Religious intoleranceand conflict Books

Book SynopsisA New York Times Notable Book, winner of the Jerwood Award from the Royal Society of Literature, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, and named a Book of the Year by the Telegraph, Spectator, Observer, and BBC History Magazine, this bold new history of the rise of Christianity shows how its radical followers helped to annihilate Greek and Roman civilizations. The Darkening Age is the largely unknown story of how a militant religion deliberately attacked and suppressed the teachings of the Classical world, ushering in centuries of unquestioning adherence to one true faith.Despite the long-held notion that the early Christians were meek and mild, going to their martyrs'' deaths singing hymns of love and praise, the truth, as Catherine Nixey reveals, is very different. Far from being meek and mild, they were violent, ruthless, and fundamentally intolerant. Unlike

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Book SynopsisWhy does religion inspire hatred? Why do people in one religion sometimes hate people of another religion, and also why do some religions inspire hatred from others?This book shows how scholarly studies of prejudice, identity formation, and genocide studies can shed light on global examples of religious hatred. The book is divided into four parts, focusing respectively on: theories of prejudice and violence; historical developments of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and race; contemporary Western antisemitism and Islamophobia; and, prejudices beyond the West in the Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions. Each part ends with a special focus section. Key features include: - A compelling synthesis of theories of prejudice, identity, and hatred to explain Islamophobia and antisemitism. - An innovative theory of human violence and genocide which explains the link to prejudice. - Case studies of both Western antisemitism and Islamophobia in history and today, alongside Trade ReviewHedges has written a remarkable book, which deserves to be widely read by students of religion, as well as by those who work in community relations. It is accessible and clearly written ... work of scholarship from an expert in interreligious relations. * Reviews in Religion and Theology *Paul Hedges offers a critical and multidisciplinary contribution to the perennial questions regarding the whence, whither, wherefore, and whereby of religious hatred ... Significantly, he connects antisemitism and Islamophobia together as forms of bias and prejudice (partially explainable through social identity theory). For this, and more, the book is highly commendable ... Indeed, I’ll be employing it in my own classes precisely because of how it opens us up to debate and critical exploration. * Journal of Interreligious Studies *Religious Hatred is an ambitious book ... No one volume attempting to weave together so much history in so many places can do everything, but Hedges is able to do quite a lot to enter into and further a conversation that, I hope, will remain at the forefront. With Islamophobia and antisemitism on the rise, work like this is crucial. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *The book is written in straightforward and jargon-free language that makes it suitable for a course book but also relevant for senior scholars and the general public. It is carefully worded with elegant alliterative sentences, inviting the reader to stop and reflect. * TEMENOS: Nordic Journal of Comparative Religion *I believe the book to be of great worth ... I have learned a lot from it, and will undoubtedly return to it ... Overall, the book offers rich reward for taking the time to read it and think about it. * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books *Hedges’ book is an excellent resource for educators and scholars hoping to have more nuanced and balanced discussions on the realities of Islamophobia and antisemitism. His book equips his readers with the resources they need not only to conceptually understand what prejudice, hatred and violence are as human phenomena, but also to respond to these challenges with deeper historical awareness and sensitivity. * Current Dialogue *Table of ContentsPart 1: Why do we Hate? Chapter 1: Race, Religion, Rhetoric: Theories of Prejudice and Othering Chapter 2: The Hatred unto Death: When Prejudice Becomes Killing and Genocide Special Focus: What is Religious Hatred? Part 2: Bridges from the Past Chapter 3: The Oldest Prejudice? Christian Anti-Semitism from the Gospels to Luther Chapter 4: Kafir and Turks: Christians and Muslims through History Chapter 5: Enlightenment, Citizenship, and Race: The Modern Hatred of Jews, Muslims and People of Colour Special Focus: Why did the Holocaust happen? Part 3: Contemporary Western Hatreds Chapter 6: The West’s Eternal Jewish Question? Politics, Anti-Semitism, and Holocaust Denial Chapter 7: “Why do they hate us?” and Why do we hate them? Contemporary Western Islamophobias Special Focus: Are Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia Connected? Part 4: Prejudice Beyond the West Chapter 8: From People of the Book to Enemies of Islam: Islamic Anti-Semitism and Palestine-Israel Chapter 9: Killing for the Buddha: Islamophobia in the Buddhist World Chapter 10: Hindus and the Fatherland: Hindutva as Hatred Special Focus: Can we Regulate Against Religious Hatred? Epilogue: The Good News: Dialogue, Civil Rights, and Peacebuilding Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIslam and America argues that the current animosity between the U.S. and Muslim world should be understood through the often-overlooked history between the two. Tracing the genealogy of this conflicted relationship from the Pilgrims to the present, author Anouar Majid weaves personal stories with historical narratives to offer a critical view of both cultures and to suggest a path towards future peace.The paperback edition features a new preface that connects Majid's argument with recent events, from the growth of ISIS to the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Islam and America makes a provocative argument against faith-based prejudices and offers inspiring suggestions for the future.Trade ReviewMost books on Islam these days stress the negative, but Majid builds a highly personal and well documented blueprint for proudly being American and Muslim at the same time. Beneath the media-hyped 'clash of civilizations' there is far too much 'trash talking' and not near enough reasoned exploration of the principles that should unite the best values of both the United States and the Islamic World. As the current 'Arab Spring' demonstrates, the future belongs to those who challenge the status quo rather than pandering to past prejudice and perpetuating the injustice that tarnishes all sides. What makes this book stand out from the rest are both Majid's self reflection as a Muslim from Morocco and his passion for retelling the principles that at one time made the American experiment the envy of the world. As Majid persuasively argues, Americans and Muslims do not straddle a rigid cultural divide but can build on shared values if everyone recognizes that past prejudice is the enemy of future progress. -- Daniel Martin Varisco, Hofstra University; author of Islam Obscured: The Rhetoric of Anthropological RepresentationAnouar Majid's Islam and America is a bold and courageous book, putting a millennium of history, theology, and culture into context and challenging assumptions on all sides. Islam and America should be read by all who are perplexed at the catastrophic relations between the United States and the Muslim world, between Israel and her neighbors—who might come away with renewed faith that we still have it in our power to begin the world anew. -- Robert J. Allison, Suffolk University; author of The Crescent Obscured: The United States and the Muslim World, 1776-1815Possessed of a profound knowledge of several societies, Anouar Majid is that very rare writer in our noisily polemical culture—someone who offers true wisdom and understanding. -- Pankaj Mishra, author of Temptations of the West: How to be Modern in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tibet and beyondIslam and America is a narrative that harnesses anecdotes and historical trivia to produce a text that is accessible to a wide range of readers and at the same time entertains as it informs. * Contemporary Islam *Majid, a scholar at the University of New England, pursues the noble goal of tearing down animosity between Islam and America in this . . . important work. Through a mix of history, personal reflections on being a Muslim in America, and musings about politics, Majid argues that a future of good will and understanding is possible and offers suggestions for achieving it. Though short, the book contains a wealth of fascinating historical information that bolsters his larger political aims, such as the phenomenon of American-funded colleges in the Middle East. . . . Majid’s message is critical in today’s political climate, and this work is a worthwhile contribution to an ongoing dialogue. * Publishers Weekly *Majid, born in Morocco, raised a Muslim, educated in the U.S., and now an American, offers a personal view of the tensions between the U.S. and Islam and the foundation for moving forward. He begins, and ends, with the revolutionary idea that embodies the U.S.: the promise of liberty, free inquiry, new ideas, and a democratic spirit and the hope it engenders. In between, he argues that both sides have used sacred scriptures and unexamined religious beliefs to justify social injustice, misguided foreign-policy choices, and acts of aggression. Although both sides need to rethink their relationship to their respective traditions, reevaluate their own assumptions, and reexamine their place in the world today, the U.S. needs, in particular, to return to its revolutionary roots—roots planted in the soil of reason, not divine providence. The path forward will require speaking the truth. Forthright and fair, Majid’s analysis will not satisfy everyone. But that’s exactly the point. ‘Conversations humanize us; unyielding certitudes turn us into warring tribes and killing machines.’ * Booklist *As the Moroccan American scholar Anouar Majid reminds us on the first page of his latest book, Islam and America: Building a Future without Prejudice, we are drowning in information about the relationships of Muslims and the West but are not yet being rescued by this expanding corpus. This and his earlier We Are All Moors come as close to any books I have read recently that hold out promise for such a rescue, at least in the forward-thinking rhetoric that outlasts the general effluvium of political punditry. . . . Islam and America is a narrative that harnesses anecdotes and historical trivia to produce a text that is accessible to a wide range of readers and at the same time entertains as it informs. The unique aspect of the book is the reflective experience of a Muslim-born American from Morocco. . . . The value of Majid’s writing is that it argues for a focus on the common humanity that can shine through ethnic and religious filters, but a focus that is not shy about exposing the ugly side or prejudice on all sides. . . . Majid provides a compelling portrait, much abridged from the available literature he had read, on how Muslims viewed Americans and were viewed by Americans long before the tragedy of 9/11 and initiation of two wars costly both in lives and American prestige. * Springer Science + Business Media *Table of ContentsPreface to the Paperback Edition Preface Introduction: Why America Matters Chapter 1: America’s View of Islam Chapter 2: Holy Land for a Chosen People Chapter 3: How Islam Shaped America Chapter 4: America’s Gifts to Muslims and Arabs Chapter 5: Failing Civilizations Chapter 6: Future without Prejudice

