AAM and TRT to co-produce a series on Religion and Constitutionalism

America Abroad Media (AAM) is partnering with Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) to produce three unprecedented programs on religion, constitutionalism and religious liberty for broadcast on TRT, Turkey’s leading public broadcast channel. The first program, “Why Religion is Back: Views from Around the World” will draw on international experts and scholars, attending a conference in Istanbul and includes questions from an audience of more than 400 students from universities in Istanbul.

This program examines four themes: 1) why religion is playing a larger role in public life and in people’s individual lives; 2) how different governments are responding to the resurgence in religion; 3) how religious freedom evolved into a fundamental human right; and 4) how societies and governments can facilitate peaceful relationships among diverse religions.

Moderated by TRT’s leading anchor, Mithat Bereket, the panelists include:

•    Peter Berger (USA), Professor Emeritus of Religion, Sociology, and Theology and Director of the Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs at Boston University.

•    Silvio Ferrari (Italy), University of Milan Professor teaching courses on Church and State Relations and Canon Law at various universities in Italy (Parma, Turin, Leuven, Strasbourg, Lugano) and elsewhere, in California, Washington, DC, and London.  He is president of the International Consortium for Law and Religious Studies, which is comprised of leading legal scholars in Europe.

•    Ersin Kalaycioglu (Turkey), Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Sabanci University since 2007, and previously the President of Isik University and Full Professor at Bogazici University.

•    Elena Miroshnikova (Russia), Professor in the department of Philosophy, Culture Studies, Ethics, Religious Studies, and Theology at Tula State University since 2004.

•    Abdullah Saeed (Australia), Director of the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne and is a leading reformist figure in Islam. He was appointed Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies in 2003.

The second program in the series – to be produced later this spring – focuses on “Religious Freedom and the American Experience.” This program will explain the origin and intent of the US Constitution, uncover basic misperceptions about the role of religion in the US Constitution and determine if it has lived up to the vision of its founders in terms of the role of religion in public and private life.

The third and final program in the series will be an international town meeting focusing on “Turkish and American Approaches to Law, Religion, and Modernity.” It will examine the historical roots of the Turkish constitution and how it came to be adopted in Turkey. AAM and TRT will connect a panel and interactive studio audience in Istanbul and Washington to discuss, compare and contrast Turkish and American approaches to religion and state.

This historic series will be broadcast nationwide on TRT and around the world on TRT International.