Keywords: World; Shelter; Without Protector; Buddhism; Protection; Displaced People; International Humanitarian Law; International; Humanitarian; Law;
Displacement is a common consequence of armed conflict that entails acute suffering and loss of protection. The prevention of displacement and the protection of displaced people are integral concerns of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), a universal body of law that seeks to limit the negative effects of war and to protect those who are not–––or no longer–––in the fight. To those ends, IHL includes provisions to prevent the unnecessary displacement of people and provides for the safety, shelter, health, hygiene, nutrition, and family unity of those displaced by conflict. While refugees (those who cross international boundaries) fall under the legal protection of the1951 Refugee Convention and the assistance of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) move within the bounds of their state of citizenship or habitual residence. When that state is experiencing armed conflict, the government on which displaced people should normally rely for protection and assistance may be unable or unwilling to provide for their welfare. Furthermore, respect for the sovereignty of states can hinder international humanitarian intervention on behalf of IDPs. For this reason, IDPs are particularly vulnerable to prolonged suffering and de facto lack of protection during times of armed conflict, even though they are included in the provisions of IHL. The protection of IDPs during times of war remains a serious humanitarian challenge in every region of the world.
More...Keywords: Border; Borders; Superkilen; Assimilation;
Debates surrounding immigration in Europe often justify anti-Muslim policies through the discourse of failed integration and “culture wars” (Roy, 2020: 105). This failure is epitomized by the proliferation of isolated neighborhoods in European metropolises. Predominantly non-white immigrant communities close themselves off from the rest of society, creating internal borders within cities (Lapeyronnie & Courtois, 2008). These “ghettoized” spaces, then, become the target for radical groups and fundamentalist ideologies. To explain this phenomenon, often referred to as “community withdrawal,” political discourse points the finger at religion. The inhabitants of these spaces are said to be unwilling to embrace societal norms, which in turn precludes their capacity to integrate into mainstream society. The reason for this unwillingness—as the logic of this xenophobic justification goes—is that the religion of immigrants is incompatible with secular and liberal values. Thus, to be socially and economically integrated, Muslim immigrants should first be culturally assimilated.
More...Keywords: Informational Asymmetry; Interfaith; Communication; Conflict; Game; Theoretical; Approach;
Interfaith communication can be defined as the interactions between religious or political actors belonging to different traditions who communicate with interlocutors on a particular issue, recognizing the importance of the religious dimension in their interactions. Such communication can alter the opinions of the “other” and allow mutual understanding and respect to develop between parties (Laustsen & Waever, 2000). Parties to these sensitive interactions usually find that their decisions depend on the interlocutor’s past, the expectations of the interlocutor’s future behavior, and trust levels. In this article, we investigate the role of uncertainty about others’ sincerity and trustworthiness in interfaith communication, especially in times of political conflict. We draw attention to the tensions between representing a community and reaching out to “the other side.” We offer a game-theoretical model of asymmetric information where players are unequal in terms of the information they have vis-à-vis each other’s preferences over the possible outcomes of their interaction.
More...Keywords: Intersection of Religion; Identity; Education; Perceptions; Sunni; Muslim; Parents; Islam; Islam Courses; Austria;
The Muslim population in Austria grew significantly in the second half of the 20th century due to immigration from countries such as Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Much of this population change was the result of guest worker immigration from Turkey to Austria, as well as a product of civil war in former Yugoslavia. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria, the country has a Muslim population of about 335,000 people who hail from various countries including Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and India. The majority of these Muslims are of Turkish origin, constituting 134,210 people, followed by Bosnian and Herzegovinian Muslims, the number of which is reported in official statistics at 96,214. Furthermore, there are between 20,000 and 30,000 Muslims from other countries. The ministry states that the majority of the Muslim population in Austria is Sunni, accounting for about 85 to 90 percent, while about 10 to 15 percent are Shiites, including Iranians, Alevites, and some Kurdish minorities. However, it is essential to note that the Muslim population in Austria includes both immigrants who have received Austrian citizenship and native Austrians who have converted to Islam (Hafez, et al., 2005).
