The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

In 2013, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was invited by the Sydney Peace Foundation to participate in discussions of Ethics for a Whole World at the New South Wales Parliament House attended by more than 170 students and others. A preamble to the event paid tribute to the Cadigal people and their possession of the local land, which corresponds to Tibetans’ possession of the land of Tibet.Initiating the interchange with His Holiness was ABC journalist Andrew West, who opened by asking about what has been happening in Tibet.

In the Middle East, a familiar pattern unfolds – air strikes, bombings of military and civilian targets, vows of retribution, then a shaky ceasefire. Right now, that’s the situation between Iran and Israel. But Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president Donald Trump are also toying publicly with supporting regime change in Iran. We’ve been here before, as well, with the ousting of Saddam Hussein and the civil war that engulfed Iraq and spread to Syria. Dr JESSIE MORITZ from the Australian National University studies the religious politics of the region. She’s wary of outsiders trying to force change.For almost 40 years, journalist STAN GRANT was in the maelstrom of global politics and conflict, from London to Beijing to the mountains of Pakistan. But in the past five years, he’s been quietly working on a doctoral thesis on theology, resurrecting a family history in the church. In a new documentary for ABC TV’s Compass, Stan unveils the house he’s built in the stunning Snowy River Valley and explains how the environment helped him see through the clutter of the messy world around him.GUESTS:Dr Jessie Moritz - Lecturer, at Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies, ANUDr Stan Grant, a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and author of Murriyung: Song of TimeThis program was made on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

In the Middle East, a familiar pattern unfolds – airstrikes, bombings of military and civilian targets, vows of retribution, then a shaky ceasefire. Right now, that’s the situation between Iran and Israel. But Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president Donald Trump are also toying publicly with supporting regime change in Iran. We’ve been here before, as well, with the ousting of Saddam Hussein and the civil war that engulfed Iraq and spread to Syria. Dr JESSIE MORITZ from the Australian National University studies the religious politics of the region. She’s wary of outsiders trying to force change.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’s aiming to topple the regime in Iran, as part of his continued strikes against the country’s nuclear facilities and civilian infrastructure, such as oil refineries. But what forces could he unleash by overthrowing Iran’s Islamic theocracy? There’s a serious prospect that a Shi’ite backlash could erupt across the region GUEST:Dr Ali Mamouri is an academic and journalist specialising in religious studies, Middle East studies, fundamentalism, Salafism and political Islam at Deakin University. He previously served as strategic communication advisor to the Iraqi prime minister from 2020 to 2022.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’s aiming to topple the regime in Iran, as part of his continued strikes against the country’s nuclear facilities and civilian infrastructure, such as oil refineries. But what forces could he unleash by overthrowing Iran’s Islamic theocracy? There’s a serious prospect that a Shi’ite backlash could erupt across the region GUEST:Dr Ali Mamouri of Deakin University, former adviser to the Iraqi prime minister.  Australia has imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, citing a history of violent and racist statements.  The two men are crucial to propping up the Netanyahu government in parliament. Even so, the government could fall later this year over compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox men. GUESTS:Dina Kraft, journalist with The Christian Science Monitor Linda Gradstein, journalist with Voice of America and National Public Radio 

Australia has imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, citing a history of violent and racist statements.  The two men are crucial to propping up the Netanyahu government in parliament. Even so, the government could fall later this year over compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox men. GUESTS:Dina Kraft, journalist with The Christian Science Monitor Linda Gradstein, journalist with Voice of America and National Public Radio 

It’s boom time for Islam. According to the most comprehensive study of global religious affiliation in a decade, there are now two billion Muslims in the world. The study, conducted by Pew Research, also finds there’s an interesting twist in the data about the growth of those with no religion. CONRAD HACKETT was the senior researcher on the project.

This year’s Hajj celebrations wrapped up last Sunday in Mecca. Thankfully deaths and injuries from overcrowding and overheating were well down on last year.The Hajj is required of every able Muslim, but overall numbers were also down. The reason is intriguing. Associate Professor MILAD HAGHANI from Melbourne University studies urban risk and resilience.

Christianity may be thriving in much of the global south but, for the Anglicans of Melbourne, times are tougher. They’re now just 5.5 % of the population, according to the census. Will their new Archbishop be able to turn around the fortunes of a shrinking church base? RIC THORPE is currently the Anglican bishop of Islington in London, where he’s been a successful church builder. What’s his plan for the Melbourne diocese?

It’s boom time for Islam. According to the most comprehensive study of global religious affiliation in a decade, there are now two billion Muslims in the world. The study, conducted by Pew Research, also finds there’s an interesting twist in the data about the growth of those with no religion. CONRAD HACKETT was the senior researcher on the project.Despite the growth of Islam, there were markedly fewer Muslims attending this year’s Hajj celebrations in Mecca. The pilgrimage is required of every able Muslim but numbers were down. The reason, however, is even more intriguing. Associate Professor MILAD HAGHANI from Melbourne University studies urban risk and resilience.Christianity may be thriving in much of the global south but, for the Anglicans of Melbourne, times are tougher. They’re now just 5.5 percent of the population, according to the census. Will their new Archbishop be able to turn around the fortunes? RIC THORPE is currently the Anglican bishop of Islington in London, where he’s been a successful church builder. What’s his plan for the Melbourne diocese?GUESTS:CONRAD HACKETT - senior researcher at Pew ResearchAssociate Professor MILAD HAGHANI from Melbourne UniversityMelbourne Archbishop RIC THORPE