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Religion

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Muslim-American Perspectives on U.S. Foreign Policy

Salam al-Marayati, president and cofounder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Nazita Lajevardi, associate professor of political science at Michigan State University, discuss the domestic and international policies that affect and matter to American Muslim communities, as well as the diversity, trends, and priorities of the bloc.

Virtual Event by Salam Al-Marayati, Nazita Lajevardi and Irina A. Faskianos September 17, 2024 Religion and Foreign Policy Series
Rwanda

Kagame's Crusade

The Rwandan President’s attempt to regulate faith-based organizations raises more questions than answers.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare August 26, 2024 Africa in Transition
Human Rights

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Statelessness of Religious and Ethnic Minority Groups

Henri J. Barkey, adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Laura van Waas, cofounder and codirector of the Institute of Statelessness and Inclusion, discuss the engagement of stateless populations—specifically religious and ethnic minority groups—with international relations, the international legal dimensions of statelessness, and the policy changes necessary to expand the right to nationality and citizenship.

Webinar by Henri J. Barkey , Laura van Waas and Irina A. Faskianos August 22, 2024 Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars

Experts in this Topic

Ebenezer Obadare

Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies

Israel

Why Israel Wants to Draft the Ultra-Orthodox Into the Military

As Israel fights its war in the Gaza Strip, changes to a decades-old draft exemption for its fastest-growing demographic group threaten to fracture Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and exacerbate the country’s internal rifts.

In Brief by Simone Lipkind July 31, 2024
Nigeria

Who Needs an Emir?

The ongoing Emirship tussle in Nigeria begs broader questions about the place of traditional rulership in Africa’s emerging democracies.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare June 24, 2024 Africa in Transition
Religion

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: USCIRF's 2024 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom

Stephen Schneck and Eric Ueland, commissioners of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), will join Elizabeth Cassidy, senior strategic advisor of USCIRF, to present the key policy recommendations of the USCIRF 2024 annual report and the foreign policy implications of international religious freedom today. USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government agency created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad; makes policy recommendations to the president, secretary of state, and Congress; and tracks the implementation of these recommendations. USCIRF’s nine Commissioners are appointed by either the president or congressional leaders of each political party, and are supported by a non-partisan professional staff.

Webinar by Elizabeth K. Cassidy, Stephen Schneck, Eric Ueland and Irina A. Faskianos June 4, 2024 Religion and Foreign Policy Series

Nigeria

A Second Coming?

Among a cross section of Nigerian Christians, support for former US President Donald Trump remains stubbornly strong.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare June 4, 2024 Africa in Transition
India

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: India's 2024 General Elections

Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at Center for a New American Security, and Milan Vaishnav, senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discuss the geopolitical implications of India’s general elections and the influence of religion on politics in India. Alyssa Ayres, dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and adjunct senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, moderates the discussion.

Webinar by Lisa Curtis, Milan Vaishnav and Alyssa Ayres May 15, 2024 Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
China

Religion in China

A significant proportion of China’s population claims to follow a religion. However, the government continues to toughen oversight, increase persecution of some religions, and attempt to co-opt state-sanctioned religious organizations.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors May 15, 2024
China

China Is Reversing Its Crackdown on Some Religions, but Not All

Well-documented crackdowns on religious freedom in China, especially against Muslims and Christians, only show part of Beijing’s religious policy. Another side involves state support for “indigenous religions” in an attempt to promote traditional social values amid declining belief in the communist ideology.

Expert Brief by Ian Johnson May 14, 2024 Asia Program
India

India’s 2024 General Election: What to Know

The election date for the world’s largest democracy is set to begin April 19 and last six weeks. What would the results of a third term for Prime Minister Modi mean for India’s economy, democracy, and position in the Global South?

Expert Brief by Manjari Chatterjee Miller April 2, 2024 Asia Program
Nigeria

When Disability Meets Privilege

Authorities in Nigeria squander an opportunity to make a statement about human dignity and genuine social inclusion.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare April 1, 2024 Africa in Transition
Nigeria

The Ride of Their Lives

More than a mere automobile, the sport utility vehicle (SUV) in Nigeria is rich in social meaning.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare March 19, 2024 Africa in Transition
India

India’s Muslims: An Increasingly Marginalized Population

India’s Muslim communities have faced decades of discrimination, which experts say has worsened under the Hindu nationalist BJP’s government.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland March 18, 2024
Religion

A King and His Subjects

The relationship between a Nigerian pastor on death row and his congregation offers a timely glimpse into the nature of devotion and social obedience across African Pentecostal churches.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare March 11, 2024 Africa in Transition