Islam

Khrul A., Khroul V. Humour in media discourse on religion as a factor of conflict

Humour is located in the sensitive areas of the two basic human freedoms: the freedom of expression and the freedom of belief. The paper is focused on humour in media discourse on religion as a factor of conflict and examines important factors underexposed. According to the results of the pilot project, conducted in Russia, the approaches and attitudes towards humour as a well as a will for compromise and consensus differ in Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic and Protestant communities. Authors suggest the mapping the “zone of mutual responsibility” of journalists and religious leaders will lead to elaborating the “pact on humour” between them. For the future research authors propose to analyse the religious and ethnic factors in the formation of a sense of humour and culture of laughter in general in order to have more detailed picture on strictly religious sensitivity towards humour.

Khroul V. Stereotypes on religion in media: A case of Muslims in Russia and the USA

The mediatisation of Islam and Muslims as a religious community is gaining interest in media studies due recent political events. The coverage of Islamic structures in institutional media as a particular case of mediatisation is important for understanding the mechanisms of shaping public opinion and mass attitudes towards this religion and its followers. Moreover, quite often the image in the media becomes the basis for political decision-making. This article, based on an analysis of a large volume of publications about Islam from 2000 to 2022 through “Factiva” service, examines its coverage in the two media spheres – Russian and US, drawing attention to the similarities and differences in the formation of a predominantly negative image of this religion. In conclusion, the author offers some recommendations to journalists covering the religious sphere.

Яремба М. Генезис суфизма и его развитие на протяжении веков

Статья посвящена исследованию истоков мистического ислама или суфизма. Автором изучены биографии наиболее важных суфийских мыслителей, которые были предшественниками новых учений и догм ислама и суфизма. Цель статьи – представить развитие суфизма на протяжении веков, его трансформацию и распространение. В заключение автор отмечает усиление интереса к суфизму, начиная с конца ХХ века.