“The way of the saints: Tunisia’s Sufi tradition” – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

In this documentary-style video, we explore the many sufi figures that have left a mark on the country of Tunisia, with footage I got while I visited the country recently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZodU4a-_Q Sources/Suggested Reading: Chittick, William (2005). "Ibn Arabi: Heir to the Prophets". OneWorld Publications. Chittick, William (1989). "The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn 'Arabi's Metaphysics…

Islamic Pacifism in West Africa – Filip HOLM | Let’s Talk Religion

The concept of jihad in Islam is often oversimplified, and in this episode we explore one example of a "pacifist" tradition within Islam assoicated with Salim Suwari and the Suwarian tradition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-0iPcjQdrI Sources/Suggested Reading: Babou, Cheikh Anta (2007). "Fighting the Greater Jihad: Amadu Bamba and the founding of the Mouridiyya of Senegal, 1853-1913". Ohio University…

“Is It Immoral To Have Children? Talking with David Benatar” – Alex J. O’CONNOR | COSMIC SKEPTIC

Professor David Benatar is a South African philosopher, academic and author, and head of the philosophy department at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He is best known for his defence of antinatalism, the view that it is immoral to have children (though more specifically, to bring new sentient beings into existence). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeGAeBe7iRM…

Deadly superstitions – Nigeria’s “witch children” | DW Documentary

Children are being banished, raped, and even murdered. Aid organizations estimate that thousands of boys and girls are accused of being witches every year. Often, it’s their own parents who think their sons or daughters are possessed by demons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ot-Z-Tg1RE In the state of Akwa Ibom in southeastern Nigeria, it is common for children to…

Why is there a mental health emergency in Africa? | The Stream

The World Health Organization has launched a campaign aimed at boosting suicide prevention across Africa, amid a continent-wide crisis in mental health provision. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPBf-xq4gFI About 11 people per 100,000 per year die by suicide in Africa, higher than the worldwide average of nine per 100,000 people, the UN agency says. Of the ten countries with…

“Há quem tenha medo que o medo acabe” – Mia COUTO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xtgUxggt_4 O medo foi um dos meus primeiros mestres. Antes de ganhar confiança em celestiais criaturas aprendi a temer monstros, fantasmas e demónios. Os anjos, quando chegaram, já era para me guardarem. Os anjos atuavam como uma espécie de agentes de segurança privada das almas. Nem sempre os que me protegiam sabiam da diferença entre…

“Le théâtre d’Eugène Ionesco – l’utopie de l’absurde et les enjeux du dialogue interculturel” – Simona ANTOFI

Synergies Tunisie, n° 3 - 2011 pp. 57-69 Résumé : Ayant une identité multiple – juive, roumaine et – à la suite de l’exil volontaire à Paris – française –, le dramaturge Eugène Ionesco débute sur la scène de la littérature roumaine par un essai critique très agressif, dont le radicalisme idéologique se retrouve dans…

Africa in the Bible: The Myth of a Cursed Race | A Day of Discovery Legacy Series

For centuries, an ancient curse was used to support the terrible evils of slavery. It’s a curse that appears in one isolated verse in the Bible. Even today, this misunderstood curse still lingers with us as a legacy of shame. Fortunately, through tracing history and honest examination, researchers have exposed the lie of a cursed…

“Abortion: the ‘pro-death’ view” – David BENATAR

The pro-death view should be of interest even to those who do not accept it. One of its valuable features is that it offers a unique challenge to those pro-lifers who reject a legal right to abortion. Whereas a legal pro-choice position does not require a pro-lifer to have an abortion—it allows a choice—a legal…

Africa’s looted art | DW Documentary

Africa’s colonial overlords brutally stripped it of countless cultural treasures. Now, the fate of these items is being hotly debated in Europe and Africa as well. Some say the pieces should be returned, while others have reservations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RXlVr_15JY European museums proudly present art and cultural artifacts from all over the world. But until recently, many…