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In the interconnected world of the twenty-first century, dialogue between Islam and Christianity is an essential necessity, not a mere option. This paper examines the important role of interfaith dialogue by analyzing its historical evolution, contemporary challenges, and its transformative potential for fostering global peace and cooperation. Muslim-Christian relations have profoundly influenced socio-political dynamics throughout history. Today, the increasing complexities of globalization, political conflicts, and the rise of extremism highlight the pressing need for dialogue as a means to bridge divides, remove stereotypes, and build trust. Grounded in the principles of mutual respect and shared ethical commitments, interfaith dialogue enables collaborative efforts to address critical global issues such as poverty, climate change, and human rights. Drawing on the works of Leonard Swidler, this paper aims to show that interfaith dialogue is not merely a moral obligation but a pragmatic strategy for shaping a harmonious future. By embracing dialogue as a tool for understanding and action, Muslims and Christians can work together to address the challenges of the modern era and build a world founded on mutual respect, solidarity, and cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Essay investigates the question of the assessment of evidence in cases of genocide when the perpetrator can make a believable claim that the consistency of a relevant pattern of his behavior has not been demonstrated. Cases of this kind have arisen in the international criminal tribunals in particular where questions of so-called "selective assistance" were concerned (i.e., claims by the defense that genocidal intent could not have existed, as the defendant had in fact helped certain members of the group). It is a claim that has led to widely differing responses in the international criminal tribunals: in Kayishema, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found that the fact that the defendant may have helped Tutsi children had "little direct bearing" on the question whether he possessed the relevant mens rea; but in Jelisić, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia considered that the defendant, who had killed Bosnian Muslim prisoners and had voiced his hostile feelings towards Bosnian Muslims as a group, but had also allowed some members of the group to leave his prison camp, had committed his acts arbitrarily rather than "with a clear intention to destroy a group". This Essay suggests a solution to the existing problem by highlighting the temporal dimension of the relevant, seemingly contradictory strands of evidence and by focusing in particular on the principle of simultaneity as a method of resolving cases of seemingly contradictory evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the nuanced interplay between religiosity and environmental behaviors, specifically waste management and active environmentalism, within the context of two distinct Muslim societies. Drawing upon correlational survey methodology and employing questionnaire techniques, data were collected from 355 individuals aged 18 to 59, with a demographic composition comprising 50.4% Turkish Muslims (N=179) and 49.6% Jordanian Muslims (N=176). The mean age of the sample is 25.6 (SD= 7.75). Utilizing measures such as the "Environmental Behavior Scale", and "Brief Religiosity Scale", the study sheds light on the differential impact of religiosity on environmental practices across socio-cultural contexts. Results revealed a positive correlation between religiosity and both waste management and active environmentalism among the Jordanian sample, whereas a positive association was observed solely between religiosity and waste management within the Turkish sample. The implications of these findings are discussed, alongside recommendations for future research endeavors in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Logos: A Journal, of Religion, Philosophy Comparative Cultural Studies & Art (08687692) is the property of Logos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Some of the most crucial debates surrounding Islamic legitimacy and cinema rotate around the question of the permissible (ḥalāl) and prohibited (ḥarām) in Islamic law and how these function for Muslim theology and politics. Emerging from these debates, halal cinema has been one of the recent critical interventions in the field of Indian and Islamic cinema. Rather than making cinema Islamic from an ideological position, the new halal experiments with the visual language of cinema without compromising the popular dimensions of its viewership. This article looks at the politics of halal cinema within the context of the state of Kerala in South India and argues that the space of halal cinema shows the aspirations and negotiations of the Muslim community in Kerala. Halal cinema thus becomes an immanent critique of Islamic cinema by destabilizing the dominant practice that connects the relationship between Islam and cinema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some of the most crucial debates surrounding Islamic legitimacy and cinema rotate around the question of the permissible (ḥalāl) and prohibited (ḥarām) in Islamic law and how these function for Muslim theology and politics. Emerging from these debates, halal cinema has been one of the recent critical interventions in the field of Indian and Islamic cinema. Rather than making cinema Islamic from an ideological