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Book SynopsisIn The Genocide Contagion, esteemed scholar of genocide Israel W. Charny asks uncomfortable questions about what allows people to participate in genocide—either directly or indirectly. Charny draws on both historical and current examples to press readers to consider how they may contribute to genocide in other countries.Trade ReviewGenocide is not a 'thing of the past.' It's happening in war zones around the world and is hinted at in political speeches by right-wing ideologues. That's why this eye-opening book is so important. * Spirituality & Practice *Delivered in lively, accessible, and approachable format, The Genocide Contagion is suitable for a broad array of audiences and learners. Charny neither minces words nor overloads (or overlords) with agony. His work is neither human rights stenography nor human rights pornography. Charny emphasizes the capacity of the human spirit to harm and to recover, to injure and to atone: and, all the while, he maintains a cool faith in the power of pedagogy, prevention, and perseverance in draining the contagiousness of genocide and ultimately eradicating this blight upon humanity. * Genocide Studies and Prevention *The Genocide Contagion takes up the challenge of explaining why these crimes keep happening despite ‘Never again.’ What is their basis in human psychology, and how may they be predicted and averted? Israel Charny is well suited to undertake the task. He is one of the earliest and one of the most thoughtful and dedicated of Holocaust scholars, concerned with what happens before the killing begins and why people in large numbers can be led to participate in it…. The Genocide Contagion is a valuable, thought-provoking contribution to our examination of this sad history and of our potential roles in continuing or ending it. * PsycCRITIQUES *Dr. Israel W. Charny, one of the pioneers of the field of genocide studies and an eminent psychologist, has produced yet another work that is insightful and thought-provoking. As this new book attests, Charny is a scholar with a sharp mind and a compassionate heart. The unique combination of true incidents, fictional scenarios, and exercises encourages readers to explore who they really are and to delve deeply into what they really think, believe, and feel about a host of critical and controversial issues germane to crimes against humanity and genocide. These Learning Exercises make the book a powerful read. If you are familiar with Charny's work then you will rejoice at this new publication; if you aren't, then welcome to a new intellectual and moving venture. -- Samuel Totten, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; author of Genocide by Attrition: Nuba Mountains, Sudan * The Bok Blog *While this book is at first glance an introductory text on genocide, it is at the same time much more than that. Israel Charny is one of the pioneers of genocide studies and a doyen in the field. Here, he has asked (and answered) key questions regarding the psychological dynamics of those who commit genocide and those who collaborate with the murderers. But he goes further and looks carefully at those who say no when called upon to participate in the killing process. Charny seeks to look deep into the heart of heartlessness, with a view to identifying the evil that men and women do. This is a fascinating journey for which Professor Charny is to be commended. -- Paul R. Bartrop, Florida Gulf Coast UniversityIn this thought-provoking and eclectic volume, Charny engages in an innovative conversation with his readers. Drawing on his own well-known work, and that of several classic genocide studies scholars, he asks us to confront fundamental and difficult questions about ourselves. Could I be a bystander to genocide? Could I be a perpetrator? -- Maureen S. Hiebert, University of CalgaryI've found the book to be incredibly useful in the two courses I teach on genocide and mass violence, especially when it comes to getting students to step into the shoes of the perpetrators and understand their motivations (however uncomfortable that may be). This has become a staple of my pedagogy. As an instructor who has always stressed the importance of teaching history through role-playing, I think the immersion exercises offer an effective means of instilling students with a potent mix of empathy and revulsion, which in turn allows them to grasp why genocide occurs and how it can be prevented while simultaneously reacting to atrocities as any right-thinking person should. -- Bradley J. Nichols, Virginia TechTable of Contents1.Who Are We Human Beings? How Do Ordinary People Commit Violence? 2.The Foundations of Evil in Human Nature 3.Exaggerated Self-Defense, Exaggerated Power, and Dehumanization 4.“Just Like Everyone Else”: Conformity and the Lure of the Golden Calf 5.SS Footsteps: Putting on the Uniforms of Camp Guards and Sacrificing Others 6.“I Did Nothing Wrong”: Denial and Improper Management of Emotions 7.Summing Up: Who Are We and What Will Become of Us? Independent Study: Learning Exercises about How We Cause Harm and Protect Life Appendix: Studies on Israeli Willingness to Commit Evil Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisUsing concepts that are not already a part of the militant discourse as a way to undermine extremism, Countering Heedless Jihad explores a stratagem aimed at defusing jihadist ideology. It explains how to counteract idealist theology using concepts from it, borrowing ideas from some revered Islamic theologians and positioning them in a way that sabotages jihadist ideology. By integrating the theology with viable methods for dissemination, it presents a viable means for confusing existing members of radical groups and for neutralizing their recruiting effort. The book includes contributions by Major General Michael Lehnert, USMC; U.S. Ambassador David J. Dunford; and Dr. Khuram Iqbal.Trade ReviewIn this innovative manual for the professional and interested layman alike, Sheppard has taken aim squarely at a problem that has shackled the West’s “War on Terror” for nearly two decades now: how to delegitimize radical ideology without appearing to attack Islam itself. Politicians seldom come closer than broad platitudes about the benign nature of Islam that fail to ring true with jihadis, their supporters, and their audiences in the Muslim world. Sheppard’s insight is that the extremist message, while rooted in religious imagery and theology, is at heart a war-fighting doctrine, an ideology forged to advance political and military purposes. As such, it is susceptible to sabotage and confusion. The trick is to find the right tools. Sheppard proposes a wide range of tactics and techniques, such as selecting the right messengers and making clever use of the Internet-based multimedia outlets use by the radicals themselves, with which to cross-wire militant ideology from within. Countering Heedless Jihad is an insightful and comprehensive guide to a neglected but vital battlefield. -- Charles W. Dunne, Middle East InstituteTable of ContentsForeword: Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert, USMC Introduction: U.S. Ambassador David J. Dunford Command and Control Chapter One: The Staging Area -Intellectual Sabotage vs. COIN -Theology vs. Social Science -Violent Anti-rationalists -Basics of Deception -Ethics and Human Rights -Tribal Strategies and Multiple Identities Chapter Two: Abu Bakr and Black Propaganda -Operation Abu-Bakr -Sermons -E-magazines -Content for Bluejacking -Theological Orders Chapter Three: Umar and Electronic Delivery -Operation Umar -Video and Sound Files -Bluejacking -Web Spoofing -Hacking and Defacing -E-magazines Chapter Four: Uthman and Citizen Saboteurs -Operation Uthman -Case Officers -Recruiters -Training Camp -Citizen Saboteurs Chapter Five: Ali and Stability Operations -Operation Ali -Charity -Waqf -Micro-lending -Musharakah Conclusion Basic Communication Model and Countering Extremists’ Narrative: Dr. Khuram Iqbal Appendix: Shia Islam

