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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > Religious intolerance, persecution & conflict
There is currently much discussion regarding the causes of
terrorist acts, as well as the connection between terrorism and
religion. Terrorism is attributed either to religious 'fanaticism'
or, alternately, to political and economic factors, with religion
more or less dismissed as a secondary factor. The Cambridge
Companion to Religion and Terrorism examines this complex
relationship between religion and terrorism phenomenon through a
collection of essays freshly written for this volume. Bringing
varying approaches to the topic, from the theoretical to the
empirical, the Companion includes an array of subjects, such as
radicalization, suicide bombing, and rational choice, as well as
specific case studies. The result is a richly textured collection
that prompts readers to critically consider the cluster of
phenomena that we have come to refer to as 'terrorism,' and
terrorism's relationship with the similarly problematic set of
phenomena that we call 'religion.'
In 1144, the mutilated body of William of Norwich, a young
apprentice leatherworker, was found abandoned outside the city's
walls. The boy bore disturbing signs of torture, and a story spread
that it was a ritual murder, performed by Jews in imitation of the
Crucifixion as a mockery of Christianity. The outline of William's
tale eventually gained currency far beyond Norwich, and the idea
that Jews engaged in ritual murder became firmly rooted in the
European imagination. E.M. Rose's engaging book delves into the
story of William's murder and the notorious trial that followed to
uncover the origin of the ritual murder accusation - known as the
"blood libel" - in western Europe in the Middle Ages. Focusing on
the specific historical context - 12th-century ecclesiastical
politics, the position of Jews in England, the Second Crusade, and
the cult of saints - and suspensefully unraveling the facts of the
case, Rose makes a powerful argument for why the Norwich Jews (and
particularly one Jewish banker) were accused of killing the youth,
and how the malevolent blood libel accusation managed to take hold.
She also considers four "copycat" cases, in which Jews were
similarly blamed for the death of young Christians, and traces the
adaptations of the story over time. In the centuries after its
appearance, the ritual murder accusation provoked instances of
torture, death and expulsion of thousands of Jews and the
extermination of hundreds of communities. Although no charge of
ritual murder has withstood historical scrutiny, the concept of the
blood libel is so emotionally charged and deeply rooted in cultural
memory that it endures even today. Rose's groundbreaking work,
driven by fascinating characters, a gripping narrative, and
impressive scholarship, provides clear answers as to why the blood
libel emerged when it did and how it was able to gain such
widespread acceptance, laying the foundations for enduring
antisemitic myths that continue to present.
Extremism in the United States presents students with a collection
of articles that chronicle the development of violent white
supremacist extremism in the United States from the Know-Nothing
era to the January 6 insurrection. The book examines how right-wing
groups mobilized in the last half of the 20th century to become a
strong negative influence upon American society. The opening unit
discusses the diversity of extremism in America and in the world,
and how extremism has changed over time. Proceeding units examine
the American Eugenics Movement; the mobilization of white supremacy
through Neo-Nazis, Skinheads, and militiamen; the rise of the
Alt-Right in the United States; and strategies for resisting
extremism in the 21st century. In closing units, students read
articles on lone wolf offenders, internet radicalization, and ways
to combat white supremacist violence in the future. A timely and
contemporary resource, Extremism in the United States is an ideal
textbook for courses in sociology, criminal justice, and terrorism.
In September 2014, Azad Cudi became one of seventeen snipers
deployed when ISIS, trying to shatter the Kurds in a decisive
battle, besieged the northern city of Kobani. In LONG SHOT, he
tells the inside story of how a group of activists and idealists
withstood a ferocious assault and, street by street, house by
house, took back their land in a victory that was to prove the
turning point in the war against ISIS. By turns devastating,
inspiring and lyrical, this is a unique account of modern war and
of the incalculable price of victory as a few thousand men and
women achieved the impossible and kept their dream of freedom
alive.
Global jihadism has been on policy agendas for more than two
decades. Since the 9/11 attacks, both transnational jihadi entities
such as Al-Qaeda and national or regional militant groups have
attracted a great deal of media and scholarly attention. In recent
years, policy agendas have increasingly come to include a focus on
countering militant jihadi ideologies. Despite this, studies of
global jihadism that take the impact of ideas seriously are at a
relatively early stage and have yet to fully capture the richness
of their social contexts and intellectual universes. Departing from
the security studies approaches that have characterised much
writing about jihadi groups, this volume aims to engage
policy-makers and specialists alike by bridging existing
disciplines and areas of study to create a framework for beginning
to understand jihadi movements through the study of their
ideologies, intellectual histories, political engagements and
geographies. The contributors to the volume come from a range of
academic disciplines (including history, anthropology, political
science, religious studies and area studies), as well as from the
worlds of diplomacy and policy research. In addition to studies of
globalised contexts and ideologies, the volume also includes
detailed studies of jihadi currents of thought and responses to
them in Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, India, Pakistan, Egypt,
South-East Asia and Europe.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ruled Mosul from
2014-2017 in accordance with its extremist interpretation of
sharia. But beyond what is known about ISIS governance in the city
from the group's own materials, very little is understood about the
reality of its rule, or reasons for its failure, from those who
actually lived under it. This book reveals what was going on inside
ISIS institutions based on accounts from the civilians themselves.
