Is the Body Secular? Circumcision, Religious Freedom, and Bodily Integrity

Bodily Integrity and Male Circumcision: An Islamic Perspective

The notion of bodily integrity forms an important part of the value-structure of many religions and cultures. In this paper, we explore the notion of bodily integrity in Islam using male circumcision as the focus of the discussion. Our aim is to contribute to a better understanding of the Muslim perspective and of the differences and similarities between Western and Islamic ethical structures, ...

Religious circumcision and the Human Rights Act.

Woman, womb, and bodily integrity.

Religious Freedom and Economic Prosperity

The basic notion that an individual’s freedom to choose will advance society at large is a cornerstone of political philosophy and of the economic theory of the Western world. Early political philosophers such as John Stuart Mill and legendary economists such as Adam Smith have advocated a utilitarian approach to political and economic life, in which the advancement of one’s own interests also ...

Religious freedom and the political order: the Ethiopian ‘secular state’ and the containment of Muslim identity politics

The 2011–2014 controversies between the Ethiopian Government and Muslim communities on the role of Islam in Ethiopia have highlighted the precarious nature of religious relations in Ethiopia. Statements by public figures and religious leaders recently have drawn attention to the nature and scope of the Ethiopian secular state order. This paper describes the recent Muslim protest movement and th...