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Book SynopsisUsing concepts that are not already a part of the militant discourse as a way to undermine extremism, the book explores a stratagem aimed at defusing jihadist ideology. By integrating the theology with viable methods for dissemination, it shows how to confuse members of radical groups and neutralize their recruiting efforts.Trade ReviewIn this innovative manual for the professional and interested layman alike, Sheppard has taken aim squarely at a problem that has shackled the West’s “War on Terror” for nearly two decades now: how to delegitimize radical ideology without appearing to attack Islam itself. Politicians seldom come closer than broad platitudes about the benign nature of Islam that fail to ring true with jihadis, their supporters, and their audiences in the Muslim world. Sheppard’s insight is that the extremist message, while rooted in religious imagery and theology, is at heart a war-fighting doctrine, an ideology forged to advance political and military purposes. As such, it is susceptible to sabotage and confusion. The trick is to find the right tools. Sheppard proposes a wide range of tactics and techniques, such as selecting the right messengers and making clever use of the Internet-based multimedia outlets use by the radicals themselves, with which to cross-wire militant ideology from within. Countering Heedless Jihad is an insightful and comprehensive guide to a neglected but vital battlefield. -- Charles W. Dunne, Middle East InstituteTable of ContentsForeword: Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert, USMC Introduction: U.S. Ambassador David J. Dunford Command and Control Chapter One: The Staging Area -Intellectual Sabotage vs. COIN -Theology vs. Social Science -Violent Anti-rationalists -Basics of Deception -Ethics and Human Rights -Tribal Strategies and Multiple Identities Chapter Two: Abu Bakr and Black Propaganda -Operation Abu-Bakr -Sermons -E-magazines -Content for Bluejacking -Theological Orders Chapter Three: Umar and Electronic Delivery -Operation Umar -Video and Sound Files -Bluejacking -Web Spoofing -Hacking and Defacing -E-magazines Chapter Four: Uthman and Citizen Saboteurs -Operation Uthman -Case Officers -Recruiters -Training Camp -Citizen Saboteurs Chapter Five: Ali and Stability Operations -Operation Ali -Charity -Waqf -Micro-lending -Musharakah Conclusion Basic Communication Model and Countering Extremists’ Narrative: Dr. Khuram Iqbal Appendix: Shia Islam