Focusing on ISIS governance of education, healthcare and policing,
the interviewees include: teachers who were forced to teach the
group's new curriculum; professors who organized secret classes in
private; doctors who took direct orders from ISIS leaders and
worked in their headquarters; bureaucratic staff who worked for
ISIS. These accounts provide unique insight into the lived
realities in the controlled territories and reveal how the
terrorist group balanced their commitment to Islamist ideology with
the practical challenges of state building. Moving beyond the
simplistic dichotomy of civilians as either passive victims or ISIS
supporters, Mathilde Becker Aarseth highlights here those people
who actively resisted or affected the way in which ISIS ruled. The
book invites readers to understand civilians' complex relationship
to the extremist group in the context of fragmented state power and
a city torn apart by the occupation.
The far right is on the rise across Europe, pushing a battle
scenario in which Islam clashes with Christianity as much as
Christianity clashes with Islam. From the margins to the
mainstream, far-right protesters and far-right politicians call for
the defence of Europe's Christian culture. The far right claims
Christianity. This book investigates contemporary far-right claims
to Christianity. Ulrich Schmiedel and Hannah Strommen examine the
theologies that emerge in the far right across Europe,
concentrating on Norway, Germany and Great Britain. They explore
how churches in these three countries have been complicit,
complacent or critical of the far right, sometimes intentionally
and sometimes unintentionally. Ultimately, Schmiedel and Strommen
encourage a creative and collaborative theological response. To
counter the far right, Christianity needs to be practiced in an
open and open-ended way which calls Christians into contact with
Muslims.
The Shi'i clergy are amongst the most influential political players
in the Middle East. For decades, scholars and observers have tried
to understand the balance of power between, Shi'i 'quietism' and
'activism'. The book is based on exclusive interviews with
high-profile Shi'i clerics in order to reveal how the Shi'i
clerical elite perceives its role and engages in politics today.
The book focuses on three ground-breaking events in the modern
Middle East: the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the 2003 Iraq
War, and the 2006 July war in Lebanon. By examining the nature and
evolution of a Shi'i clerical network the book finds that, far from
there being strategic differences between 'quitest' and 'activist'
clerics, Shi'i mujtahid statesmen matured, from 1979 in Iran to
2003 Iraq, by way of a pragmatism which led to a strong form of
transnational and associated whole in Lebanon in 2006. In doing so,
the book breaks down the established, and misleading,
dichotomisation of the Shi'i clergy into 'quietists' and
'activists' and discovers that the decision of Shi'i clerical
elites to become politically active or to stay out of politics are
attributable to their ability to adapt to their political
environments.
Over the past thirty years, Italy-the historic home of
Catholicism-has become a significant destination for migrants from
Nigeria and Ghana. Along with suitcases and dreams of a brighter
future, these Africans bring their own form of Christianity,
Pentecostalism, shaped by their various cultures and religious
worlds. At the heart of Annalisa Butticci's beautifully sculpted
ethnography of African Pentecostalism in Italy is a paradox.
Pentecostalism, traditionally one of the most Protestant of
Christian faiths, is driven by the same concern as Catholicism:
real presence. In Italy, Pentecostals face harsh anti-immigrant
sentiment and limited access to economic and social resources. At
times, they find safe spaces to worship in Catholic churches, where
a fascinating encounter unfolds that is equal parts conflict and
communion. When Pentecostals watch Catholics engage with
sacramental objects-relics, statues, works of art-they recognize
the signs of what they consider the idolatrous religions of their
ancestors. Catholics, in turn, view Pentecostal practices as a mix
of African religions and Christian traditions. Yet despite their
apparently irreconcilable differences and conflicts, they both
share a deeply sensuous and material way to make the divine visible
and tangible. In this sense, Pentecostalism appears much closer to
Catholicism than to mainstream Protestantism. African Pentecostals
in Catholic Europe offers an intimate glimpse at what happens when
the world's two fastest growing Christian faiths come into contact,
share worship space, and use analogous sacramental objects and
images. And it explains how their seemingly antithetical practices
and beliefs undergird a profound commonality.
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