Religious Symbols Research Articles

National Heritage of Yakutsk and its Traditions in Modern Urban Architecture

This work studies the influence of the national heritage of Yakutsk on its architectural development and preservation of traditions in modern architecture. Considered are mogol urasa, winter log yurt (balagan), contiguous serge poles and traditional Yakut ornaments. The analysis of national sites identify traditional buildings and elements affecting modern architectural solutions. Buildings in Yakutsk are described, in which the influence and implementation of national symbols and forms in their architectural appearance is observed. It is shown that the modern architecture of Yakutsk continues to use traditional materials, symbols, shapes and colors of the Yakut culture, while integrating innovative and modern functionality. It is important to continue and preserve traditions of Yakutsk architecture, emphasizing their essential role in the formation of the modern architecture of the city. Material objects created in accordance with traditions give the houses a special atmosphere and uniqueness, retrospectively reflecting the spirit and cultural heritage of the Yakut people in the modern urban environment. The importance of preserving these architectural traditions lies in the preservation and transmission of unique cultural values.Purpose: The aim of the work is to identify continuity in the modern architecture of Yakutsk.Methodology: Interpretation of historical forms and Yakut culture in modern architecture. It focuses on Yakut national houses, the analysis of religious symbols, their sacred significance and applicability in the architectural landscape.Value: Systematization and conceptualization of formative methods typical for national buildings and symbols, while studying their integration in architecture of Yakutsk.

The Manifestation of Religious Beliefs by Staff of Penitentiaries and Detention Centres

Abstract The article examines the expression of religious beliefs by prison staff in penitentiary units. The publication answers the following three questions: (i) how do penitentiary and detention centre staff view the possibility of the expression of their religious beliefs while at work in prison?; (ii) what is the current legal situation regarding the possibility of manifesting religious freedom by prison staff?; and (iii) what assessment is to be made, taking into account the established legal framework, with regard to discrimination and respect for equality and diversity? An analysis of international case law makes it possible to put forward an argument that prohibitions on the wearing of religious symbols by state officials and other staff members are an unjustified restriction of religious freedom, leading to discrimination on the grounds of religion. The compliance with the prohibition on discrimination cannot consist of removing or concealing differences in the manifestation of religious beliefs.

Islamophobia and Representation of the West in Pakistani Political Discourse: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Anti-Western Narratives

This study investigates the representation of Islamophobia and the West within Pakistani political discourse, analyzing how anti-Western narratives are constructed by political leaders and media. Through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), particularly Van Dijk's Socio-Cognitive Approach, the study examines speeches, media statements, and social media posts to identify the linguistic and rhetorical strategies that frame Western nations as antagonistic toward Islam and Muslims. By leveraging the concept of 'othering,' these narratives depict Western nations as both cultural and ideological threats, reinforcing in-group identity among Pakistanis and promoting national solidarity. The research uncovers recurring themes, including the portrayal of the West as inherently Islamophobic and morally divergent, the invocation of religious and cultural symbols to appeal to collective Islamic identity, and the strategic use of emotional appeals and metaphors to solidify anti-Western sentiments. This study contributes to the understanding of how Islamophobia discourse is employed to influence public opinion, strengthen political legitimacy, and unify the nation against perceived external threats. Findings also suggest that anti-Western narratives serve as powerful rhetorical tools in shaping national identity and resisting perceived Western hegemony. Future research might further investigate similar discourses across other Muslim-majority nations to provide comparative insights into the role of political discourse in shaping perceptions of Islamophobia and foreign policy.

