Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The unsettling polarization, politicization, and securitization of cultural and religious identities linked to “Islam” and “the West” is a complex transnational phenomenon, within which seemingly localized political and military conflicts have given rise to more widespread tensions and anxieties. These tensions and anxieties, in turn, have been harnessed by populist and often authoritarian political movements in a variety of different contexts, through consistent messaging about how the “other” represents a profound threat to the national, cultural, and religious “self.” Drawing on insights from interdisciplinary conflict analysis as well as from constructivism and identity theory, this paper outlines principles that can be applied both to generate better understanding of Islamic-Western identity politics and to enhance options for peacemaking. After noting dynamic processes through which religious symbols, identities, and values are being invoked to accentuate differences and sharpen hostilities, attention will be given to ways in which cultural and religious dimensions of contemporary conflicts might be transformed through intentional efforts to reframe fundamental issues, foster new narratives, and stimulate the cooperative pursuit of an inclusive, human security agenda.