position, the new halal experiments with the visual language of cinema without compromising the popular dimensions of its viewership. This article looks at the politics of halal cinema within the context of the state of Kerala in South India and argues that the space of halal cinema shows the aspirations and negotiations of the Muslim community in Kerala. Halal cinema thus becomes an immanent critique of Islamic cinema by destabilizing the dominant practice that connects the relationship between Islam and cinema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of bilig: Journal of Social Sciences of the Turkish World is the property of bilig: Journal of Social Sciences of the Turkish World and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined two second-generation Muslim youth clubs in the city of Ottawa. First-generation mosques and community centres have ample space for youth. Still, as a form of defiance against their parents, these youth have created youth clubs outside of Ottawa's residential areas. The clubs had devised an original form of 'fun' for themselves, which, despite being 'halal', was not approved by their parents and thus represented a form of resistance against them. These youth clubs have exacerbated tensions within the Muslim community in Canada. This article contends that a Muslim youth subculture is emerging among second-generation immigrants, which is consistent with aspects of the Birmingham School and post-subcultural theories. Steve Redhead argues that today's youth continue to resist not through style but by 'lengthy clubbing'. A total of 26 young women and men were interviewed alongside 10 months of fieldwork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 new deaths' highest numbers in Southeast Asia were reported from Indonesia, with 8,784 new deaths. Healthcare workers (HCWs) have several roles in the COVID-19 vaccine implementation. This study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccine perception and belief among HCWs and identify demographic mapping by using the geographical information system. This study used a quantitative method with cross-sectional design, wherein 112 registered HCWs in the Indonesian hospital and healthcare centre were shared a survey questionnaire using Google Forms® and then visualised it through geographic mapping. The perception of HCWs regarding the COVID-19 vaccine was considered good but in contrast to the belief. There was a significant relationship between age [ p value =.021; odds ratio (OR): 2.692; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.229–5.896] and also HCWs' workplace (p value =.040; OR: 0.231; 95% CI: 0.0620–0.862) towards the belief of HCWs regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Developing strategies to decrease HCWs and public hesitation and increase trust is vital for implementing vaccination programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a book review of "Jerusalem Falls: Seven Centuries of War and Peace" by John D. Hosler. The book focuses on the military history of Jerusalem from the time of Islam's emergence to the period of the crusades. It explores the transformations brought about by military phases within the city's history and emphasizes the moments of conquest and resolution. The author uses a variety of sources to reconstruct the memories of conquest and concord in the life of the holy city. The book also examines the socio-historical context and infrastructure of Jerusalem during different periods. Overall, the book offers a different perspective on the history of Jerusalem and highlights the importance of looking back and considering the lessons of the past for achieving sustainable peace and tolerance between different religious communities. [Extracted from the article]

Ever since the Republic of India became an independent nation in 1947, the Indian state has strived to keep its territorial integrity, in spite of the numerous territorial claims made by neighboring states. Firstly, the Kashmir region is home to both Muslim and Hindu populations; therefore, when the Indian and Pakistani states were created, the region was split between the two new states. However, both states hold the belief that the entirety of the Kashmir region should be part of their territory,. This situation sparked numerous local conflicts and four local wars (1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999). Secondly, another disputed area is located on the border with the People's Republic of China, as the Chinese state does not recognize the McMahon Line, which was agreed upon by British India and Tibet. This led to the conflict in 1962 and to a tension-filled relationship between China and India. This paper approaches both the historical evolution of the conflicts and the way in which these two conflict areas are portrayed in literature. While Veera Hiranandani, in The Night Dia77 (2018), and Khushwant Singh, in Train to Pakistan (1956), focus on the conflicts between Muslims and Hindus after the partition of India and Pakistan, Salman Rushdie, in Midnight's Children (1981), analyzes the traumas of the conflict in Kashmir. Furthermore, Jon Cleary, in Pulse of Danger (1966), presents the context of the Sino-Indian war. The most disturbing novel about the Indian conflicts is Humphrey Hawksley's novel, Dragon Fire (2000), because the author presents an apocalyptic war between the Republic of India, on one side, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan allied with the People's Republic of China, on die other