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Results for tag:asylum seekers

A nativity scene at St Antony of Padua Church, Istanbul, decorated with objects found in shipwrecks of refugees on the Turkish coast. Christmas 15/16. Photographer: Pedro J. Pacheco. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

The ‘refugee crisis’, religion, and encounters with the divine through the human at Christmas

Date:24 December 2016
Author:Religion Factor
Whether you see it as truth, myth or folklore, the Christmas story is a powerful narrative in contemporary politics in multiple contexts. In the midst of fraught politics around refugees and immigration, refugee advocates often highlight that ‘Jesus was a refugee’, his family being forced to flee to Egypt shortly after his birth to escape King Herod. Yet as well-meaning as this argument is, does this emphasis on Jesus as a ‘refugee’ help to inspire compassion, or does it retain an emphasis on labels and categories that prevent us from seeing fellow human beings? In today’s post Erin K. Wilson and Luca Mavelli explore this and other dimensions of how the Christmas story speaks to the current crisis of humanity that is often referred to as the ‘refugee crisis’. Whatever your beliefs, we wish all our readers a safe, peaceful and joyous holiday season.

Faith and the Asylum Crisis: The role of religion in responding to displacement

Date:17 November 2014
Author:Religion Factor
Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, the DRC. In each of these contexts, and numerous others, complex dynamics around politics, resources, religion and power are contributing to the creation of a global crisis of displacement of unprecedented scale, with a record number of 51.2 million people displaced in 2013.

The UN Refugee Convention 60 Years On – Time to Rethink Approaches to Protection?

Date:25 April 2014
Author:Religion Factor
This week marks the 60thanniversary of the coming into force of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Much has changed since the Convention was initially drafted, signed and ratified by states.

The ‘Religion Factor’ and 21st Century Terrorism

Date:05 April 2014
Author:Religion Factor
Research and policy on terrorism in the 21st century seems to assume a strong link to religion and that this somehow makes 21st century terrorism unique in comparison to terrorism from previous historical periods. But is this really the case? Christian Frank explores these issues in today’s post.

Globalization, Religion and Humanity Beyond the Nation-State

Date:05 November 2013
Author:Religion Factor

Recent tragic drownings on migration routes to both Europe and Australia highlight more than ever the paradoxes of globalization – more open borders when it comes to trade and finance, tighter restrictions when it comes to people; immense wealth, privilege...

Saving lives – but which ones? Life, belonging and postsecular possibilities in contemporary asylum politics

Date:23 May 2013
Author:Religion Factor

In today’s post, Erin Wilson reflects on the recent decision by the Australian parliament to excise its territory from its migration zone, what this means for how we value life, how we belong and how both religious and secular perspectives can help us...