Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: an Indian cardinal speaks out about protecting humans and not just cows, the fate of the Tartars in Crimea, and the consequences of Netanyahu's win in Israel.
BERKLEY CENTER IN THE NEWS
The World Bank, the Catholic Church, and the Global Future of Development
by Thomas Banchoff
Let's Talk Development World Bank blog
http://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/world-bank-catholic-church-and-global-future-development
The World Bank and the Catholic Church are the two most influential anti-poverty institutions in the world. One works primarily with governments and the international community; the other through a global network encompassing more than a billion adherents. Recently, the leaders of both institutions have articulated convergent approaches to human development that link economics with health, education, and the environment.
AROUND THE WORLD
After Nun Rape, Indian Cardinal Says Protect Humans, not just Cows
by Frank Jack Daniel
Reuters
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/03/19/nun-rape-india-cardinal-says-protect-humans-not-just-cows/
The head of India’s Catholic bishops, speaking out after a nun was raped in the east of the country last week, has said the country should be as concerned about the welfare of its people as it is about its cows. The comments appeared directed against hardline Hindu nationalists who have stirred up animosity against India’s Christian and Muslim minorities, while successfully lobbying for tougher laws against killing cows.
Islamism in the IS Age
by Marc Lynch
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/03/17/islamism-in-the-is-age/
The “IS-ification of Islamist politics,” in Khalil al-Anani’s felicitous phrase, has reshaped the ideological and strategic incentives for Islamist groups and their adversaries. It has also posed a new challenge to the categories, concepts and expectations of the academics who study them.
One Year Later, Crimea's Tatars Even Further In The Shadows
by Alsu Kurmasheva and Daisy Sindelar
Radio Free Europe
http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-crimea-tatars-rights-traditions-threatened/26908117.html
Tatars, the group native to Crimea, have been a persecuted minority since before World War II. But now, once again under Moscow's control, Tatars -- who make up just 13 percent of the population on the peninsula -- say their situation has grown even worse.
Khalid Koser on... Resilience Against Violent Extremism
Tony Blair Faith Foundation
http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/commentaries/opinion/khalid-koser-resilienc...
Khalid Koser speaks about the challenges of developing mechanisms to help communities build resilience against violent extremism, and explores some of the key drivers for radicalisation.
Win in Israel Sets Netanyahu on Path to Rebuild and Redefine Government
by Jodi Rudoren
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/world/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-election-government.html?hp&acti...
Israelis emboldened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a clear mandate in balloting on Tuesday, paving the way for him to lead a right-leaning and religious coalition that could be far easier to control, since his own party holds many more seats now. But despite the resounding victory after Mr. Netanyahu’s hard-linestatements in the campaign’s final days, the direction he will take in what would be his fourth term is as much a mystery as the man himself.
Who Loses as Netanyahu Wins?
Washington Post editorial
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/who-loses-as-netanyahu-wins/2015/03/18/71185134-cd9c-11e4-8a4...
Benjamin Netanyahu chose to call an early election in Israel in the hope that he could strengthen his hold on power. On Wednesday he appeared to have achieved his aim, but only after striking troubling positions that alarmed Israel’s neighbors and its Western allies — and that could come back to haunt his next government.
Tunisia Museum Attack Is Blow to Nation’s Democratic Shift
by David D. Kirkpatrick
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/world/africa/gunmen-attack-tunis-bardo-national-museum.html?rref=h...
Gunmen in military uniforms killed 19 people on Wednesday in a midday attack on a museum in downtown Tunis, dealing a new blow to the tourist industry that is vital to Tunisia as it struggles to consolidate the only transition to democracy after the Arab Spring revolts.
What Happens When the Fighting Stops?
by Kate Brannen
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/18/what-happens-when-the-fighting-stops/
A new report from Human Rights Watch portends badly for what could happen when the fighting stops. The report, released today, documents abuses that were carried out last fall after an unlikely combination of U.S. warplanes, Iranian advisors, Shiite militias, and Iraqi and Kurdish government ground forces worked together to end the Islamic State’s three-month siege on the town of Amerli in eastern Iraq.
