There has been plenty of discussion as to whether or not religions lead to violence, and certainly, most public discussions on the topic of religion, violence and terrorism have focused on that debate. In his new book, Dr Ziya Meral offers a completely different way of thinking about the topic. He claims that it is violence and conflict contexts that shape religious trajectories, and therefore common arguments that conflate violence and religious extremism, completely overlook the intrinsic ways religion and violence interact. This event will feature a lecture by Dr Meral, and a Q&A chaired by Dr. Craig Larkin (Department of War Studies).

Dr. Ziya Meral is a Senior Resident Fellow at the British Army's Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, based at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and Director of the Centre on Religion and Global Affairs. He is a frequent commentator in British and international media on Turkish and Middle Eastern issues, as well as issues relating to extremism and religion and violence. He has testified before the House Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and given talks and expert briefings at leading academic and diplomatic institutions, including the US Department of State, European Commission, British FCO and MoD, NATO Defence College. He holds a PhD in politics from the University of Cambridge, a MSc in sociology from the London School of Economics and BA in theology from Brunel University.

Tickets will be issued on a first come first serve basis. Register here for the event:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-violence-shapes-religion-belief-and-conflict-in-africa-and-middle-east-tickets-51582424420