Seeing Mary and Becoming Marija

This article examines the extraordinary conversion story of Tsuneko Kondō-Kawase, a Japanese woman who became Marija Skušek upon her baptism and marriage in Ljubljana in 1927. Within a single hour at the Ljubljana Bishop’s Palace, Kawase was baptised, confirmed, married, and her two children were baptised and confirmed. Her swift conversion and claims of Mary's apparitions captured public attention. This study situates her testimony within the broader context of religious conversion, the rise of pluralistic beliefs in a predominantly Catholic society, and the socio-political climate of the era. Central to her narrative are visions of Mary’s crowned image, shaped by Chinese Catholic traditions and Slovenian Marian devotion. Tsuneko’s experience underscores the complexity of non-European conversions and the adaptability required by clergy to address diverse cultural identities. Tsuneko’s case highlights personal agency in navigating religious transformation, blending her Japanese and Chinese heritage with Slovenian Catholic influences. Her reinterpretation of Marian imagery illustrates how converts with their understanding of religious symbols actively engage to forge new identities. As a transitional figure, Tsuneko’s story sheds light on the interplay between personal experiences and broader cultural adaptations in conversion processes. This analysis enriches the understanding of religious transformation, emphasizing the significance of individual narratives in exploring themes of faith, identity, and integration across cultural and historical boundaries.

CULTURAL IDENTITY AND ISLAMIC MODERATION IN CENTRAL JAVA'S HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Radicalism in universities has transformed into covert movements that do not overtly display religious symbols and utilize technology to infiltrate academic communities. This study aims to identify how radical groups adapt within university environments in Central Java, and analyze campus policies’ and extra-campus organizations’ role in promoting religious moderation. It employs a qualitative method and phenomenological approach, collecting data through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. It is based on cultural identity theory to understand how the academic community’s religious identities are shaped in response to radical infiltration. The findings reveal that universities in Central Java established Islamic traditions and facilities, including religious moderation centers, moderation gardens, and multifaith worship spaces to resist radical groups, teaching interfaith tolerance to the academic community. Extra-campus organizations are essential for shaping attitudes toward tolerance and religious moderation, depending on the dominant organizations’ nature at each institution. However, Salafi Jihadi, Ikhwanul Muslimin, Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), Takfiri groups, and ISIS are radical movements, infiltrating extra-campus Islamic organizations. Universities implemented strict policies and preventive measures to combat radicalism within their academic environments. This study provides a deeper understanding of the campus’ strategies and highlights extracurricular organizations’ role in promoting religious moderation.

Swami Dayananda Sarasvati’s vision of Golden Vedic Age in contemporary Birla Mandirs: the idea of the Birla Temple as an inspiration and reflection for modern Hindutva

The article discusses the issues of contemporary Hindutva and its relationship with the ideas of Dayananda Sarasvati’s Golden Vedic Age, which are promoted not only in official publications but also symbolically in Hindu temples (Mandirs). The Birla family, founders of many temple complexes throughout India, propagated their own vision of modern Hinduism, in which Dayananda played a very significant role. His teachings and interpretation of Hinduism became an inspiration for many Hindutva supporters, including PM Modi. The authors hypothesize that, since the symbolism and message of the Golden Vedic Age can be interpreted in various ways, it may also be incorporated into the structure of Hindutva ideology. The complex symbolism of Vedic sacrifice, as presented in the Birla temple iconography, can be used in the realities of politicized religion and serve to justify the concept of building a Hindu Rashtra, an ideal Hindu state. The skillful and creative use of mythological and religious symbolism can contribute to achieving political success, especially in a country with a strong religious identity, such as India.

