A Burning Affair

In this introduction we want to bring attention to and provide a contextualization and analysis of the last years burning of the Quran that have taken place and still takes place in the Nordic and Scandinavian context. Whilst many countries around the world still have blasphemy laws or laws against religious hatred that protect “religion” (however defined), or religious sensibilities from being desecrated or mocked, most Western countries, including Sweden, Denmark and Norway have removed blasphemy laws and made it possible to offer critique of religion, including the right to criticize religious texts. While this special issue primarily discusses the contemporary practice of public rituals where a physical copy of the Quran is burnt, we argue that understanding why this practice has become so widespread in the Nordic region requires a historical awareness of how blasphemy, as well as freedom of religion and freedom of expression have been understood and practiced in this very specific cultural and political environment of the far corners of Europe. Besides providing a historical background, the introduction includes an overview to how Muslims have discussed how to handle copies of the Quran that have been worn-out and why the intention is important for understanding the controversy around the burning of the Quran

Diets differing in carbohydrate cellularity and amount similarly reduced visceral fat in people with obesity - a randomized controlled trial (CARBFUNC)

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Introduction: “Love Jihad”: Sexuality, Reproduction and the Construction of the Predatory Muslim Male

The Introduction to this Special Issue on ‘“Love Jihad”: Sexuality, Reproduction and the Construction of the Predatory Muslim Male’ provides a theoretical overview and suggests an analytical lens for how to understand “Love Jihad” and related notions of Islamization through marriage, sexuality, and reproduction. We define “Love Jihad” as the notion that Muslim men intentionally and strategically allure and entrap non-Muslim women with the intent to marry and convert them to Islam as part of an Islamization project. We suggest a two-fold understanding of the concept of “Love Jihad”. First, the concept needs to be understood as a globalizing trope, originating from India and spreading to a wide range of cultural and national contexts across the world. Second, we propose to understand the specific term “love jihad” beyond its referential specificity, and thereby broadening it into an analytical concept for exploring related concepts (such as “sexual jihad” and “demographic jihad”), as well as related notions of Muslim men as sexual predators (in certain geographical settings known as “rapefugees”). We therefore include in our analysis related notions such as Islamic womb fare, “grooming”, “The Great Replacement”, and “unethical conversion” in marriage where they relate to flows of gendered nationalist imaginaries of the Muslim “Other”. The aim of this Introduction—as well as the Special Issue—is to contribute to the study of Islamophobia as a global phenomenon and to deepen our understanding of the gendered imaginaries of anti-Muslim nationalist formations across the world

Protecting Buddhist Women from Muslim Men: “Love Jihad” and the Rise of Islamophobia in Myanmar

Buddhist protectionism in contemporary Myanmar revolves around fears of the decline of Buddhism and deracination of the amyo (group/“race”). Buddhist protectionists and Burmese nationalists have declared Islam and Muslims the greatest threat to race and religion, and Myanmar has witnessed widespread distribution of anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim content, as well as massive violence against Muslim minority communities, the Rohingya in particular. The Indian neologism “Love Jihad” has scarce reference in contemporary Burmese Buddhist discourses, but, importantly, the tropes of aggressive male Muslim sexuality and (forced) conversion through marriage (“love jihad”) have been one of the core issues in Buddhist protectionism in Myanmar. The article shows that such tropes of the threatening foreign male have strong historical legacies in Myanmar, going back to colonial Burma when Burmese concerns over Indian male immigrant workers resulted in both anti-Indian violence and anti-miscegenation laws. Importantly, however, compared to colonial Indophobia and military era xenophobic nationalism, contemporary constructions are informed by new political realities and global forces, which have changed Buddhist protectionist imaginaries of gender and sexuality in important ways. Building on Sara R. Farris’ concept of “femonationalism”, and Rogers Brubaker’s concept of civilizationism, the article shows how Global Islamophobia, as well as global discourses on women’s rights and religious freedom, have informed Buddhist protectionism beyond ethnonationalism in the traditional sense

Protecting Buddhist Women from Muslim Men: “Love Jihad” and the Rise of Islamophobia in Myanmar

Buddhist protectionism in contemporary Myanmar revolves around fears of the decline of Buddhism and deracination of the amyo (group/“race”). Buddhist protectionists and Burmese nationalists have declared Islam and Muslims the greatest threat to race and religion, and Myanmar has witnessed widespread distribution of anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim content, as well as massive violence against Muslim minority communities, the Rohingya in particular. The Indian neologism “Love Jihad” has scarce reference in contemporary Burmese Buddhist discourses, but, importantly, the tropes of aggressive male Muslim sexuality and (forced) conversion through marriage (“love jihad”) have been one of the core issues in Buddhist protectionism in Myanmar. The article shows that such tropes of the threatening foreign male have strong historical legacies in Myanmar, going back to colonial Burma when Burmese concerns over Indian male immigrant workers resulted in both anti-Indian violence and anti-miscegenation laws. Importantly, however, compared to colonial Indophobia and military era xenophobic nationalism, contemporary constructions are informed by new political realities and global forces, which have changed Buddhist protectionist imaginaries of gender and sexuality in important ways. Building on Sara R. Farris’ concept of “femonationalism”, and Rogers Brubaker’s concept of civilizationism, the article shows how Global Islamophobia, as well as global discourses on women’s rights and religious freedom, have informed Buddhist protectionism beyond ethnonationalism in the traditional sense