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Book Synopsis A torrent of Islamist terrorism swept across France in 2015 and 2016, executed by militant jihadists on behalf of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). Their targets ranged from the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine to the Bataclan Theatre on the Boulevard Voltaire to a parish church in a Normandy village and a beachfront promenade on the Mediterranean. This book reconstructs these and other terrorist offensives France weathered during this period. Placing each attack in its sociopolitical context, the author examines the backgrounds and motives of the perpetrators, the attributes of the victims and the legacy of the attacks for the people.Table of ContentsPrologue: The Ascent of Radical Islamism in the French RepublicPart I. The Pen and the Sword: Freedom of the Press, Islamist Extremism, and the Massacre at Charlie Hebdo Magazine1. Charlie Hebdo Magazine and the Grand Tradition of French Satire2. Courting Conflict: The Muhammad Cartoon Controversies in Denmark and France3. Stéphane Charbonnier: Satirist, Skeptic, Target4. Al-Qaeda and the Radicalization of Saïd and Chérif Kouachi5. Silencing Satire: The Assault on Charlie HebdoPart II. The Campaign to Demoralize: ISIS Attacks at the Bataclan Theatre, the Stade de France, and the Cafés of Paris6. Belgium, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, and the Paris Terror Units7. Carnival of Horror: The Bataclan Theatre, Stade de France, and the Café Attacks of Friday the Thirteenth8. Responses to the Attacks: The Medical Community, the Military, and Law Enforcement AgenciesPart III. Radical Islamism and Single-Perpetrator Terrorist Offensives in France9. Lone-Actor Terrorism, Encrypted Extremism, and Remote Control Attacks10. Normandy: The Slaying of a Parish Priest11. Insanity by the Sea: The Bastille Day Ramming Attack12. The Ramadan Murders: Ritualized Assault at an American-Owned Chemical Plant in France13. Terror on the Tracks: Face-Off on a ­High-Speed Train to ParisEpilogue—France Today: Emotional Scars, Enhanced Security, and the Question of Future AttacksChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the antisemitism that flourished outside of Vienna, in Austrian provinces such as Styria, Carinthia, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria, and Tyrol, focusing in particular on gender bias and its relationship to antisemitism. The 1904 arrest and bigamy trial of Frau von Hervay, the Jewish wife of District Captain Franz von Hervay of a Styrian provincial town (Mürzzuschlag), is closely examined to shed light on the relationship between Jews and non-Jews and attitudes towards women and sexuality in the small cities and towns of the Austrian provinces. The case demonstrates that antisemitism influenced popular perceptions of Jews and women at the local level and that it targeted women as well as men. This book provides an in-depth study of an episode of Austrian history that had a significant impact on the development of Austrian law; the role of religious institutions; perceptions of Jews, women, and sexuality; conceptions of Austrian bureaucracy and the need for reform; and the Trade ReviewRose takes the reader deep inside prewar rural Austria; her analysis suggests that the “Hervay Affair” is a prism through which we can begin to understand a myriad of contemporary issues at play, including church, legal, and political reform, as well as contemporary antisemitism and misogyny. For those interested in exploring those issues, Rose’s microstudy offers many avenues for further research. What emerges from these pages is a substantive and provocative portrait, elegant and thorough, and a delight to read. * American Historical Review *Alison Rose’s fascinating account of the life, arrest, and trial of a rogue Jewish woman from turn-of-the-century rural Austria sheds new light on the vexed history of hatred of the Jews in Austrian history. She deftly explores this neglected episode to show how antisemitism then and there was riddled with hatred of women in general and Jewish women in particular. The book helps us see the highly personal dimensions to ideologies usually seen as intellectual abstractions and brings into clear focus the complicated roots of hatred in this important historical setting. -- Deborah Hertz, University of California at San DiegoA deeply researched and well-written study on Austrian antisemitism. It will profoundly enrich our knowledge of a dark chapter of Austrian Jewish history. -- Klaus Hödl, Center for Jewish Studies, University of Graz and affiliated professor, University of HaifaAlison Rose impressively reconstructs the almost forgotten Hervay-Affair. She sheds new light onto the life and persecution of Leontine von Hervay. The book is an important contribution to the history of Antisemitism and gender in Austria. -- Dieter J. Hecht, Austrian Academy of SciencesTable of Contents1. Setting the Stage: Jews, Gender, and Antisemitism in the Austrian Provinces 2. “The Hervay Affair” 3. Press Coverage 4. Legal and Literary Interpretations

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Book SynopsisThis collection book provides a critical, inter-disciplinary exploration of the relationship between religion, conflict, violence, and tolerance from local-global perspectives. It focuses mainly on theoretical issues and approaches with contrasting case studies drawn from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South Asia.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Religion and Conflict in Local-Global Perspectives Part I: Global PerspectivesChapter 1: Who Worries About Religious Violence? Images of Religion in Politics Under a Neoliberal Economic Regime Chapter 2 : Researching Religion and Violence: Reflections on Symbolic Interactionism and Fieldwork Chapter 3: Clash of Civilizations or Racializing Religion? Muslims and Membership in the United States and Europe Chapter 4: Religion and Conflict in a Globalised Cyber Sphere: Dynamics and Implications Chapter 5: Religion and Terrorism in Africa: The Challenge of Traditional Counterterrorism StrategiesChapter 6 :Expanding the Universe of Violence: A Discourse on the Linkage between Religion and Terrorism Part II: Local Perspectives Chapter 7: Waging War on Peace in Jos Plateau Communities: Traditional Strategies of Conflict Resolution and Management Chapter 8: Islamophobia or Space Contestation? Christian Churches and the Kadhi Courts Controversy during the Constitution Review Process in Kenya (1990-2010) Chapter 9: Does ZANU (PF) and MDC Manipulate religion? The Role of Religion in the Zimbabwean Political Conflict Chapter 10: From Agonism to Antagonism? The Effects of the Response of the Leaders of Muslim Organizations to Expressions of Criticism of Islam in the Netherlands Chapter 11: Attitudes to ‘Religion and Conflict’ within Religious Jewish Peace Organisations in IsraelChapter 12: The Agency of Women in Peace Building: Sinqee Women-led Customary Institution of Dispute Resolution in Ethiopia Chapter 13: ‘Clemency oh Waaqa for the Blood of the Oromo’: Praying to Sooth Social Suffering Chapter 14: The Rise of Jihadi, Killing of ‘Apostate Imams’ and Non-Combatant Christian Civilians: Kenya Jihadists’ and al-Shabaab’s Identification of the ‘Enemy’ on Religious Lines

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Book SynopsisYezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority traces the development of Yezidi identity on the margins of Syria's minority context. This little known group is connected to the community's main living area in northern Iraq, but evolved as a separate identity group in the context of Syria's colonial, national, and revolutionary history. Always on the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy, the two sub-groups located in the Kurdagh and the Jezira experience a period of sociological and theological renewal in their quest for a recognized and protected status in the new Syria. In this book, Sebastian Maisel transmits and analyzes the Yezidi perspective on Syria's policies towards ethnic and religious minorities.Trade ReviewThis important and timely work fills a lacuna that has long been felt by students of Yezidism and others. It offers a thorough, scholarly, and much-needed account of the current position of the Yezidis in Syria, their religion, and historical background. The book makes a major contribution to Yezidi studies. -- Philip G. Kreyenbroek, Georg-August UniversityThere is still great need for research, especially on aspects of Yezidism as practiced by different local communities. Maisel’s book focuses on identity issues among the Yezidis in Syria, a double minority group which constructed two distinct local identities in past decades, but is now moving towards a unified one. Thus this book is very welcome since it contributes to our knowledge of the current situation of the Yezidi community in Syria. -- Khanna Omarkhali, Georg-August University, GöttingenTable of ContentsNote on Transliteration Preface Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Minorities in Syria: Competing Hierarchies Chapter 3. Demystifying the Yezidis: A Word about the Sources Chapter 4. Religious Beliefs and Social Organization Chapter 5. Historical Developments Chapter 6. Yezidis in the New Syria Chapter 7. Conclusion: Future Challenges Appendix