More...Keywords: Alevism; political; theological; Austria;
In recent years, the impact of migration on religion and religious communities has been frequently discussed in connection to the construction of migrants’ identities. According to Gallo (2014), these debates are perceived as a threat to national identity and so religious communities are increasingly politicized by national governments. These debates have affected not only those who migrate, but also those who live with immigrants in their countries of origin, and lead to further discussion of political, economic, legal, and cultural implications, as well as to inter-religious dialogue and intra-faith diversity (Henkel & Knippenberg, 2005; Gallo, 2014
More...Keywords: Interreligious; Outreach; Building Trust; Strengthening; Social Inclusion; Europe; Network; Dialogue;
Since 2015, migration to Europe has created challenges for community relations in terms of dealing with cohesive integration and a recognition of the growing diversity within communities. In recent years, European policymakers have perceived the arrival of refugees and migrants as a challenge especially as they try to address cross cuttingissues of social cohesion, economy and health. Representations of the ‘migrant crisis’ reinforce negative perceptions of migration dynamics. One narrative, which paints the notion of the arrival of refugees and migrants since 2015 as a constant flow of people that suddenly and unexpectedly pushed at the continent’s Mediterranean borders, distorts the lived experience of migration and trivialise migration-related challenges. Focus on the frequency and scale of the migration undermines nuanced understanding of the causes, consequences and experiences of migrants and refugees.
More...Keywords: Textual Placemaking; Migration; Memories; Psalm 137
This chapter arose from an interest in the broader question of how religious texts form and function as catalysts and containers of memory in contexts of mobility and migration. It is well documented by now that religion plays important roles for many migrants throughout the migration undertaking. Religion is embedded in the social world of migration decision-making and informs responses to (in)security. Religious practice also plays an integral role in shaping, perpetuating, and responding to cultures of mobility and migration regimes. Textualized creations are among the mnemonic cultural products mobile/migrant religious actors generate. Some such texts become sacralized for communities of faith and may even as function as foundational resources in later contexts of movement.
More...Keywords: gender; equality; higher education; violence; challenges; mainstreaming;
Jedno od gorućih pitanja današnjice jeste rodno zasnovano nasilje prisutno u svim sferama života, uključujući i univerzitetsku zajednicu. U posljednje tri decenije napravljeni su određeni pomaci na podizanju svijesti na različitim nivoima (globalno, lokalno, nacionalno), ali to svakako nije bilo dovoljno da se dostigne nulti stepen tolerancije prema takvoj vrsti nasilja oko nas. Umjesto povremenih reakcija i neučinkovitih deklarativnih osuda, i univerziteti trebaju sistemski pristupati pitanjima rodno zasnovanog nasilja u svim njegovim pojavnim oblicima kako bi ga prevenirali, sankcionirali i iskorijenili (npr. tako što bi žrtve bile zaštićene i osjećale se sigurno da prijave počinioce seksualnog uznemiravanja; tako što bi se u univerzitetskom prostoru i procesu prevazišle rodno zasnovane diskriminacije u nastavnom i naučno-istraživačkom radu i iskustvu i slično). Istraživanje o rodnoj (ne)ravnopravnosti i rodno zasnovanom nasilju čije rezultate predstavljamo u ovom naučnom zborniku provedeno je u četiri zemlje Balkana: Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH), Hrvatskoj, Srbiji i Crnoj Gori, na 18 javnih i privatnih univerziteta. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo nastavno i administrativno osoblje i studentice i studente sa društvenih, humanističkih, prirodnih, tehničkih, biotehničkih te biomedicinskih i zdravstvenih nauka, kao i umjetnosti. Metode, ciljevi i struktura istraživanja iscrpno su objašnjeni u prvom poglavlju ovog zbornika.
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