Kataragama in a time of national crisis : Diversity and exclusion in a sacred place in Sri Lanka

This thesis discusses the sacred place of Kataragama (Kathirk ümam), situated at the extreme southeast corner of Sri Lanka, which is one of the island¡¦s most important pilgrimage sites. Kataragama, famous for its ecstatic religiosity and devotion, is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims alike. The god worshipped in Kataragama has many names, among them Skanda and Murukan. His myths are complex and manifold, and it is crucial to this thesis to show similarities, but also differences, between the religious traditions¡¦ concepts of Skanda and the holy place of Kataragama. In addition to attracting pilgrims of various faiths, Kataragama is multi-religious in the sense that it is a sacred place where Buddhist and Hindu monasteries and temples to gods, a Mosque and several Sufi tombs, are located within the same sacred premises. In the midst of violent insurgencies and State sponsored terror, Kataragama has a remarkably peaceful history compared to other sacred places in Sri Lanka in terms of co-existence and non-violence. That said, however, Kataragama is becoming increasingly Buddhist as the result of modern nationalist ideologies of the 20th century, and further by the present political situation in Sri Lanka. Consequently, the purpose of this study is two-fold. First, recent developments in Kataragama, with special emphasis on the increased Buddhist presence, are discussed. Thereafter, an analysis will be made of how this ¡¥Buddhicization¡¦, as well as Kataragama¡¦s peacefulness and cultural diversity are interpreted and discussed among Kataragama religious officials and devotees. My ethnographic material indicates that two trends take place in Kataragama. On the one hand, exclusivist ideas about Skanda and the nature of Kataragama as a sacred place, are prominent, which have resulted in Hindu Tamil grievances. On the other hand, a view which celebrates cultural difference as a political tool for peace and reconciliation is developing. For example, during a media event for the traditional Kataragama pilgrimage in 2002 the Minister of Foreign Affairs Tyronne Fernando stated that, ¡¥One of the blessings of peace is that pilgrimage can once more become the glue that binds us as a multi-cultural society¡¦. Thus, Kataragama as a potential peace symbol has entered Sri Lankan politics, and only time will show how it will shape its future

Diets differing in carbohydrate cellularity and amount similarly reduced visceral fat in people with obesity - a randomized controlled trial (CARBFUNC)

Background & aims Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume is associated with common lifestyle diseases. Dietary quality, including food matrix and degree of carbohydrate cellularity, as well as the carbohydrate/fat ratio, may influence VAT volume. We aimed to determine the effects of isocaloric diets differing in either “cellularity”, a novel marker of dietary carbohydrate quality, or carbohydrate amount on visceral fat volume and anthropometric measures in adults with obesity. Methods In a randomized controlled trial of 193 people with obesity/central adiposity, we compared changes in VAT volume after 6 and 12 months, measured by abdominal computed tomography, on three isocaloric eating patterns based on “acellular” carbohydrate sources (e.g., flour-based whole-grain products; comparator arm), “cellular” carbohydrate sources (minimally processed foods with intact cellular structures such as fruits, potatoes/tubers, and rice), or low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) principles. Outcomes were compared by an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis using constrained linear mixed-effects modelling (cLMM) providing baseline-adjusted change scores and proper missing data handling without imputation. Results 78 and 57 participants completed 6 and 12 months, respectively, with similar intakes of energy (females: 1820−2060 kcal, males: 2480−2550 kcal) and protein (16–17 energy percent, E%) throughout the intervention, and only modest reductions in energy from baseline. Reported dietary intakes were 42–44, 41–42, and 11–15 E% carbohydrate and 36–38, 37–38, and 66–70 E% fat in the acellular, cellular and LCHF groups, respectively. There were no significant between-group differences in VAT volume after 6 months (cellular vs. acellular [95% CI]: −55 cm³ [−545, 436]; LCHF vs. acellular [95% CI]: −225 cm³ [−703, 253]) or after 12 months (cellular vs. acellular [95% CI]: −122 cm³ [−757, 514]; LCHF vs. acellular [95% CI]: −317 cm³ [−943, 309]). VAT volume decreased significantly within all groups by 14–18% and 12–17% after 6 and 12 months, respectively. Waist circumference was reduced to a significantly greater degree in the LCHF vs. acellular group at 6 months (LCHF vs. acellular [95% CI]: −2.78 cm [−5.54, −0.017]). Conclusions Despite modest energy restriction, the three isocaloric eating patterns, differing in carbohydrate cellularity and amount, decreased visceral fat volume significantly and to a similar clinically relevant degree