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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.
- Dr Rachel Woodlock & A/Prof. Muhammad Kamal

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.
- Prof. Abdullah Saeed

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.
- Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi

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.
- Dr Laila Bushra

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.
- Amar Alfikar & Dr Diego Garcia Rodriguez

‘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.
- Anna Hardy
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.
- Prof. James Leibold

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.
- Dr Rachel Woodlock

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.
- Nur Hafiza Roslee

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.
- Affaf Mujahidah

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.
- A/Prof. Muhammad Kamal

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.
- Dr Supriyanto Abdi

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.
- Hana Assafiri OAM

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.
- Dr Dina Tawfic

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.
- A/Prof Ayra Indrias Patras