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the ways Christian women in college make sense of bisexual, transgender, polyamorous, and atheist others. Specifically, it explores the ways they express tolerance for some sexual groups, such as lesbian and gay people, while maintaining condemnation of other sexual, gendered, or religious groups. In so doing, this book highlights the limits of Christian tolerance for the advancement of minority rights.Trade ReviewSumerau and Cragun’s study of how religious people make sense of the increasing visibility of transgender, intersex, bi+, poly, and unchurched individuals in their midst fills a gaping void in our understanding of how traditional, established gender and religious norms continue to shape civic life in the United States. While a dominant narrative in the sociology of religion extols the limited acceptance of gay and lesbian people within Christendom, the authors show that beneath this veneer of progress there is unabated disdain for those outside mono-, hetero- and cisnormativities. The authors use ethnographic interviews to uncover the contours of this intolerance and describe how it is constructed and maintained. This is a timely, sophisticated, and essential contribution to the sociologies of religion and sexuality. -- Rick Philips, University of North FloridaFor decades, sociologists of religion and sexuality were stuck asking what American Christians thought about homosexuality. As Sumerau and Cragun illustrate, it’s time to ask new questions. The authors dig into topics usually left out by fellow sociologists of religion, exploring the far reaches of American Christian assumptions that privilege monogamy, monosexuality, and cisgender reality and that leave out bisexual, nonbinary, and nonreligious people. This timely book is a must read for understanding the complete landscape of religion and sexuality in contemporary America. -- Kelsy Burke, University of Nebraska, LincolnSumerau and Cragun’s pathbreaking study sheds light on the ideological assumptions that still inform much social research on attitudes—that male and female are two mutually exclusive categories, that sexual orientation must reflect this dichotomy, that religion is the sole source of morality, and being cisgender in lifelong monogamy is necessary to demonstrate it. They reveal that the stereotypes that used to hound gays and lesbians, of being immature, sick, and/or untrustworthy, have not gone away but been displaced onto less conforming categories of people: bisexuals, trans people, polyamorous people, and atheists. This provocative study is a must-read for anyone seriously committed to value-neutral social science, and could shift the paradigm for social science research. -- Dawne Moon, Marquette UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: What God has joined together: Gender, Sexual, and Religious Intersections in America 1. It Is God Who Works In You: Religious, Gendered, and Sexual Attitudes 2. Male and Female He Created Them: Christianity as Cisnormativity 3. And They Become One Flesh: Christianity as Mononormativity 4. The Fool Says In His Heart: Christianity as Religio-Normativity Conclusion: So Are My Ways Higher Than Your Ways: Normativity and Emerging Movements in America

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the ways Christian women in college make sense of bisexual, transgender, polyamorous, and atheist others. Specifically, it explores the ways they express tolerance for some sexual groups, such as lesbian and gay people, while maintaining condemnation of other sexual, gendered, or religious groups. In so doing, this book highlights the limits of Christian tolerance for the advancement of minority rights.Trade ReviewSumerau and Cragun’s study of how religious people make sense of the increasing visibility of transgender, intersex, bi+, poly, and unchurched individuals in their midst fills a gaping void in our understanding of how traditional, established gender and religious norms continue to shape civic life in the United States. While a dominant narrative in the sociology of religion extols the limited acceptance of gay and lesbian people within Christendom, the authors show that beneath this veneer of progress there is unabated disdain for those outside mono-, hetero- and cisnormativities. The authors use ethnographic interviews to uncover the contours of this intolerance and describe how it is constructed and maintained. This is a timely, sophisticated, and essential contribution to the sociologies of religion and sexuality. -- Rick Philips, University of North FloridaFor decades, sociologists of religion and sexuality were stuck asking what American Christians thought about homosexuality. As Sumerau and Cragun illustrate, it’s time to ask new questions. The authors dig into topics usually left out by fellow sociologists of religion, exploring the far reaches of American Christian assumptions that privilege monogamy, monosexuality, and cisgender reality and that leave out bisexual, nonbinary, and nonreligious people. This timely book is a must read for understanding the complete landscape of religion and sexuality in contemporary America. -- Kelsy Burke, University of Nebraska, LincolnSumerau and Cragun’s pathbreaking study sheds light on the ideological assumptions that still inform much social research on attitudes—that male and female are two mutually exclusive categories, that sexual orientation must reflect this dichotomy, that religion is the sole source of morality, and being cisgender in lifelong monogamy is necessary to demonstrate it. They reveal that the stereotypes that used to hound gays and lesbians, of being immature, sick, and/or untrustworthy, have not gone away but been displaced onto less conforming categories of people: bisexuals, trans people, polyamorous people, and atheists. This provocative study is a must-read for anyone seriously committed to value-neutral social science, and could shift the paradigm for social science research. -- Dawne Moon, Marquette UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: What God has joined together: Gender, Sexual, and Religious Intersections in America 1. It Is God Who Works In You: Religious, Gendered, and Sexual Attitudes 2. Male and Female He Created Them: Christianity as Cisnormativity 3. And They Become One Flesh: Christianity as Mononormativity 4. The Fool Says In His Heart: Christianity as Religio-Normativity Conclusion: So Are My Ways Higher Than Your Ways: Normativity and Emerging Movements in America