RACISM AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND AFRO-DESCENDANTS IN SWEDEN, BRAZIL, AND MEXICO

This article explores how racism and stigmatizing discourses and practices are articulated and normalized in colonizer and colonized countries. The research compares the cases of Sweden, Brazil, and Mexico from a combination of frameworks -- the Critical Race Theory (Walton, 2019; Ansley, 1997), the neo-Marxist concept of institutional racism and racialization (Cole, 2016 and 2020), and a decolonial framework and methodology (Fanon, 1968; Tynan and Bishop, 2022). Racism has been structural and systemic in Latin American societies since colonization when religious and royal authorities legitimated Indigenous and African slavery in the colonies. After independence, modern free republics converted religious legitimation of racism in pseudoscientific Eugenics and the invention of human races and racism continue oppressing Indigenous and African descendants. Currently structural racism continues to be the normal behavior in Western societies, not an exception. The objective of this research is to identify and compare racism reveled in behaviors and the speeches behind them in two colonized societies – Brazil and Mexico – and Sweden, a colonizing society. The question orienting the comparative research is how and in which ways racism and stigmatizing discourses and practices are articulated and normalized in colonizer and colonized countries. Understanding the main persistent trends in these societies on eugenic somatic characteristics such as hair type, body part sizes (e.g. head), as well as other collective social and religious symbols, behaviors, attitudes and cultural customs, used as discriminatory markers. The qualitative methodology includes 69 interviews and six focus groups in the three countries. Results were analyzed form a critical reflexivity about how colonialism and eugenics impact the lived experiences and realities of both groups in colonized and colonizer countries, through historic and current practices. racism has the same routes of functioning, structuring unequal relationships, distortions in the perception of the other, marginalization and suffering.

Parables of Modernity: Italian Advertising Meets Religion, 1890–1950

The use of religious symbols in commercial advertising is not only a modern phenomenon. The research presented here traces its existence from the start of the last century through the analysis of a broad sample of advertising posters that circulated in Italy between 1890 and 1950. In presenting the main results of this analysis, this article not only sets out to document the variety and complexity of the historical materials belonging to a distant past but also seeks to pinpoint a potential thread running from that context to the present day, indicating continuities and differences that can help to understand some transformations that have taken place over time.

The Use and Abuse of Internet Spaces: Fitna, desacralization, and conflict in Indonesia’s virtual reality

This article critically examines the utilization and misuse of internet spaces during Indonesia's political contestations over the past five years, focusing on the emergence of fitna (sedition, strife) in virtual environments. It analyzes how internet users exploit religious symbols to solidify their positions and contest opposing views, leading to the desacralization of religion. The study elucidates the construction of religious values through communal online communication, the effects of digital interactions on religious practices, and the behavioral codes and value frameworks emerging within these virtual religious spaces. By mapping the multifaceted manifestations of fitna—hoaxes, fake news, insulting memes, videos, and hate speech—the article sheds light on the mechanisms of digital manipulation and their broader implications. This research significantly contributes to the discourse by illuminating the intersections of digital media, religion, and conflict, while proposing strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of internet misuse on religious and social harmony.

From Prayer to Practice: Children's Religious Understanding and Outgroup Prosocial Behaviours

ABSTRACTIn a religiously diverse world, understanding how young children perceive and interact with peers from other religious groups is pivotal for promoting harmony from an early age. The study examines how children's understanding of an outgroup religion is associated with their prosocial behaviours towards children from that religion. Conducted with 210 children aged 3–6 years (mean = 4.19 years; 50.7% boys) from the majority religion (Catholic) in state schools in Malta, we assessed children's religious understanding through identification of ingroup religious symbols, and prayer. Additionally, we measured children's outgroup (i.e., Muslim) religious understanding through outgroup prayer. Children's prosocial behaviours were assessed through their costly giving of stickers to outgroup children. Findings indicate that outgroup religious understanding moderated the link between children's religious understanding and outgroup giving. Specifically, outgroup religious understanding dampened the association between ingroup religious understanding and outgroup giving for children with higher ingroup religious understanding. Implications of children's outgroup religious understanding on prosocial behaviours are discussed.

