ABSTRACT
The response of states to demands for free exercise of religion or belief varies greatly across the world. In some places, religions come as close as imaginable to autonomous existences with little interference from government. In other cases religion finds itself grinding out a meagre living, if at all, under the jealously watchful eye of the state. This book provides a legal and normative overview of the variety of responses to minority religions available to states. Exploring case studies ranging from Islamic regions such as Indonesia, Pakistan, and the wider Middle East, to Western Europe, Eastern Europe, China, Russia, Canada, and the Baltics, contributors include international scholars and experts in law, sociology, religious studies, and political science. This book offers invaluable perspectives on how minority religions are currently being received, reviewed, challenged, or ignored in different parts of the world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|27 pages
Minority Religions and International Legal and Ethical Norms - an Overview
part II|69 pages
Minority Religions and Islam
part III|49 pages
Atlantic Models - Religious Minorities, Diversity and the 'European West'
part IV|66 pages
Moving Eastward - Emerging Democracies and the Communist Legacy
part V|42 pages
Minority Religions in Non-European Democracies: Canadian and South African Models