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Book SynopsisWhat are the human consequences of conflict and what are the appropriate service responses? This book seeks to provide an answer to these important questions, drawing on over twenty-five years of work by the author in Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Focusing on the work undertaken following the Omagh bombing, the book describes how needs were assessed and understood, how evidence-based services were put in place, and the training and education programmes that were developed to assist first those communities affected by the bombing and later the wider population affected by the years of conflict. The author places the mental-health needs of affected communities at the heart of the political and peace processes that follow. This is a practical book and will be of particular interest to those planning for and responding to conflict-related disasters, policy makers, service commissioners and providers, politicians, civil servants and peace makers.Trade ReviewThe author writes from the heart, with the experience of a highly respected practitioner and researcher, and with a very personal yet professional relationship with victims and survivors. Rev. Harold Good, Former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland and witness to the decommissioning of the IRA and ETA weaponry.This is a magnificent contribution not just to the British/Irish troubles but to every region and every country where the agony and horror of violence has penetrated and mangled the human spirit.Denis Bradley, Co-Chair Consultative Group on the PastThis is a book full of civility, humanism and evidence in relation to the psychological consequences of societal violence.Brendan Bunting, Professor of Psychology, Ulster UniversityDavid Bolton writes with insight in this admirable book. I have rarely encountered an individual so committed and dedicated to making the ragged edges of peace less painful. David McKittrick, co-author of Lost Lives, the compilation of Troubles related deaths in Northern Ireland.David Bolton brings over 30 years of field experience in Northern Ireland to this book through which he shares his insights of conflict-related trauma and recovery, supported with empirical research evidence, with all humanitarians working in conflicted societies. Fergus Cooper OBE, Former Save the Children Head of Country, in Northern Ireland‘If there is one book that should be required reading for our MLAs, it is [this]. The book is a timely reminder that while the Assembly remains suspended and political progress remains stalled, victims and survivors of violence continue to live with the consequences of the past…The book is also designed to appeal to an international audience. There is much to be learned and applied from the examples of good practice developed in the aftermath of Omagh and in the research/evidence-based approach of the partnership between NICTT and Ulster University…I am heartened that people in other parts of the world may learn from those who have suffered in Northern Ireland. But I hope that the learning in Northern Ireland itself has not stopped, and that our politicians and policy makers heed Bolton’s message about what remains to be done.’Gladys Ganiel, Slugger O’toole, October 2017‘What prompted Bolton to write the book was the conflict in Syria and, before that, in Iraq. He hopes it will be of use to counsellors and psychiatrists and psychotherapists and anyone trying to deal with the traumatic impact of conflict.’Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times, August 2017‘This is a timely book to remind us what happens when we don’tnourish peace or build public infrastructures to ensure that violence andinjustice cannot succeed. It is timely not only because of recent events inNorthern Ireland that might evoke divisions from the past, but also because ofrecent events in London and Manchester, hate crime, and the shortcomings ofdemocratic voting- not to mention also the importance of looking now at theintergenerational problems that await the people in Syria and other Middle EastCountries.’Dr Derek Indoe Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist,British Journal of Psychology‘This is a timely book to remind us what happens when we don't nourish peace or build public infrastructures to ensure that violence and injustice cannot succeed. It is timely not only because of recent events in Northern Ireland that might evoke divisions from the past, but also because of recent events in London and Manchester, hate crime, and the shortcomings of democratic voting- not to mention also the importance of looking now at the intergenerational problems that await the people in Syria and other Middle East countries.’Dr Derek Indoe, Independent catholic news -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The Omagh bombing and the community’s response 2 The Omagh Community Trauma and Recovery Team 3 Assessing the mental-health impact of the Omagh bombing4 The mental-health impact of the Troubles, 1969–995 The mental-health impact of the Troubles, 2000–156 The Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma and Transformation: a comprehensive trauma centre7 The development of a trauma-focused therapy programme8 Trauma-focused skills training for practitioners 9 Research, advocacy and policy support10 Planning for and responding to the mental health impact of conflictPost script: the rupture of loss and traumaIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom Partition to Brexit is the first book to chart the political and ideological evolution of Irish government policy towards Northern Ireland from the partition of the country in 1921 to the present day. Based on extensive original research, this groundbreaking and timely study challenges the idea that Irish governments have pursued a consistent set of objectives and policies towards Northern Ireland to reveal a dynamic story of changing priorities. The book demonstrates how in its relations with the British Government, Dublin has been transformed from spurned supplicant to vital partner in determining Northern Ireland’s future, a partnership jeopardised by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. Informed, robust and innovative, From Partition to Brexit is essential reading for anyone interested in Irish or British history and politics, and will appeal to students of diplomacy, international relations and conflict studies.Trade Review'Enthralling, insightful and meticulously researched. Anyone who wants to understand how successive Irish Governments have engaged with Northern Ireland should read it.'Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach, 1997-2008, key negotiator of the Good Friday and St Andrews Agreements ‘Brilliant, lucid and thought-provoking - required reading for anyone who wants to understand relations between these islands and the importance of the Border.’David McCullagh. Presenter of the current affairs television programme Prime Time, and Political Correspondent with RTÉ News‘successfully expose[s] … the true extent of the [Irish Government’s] ambivalences and inconsistencies, using an impressive wealth of archival material in both Britain and Ireland unavailable to an earlier generation of researchers.’Diarmaid Ferriter, Irish Times, 5 January 2019‘The book is superb for anyone who wants to know why Ireland is where it is now and how the two parts of Ireland have treated each other for nigh on to a century.’Frank MacGabhann, Irish Examiner, 23 February 2019‘Ó Beacháin has broken new ground and provided a useful map for a generation of political scientists and historians.’Seán Donlon (former Secretary-General of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs), History Ireland, March-April 2019'Ó Beachain’s familiarity with the subject and impressive archival research deserves recognition for composing a text that is both enjoyable and informative … This book offers a concise and engaging narrative of the evolution of Irish government policy towards Northern Ireland … Ó Beacháin’s sharp wit and eye for an entertaining quotation penetrates the weighty subject matter with great success'Aaron Ó Maonaigh, The Irish Story‘Donnacha Ó Beacháin’s lively, illuminating and occasionally tendentious study…provides not only a new perspective on the history of Northern Ireland, but also a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings and identity crises of the Irish government itself… It is particularly valuable for explaining the path that Dublin took from impotent onlooker to key participant in the peace process, and for the clarity with which it explains the competing pressures shaping Dublin’s policies at key moments. It will be essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the full sweep of Northern Ireland’s troubled near-century of existence.’Professor Mark Doyle, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, Irish Studies Review, June 2019'Ó Beacháin has made good use of governmental papers and political party archives and he has conducted interviews with a wide range of Irish and British politicians. He has marshalled these sources into a text that is admirably clear and informative … Brexit has raised profound questions regarding the relationship between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as the relationship between Ireland and Britain. How the Irish government attempts to answer these questions will play a part in shaping the futures of both Ireland and the United Kingdom. Given the fine manner in which Ó Beacháin has explained the Northern Ireland policies of successive Irish governments, he would be ideally placed to write the next chapter of that history.'Small States and Territories -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: Parties and policy making in Ireland 1 The politics of partition, 1920–19322 De Valera’s Northern Ireland policy, 1932–19483 Failed campaigns, 1948–19694 War, 1969–1974 5 In fear of Armageddon, 1974–19796 Totality of relationships, 1980–1992 7 The age of consent, 1992–2018ConclusionAppendix 1: A century of government in Ireland, 1919–2018Appendix 2: Key personalities BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn the minds of many Americans, Islam is synonymous with the Middle East, Muslim men with violence, and Muslim women with oppression. A clash of civilizations appears to be increasingly manifest and the war on terror seems a struggle against Islam. These are all symptoms of Islamophobia. Meanwhile, the current surge in nativist bias reveals the racism of anti-Muslim sentiment. This book explores these anxieties through political cartoons and film––media with immediate and important impact. After providing a background on Islamic traditions and their history with America, it graphically shows how political cartoons and films reveal Americans’ casual demeaning and demonizing of Muslims and Islam––a phenomenon common among both liberals and conservatives. Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Sentiment offers both fascinating insights into our culture’s ways of “picturing the enemy” as Muslim, and ways of moving beyond antagonism.Trade ReviewAs Islamophobia threatens to become the new anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Sentiment becomes 'must' reading. Gottschalk and Greenberg perceptively and graphically demonstrate the extent to which prejudice and discrimination against Islam and Muslims have become inherent in American mainstream culture. -- John L. Esposito, author, What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam and Sharia: What Everyone Needs to KnowIslamophobia is an important contribution to the understanding of prejudice as a common factor in American culture, particularly in the media. The analysis of political cartoons convincingly shows how pervasively anti-Arab and anti-Muslim attitudes have become accepted, even by people who probably consider themselves fair-minded. This study needs to be read by everyone concerned with the problems of religious and racial bias in America today. -- Carl W. Ernst, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillThis ground-breaking book should be read and reread—readers will become acutely aware of how cartoonists have repeatedly disparaged all things Muslim and Arab. The book teaches us to see beyond damaging stereotypes. It is a remarkable achievement, illustrating that there exists a fine line between satire and racism. -- Jack G. Shaheen, author, Reel Bad ArabsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on Terms and Names Introduction to the Second Edition Chapter 1: How Cartoons Work and Why Images Matter Chapter 2: Overview of Western Interactions with Muslims Chapter 3: Symbols of Islam, Symbols of Difference Chapter 4: Stereotyping Muslims and Establishing the American Norm Chapter 5: Extreme Muslims and the American Middle Ground Chapter 6: Moments: 1956-2006 Chapter 7: Since 2006: The Emotions of Resurgent Nativism and Liberal Empathy Chapter 8: Moving Pictures: The Trope of “Islamic Terrorism” Conclusion: common Denominators versus Essential Difference Glossary Notes Bibliography Index About the Authors