side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the Indo-Persian identities in Medieval Muslim Deccan, specifically focusing on the cultural and artistic influences from Persia and Central Asia on the Deccan region of central India between the 14th and 16th centuries. It discusses the political, social, diplomatic, and religious aspects of the Deccan sultanates, highlighting the syncretism between Islam and Hinduism and the patronage of culture, arts, and architecture by the princely courts. The article also explores the rise of immigrant Muslim elites in the Deccan states, the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate into smaller successor states, and the history and cultural influences of the Bijapur, Golconda, and Qutb Shahi dynasties. Overall, it emphasizes the unique Indo-Muslim symbiosis that emerged in the Deccan region during this period. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Nuova Rivista Storica is the property of Societa Editrice Dante Alighieri s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista UNISCI is the property of Unidad de Investigaciones Sobre Seguridad y Cooperacion International (UNISCI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of midwifery care for foreign Muslim women living in Japan. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with five midwives who had experience providing midwifery care to Muslim women in obstetric outpatient clinics and hospital wards in Japan. Data were collected through semistructured interviews using an interview guide and analyzed qualitatively and inductively. Results Upon analysis we identified 34 subcategories, 14 categories and three core categories as characteristics of midwifery care for Muslim women. Midwives who provided care to Muslim women focused more on the religious background of the patient than on the background of the patient, such as country of origin or linguistic communication level, which is usually the focus when caring for foreigners, and they were "aware that the patient was a Muslim". From the early stage, the midwives were "practicing religious considerations based on one's nursing perspective" as professionals, while giving "informed consent and sharing information on religious considerations" with the patient, family members, and medical staff. Conclusion Religious considerations were found to be a significant characteristic of midwifery care for Muslim women. Midwives gave informed consent for religious considerations to Muslim women and their families from the early stages of midwifery care, and they practiced religious considerations through trial and error based on one's own nursing perspectives. However, as religion is a sensitive issue, midwives tended to hesitate in addressing the individual needs of Muslim women, even though they were aware of the diversity and uniqueness of each woman's needs. As a result, midwives tended to give Muslim women only uniform consideration. Our study showed that in order to improve midwifery care for Muslim women, it is necessary to factor in the diverse needs of each individual woman and connect them to more culturally appropriate care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal of Reproductive Health is the property of Women's Health & Action Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Muslim consumers in the UK eat more meat than the national average. Individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds, particularly South Asian communities, experience poorer health outcomes, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, associated with meat consumption. According to a YouGov survey, British Pakistani and Bangladeshi consumers use television cookery programs and social media (particularly YouTube) as their main digital sources of dietary information. Against this background, this study uses a mixed-method approach to show how meat is normalized in YouTube recipe content. Using quantitative analysis of 77 recent recipe videos presented by four leading British chefs (Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson and Nadiya Hussain) and halal recipe videos, we find that meat-based recipes overwhelmingly outnumber vegetarian/vegan ones, and that, whereas environmental or animal welfare concerns are hardly mentioned, health narratives feature in some videos. Using critical discourse analysis of a sample of videos, we show how meat consumption is rationalized by the "absenting" of meat's animal origins (making it "normal"), the "defaultization" of meat (making it "natural" and "necessary"), and "positive emotional routines" (making it "nice" and "necessary"). We consider how these representations of meat serve to overcome the "meat paradox" and legitimize, and thereby normalize, meat consumption among British Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Saúde e Sociedade is the property of Universidade de Sao Paulo, Faculdade de Saude Publica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article argues that the mass religious conversions that took place in early-modern Iberia from the end of the fourteenth century had enormous consequences, one of which was the increasing racialisation of religion. Jewish and Muslim minorities were forced to receive baptism, and although in principle the Church made no distinction among people who had been baptised, in practice the presence of large numbers of recent converts to Catholicism called this theology into question. In the process, as I will demonstrate in this article, religion was racialised, as many people became convinced that religion (both beliefs and ritual) was biological and was transmitted by blood. To support this argument, the article will focus, as a case study, on the discussion about whether to deny baptism to the children of Moriscos (converted Muslims) in the years preceding the general expulsion from Spain of the Moriscos (1609–11). