Suchergebnisse

The notion of a 'politics of religion' refers to the increasing role that religion plays in the politics of the contemporary world. This book presents comparative country case studies on the politics of religion in South and South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Indonesia

The notion of a 'politics of religion' refers to the increasing role that religion plays in the politics of the contemporary world. This book presents comparative country case studies on the politics of religion in South and South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Indonesia. The politics of religion calls into question the relevance of modernist notions of secularism and democracy, with the emphasis instead on going back to indigenous roots in search of authentic ideologies and models of state and nation building. Within the context of the individual countries, chapters focus on the consequences that politics of religion has on inclusive nation-building, democracy and the rights of individuals, minorities and women. The book makes a contribution to both the theoretical and conceptual literature on the politics of religion as well as shed light on the implications and ramifications of the politics of religion on contemporary South Asian and South East Asian countries. It is of interest to students and scholars of South and South East Asian Studies, as well as Comparative Politics.

Ahrari, Ehsan, The Great Powers versus the Hegemon (Houndsmills Baskerville: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011). Pp. 266 (including index).

Immigration to Europe from Asia and Africa started soon after Second World War. The Muslims were the largest group among them. Those who arrived were looking for work and most were unskilled workers who were absorbed by the economy seriously short of manpower. The cultural and ethnic differences between the immigrants and mainstream society resulted in the anti-immigration forces expressing concern over such immigration. Till about the late 1970s, such concerns were expressed in racial/ethnic terms, but thereafter the emphasis shifted on the Muslims who were perceived to be asserting their communal identity as a separate group. In the 1980s and thenceforth more Muslims headed towards Europe seeking refuge on political and humanitarian grounds. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and similar attacks in some European countries by Muslim extremists, the Muslim presence in Europe has been seen as subversive by some while others have described it as overreaction condemning a whole community for the crimes of a few. Security, human rights and minority rights arguments have been advanced for and against the Muslim presence. This study analyses such concerns in terms of notions of 'ethnic affinity' as a social construct.