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Book SynopsisThe aim of the book is to open a window onto the world of people who are forced to escape from their homeland to survive – refugees. The guide to this world is their own words, their stories, their hopes and expectations, and often their despair. I will travel to places that mark stages of the journey and destination of refugees, to meet and to interview them. Taking readers on this journey, from Africa to the Middle East to Europe to the USA, the book will be divided into four sections, each of which could represent journey’s end for the refugees: destination, limbo, return, death.

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Book SynopsisThis book describes Rondine Cittadella della Pace and its unique residential peacebuilding program that works with young activists from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. Set in its own Tuscan village, Rondine invites students to its two-year long residential program that provides them with a master’s degree, trauma healing, and training in peacebuilding. While at Rondine, students work in pairs representing “both sides” of a conflict and prepare projects that they will put into place when they return home. Half of the book is devoted to an in-depth description of the Rondine method by its founder, Franco Vaccari, while the remainder consists of essays by Italian and American experts, including the two editors, providing the religious, psychological, and political context for this innovative psycho-social method of conflict resolution.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsForeword. Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Rondine Association (Pope Francis)Introduction. On the Love of God and Our Enemies: Hospitality and The Rondine Method (Miguel H. Diaz)Part 1. The Rondine Method (Franco Vaccari)Chapter 1. The Steps Toward TrustChapter 2. The Other Person in the RelationshipChapter 3. The Heart of the Rondine Method: The Relational Approach to ConflictChapter 4. Putting the Relational Model to the TestChapter 5. Some Final Thoughts and Next StepsPart 2. Responses to the Rondine MethodChapter 6. Rondine Cittadella Della Pace: An Open-Air Laboratory About Intergroup Conflict and Intergroup Contact Theory (Pagani, Ariela, Bertoni, Anna, Garuglieri, A., & Iafrate, Raffaella)Chapter 7. The Rondine Method and the Three Ds (Michael David Kaiser)Chapter 8. Rondine Method and Creative Conflict Transformation: Insights From Contact Theory and Interreligious Peacebuilding (Gerard Powers)Chapter 9. The Rondine Method: Building Peace through Compassion (Daniel Rothbart and Susan Allen)Conclusion. Today Rondine, Tomorrow the World (Charles Hauss)BibliographyAbout the ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book describes Rondine Cittadella della Pace and its unique residential peacebuilding program that works with young activists from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. Set in its own Tuscan village, Rondine invites students to its two-year long residential program that provides them with a master’s degree, trauma healing, and training in peacebuilding. While at Rondine, students work in pairs representing “both sides” of a conflict and prepare projects that they will put into place when they return home. Half of the book is devoted to an in-depth description of the Rondine method by its founder, Franco Vaccari, while the remainder consists of essays by Italian and American experts, including the two editors, providing the religious, psychological, and political context for this innovative psycho-social method of conflict resolution.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsForeword. Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Rondine Association (Pope Francis)Introduction. On the Love of God and Our Enemies: Hospitality and The Rondine Method (Miguel H. Diaz)Part 1. The Rondine Method (Franco Vaccari)Chapter 1. The Steps Toward TrustChapter 2. The Other Person in the RelationshipChapter 3. The Heart of the Rondine Method: The Relational Approach to ConflictChapter 4. Putting the Relational Model to the TestChapter 5. Some Final Thoughts and Next StepsPart 2. Responses to the Rondine MethodChapter 6. Rondine Cittadella Della Pace: An Open-Air Laboratory About Intergroup Conflict and Intergroup Contact Theory (Pagani, Ariela, Bertoni, Anna, Garuglieri, A., & Iafrate, Raffaella)Chapter 7. The Rondine Method and the Three Ds (Michael David Kaiser)Chapter 8. Rondine Method and Creative Conflict Transformation: Insights From Contact Theory and Interreligious Peacebuilding (Gerard Powers)Chapter 9. The Rondine Method: Building Peace through Compassion (Daniel Rothbart and Susan Allen)Conclusion. Today Rondine, Tomorrow the World (Charles Hauss)BibliographyAbout the ContributorsIndex