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the concept of "adventure" in a series of stories by a well-known Chinese Muslim writer Zhang Chengzhi (b. 1948). Zhang is famous for searching out and depicting landscapes, especially in northwest China. This paper will explore in what ways adventures in landscapes become a crucial mechanism for advancing plot development. How do adventures in Zhang's stories create grand space-time in novels through transformations of different geographic topographies and historical moments? Why are these adventures depicted with attributes of the sublime? More importantly, what is the intertextual relationship between the adventures of the characters in the text and Zhang's journey outside the text (i.e., in real life)? How does the space of adventures interplay between life and crisis for both the characters and writer? This study argues that in adventure stories, Zhang constructs a pattern of integration between the Jahriyya Muslims' daily lives and their transcendent pursuits and a pattern of self-development and self-sublimation by virtue of telling adventure stories. Adventure is the allegorical device for both Zhang and the characters to practice the sublime--to achieve and reveal their physical and spiritual strength and ethnic characteristics. As such, this paper further asks in what ways the narrative of such a personal bildungsroman is intertextually identified with the subaltern community of Jahriyya Muslims, both within and outside the texts in the context of Han-centered Chinese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper discusses Muslim parents' attitudes about their daughters' desire to pursue higher education in India. The method used in this study is the use of secondary data gathered from publicly accessible platforms, including reliable articles retrieved using online platforms, including Science Direct, Research Gate, Google Scholar, and Scopus. Initially, 186 papers were screened, and 105 met the requirements to move on to the assessment step. For the 72 papers that made it through the final round of examination, the paper maintains strict standards of accuracy, external validity, citation conventions, and review methods. The results of this review article shed light on the many factors that contribute to the educational crises that Muslim girls in India experience and the crucial role that parental attitudes play in determining their daughters' academic success. The study emphasizes how socioeconomic factors influence Muslim females' access to higher education. The report finishes with suggestions on dealing with these problems and encouraging females in India's Muslim population to pursue higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health is the property of Canadian Periodical for Community Studies Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Heavily biased by ideological prejudices, traditional Spanish scholarship claimed the existence of sharply divergent approaches between Iberian Christians and Muslims about the perception of the land and the feelings that got them bound to it. Gathered around a shared national project, the Christians would have held highly stable emotional bonds to the land they lived in. Propelled by a strong sense of attachment to their territories, they would have fought tirelessly over eight centuries to recover the lands previously seized by the Muslims. Lacking a similar sense of belonging to the land, the Muslims, bound by agnatic and religious ties, would have considered themselves just temporary dwellers. However, a careful reading of the Arabic sources suggests the existence of parallels regarding the recovery of lost lands. This article seeks to provide compelling textual evidence about the idea of land recovery among the Muslims across the 11 th and the 12th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ideology of the reconquest pursued a clear objective: the recovery of a nation illegitimately occupied by Muslim invaders and the restoration of Christianity in Peninsular territory. This process necessarily entailed the submission, if not the expulsion, of al-Andalus's Muslim population, as well as the erasure of any sign of its presence, culture or religion. The Christians demonstrated great efficacy in this operation through a series of different actions leading, first of all, to the effective control over the territory and its fortresses, places of worship, and spiritual landmarks. Then by resignification through different symbolic and religious elements. And, finally, developing an alternative collective memory, one that would justify their actions, sustain the new and victorious Christian society and subdue the vanquished Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of religiosity on contraceptive use in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. The study finds that Muslims in Kazakhstan have lower contraceptive use compared to Christians, and religiosity and desired children partially explain these differences. The research suggests that current theories inadequately explain family planning patterns within one nation and calls for further investigation to rectify misconceptions about contraceptive permissibility and encourage sexual education. The study contributes to the family planning literature in post-Soviet countries and Central Asia, with insights that extend to similar contexts in middle-income countries with diverse populations. