Religious Conflict in Iraq and the Operation of Shiite Militias in the Country after the Expulsion of ISIL

The paper deals with the religious aspect of the Iraqi conflict, exploring chiefly the dynamics of the conflict between the country’s Sunni and Shia communities. Should the conflict between the Sunni and Shia of Iraq be religiously motivated, we will find several characteristics, that would clearly demonstrate the religious or sectarian dimension of the conflict. The paper uses the methods of analysis, synthesis as well as the descriptive method. We have found that the conflict between the Shia and the Sunni has been purposefully escalated, firstly by Nouri al-Maliki (whose sectarian politics alienated the Sunni Arabs) and ISIS (which was even criticized by al-Qaeda for being too brutal against the Shia). Further we found that the Iraqi army under Shia command lacked motivation to defend Sunni areas from ISIS. Lastly, it was the PMF militias, forming after a fatwa by a Shia cleric, and bearing references to Shia symbolism in the names of their units. We conclude, that at the current phase, the conflict in Iraq has a strong sectarian dimension, while lacking a coherent Iraqi identity.

Tastafi Recitation Impact on Psycho-Religious Aspects Development of Langsa Society

This research learns the level of Tastafi's recitation activities on changes in psycho-religious aspects of Langsa City community. The objective determines the community's motivation to participate in Tastafi's recitation activities and their impacts on development and changes in their psycho-religious aspects. The methodology combines between qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative approach uses theory of religiously psychological, monistic and faculty. As for the quantitative approach use percentage theory and Pearson's product-moment. Data collection uses questionnaires, observations, and documentation techniques. The research subjects were 30 Langsa City residents as members of the Tastafi recitation. It was found that there was a significant change from the psycho-religious aspect. The Tastafi arrival changes the Langsa City people's behavior, such as increasing worship activities, religious spirit, knowledge practice, and spiritual values in daily life. The routine level in these Tastafi recitation activities is very high, up to 50% (15 people). Furthermore, the change in psycho-religious aspects after attending the recitation is 60% (18 people). The Pearson's product-moment calculation prove that the significance and correlation are positive (perfect) with a rxy value of 0.798.

SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND RELIGIOUS ASPECT IN MOSQUE FUNDRAISER

This study described and analyzed the form and types of speech in fundraising activity as well as to identify social, cultural, and religious aspect in it. The observation was carried out in Wirolegi Village, Sumbersari District, Jember Regency. This study used a phenomenological perspective which viewed that fundraising activity was a social reality known by the public. This study used anthropolinguistic approach which viewed that people's linguistics activities (speech) were related to the social and cultural systems of the community. To examine the forms and types of speech, this study used Searle's speech act theory. This study resulted a finding that the utterances of the fundraiser were about expressive and commissive speech acts. Thus, the language activity within fundraising program was an action that was clearly and indirectly contained in his speech. In its social aspect, the speech contained a binding from the speaker to the interlocutor which could contribute to their social and religious aspect.

Die Italienreise des Freiherrn Guidobald von Welsperg und Primör 1675–1676

The article exemplifies the role of the Grand Tour as the conclusion and culmination of an aristocratic education. The educational journey of the Tyrolean nobleman Guidobald of Welsperg began immediately after he completed his academic studies at the university of Innsbruck, taking him and his tutor through Italy, which was particularly popular as a Grand Tour destination thanks above all to its political diversity and cultural richness. Although Rome’s importance was waning, it continued to be regarded as the Caput Mundi by Catholic noblemen, especially during the 1675 Jubilee, underscoring the religious aspect of the journey. The advantages Rome had to offer must inevitably have had a formative effect on the young Tyrolean nobleman. The costs of the journey were high and out of reach of the majority, and therefore represented an important element of social distinction. At the same time, such an educational journey was a means of improving one’s education and polishing one’s manners that was almost obligatory for career purposes. Only by visiting foreign countries and courts could one acquire the Weltkenntnis, or knowledge of the world, qualifying an individual for higher posts at court, in the diplomacy or administration.

Pendampingan Implementasi Manajemen Risiko Covid-19 Di Tempat Beribadah

The world is currently in shock with the emergence of the corona virus known as COVID-19. The virus, which was first discovered in the city of Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019, spreads quickly and has spread throughout the world, including Indonesia. The increasing growth of the corona virus has spread to various aspects of life, from the economic field to the religious aspect. Muslims who usually carry out various congregational prayers freely in mosques are now no longer happening, even mosques are considered as one of the clusters for the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Considering these conditions, we are called to provide assistance in implementing risk management in mosques by providing knowledge and understanding about the importance of prevention and risk management efforts and providing the equipment needed to support the implementation of risk management in places of worship. By assisting the implementation of this risk management, the awareness of the congregation can increase through the implementation of carrying out risk management practices on a regular and sustainable basis so that the prevention of the spread of the Covid-19 virus can be suppressed and religious activities can continue.

