A few days ago, the Al-Jazeera program Empire assembled a high-profile panel to discuss the future prospects of the Muslim Brotherhood movement. The 25-minute program is available online and worth watching for some background and a diverse array of views on this influential movement in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.
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Announcements, events, and opportunities related to topics of interest to TIF readers are posted here. Additionally you may find round-ups of news items and brief commentary on current events.
For a listing of all of the events announcements, click here.
For a listing of announcements regarding books, click here.
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Newt Gingrich’s secular, Islamic America
by Charles GelmanMatt Yglesias parses Newt Gingrich's (only) ostensibly contradictory statement, that "if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they’re my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists . . . ."
March 29, 2011
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Linking religion and obesity
by Annie Hardison-MoodyA new study presented by researchers at Northwestern University at a recent American Heart Association conference challenges assumptions about the positive effects of religiosity on health. This study finds a link between obesity and religiosity (measured by religious service attendance) among young adults in the United States. The study contends that the more often young adults attend religious services, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese in middle age.
March 30, 2011
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Crucifixes: cultural or religious?
by Grace YukichRecently the European Court of Human Rights decided to allow the display of crucifixes in public school classrooms (Lautsi and Others v. Italy, March 18). As Justin Reynolds noted here a few days ago, this decision applies not only to Italy, where a lower court previously reached the opposite verdict, but to all 47 member nations. In a New York Times piece, Stanley Fish outlines the reasoning of the court and analyzes the implications of its decision.
March 30, 2011
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Carter Center Forum on Religion, Belief and Women’s Rights
by Annie Hardison-MoodyApril 3rd marks the first day of the 2011 Carter Center Human Rights Defenders Forum. The theme for this year’s forum is Religion, Belief, and Women's Rights. The formal conference on April 5-6 will be webcast live on the Carter Center's website, and select portions of the conference will be live tweeted by Carter Center staff. Follow the Carter Center’s twitter feed @CarterCenter and join in the discussion at #Women'sRights11.
April 3, 2011
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“Politics of Religious Freedom”
by Jessica PolebaumProfessors Saba Mahmood, Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, and Peter Danchin have recently launched a multi-year, Luce-funded project entitled "Politics of Religious Freedom."
April 7, 2011
events
Talking about religion
by John D. BoyThis Friday, as soon as you are done filing your taxes, consider attending a very interesting event at Marymount Manhattan College called "Talking About Religion: Contested Meanings." It features two sessions of presentations by scholars of religious studies and anthropology (including Immanent Frame contributor Gil Anidjar) followed by a keynote address by Eugene Gallagher entitled “What is Religion? Who’s Asking?”
April 11, 2011
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Translating music into politics in Haiti
by Charles GelmanIn Foreign Policy, Elizabeth McAlister---a member of the SSRC Working Group on Spirituality, Political Engagement, and Public Life---writes on recent electoral victory of Haitian pop star Michel Martelly and how music shapes politics in Haiti.
April 11, 2011
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Summer Institute on Religion & the Urban Environment, Shanghai University
by Grace YukichShanghai University and The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, are holding a Summer Institute at Shanghai University from August 22 to August 26, 2011. The program is open to M.A. and PhD. students in the social sciences, media studies, architecture, and urban design who want to work on research on Shanghai.
April 12, 2011
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“Burqa Ban” takes effect in France
by Grace YukichOn April 11th, the hotly debated "burqa ban" went into effect in France.
April 12, 2011