Konstruksi Realitas Sosial di Indonesia dalam Peran Media dan Identitas Budaya di Era Globalisasi

The construction of social reality in Indonesia is heavily influenced by the interplay between mass media and social media, reflecting the evolving dynamics of globalization and local culture. This study aims to explore how media platforms shape public perceptions, cultural identity, and social norms in the Indonesian context. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research investigates how mass media and social media frame issues and construct meanings that resonate with societal values, traditions, and contemporary challenges. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with media practitioners and users, content analysis of mass and social media materials, and participatory observation of interactions within digital communities. Analytical frameworks included Berger and Luckmann's theory of social construction, media convergence theory, and framing analysis. The findings reveal that social media platforms, such as tiktok and Instagram, facilitate a participatory culture where users blend global and local narratives, creating a hybrid reality. This hybrid reality reflects the negotiation of traditional values with modern, globalized influences, particularly in shaping the identity of younger generations. In contrast, mass media frequently aligns its framing of social issues with political and economic interests, influencing public perceptions through selective narratives. Additionally, the use of language, religious symbols, and algorithms was found to reinforce social norms and stereotypes, illustrating the media’s role in shaping societal expectations and behaviors. The study concludes that the interaction between traditional and digital media plays a significant role in constructing Indonesia’s social reality. It highlights the necessity of critically understanding media influences to navigate the complexities of identity and social dynamics in an increasingly globalized world.

Post‐Christendom Ignorance in Secular Society

ABSTRACTIn banning religious symbols for civil servants in a position of authority, Québec's laicity law disproportionately burdens religious minorities. Nevertheless, politicians seem to somehow avoid this problem, and the law is largely supported by the population. This insensibility to religious discrimination calls for an explanation. I argue that part of the explanation for this unequal treatment of religion in secular society lies in active religious ignorance. Drawing a parallel from how white ignorance functions to protect racial inequalities, I argue that a kind of active ignorance in the religious domain – that I name post‐Christendom ignorance – makes it difficult to comprehend alternative understandings of religious experience and allows the majority to deny its religious positionality. Applying this framework, I criticize Québec's laicity law for wrongfully relying on inadequate hermeneutical resources about religion. Further, the failure to see that targeting only religious symbols worn by individuals is discriminatory is the result of the epistemic vice of closed‐mindedness. This article aims to show how religious persons in secular society can suffer hermeneutical wrongs because of their religious identity, and it aims to show that this injustice in the epistemic domain can help explain the unequal treatment of religious minorities while providing grounds for criticism.

The relationship between visitors’ motivation and landscape preference for the pilgrimage route on the Mount Miaofeng, China

Many countries have recognized the significance of religious tourist destinations and actively included them into tourism systems. This study took the pilgrimage route on the Mount Miaofeng, a famous sacred place in northern China, as the research site to comprehensively understand visitors’ on-site experience when walking along it. The visitor-employed photography technique, supplemented by a questionnaire survey, was used to explore visitors’ preferences for landscape elements and spatial sequences. The landscape elements were identified in eight categories (including vegetation, religious symbol, mountain, route, human, village, temple fair, and facility), and the spatial sequences of photos along the route were divided into containing views at close, middle, and remote distances. Visitors were classified into three types: those motivated by religious purposes, recreational purposes, and multiple purposes. It was concluded that visitors normally preferred the vegetative landscape and religious symbol categories, and they preferred to take photos with views at close distance (with cultural and aesthetic significance) in human settlements. Visitors motivated by different purposes showed different patterns of preferences for landscapes which are in consistent with their travel motivations. This study contributed to an in-depth interpretation of the people-place relationships and the enrichment of tourism motivation theory, and it could provide valuable references for the conservation, management, and planning of religious tourism destinations.

