preferences  (Perrault & Mardis,  2015), the Nigerian  nation is  presently  being  troubled  by  the  crisis  related  to ethnic  and  religious  groups.  The  education  system  seems  not  to  be  doing  much  in  encouraging coexistence among the citizens. The school library serves as a safe place for addressing these issues of ethnicity and religiosity among learners from diverse backgrounds in the Nigerian school system in which the school timetable is busy with a lot of passive learning activities. Even though ethnic and religious diversity should be addressed in a normal classroom environment, there is still a continuous rise in the lack of ethnic and religious coexistence in Nigerian community which has brought about religious  rivalry  and  ethnic  bigotry  in  the  different  communities  of  the  nation (Akwanya, 2015; Ojo, 2016).  This has continually led to a greater output of school children who are not ready to welcome other  cultures  and  religious  beliefs  when  they  become  adults;  thus  steering  violence  among  other members of the community.

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