The World Bank, the Catholic Church, and the Global Future of Development
by Thomas Banchoff
Let's Talk Development World Bank blog
http://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/world-bank-catholic-church-and-global-future-development
The World Bank and the Catholic Church are the two most influential anti-poverty institutions in the world. One works primarily with governments and the international community; the other through a global network encompassing more than a billion adherents. Recently, the leaders of both institutions have articulated convergent approaches to human development that link economics with health, education, and the environment.
AROUND THE WORLD
After Nun Rape, Indian Cardinal Says Protect Humans, not just Cows
by Frank Jack Daniel
Reuters
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/03/19/nun-rape-india-cardinal-says-protect-humans-not-just-cows/
The head of India’s Catholic bishops, speaking out after a nun was raped in the east of the country last week, has said the country should be as concerned about the welfare of its people as it is about its cows. The comments appeared directed against hardline Hindu nationalists who have stirred up animosity against India’s Christian and Muslim minorities, while successfully lobbying for tougher laws against killing cows.
Islamism in the IS Age
by Marc Lynch
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/03/17/islamism-in-the-is-age/
The “IS-ification of Islamist politics,” in Khalil al-Anani’s felicitous phrase, has reshaped the ideological and strategic incentives for Islamist groups and their adversaries. It has also posed a new challenge to the categories, concepts and expectations of the academics who study them.
One Year Later, Crimea's Tatars Even Further In The Shadows
by Alsu Kurmasheva and Daisy Sindelar
Radio Free Europe
http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-crimea-tatars-rights-traditions-threatened/26908117.html
Tatars, the group native to Crimea, have been a persecuted minority since before World War II. But now, once again under Moscow's control, Tatars -- who make up just 13 percent of the population on the peninsula -- say their situation has grown even worse.
Khalid Koser on... Resilience Against Violent Extremism
Tony Blair Faith Foundation
http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/commentaries/opinion/khalid-koser-resilienc...
Khalid Koser speaks about the challenges of developing mechanisms to help communities build resilience against violent extremism, and explores some of the key drivers for radicalisation.
Win in Israel Sets Netanyahu on Path to Rebuild and Redefine Government
by Jodi Rudoren
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/world/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-election-government.html?hp&acti...
Israelis emboldened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a clear mandate in balloting on Tuesday, paving the way for him to lead a right-leaning and religious coalition that could be far easier to control, since his own party holds many more seats now. But despite the resounding victory after Mr. Netanyahu’s hard-linestatements in the campaign’s final days, the direction he will take in what would be his fourth term is as much a mystery as the man himself.
Who Loses as Netanyahu Wins?
Washington Post editorial
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/who-loses-as-netanyahu-wins/2015/03/18/71185134-cd9c-11e4-8a4...
Benjamin Netanyahu chose to call an early election in Israel in the hope that he could strengthen his hold on power. On Wednesday he appeared to have achieved his aim, but only after striking troubling positions that alarmed Israel’s neighbors and its Western allies — and that could come back to haunt his next government.
Tunisia Museum Attack Is Blow to Nation’s Democratic Shift
by David D. Kirkpatrick
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/world/africa/gunmen-attack-tunis-bardo-national-museum.html?rref=h...
Gunmen in military uniforms killed 19 people on Wednesday in a midday attack on a museum in downtown Tunis, dealing a new blow to the tourist industry that is vital to Tunisia as it struggles to consolidate the only transition to democracy after the Arab Spring revolts.
What Happens When the Fighting Stops?
by Kate Brannen
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/18/what-happens-when-the-fighting-stops/
A new report from Human Rights Watch portends badly for what could happen when the fighting stops. The report, released today, documents abuses that were carried out last fall after an unlikely combination of U.S. warplanes, Iranian advisors, Shiite militias, and Iraqi and Kurdish government ground forces worked together to end the Islamic State’s three-month siege on the town of Amerli in eastern Iraq.
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