Symbolism in Arabic Literature: Mourid Barghouti as a Model

This study explores the concept of "symbolism" in Arabic literature, focusing on its role in the poetry of Mourid Barghouti as a model. It examines the evolution of symbolism through different literary eras, from traditional and religious symbols to mythological and natural symbols, and analyzes how Barghouti employs these symbols to reflect his experiences and views on Arab issues, particularly the Palestinian cause. The study adopts an analytical methodology to study selected symbols in Barghouti's works, highlighting religious symbols such as Christ, historical symbols like Queen Bilqis, and mythological symbols inspired by Greek mythology. The study also examines the unique symbols Barghouti created to express his personal experiences. The results reveal that symbolism is a fundamental element in Barghouti's poetry. He uses it to convey themes of resilience, national identity, and human suffering. The study underscores the importance of symbolism in enriching poetic texts and deepening their meanings, enabling readers to gain a profound understanding of the human experience in literature. Key conclusions include Barghouti's strategic use of various types of symbols—religious, historical, mythological, and natural—to deepen meaning and evoke connections between the past and the present. His use of natural symbols represents renewal and resilience. The study recommended further studies on symbolism in modern Arabic literature, increased focus on traditional and religious symbols in Arabic poetry, the development of educational curricula to include the analysis of literary symbols, and the establishment of a database of key literary symbols in Arabic poetry. Additionally, it suggested exploring audience interaction with literary symbols, focusing on their reception in modern Arabic poetry.

Examining ‘Vernacular’ Symbols and Symbolic Power in Times of Crisis

Abstract This article* examines the significance and impact of vernacular symbols with national and ritualistic importance, focusing on their roles in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the Tibetan crisis. The study asserts that the effectiveness of these symbols in mobilising public sentiment depends on their ability to elicit a diverse range of emotions. It analyses symbols that have garnered global attention, particularly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and China’s occupation of Tibet in 1959. The methodology combines fieldwork and interviews with Tibetan communities in Kalimpong near Darjeeling (West Bengal), Belakhuppi (South India), and Sikkim, along with Ukrainians residing in Estonia. By utilising both traditional ethnographic approaches and netnography (Kozinets 2015), the study investigates trends and emotional impacts through social media, incorporating digital tools for interviews. The research explores the transformation of religious and cultural symbols into instruments for constructing national identity amid geopolitical conflicts. It examines how these symbols validate personal and collective identities during national crises, offering insights into their role in affirming one’s identity as it relates to a lost or threatened nation.

Unveiling Religious Paradigm and Postmodern Deconstruction in Dramatic Works from The Balkan Countries of the 20th And Early 21st Centuries: A Study of Sabri Hamiti’s Drama

The article investigated the religious paradigm and postmodern deconstruction in the dramatic works of Balkan playwrights, focusing on Kosovar writer Sabri Hamiti, exploring the role of religious and mythological narratives in his plays and their deconstruction through postmodernist techniques. The research analysed how Hamiti incorporates biblical, Qur’anic, and mythological symbols to question traditional moral frameworks, offering new interpretations of sin, redemption, and moral responsibility. Using a comparative literary approach and textual analysis, the study identified key postmodern principles such as multiplicity of meanings, temporal disruptions, and deconstruction of fixed structures in Hamiti’s works. The results demonstrate that Hamiti’s dramas challenge the stability of religious and moral concepts, while simultaneously utilizing them as cultural artifacts that contribute to the national identity of the Balkans. His plays reveal a complex interaction between the sacred and the profane, highlighting the role of religion in shaping both individual and collective consciousness. The findings underscore the enduring significance of religious symbols in contemporary Balkan drama and the profound impact of postmodernist tendencies on the cultural and theatrical development of the region.

Modern and Postmodern Philosophies and Associated Feminist theories related to Religious Symbols: Sindoor– As a case

Modern and Postmodern Philosophies and Associated Feminist theories related to Religious Symbols: Sindoor– As a case

Sacred Selling: Exploring the Intersection of Religion and Advertising in Contemporary Society