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Politica y Sociedad is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Muslims constitute approximately 20% of the world's population. In South Africa, Muslims constitute just under 2% of the total population. Fasting is one of the mandatory activities of adherents of the Islamic faith, where all healthy adult Muslims abstain from food, drink, and sexual activities between dawn and dusk during the month of Ramadhan. Medical doctors are frequently required to provide advice to their Muslim patients about the safety or other health impacts of this type of fasting. This narrative review provides an overview of research conducted on Muslim populations during the fasting period, with special reference to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that are prevalent in the Muslim community. In the absence of evidence-based clinical guidelines, this article summarises the latest published research on this topic, providing a resource for clinicians and researchers. This paper provides an evidence summary to clinicians when engaging with their patients who may be engaging in Ramadhan fasting, while also identifying gaps in the body of evidence that could inform future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pregled is the property of University of Sarajevo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study of 'Hinduism' in contemporary academia has generated considerable controversy. Many scholars have argued that the idea of a single ancient religion is difficult to substantiate based on the historical record. A common alternative position is that Hinduism is a colonial construct, without well-defined historical antecedents. This paper contributes to a scholarly middle ground, which provides an empirically based yet still contingent analysis of the evolution of 'Hinduism', by drawing on evidence from the Sikh tradition. In doing so, it also draws on approaches which interpret Islam as a discursive tradition, subject to contestable representations, shaped by conditions of knowledge and power, as well as by collective aspirations. Sikh attempts at self-definition included distinguishing their tradition from the two larger, pre-existing traditions of Muslims and Hindus in an explicit and self-conscious manner. In doing so, Sikh leaders recognised 'Hindu' as a religious category to some degree, well before the colonial period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since 2017, a not-well-understood Al-Shabaab group has waged a subversive insurrection against the forces of Mozambique, including the local predominant Muslim people in Cabo Delgado. The advent of the jihadi insurgency in Cabo Delgado, the northern province of Mozambique, may be attributed to multifaceted causes such as socioeconomic factors, the effect of radical preaching, and the internal process of extremism in the territory. The aspiration of these insurgents seems to be that of establishing a political order predicated on Sharia law. This study employs document analysis to unpack the Islamic State and terrorism in Mozambique and to suggest possible strategies for containment. It is revealed that the causes of the violence and conflict relate more to unemployment, poverty, poor service delivery, corruption, and the radicalisation of youth by national and foreign preachers. There is a need for a multidimensional approach that includes all strategic and transnational actors operating in Cabo Delgado. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of migration is gaining popularity among Muslim millennials and is increasingly embraced by the urban middle class, spurred by the emergence of prominent public figures who have undertaken this journey. This study aims to delve deeper into the trending phenomenon of educational pursuits within the hijrah community. Additionally, it seeks to examine the relationship between these studies and national issues, as well as inter-religious relations. This investigation centers on three primary Instagram accounts: @maknahijrah, @temanhijrah, and @hijrah.united, while also considering several other social media accounts as secondary sources. The research employs a qualitative approach, specifically utilizing the descriptive-analytical method to provide a comprehensive portrayal of the subject matter. This method was selected to illuminate the trends in hijrah community studies on social media. Data collection primarily relies on observation techniques. Regarding the trends observed on the three aforementioned accounts, topics include the significance of hijrah, prayer, Islamic wisdom, acts of charity, prohibition of courtship, prayer studies, and ukhuwah islamiyyah. However, no discernible connection to national or inter-religious relations has been identified in the posts from these three accounts over the past six months. This pattern is similarly reflected in the secondary accounts examined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To grant the Muslim majority princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) a special accommodation in the Indian context via Article 370 had been a novel constitutional experiment. The negotiations between the ruler of the state and the government of India formalized the 'Accession' of J&K with India, and Article 