Imitating the Traditional Gods

This paper examines moral virtues and cult practice in Plato’s Laws. It explores the symposium and the chorus and their potential to provide a recognisable cultural setting, in which the Magnesian citizens can test their responses to pleasurable and painful experiences and thus train their moral virtues. The challenge to this reading is to explain what additional input to moral habituation is provided by the religious aspect of these institutions. This paper draws attention to the relationship between the people and the patron gods of the respective institutions. It argues that the cult practices are designed to reflect the virtuous character of the traditional gods, who serve as the ethical role models for the worshipers. In this way, the worship of the traditional gods not only facilitates moral progress by exemplifying the objective of virtuous life, but also gives an egalitarian version of the ideal of godlikeness to its citizens.

The educational contents extracted from the verses indicating moderation in the religious aspect: المضامين التربوية المستنبطة من الآيات الدالة على الوسطية في الجانب العقدي

One of God’s blessings and honor for this ummah, may He be glorified and exalted, is to make it a nation that sets out to organize its life through the noble Islamic approach based on mediation. (we made you a nation in the middle) (Al-Baqarah: 143). Moderation mean its safety from excess and negligence. The principle that Islamic education sought to achieve is the subject presented for study under the title of educational contents deduced from the verses indicating moderation. The Almighty said: (God has witnessed that there is no god but He and the angels, and that knowledge was first established with equity, there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise) (Al-Imran: 18). The Islamic religion is mediating in its teachings between two opposing or opposing parties, neither excessive nor neglecting its legislations and principles, but rather it is based on equity.

“This Is My Place”. (Hi)Storytelling Churches in the Northern Netherlands

This article proposes storytelling as a tool to return historic church buildings to the people in today’s secularized society. It starts by recognizing the unique qualities shared by most historic churches, namely that they are (1) different from most other buildings, (2) unusually old, and (3) are often characterized by beautiful exteriors and interiors. The argument builds on the storytelling strategies that were chosen in two recent book projects co-written by the author of this article, on historic churches in the northern Dutch provinces of Frisia (Fryslân) and Groningen. Among the many stories “told” by the Frisian and Groningen churches and their interiors, three categories are specifically highlighted. First, the religious aspect of the buildings’ history, from which most of its forms, fittings, and imagery are derived, and which increasingly needs to be explained in a largely post-Christian society. Second, churches tell us local histories, because they were the communities’ most public space for centuries, and a room for social representation. Finally, third, local history is always “glocal”, because it is interwoven with multiple connections to other places far and near. Researching, cherishing, and telling these stories are powerful means to engage communities in the future preservation of their old churches as religious and cultural heritage.

African Neo-Pentecostal capitalism through the lens of Ujamaa

This article engaged in critical analyses of the capitalistic nature of the practices of African Neo-Pentecostal leaders with a focus on a few but most popular Nigerian and South African Neo-Pentecostal leaders. Using Julius Nyerere’s African moral philosophy called Ujamaa, the article viewed and critiqued the narratives with an emphasis on how antithetical such practices are to the communitarian nature of African society which provides for people-centred servant leadership. Progressively, the article discovered that such capitalistic practices promote manipulative, exploitative and inhuman culture and therefore engenders gross socio-moral and socio-economic abuse of the rights and privileges of millions of Church adherents. It further deduced that amongst others, lack of love towards the adherents and surrounding communities is at the heart of such bankrupt practices and therefore recommended the three principles and three factors of Ujamaa’s philosophy as essential values needed for the transformation of the Neo-Pentecostal religious organisations or nations. It is the conclusive remark of this article that every leader needs to adopt Ujamaa’s philosophy as a basic leadership requirement for communitarian and people-centred service to humanity.Contribution: Aligning with HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies focus and scope, this article contributed to an interdisciplinary religious aspect of research as it brought forward the interplay of African Moral Philosophy and African Pentecostal Theology aimed at discovering pathways to improve the African Christian leaders’ socio-moral and socio-economic services to adherents and African communities at large.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION

Sexual Health Education must be is on important field of education. The purpose of our article is to synthesize the diverse aspects founded in the literature of sexual health education. We conducted a search of the literature on sexual health education and specific results of subject. We synthetized there information about standards and specific skill elements, teaching sexual health education, pedagogical, methodological and theoretical approach. During the workshops organized with teachers, students and parents, the topic of sex education was debated, the topic giving rise to controversy, especially due to the religious aspect. Important is the role of parents in sexual health education and finally is important to know the perceptions of adolescents.