This paper aims to explore the intricate link between religion and advertisement, focusing on how advertisers use religious signs, values, and tales to create a connection with consumers. The intersection of religion and advertising is a very interesting and ever-changing idea that has had a huge influence on the visual environment of our society. The adoption of religious symbols and images in advertisements has been on the rise. Starting from the sacred symbols to the unconscious religious themes, their integration is a carefully planned method that is intended to strike a chord with the consumers’ deep cultural and emotional values. This paper contributes to a new perspective on advertising and religion in it. It will highlight the historical context, psychological insight, soci- ocultural analysis, and ethical dilemmas regarding the intersection of religion and advertising. To gain an intuitive understanding of the complex relationship between religion and advertising, it is necessary to examine specific case studies that exemplify the incorporation of religious elements into marketing campaigns. This research mainly analyzes two case studies: Coca-Cola’s “Hilltop” commercial and Nike’s “Take It To The Next Level” commercial. These two campaigns are chosen for analysis because of their skillful incorporation of religious elements into their campaigns. The study will focus on showing how advertisers balance the sacred and the secular without offending anyone’s religious sensibilities, all to reach mass audiences, conquer new markets, and perpetuate consumerism. The underlying question that propels the investigation is how advertisers can balance the sacred and commercial and what the implications are for individuals, communities, and society.

Religious Commodification in Social Experiments on Zavilda TV's YouTube Channel

Social media, including YouTube, has emerged as a significant aspect of contemporary lifestyles in society. Youtubers need to be able to present interesting content ideas in order to attract more viewers and advertisers. Zavilda TV YouTube Channel turns Islam into a content idea and commodifies it to attract more viewers. Religion and spirituality are no longer something exclusive, but have become a commodity and a public broadcast, used as an object and capital in the political economy of the media. Thus, this study aims to uncover realities that reflect the practice of commodification of religion in the Islamic social experiment targeting women. This research uses a qualitative approach with a literature review. Dialogue manuscripts, titles, video descriptions and thumbnails for Zavilda TV are research objects that are studied using observation and documentation methods. The study of the political economy of media and critical discourse analysis are used to uncover and explain commodification in a more critical and in-depth way. The results found in this study are forms of religious commodification in the form of religious symbols and Islamic songs, as well as religious reflections that are given to the target to make them willing to wear the headscarf. The issue of religious tolerance is also included in the content by targeting women of religions other than Islam to try wearing the headscarf. There is a relationship that is lamely built through the clothing of talent and targets like preachers and mad'u. Zavilda TV attempts to disseminate its understanding of religion. The channel asserts that its interpretation of religious doctrine is accurate and obligatory for all Muslim women, even if some of the remarks given tend to discriminate.

Intertextuality and Islamic Literary Narratives in Kabanti Bunga Malati from Buton, Southeast Sulawesi

This study explores the intertextual relationships and Islamic narratives in Kabanti Bunga Malati, a traditional oral literary work from Buton, Southeast Sulawesi. Kabanti serves as a medium for conveying religious, moral, and social values within the Butonese community. Kabanti Bunga Malati by La Ode Muhammad Nafiu offers advice on the ideal Muslim character, including the importance of humility, self-purification, self-control, and avoiding unlawful acts. This research employs a qualitative descriptive method with intertextual and hermeneutical approaches. Julia Kristeva’s theory of intertextuality is applied to understand the relationship of Kabanti Bunga Malati with other Islamic texts, such as the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sufi literature. Friedrich Schleiermacher’s hermeneutical approach is used to analyze the Islamic messages within the text, focusing on both linguistic structure and authorial intent. The primary data comes from the Kabanti Bunga Malati manuscript, while secondary data is derived from relevant books and scholarly articles. Data collection techniques include reading, note-taking, and describing key points related to the research topic. Data analysis employs content analysis, chosen for its ability to identify themes, patterns, and relevant categories from the collected data. The findings show that Kabanti Bunga Malati plays a crucial role in conveying Islamic teachings through poetic form, religious symbolism, and strong moral messages. It has a close connection with various classical Islamic texts, including the Qur’an, Hadith, Sufi literature, and other Islamic literary works. The Islamic narrative in this text emphasizes the balance between ritual and morality in daily life and highlights the importance of self-reflection as a mirror to achieve spiritual purity. These findings are expected to contribute to the study of Islamic literature in the Nusantara and enrich the understanding of the role of local literature in preserving religious teachings and cultural values in Butonese society.