Historic challenge for Abrahamic religions – Opinion by Dr. Dino Patti Djalal

The recent attack by a white supremacist in Christchurch, New Zealand, revealed to us what the most extreme form of Islamophobia can be. The terrorist had reportedly developed a burning hatred of the growing number of Muslims that he saw as “invading his land”. Analysts have pointed out that if this could happen (of all places) in New Zealand, it could happen anywhere. The rare attack was also a manifestation of the historic “Abrahamic” problem. Relations among the Abrahamic religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism remain fraught with negativity, tension and hostility. At times they do result in oppression, discrimination and persecution.

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Insight: Are we ready for Indo Pacific 2.0? – Opinion by Dr. Dino Patti Djalal

The year 2019 is poised to be a critical episode for the Indo-Pacific. This is the year when ASEAN will attempt to form a common position on the Indo-Pacific, and before that, there will also be an East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers conference in Jakarta in March. The Indo-Pacific, of course, is not a new concept. I would say that the EAS — created in 2005 and since 2011 has included the United States and Russia — is in itself a manifestation of Indo-Pacific thinking; let’s call it Indo Pacific 1.0.

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