370 reflected the conditions of the constitutional relationship between the two. Being an exceptional provision that gave birth to a separate, but not independent, constitution (of Jammu and Kashmir), why has not Article 370 of the Indian constitution, or more precisely Jammu and Kashmir's autonomous status, stood the test of time? Was the unmaking ingrained in the very making of Article 370 or an outcome of its antithetical use by successive Indian governments? What concerns, motivations, and ambitions influenced the J&K leadership during this constitutional exercise? These are questions that this paper seeks to answer. This paper argues that the repeal of Article 370 was inevitable due to the nature and context of its initial framing as much as its subsequent institutional-political working, and that the guarantee of autonomy was essentially, from the very genesis, meant to lead to a complete integration of J&K with the Indian Union without any special constitutional autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text explores the relationship between food, identity, and discrimination against Muslims in France and Europe. It discusses how food choices are used to marginalize and stigmatize Muslims, particularly in relation to Muslim dietary practices. The text also examines the historical colonial practices of de-Islamizing Algerian food and promoting French wine production in Algeria. It argues that food norms in France reproduce whiteness and exclude Islam from the realm of gastronomic desirability, but marginalized communities resist these norms through culinary disobedience and reclaiming their own food traditions. The text emphasizes the need for critical studies of race and gender in relation to food and calls for a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural contexts in which food practices and beliefs develop. [Extracted from the article]

This essay focuses on the autobiographical writings of Swami Satyadev 'Parivrajak' (1879–1961), a prolific Hindi writer, and a charismatic modern-day worldly political ascetic in the early twentieth-century north India. It discusses three central pillars of his ineradicably political autobiography: first, the performance of an exemplary celibate Hindu masculinity; second, the conceptualization of a segmented and exclusionary freedom, unencumbered by the presence of Muslims; and third, his deep antagonism towards Gandhi, and defence of his assassination. Taken together, his autobiography is a critical contribution to the intellectual history and genealogy of sectarian Hindi–Hindu literature, while also showcasing cultivated precursors of a modern, monolithic and militant Hindu nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advance care planning (ACP) enables people to discuss their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs before nearing death. Most literature examining the determinants of ACP engagement is limited and does not include minority faith communities in the United States, including Muslim communities. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to examine ACP engagement determinants among Muslims in the United States. Using the Social Ecological Model, we conceptualized the determinants of ACP engagement into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors. The study self-administered questionnaires were distributed using convenience and snowball techniques. Multiple linear regression was used to predict ACP engagement. The total sample was 148 Muslim adults. The age range was 18 to 79 years. Among all tested factors, being Asian American, knowing a deceased person who had received aggressive or minimal medical treatments near death, being born in the United States, having knowledge and awareness about ACP, and being accepting of the American culture were the determinants of ACP engagement. Engagement in ACP is a multifactorial behavior. Several intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, but none of the community factors, were associated with ACP engagement among Muslim adults. Future ACP interventions targeted toward Muslim Americans should be planned with an understanding of the multifactorial nature of ACP engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islam in Italy is highly discussed but not significantly institutionalized. Polemics about its presence (and anti-multiculturalism in general) have often preceded any real multicultural politics, and the recognition of religious minorities arrived with immigration, such as Islam. The Covid pandemics has made visible one of the aspects of the necessary de facto acknowledgement of the presence of Islam: the problem of Muslim cemeteries, up to that moment avoided or postponed as much as possible by local municipalities, with few exceptions. As an outcome of an empirical research on Muslim in Italy during the pandemics, the paper aims to explore the different attitudes of Muslims families and communities facing the problem of being buried in the municipality they lived in, instead of repatriating the bodies as it was the most common procedure until Covid. The research shows the attempt of Muslims to minimize friction with Italian norms and institutions, through a re-interpretation of the symbolic border between Muslims and non-Muslims, and the idea of purity, contamination and separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a re-reading of the Indian Constituent Assembly Debates in light of subsequent developments, this article provides new insights about the extent to which the Indian