Which Comes First, Democracy or Judaism: What This Means for Minorities in Israel

ARIEL LIEBERMAN In a speech to United States Congress in 2011, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that,“Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, only Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights.” Still, he refers to Israel as the “Jewish Homeland.” In this case, who does the state really stand … Continue reading →

U.S. policy, a moral discriminator? Why sex worker stigmatization prevented a more fruitful outcome of the 2012 International AIDS Conference

JESSICA NEWFIELD Recognizing and protecting the civil rights, working conditions and opportunities of vulnerable and marginalized groups is an essential element of tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Minority sub-groups of society are generally the most affected by the spread of the HIV virus such as Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people, drug users and … Continue reading →

Unity in Diversity—Religious Perspectives on Climate Change

MEAGHAN SHEVELL Climate change is a pervasive global phenomenon which transcends all national borders. At its roots, this environmental crisis is more than simply a scientific challenge – it is also a moral one. For many individuals, morality is encapsulated in religious beliefs. Oftentimes, religion is viewed as a divisive force serving to polarize people, … Continue reading →

Religious vs. Non-Religious NGOs: A Volunteer’s Perspective

AMANDA MURPHYReligious affiliation can complicate many situations, including the often problematic developmental aid situation in Africa. Volunteers who have worked for both religious and non-religious NGOs offer a valuable perspective on the differences between the two types of developmental aid institutions. Naomi Goodman is a fourth year Civil Engineering and Society major at McMaster University. … Continue reading →

The Role of Religion in Saudi Arabia

AMIR BEN SHABATMore than any country in the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia is identified with Islam. Islam is the state religion, the source of political legitimacy as it shapes state policies and activities and serves as the moral and legal code of society. This code is known as Sharia Law, derived from the Qur’an and … Continue reading →

Religious Representation in the Parti Quebecois: A Question of Identity

OLIVIA ZEYDLER Quebec elected the Parti Quebcois (PQ) to lead its provincial government on Sept. 4, 2012 with 32 percent of the vote. The party, led by Pauline Marois, has expressed hopes to protect Quebec nationalism and proposed various policy changes regarding immigrants and religious expression to that end.One legislation introduced by Marois is the … Continue reading →

Christian Conversions in India

BRENDA CHANG During the months of August and September 2012, five separate cases of church vandalism and Christian attacks in India have been reported via correspondence to the All India Christian Council, a council based in India and dedicated to the protection of Christians in the country. These acts of assault speak to the larger … Continue reading →

Impediment and Progress: the dual role of religion in Indian sex education

CAMILLE KERSEBET AND MADELEINE SHEA “Culture is not a monolith; it needs to change and adapt to shifting realities.”- Anindita Sengupta, The Guardian, “India in denial over sex education” In India, this is certainly true: conservative religious pressures have led to a lack of health education and little knowledge of basic sexual safety. While this … Continue reading →

Islamophobia: A new word for an old problem

VINCENT CARNEY The word Islamophobia is everywhere. It is one of those pervasive, ball of wax terms that is sufficiently meaningful yet vague that no one questions what it stands for. The word itself was coined over a hundred years ago, but its new-found popularity with the rise of human rights discourse and globalization has … Continue reading →

Urbanization and Religious Tolerance

ZOE CHAPIN When we think of cities, we think of modernity: gleaming sky scrapers, bustling streets, innovation, and progressive thinking. We infer that cities, and the people that live in them, are more secular and more democratic. But does all of this mean that cities are more religiously tolerant?  There is increasing evidence to suggest … Continue reading →

LGBT Rights: Clinton’s Address and the Manhattan Declaration

JENNA TOPAN The protection and promotion of religious rights are crucial aspects of the maintenance of human rights, especially in North America. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion … [including the freedom] to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, … Continue reading →

Censorship of religion in 21st century media

LEILA BAMBA We live in a time where the influence of the media can be felt in all aspects of our lives; from subjecting us to endless gossip on celebrities or to keeping us informed on current events. In our globalized era, this seems fine to most people until certain issues are put under the … Continue reading →

Homosexuality and Religion: where do Canadian homosexuals fit in when it comes to Christianity? A Look Into Sainte-Pierre Church in the Gay Village

ALEX BADDUKECompared to the majority of other countries in the world, Canadian law is very inclusive of homosexual rights. In 1995, the Supreme Court of Canada read in sexual orientation to the Canadian Charter of Rights under Section 15, which outlines equality rights. This established the equality of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) … Continue reading →

The road ahead for Christians in Syria

KARINA FORTIERAs Syria enters its 17th month of nationwide fighting, the Christian minority continues to support the ruling Assad regime. Several Christian-populated towns have been spared the violence ravaging the country, but many Christians fear for their rights should the regime succumb to revolutionary forces. The Rule of a Minority over a Majority Christians have … Continue reading →

Human Rights, A Conceptual Exploration

PAULINE CHERYThe United Nation General Assembly, in a move that has since been equated to one of the greatest achievements of the modern human rights movement, unanimously adopted The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on Dec. 10, 1948. Not one single representative of the 48 countries then recognized by the UN Charter voted against … Continue reading →