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Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > Religious intolerance, persecution & conflict > General
Borders - whether settled or contested, violent or calm, closed or
open - may have a direct, and often acute, human impact. Those
affected may be people living nearby, those attempting to cross
them and even those who succeed in doing so. At the border,
vulnerable refugee and migrant communities, especially women, are
exposed to state-centred boundary practices, paving the way for
both their alienation and exploitation. The militarization of
borders subjugates the very position of women in these marginalized
areas and often subjects them to further victimization, which is
facilitated by patriarchal socio-cultural practice. Structural
violence is endemic to these regions and gender interlocks with
their perimeters to reinforce and shape violence. This book locates
gender and violence along geographical edges and critically
examines the gendered experiences of women as global border
residents and border crossers. Broadly, it explores two questions.
First, what are women's experiences of engaging with borders?
Second, where are women positioned in the theory and practice of
marking, remarking and demarking these margins? Offering a nuanced
and thorough approach, this book suggests that research on borders
and violence needs to focus on how bordered violence shapes the
embodiment of gender identity and norms and how they are
challenged. It examines an array of issues including forced
migration, trafficking and cross-border ties to explore how gender
and borders intersect.
The Thirty Years' War (1618-48) was Europe's most destructive
conflict prior to the two world wars. Two of European history's
greatest generals faced each other at Lutzen in November 1632,
mid-way through this terrible war. Neither achieved his objective.
Albrecht von Wallenstein withdrew his battered imperial army at
nightfall, unaware that his opponent, King Gustavus Adolphus of
Sweden, had died a few hours earlier. The indecisive military
outcome found an immediate echo in image and print, and became the
object of political and historical disputes. Swedish propaganda
swiftly fostered the lasting image of the king's sacrifice for the
Protestant cause against the spectre of Catholic Habsburg
'universal monarchy'. The standard assumption that the king had
'met his death in the hour of victory' became integral to how
Gustavus Adolphus's contribution to modern warfare has been
remembered, even celebrated, while the study of Lutzen's wider
legacy shows how such events are constantly rewritten as elements
of propaganda, religious and national identity, and professional
military culture. The battle's religious and political associations
also led to its adoption as a symbol by those advocating German
unification under Prussian leadership. The battlefield remains a
place of pilgrimage to this day and a site for the celebration of
Protestant German and Nordic culture. This book is the first to
combine analysis of the battle itself with an assessment of its
cultural, political and military legacy, and the first to
incorporate recent archaeological research within a reappraisal of
the events and their significance. It challenges the accepted view
that Lutzen is a milestone in military development, arguing instead
that its impact was more significant on the cultural and political
level.
Currently, the nation's attention is concentrated on the
long-standing sexual misdeeds conducted by prominent political,
sports, and entertainment figures, which has been succinctly
captured by the "#Me Too" movement. This movement has spread to
call into question the actions of leaders in religious institutions
and organizations, providing the context for research that examines
the experiences of individuals and groups as they engage in their
daily activities within these establishments. #MeToo Issues in
Religious-Based Institutions and Organizations is an essential
research book that provides comprehensive research into the effects
of the #MeToo movement on institutions and organizations with a
significant religious basis and reveals challenges and issues of
welcoming gender and diversity. Readers will gain insights and
tools for improving social conditions in their personal lives, in
places of worship, in organizations, and in academic or other
institutional environments. Highlighting a range of topics
including diversity, gender equality, and Abrahamic religions, this
book is ideal for religious officials, church leaders,
psychologists, sociologists, professionals, researchers,
academicians, and students.
What should states do with the bodies of suicide bombers and other
jihadists who die while perpetrating terrorist attacks? This
original and unsettling book explores the host of ethical and
political questions raised by this dilemma, from (non-)
legitimisation of the 'enemy' and their cause to the
non-territorial identity of individuals who identified in life with
a global community of believers. Because states do not recognise
suicide bombers as enemy combatants, governments must decide
individually what to do with their remains. Riva Kastoryano offers
a window onto this challenging predicament through the responses of
the American, Spanish, British and French governments after the
Al-Qaeda suicide attacks in New York, Madrid and London, and
Islamic State's attacks on Paris in 2015. Interviewing officials,
religious and local leaders and jihadists' families, both in their
countries of origin and in the target nations, she has traced the
terrorists' travel history, discovering unexpected connections
between their itineraries and the handling of their burials. This
fascinating book reveals how states' approaches to a seemingly
practical issue are closely shaped by territory, culture,
globalisation and identity.
Selected as one of 'Five books that help explain what is happening
in Afghanistan' (Financial Times) So-called Islamic State began to
appear in what it calls Khorasan (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central
Asia, Iran and India) in 2014. Reports of its presence were at
first dismissed as propaganda, but during 2015 it became clear that
IS had a serious presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan at least.
This book, by one of the leading experts on Islamist insurgency in
the region, explores the nature of IS in Khorasan, its aim and
strategies, and its evolution in an environment already populated
by many jihadist organisations. Based on first-hand research and
numerous interviews with members of IS in Khorasan, as well as with
other participants and observers, the book addresses highly
contentious issues such as funding, IS's relationship with the
region's authorities, and its interactions with other insurgent
groups. Giustozzi argues that the central leadership of IS invested
significant financial resources in establishing its own branch in
Khorasan, and as such it is more than a local movement which
adopted the IS brand for its own aims. Though the central
leadership has been struggling in implementing its project, it is
now turning towards a more realistic approach. This is the first
book on a new frontier in Islamic State's international jihad.
Islamophobia is one of the most prevalent forms of prejudice in the
world today. This timely book reveals the way in which
Islamophobia's pervasive power is being met with responses that
challenge it and the worldview on which it rests. The volume breaks
new ground by outlining the characteristics of contemporary
Islamophobia across a range of political, historic, and cultural
public debates in Europe and the United States. Chapters examine
issues such as: how anti-Muslim prejudice facilitates questionable
foreign and domestic policies of Western governments; the tangible
presence of anti-Muslim bias in media and the arts including a
critique of the global blockbuster fantasy series Game of Thrones;
youth activism in response to securitised Islamophobia in
education; and activist forms of Muslim self-fashioning including
Islamic feminism, visual art and comic strip superheroes in popular
culture and new media. Drawing on contributions from experts in
history, sociology, and literature, the book brings together
interdisciplinary perspectives from culture and the arts as well as
political and policy reflections. It argues for an inclusive
cultural dialogue through which misrepresentation and
institutionalised Islamophobia can be challenged.
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