constitution allows affirmative action for redressing historical disadvantages and empowering marginalised communities. Since the post-colonial Indian state introduced the criterion of religion in the lists of Scheduled Castes (SCs), this sparked suspicions of efforts to prevent conversions, further augmenting India's Hindu majority. The article re-examines such claims in light of the Indian Constituent Assembly Debates and subsequent Government Orders for notifying/modifying SCs. It argues that the list of SCs was never envisioned as religion-neutral, so that the exclusion of Pasmanda Muslims and Dalit Christians from the SCs is not a communal afterthought, while religion has all along not been the only or main criterion for affirmative action policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international volume "Aspects of Islamic Radicalization in the Balkans After the Fall of Communism", published in 2023 by the Peter Lang Publishing Group represents a genuine assessment of the Islamic fundamentalism way spread in the Balkans since communism fall, among the Muslim population, which add to the already existing literature. The studies included in this volume bring to the fore specific issues regarding certain geographical areas: Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia, as well as holistic approaches within the role of Islam in the Balkans and the related connections with the historical, religious, political, economic, and social aspects in terms of radicalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The halal concept is an essential religious belief of Muslims but brings difficulty to cross-cultural social eating. Dealing with the incompatibilities is a problem that Muslims in multicultural societies must face. Based on fieldwork involving social gatherings of Chinese Hui Muslim students and employing a relational perspective, the research showed that food is given multifaceted symbolic meanings both by Islam and by Chinese guanxi culture, which in turn changes network structures and interactional rules for Muslims. Social actors are supposed to maintain the conviviality of social eating, thereby establishing or maintaining potential relationships with others; however, the food eaten at these gatherings might be suspicious or even prohibited religiously for some. Therefore, these Muslim students strategically surrendered to the consumption of specific foods. These findings demonstrate how guanxi's maintenance mechanisms and unequal relational positions affect Muslim minorities' reflexivity toward their religious choices in daily interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This content-analytic study examines the influence of (non) observance of maxims on evasion in Malaysian Parliamentary Question Time based on the theories of Cooperative Principle (Grice, 1975) and Clayman's Levels of Resistance (2001; 2012). Two strategies of (non) observance of maxims were found to produce evasive responses namely, violating and opting out. Ministers and deputy ministers were found to frequently shift tasks required by providing assurances to the audience and acknowledging the issues raised without addressing them. Further, they talked about prior actions taken to address current issues and shifted responsibility to another party which led to the violation of maxims. Evasive responses also occurred when ministers and deputy ministers opted out of the Cooperative Principle, thus disregarding the questions altogether. Despite being evasive, equivocal responses were deemed cooperative as no instances of follow-up questions were recorded. The findings of the study contribute to the scant literature on CP in parliamentary discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients are exposed to a 7.5 times higher risk of hypoglycemia while fasting during Ramadan. Relevant diabetes guidelines prioritize the use of SGLT2 inhibitors over other classes. There is a great need to enrich data on their safe and effective use by fasting patients at greater risk of hypoglycemia. Therefore, this study aims to assess the safety and tolerability of Empagliflozin in T2DM Muslim patients during Ramadan. A prospective cohort study was conducted for adult Muslim T2DM patients. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were categorized into two sub-cohorts based on Empagliflozin use during Ramadan (Control versus Empagliflozin). The primary outcomes were the incidence of hypoglycemia symptoms and confirmed hypoglycemia. Other outcomes were secondary. All patients were followed up to eight weeks post-Ramadan. A propensity score (PS) matching and Risk Ratio (RR) were used to report the outcomes. Among 1104 patients with T2DM who were screened, 220 patients were included, and Empagliflozin was given to 89 patients as an add-on to OHDs. After matching with PS (1:1 ratio), the two groups were comparable. The use of other OHDs, such as sulfonylurea, DPP4 inhibitors, and Biguanides, was not statistically different between the two groups. The risk of hypoglycemia symptoms during Ramadan was lower in patients who received Empagliflozin than in the control group (RR 0.48 CI 0.26, 0.89; p-value = 0.02). Additionally, the risk of confirmed hypoglycemia was not statistically significant between the two groups (RR 1.09 CI 0.37, 3.22; p-value = 0.89). Empagliflozin use during Ramadan fasting was associated with a lower risk of hypoglycemia symptoms and higher tolerability. Further randomized control trials are required to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]