SOC Discussion - Assignment Example

Impact of Religion in Media and Politics Religion has a huge impact on the media and politics of a vast majority of countries. This impact is particularly obvious in countries that have a majority of population following a particular religion. Some examples of such countries are Saudi Arabia whose population is predominantly Muslim and India that has a majority of Hindu citizens. In Saudi Arabia, a thief is entitled to the punishment of cutting of hand as dictated by the Islamic law. In the same way, fundamental practices, beliefs, and traditions of the Hindu religion make a bulk of what is shown in the Indian dramas and movies.

In India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “has grown not merely by pointing to the weaknesses of the Congress Party, but more important, and more effectively, by pitting Hindus against Muslims, by appealing to widespread and deeply seated Hindu prejudices” (Gargan, 1993). Hinduism has a huge influence on media and politics in India. The role of religion in shaping laws and policies is not limited to the countries with one predominant religion, but many countries with a variety of religions are also modifying policies and laws to accommodate the religious needs of particular communities.

For example, Britain in 2008 officially authorized the sharia tribunals to make legal decisions regarding divorce, marriage, and inheritance with mutual consensus of both parties which suggests that many Western democracies have started to embrace the idea of allowing particular religious groups to apply their religious laws to their financial and familial disputes (Johnson and Vriens, 2013). References:Gargan, E. A. (1993, Sep. 17). Hindu Rage Against Muslims Transforming Indian Politics. The New York Times.

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/17/world/hindu-rage-against-muslims-transforming-indian-politics.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm. Johnson, T., and Vriens, L. (2013). Islam: Governing Under Sharia. Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/religion/islam-governing-under-sharia/p8034.