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Book Synopsis The murder of a third of Europe's Jews by the Nazis is unquestionably the worst catastrophe in the history of contemporary Judaism and a formative event in the history of Zionism and the State of Israel. Understandably, therefore, the Shoah, written about, analyzed, and given various political interpretations, has shaped public discourse in the history of the State of Israel. The key element of Shoah in the Israeli context is victimhood and as such it has become a source of shame, shrouded in silence and subordinated to the dominant discourse which, resulting from the construction of a "new Hebrew" active subjectivity, taught the postwar generation of Israelis to reject diaspora Jewry and its alleged passivity in the face of catastrophe. This book is the culmination of years of preoccupation with the meaning of the Shoah for the author, an Israeli woman with a "split subjectivity: - that of a daughter of a family of Shoah survivors, and that of a daughter of the first Israeli-born generation; the culmination of her need to break the silence about the Shoah in a society which constructed itself as the Israeli antithesis to diaspora Jewry, and to excavate a "truth" from underneath the mountain of Zionist nation-building myths. These myths, the author argues, not only had deep implication for the formation of her generation but also a profound impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Moreover, they are shot through with images of the "masculine" Israeli, constrasted with those of the weak, passive, non-virile Jewish "Other" of the diaspora. This book offers the first gendered analysis of Israeli society and the Shoah. The author employs personal narratives of nine Israeli daughters of Shoah survivors, writers and film makers, and a feminist re-reading of official and unofficial Israeli and Zionist discourses to explore the ways in which the relationship between Israel and the Shoah has been gendered in that the Shoah was "feminized" while Israel was "masculinized." This new perspective has considerable implications for the analysis of Israeli society; a gendered analysis of Israeli construction of nation reveals how the Shoah and Shoah discourse are exploited to justify Israel's, i.e. the "new Hebrew's," self-perceived right of occupation. Israel thus not only negated the Jewish diaspora, but also stigmatized and feminized Shoah victims and survivors, all the while employing Shoah discourses as an excuse for occupation, both in the past and in the present.Trade Review "... [an] intriguing and compelling argument ... an impressive, scholarly and ambitious project of renaming, reoccupying, rewriting the socially constructed silences surrounding the Shoah experience ... [written in a] lucid, poetic, and accessible style." · Women's Studies Review "I found this book utterly compelling. It is a moving testmony that stands on the cusp of what could be a very different Israeli society in the future." · Nashim, A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues "Offering a new and insightful perspective… an impressive, scholarly, and highly recommended contribution to Israeli and Judaic studies." · The Midwest Book Review "An important book ... that raises several political questions worthy of discussion ... Although the study was written from a sociological point of view, it also includes a wide and well documented discussion of the historiography on the Shoah and its changing role within Israel during the last few decades." · Gesher: Jewish Studies Journal "This book is the work of a brilliant and courageous scholar who dares to ask her own questions. Its narrative vision, born of ontological urgency is the product of a mature writer at home in her craft." · Ruth LindenTable of Contents Acknowledgements Prologue: If I forget thee… Chapter 1. Introduction: the territories of silence Chapter 2. ‘Writing is the closing of circles’ Chapter 3. Breaking the conspiracy of silence Chapter 4. Israel’s New Hebrews ‘memorise’ the Jewish Shoah Chapter 5. Israel’s ‘second-generation’ Chapter 6. The feminisation of stigma in the relationship between Israelis and Shoah survivors Chapter 7. Counter-narratives: re-occupying the territories of silence Epilogue: Journeys end(s) Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis The murder of a third of Europe's Jews by the Nazis is unquestionably the worst catastrophe in the history of contemporary Judaism and a formative event in the history of Zionism and the State of Israel. Understandably, therefore, the Shoah, written about, analyzed, and given various political interpretations, has shaped public discourse in the history of the State of Israel. The key element of Shoah in the Israeli context is victimhood and as such it has become a source of shame, shrouded in silence and subordinated to the dominant discourse which, resulting from the construction of a "new Hebrew" active subjectivity, taught the postwar generation of Israelis to reject diaspora Jewry and its alleged passivity in the face of catastrophe. This book is the culmination of years of preoccupation with the meaning of the Shoah for the author, an Israeli woman with a "split subjectivity: - that of a daughter of a family of Shoah survivors, and that of a daughter of the first Israeli-born generation; the culmination of her need to break the silence about the Shoah in a society which constructed itself as the Israeli antithesis to diaspora Jewry, and to excavate a "truth" from underneath the mountain of Zionist nation-building myths. These myths, the author argues, not only had deep implication for the formation of her generation but also a profound impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Moreover, they are shot through with images of the "masculine" Israeli, constrasted with those of the weak, passive, non-virile Jewish "Other" of the diaspora. This book offers the first gendered analysis of Israeli society and the Shoah. The author employs personal narratives of nine Israeli daughters of Shoah survivors, writers and film makers, and a feminist re-reading of official and unofficial Israeli and Zionist discourses to explore the ways in which the relationship between Israel and the Shoah has been gendered in that the Shoah was "feminized" while Israel was "masculinized." This new perspective has considerable implications for the analysis of Israeli society; a gendered analysis of Israeli construction of nation reveals how the Shoah and Shoah discourse are exploited to justify Israel's, i.e. the "new Hebrew's," self-perceived right of occupation. Israel thus not only negated the Jewish diaspora, but also stigmatized and feminized Shoah victims and survivors, all the while employing Shoah discourses as an excuse for occupation, both in the past and in the present.Trade Review "... [an] intriguing and compelling argument ... an impressive, scholarly and ambitious project of renaming, reoccupying, rewriting the socially constructed silences surrounding the Shoah experience ... [written in a] lucid, poetic, and accessible style." · Women's Studies Review "I found this book utterly compelling. It is a moving testmony that stands on the cusp of what could be a very different Israeli society in the future." · Nashim, A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues "Offering a new and insightful perspective… an impressive, scholarly, and highly recommended contribution to Israeli and Judaic studies." · The Midwest Book Review "An important book ... that raises several political questions worthy of discussion ... Although the study was written from a sociological point of view, it also includes a wide and well documented discussion of the historiography on the Shoah and its changing role within Israel during the last few decades." · Gesher: Jewish Studies Journal "This book is the work of a brilliant and courageous scholar who dares to ask her own questions. Its narrative vision, born of ontological urgency is the product of a mature writer at home in her craft." · Ruth LindenTable of Contents Acknowledgements Prologue: If I forget thee… Chapter 1. Introduction: the territories of silence Chapter 2. ‘Writing is the closing of circles’ Chapter 3. Breaking the conspiracy of silence Chapter 4. Israel’s New Hebrews ‘memorise’ the Jewish Shoah Chapter 5. Israel’s ‘second-generation’ Chapter 6. The feminisation of stigma in the relationship between Israelis and Shoah survivors Chapter 7. Counter-narratives: re-occupying the territories of silence Epilogue: Journeys end(s) Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis tale of mind control, the use of fear to manipulate vulnerable people, and final escape from a suffocating cult environment is a revealing exposeof a secretive contemporary sect, as well as a true psychological thriller. Diane Wilson spent twenty-five precious years of her life, first becoming indoctrinated by the dogma of the Watchtower Society, and then struggling to free herself from its pervasive, intimidating clutches. In this probing, brutally honest assessment, Wilson describes how a childhood of psychological abuse and lack of self-confidence rendered her vulnerable to the seductive doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses. What she reveals about the goings-on within the closed Watchtower Society will shock the average person who assumes the polite, well-dressed people who pass out leaflets are much like any other conservative religious group. Wilson contends that membership in the Jehovah's Witnesses requires obedience bordering on psychological enslavement and complete suppression of individuality. Her engrossing memoir will be of great interest to former Witnesses, students of cult phenomena, and anyone who has ever had contact with Jehovah's Witnesses.

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Book SynopsisUndoubtedly timely and full of fascinating detail, "Sword of Islam" is a thorough, well-researched, and revealing account of global Islamic terrorism. This book supplies the answer to the question that has been on the minds of all Americans since September 11: Why do they hate us? Murphy makes it clear that as the chief backer of Israel, the United States is seen by extremists as the evil power behind the hated 'Zionist enemy'. But he also emphasises that in the final analysis we are the only country with the power to bring these attacks to a halt.

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