SAGE Readings

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Johnson, M. (November 2013). Religious Repression. CQ Researcher 23(39), 933–956.

PDF icon religious_repression_Chernotsky2e_CH9.pdf

This article focuses on the rise of religious repression worldwide. It introduces the topic with some statistics regarding religious repression and persecution in different countries around the world. This article then addresses in more depth several key questions, including whether or not religious repression is on the rise, if rising fundamentalism causes religious repression, and whether or not Christians are the main targets of religious repression. It offers some background information on religious repression as it discusses the history of holy wars, the influence of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, religious repression in the Cold War and post-Cold War eras, and religious extremism in the present. It closes with a focus on the question of whether or not the United States should make religious freedom a foreign policy priority.

  1. What pattern did recent Pew researchers measuring restrictions on religion worldwide find? What do various experts attribute the increase in religious persecution?
  2. What is fundamentalism? How is it defined today? How may fundamentalism influence religious repression and persecution?
  3. What are some of the policies the Obama administration have enacted to combat religious repression? Are they effective? Why or why not?

Learning Objectives: To define religious repression, fundamentalism, and extremism and to describe worldwide trends in religious repression and persecution. To understand how religious freedom may fit into United States foreign policy.

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Moore, J. (January 2010). Truth Commissions. CQ Global Researcher 4(1), 1–24.

PDF icon truth_commissions_Chernotsky2e_CH9.pdf

This article discusses the use of truth commissions in countries after mass atrocities and violations of human rights. It first provides an overview of what truth commissions are and where they have been implemented in the past. This article then delves into three specific questions about truth commissions: if they produce accurate records of the past, if they are capable of reconciling individuals and societies, and if they are more effective than trials. It traces the history of truth commissions back from the two World Wars and the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, up to present day examples of truth commissions, as in Rwanda. It also discusses the tensions between the concepts of truth and justice, as well as the controversy over reparations for victims. Finally, this article examines current issues, including the publicizing of results of truth commissions, the differing objectives of traditional and international justice mechanisms, and the outlook for future truth commissions.

  1. What are the general functions of truth commissions? What are some of the challenges to implementing truth commissions?
  2. What is reconciliation? What are some of the difficulties in achieving reconciliation?
  3. What are the advantages of truth commissions over trials? What are the advantages of trials over truth commissions?
  4. What are the drawbacks to using written reports to document the results of truth commissions? How are some countries communicating the information differently?

Learning Objectives: To understand the role of truth commissions in the international justice system. To assess the efficacy of truth commissions.