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Melbourne Asia Review is an initiative of the Asia Institute. Any inquiries about Melbourne Asia Review should be directed to the Managing Editor, Cathy Harper.
Edition 23, September 2025 Islam and minorities’ rights
INTRODUCTION: Navigating faith and tolerance in the Muslim experience
Muslims and non-Muslims have spent centuries living side-by-side, often successfully, but religion can also be a force for division.
Rethinking minority rights in Muslim thought: From Dhimma to equal citizenship
The rights of religious minorities in Islamic law have taken on new urgency in light of global demands for equal citizenship and religious freedom.
The Hazaras in Afghanistan: exclusion, minoritisation and resistance
Ending the persecution of Hazaras must be seen as an essential prerequisite for achieving inclusive and sustainable peace.
State influence sees the Ahmadi community under siege in Pakistan
The persecution of the Ahmadi community is rooted in the integration of Islamist groups and ideology into Pakistan's institutions.
The contemporary shifting landscape of LGBTQ+ Muslim expression in Indonesia
Amid the influence of conservative Indonesian Islam, a queer-inclusive Muslim counter-public is drafting an alternative approach.
INTERVIEW: I have hope we can transcend retaliation & make space for all realities, grief & trauma
Australian activist and entrepreneur, Hana Assafiri OAM, speaks of finding common ground amid the Israel-Gaza conflict and patriarchal power structures.
‘Liminal Minorities: Religion and Mass Violence in Muslim Societies’ by Güneş Murat Tezcür
Tezcür offers a compelling framework for understanding why certain groups become targets of persecution.
Edition 23, September 2025
Islam and minorities’ rights
Forged souls, broken lives: Xi Jinping’s ‘soul-casting’ project in Xinjiang and beyond
China's 'soul-casting' policy aims to remould 'others' in Chinese society for wealth, power and regime stability.
A Triple Threat: The increasing securitisation of Iran’s Baha’is
How and why the Islamic Republic securitises one of its most reviled perceived internal enemies.
The Ezidi genocide and the need to challenge the Islamic State’s ideology
To combat violence, it is crucial to promote an Islamic theology that emphasises tolerance and the protection of religious minorities.
The unintended impact of taklik marriage clauses for Muslims in secular Singapore
Reviewing the standardised taklik clauses is needed so both Muslim women and men can break away from rigid gender roles.
Sacred and silenced: How Indigenous beliefs struggle for space in Indonesia
The lack of formal inclusion and recognition within national religious governance perpetuates Indigenous marginalisation.
The rights of religious minorities in Indonesia remain a significant source of contention
Inclusive and progressive views on religious freedom in Indonesia are increasingly marginalised.
The Muslim ethno-religiouscape of Thailand can be accommodated peacefully
Thai Muslims see themselves as part of an integrated Thai polity.
Extremism against Copts is motivated by cultural norms
Egypt needs to address ongoing cultural violence against Copts which jeopardises the safety of Copts and the entire society.
Discrimination against non-Muslims in Pakistan will not end unless their rights are enforced
Equality for all is supposed to be guaranteed by the Constitution, but making this reality requires significant change at many levels.
