In Middle East, leaders on religious left offer reconciliation
Religious politicians are usually considered to be on the right of the ideological spectrum. However, we look at three figures -- Iyad Jamal Al-Din in Iraq, Menachem Froman in Israel and Mehdi Karroubi in Iran -- who advocate pacifism and pluralism yet are grounded in traditional spirituality.
The Turkish military under the ’sledgehammer’
Worldfocus producer Gizem Yarbil, who grew up in Turkey, shares her opinion about the recent detention of several high-profile Turkish military commanders. She argues it raises troubling questions about the role of the military in Turkey.
Worldfocus Radio: Turkey torn between East and West
Martin Savidge hosts Gareth Jenkins and Mustafa Akyol to discuss whether Turkey is leaning West or moving East. They discuss the country's growing Islamicization, strained relations with Israel and the limbo of European Union admission.
Rising Islamist movements challenge secularism in Turkey
Correspondent Gizem Yarbil and producer Bryan Myers report on how traditional religion and modern democracy are trying to coexist in Turkey, where growing religious groups are championing Islam's ethical and moral values. Secular critics are branding these religious groups as fundamentalist.
Do Islamist groups pose a threat to democracy in Turkey?
Dr. Ömer Taşpınar and Worldfocus producer Gizem Yarbil discuss the role of several important conservative religious groups in Turkey, including the Gulen movement, which is the largest, and the Mustazaflar-Der, which is influential in the predominantly Kurdish Southeast.
Lebanese youth debate secularism and sectarianism
Students at the American University of Beirut explain what it means to be secular in a country divided by sectarianism.
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