Non-Muslims in Muslim Majority Societies - With Focus on the Middle East and Pakistan

Description: In a world where almost all societies are multi-religious and multi-ethnic, we need to study how social cohesion can be achieved in different contexts. In some geographical areas, as in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, people of different religious belonging have, through the ages, lived side by side, sometimes in harmony and sometimes in dissonance. In other geographical regions, as in Scandinavia, societies have been quite religiously homogeneous but only recently challenged by immigration. The implication in both locations is that the relation between religious minority and majority is on the agenda. In order to discuss the situation for Non-Muslims in Muslim majority societies, a consultation was convened with both Muslim and Christian participants from Pakistan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Sweden. Some of the participants work in academic settings, others in faith based organizations, some in jurisprudence and others with theological issues. This book is the result of that consultation; the articles are ""works in progress,"" and they remain tentative. The intention with this anthology is to trigger reflection and further thinking. It presents articles that discuss issues such as freedom of religion, minority rights, secular and religious legislation, and inter-religious dialogue in Muslim majority societies. Contributors include: Kajsa Ahlstrand, Göran Gunner, Mustafa Abu Sway, Johan Gärde, Yasmin Haider, Jan Hjärpe, M. Aslam Khaki, Bernard Sabella, Mehboob Sada, Guirguis Ibrahim Saleh, and Ahmad Salim This book is the second volume in Church of Sweden Research Series. Endorsements: ""In a world where religions coexist in almost every country with new problems and new challenges, this book is a genuine and authentic effort to face these challenges. Religion is expressed in a culture and influences culture. It is time to understand religions from within, as presented by the followers of those religions, to overcome prejudices and generalizations. Such a serious, comprehensive, and profound collaborative work clarifies the complexity of the questions and helps in finding solutions together. This is an indispensable book."" --Fr. Jamal Khader, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Bethlehem University ""Despite the claim of Muslims that Islam is respectful of non-Muslim faiths, this collection of essays throws more light on the real situation in many Muslim societies. Those committed to pursuing Christian-Muslim relations will find this volume a valuable resource."" --J. Paul Rajashekar, Luther D. Reed Professor of Systematic Theology and Dean of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia ""This book provides a global picture, by focusing on specific cases of Christians living in societies where Muslims are in the majority. It explores what ""majority"" means theologically and politically, particularly how minority groups experience it, as one kind of inter-religious encounter today."" --Rev. Dr. Martin Lukito Sinaga Study Secretary for Theology and The Church Department for Theology and Studies in the Lutheran World Federation About the Contributor(s): Kajsa Ahlstrand is Professor of Mission Studies at Uppsala University. Göran Gunner is a researcher at the Church of Sweden Research Department and an associate professor at the University of Uppsala. He is the editor of several books in Swedish about freedom of religion and other human rights issues.