My latest @religionmag.bsky.social : Singapore’s national soccer team made it to the second round of qualifiers, but fell short of making it to the FIFA World Cup again this year. But the spirit of soccer still runs strong through church congregations. religionunplugged.com/news/2026-wo...

How Soccer Is Bringing Singapore’s Churches Together

(ANALYSIS) Singapore’s national soccer team made it to the second round of qualifiers, but fell short of making it to the FIFA World Cup again this year. Nonetheless, the spirit of the game still very...

religionunplugged.com

Here is my latest for Simple Media: In India, transgender sex workers comprise 15% of the sex workers’ populace, yet they remain an understudied and underserved group in the commercial sex sector. Yet, this group is most exploited and harassed in the sex trade. media.simpleescorts.in/post/indian-...

Indian transgender sex workers: violence, discrimination, stigma remain life-long companions

In India, transgender sex workers comprise 15% of the sex workers’ populace, yet they remain an understudied and underserved group in the commercial sex sector.  This group is most exploited and haras...

media.simpleescorts.in

Who are these #Portuguese passport holders from India's #DamanandDiu labelled as "central" actors in 2022 #Leicester violence?What links do they have with India's BJP?What challenges lie ahead for UK to deal with this neo-Hindutva gang? I write@ecprtheloop.bsky.social theloop.ecpr.eu/why-were-por...

Why were Portuguese Indians key players in the 2022 Leicester riots?

A recent independent commission report revealed that people from India’s Daman and Diu region, who hold Portuguese passports, were ‘important actors’ in the 2022 outbreaks of violence in Leicester. So...

theloop.ecpr.eu

I couldn’t have asked for a better gift upon my return from Europe than holding my book for the first time! “Grassroots Women in the Populist Radical Right” is now out in the physical world 💗

My book investigates how & why women become involved in PRR parties, and how these parties seek to recruit & retain women members. Based on interview and survey data, it shows that women members are key actors in the organisational development, electoral expansion, and normalisation of PRR parties.

The book is currently available at a 30% discount from global.oup.com/academic/pro... with the code AUFLY30. In addition, the first chapter is free to read on Oxford Academic until 8 July 2026: academic.oup.com/book/62754/c....

Introduction

Abstract. While populist radical right (PRR) parties have long been characterised as ‘men’s parties’ due to the over-representation of men within their ran

academic.oup.com

A group of monks belonging to the “Walk for Peace” pilgrimage are bringing Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists together in a rare display of interfaith unity in a deeply divided nation. religionunplugged.com/news/buddhis...

In Divided Sri Lanka, Monks Create Display Of Interfaith Unity

(ANALYSIS) A delegation of 12 Buddhist monks recently walked across Sri Lanka along with their adopted dog Aloka. People of all faiths in Sri Lanka, who have witnessed riots and bloodbaths in the...

religionunplugged.com

My latest @religionmag.bsky.social-12 Buddhist monks walked across #SriLanka along with their dog #Aloka. Rel. leaders welcomed them spreading a message of unity. But it's not enough for a fragile nation facing Hindutva extremism, land grabbing by Buddhists: religionunplugged.com/news/buddhis...

In Divided Sri Lanka, Monks Create Display Of Interfaith Unity

(ANALYSIS) A delegation of 12 Buddhist monks recently walked across Sri Lanka along with their adopted dog Aloka. People of all faiths in Sri Lanka, who have witnessed riots and bloodbaths in the...

religionunplugged.com

my latest for @religionmag.bsky.social

Religion Unplugged@religionmag.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A Generation in Spain’s Basque Country Is Leaving the Catholic Church. Here's Why. religionunplugged.com/news/2026/5/...

So true for Indian far right too!

C🅰️S Ⓜ️UDDE@casmudde.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The far right presents itself as pro-worker and pro-“common man” (yes, man) in its propaganda but its “welfare” policies are always just clientelistic crumbs as massive wealth goes to its own cronies and the rich who jump the bandwagon.

🌊 #IlliberalWave No.47 🛐 The #USCIRF has called for sanctions on #India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organisation, for its flagrant violations of #ReligiousFreedom. 🔗 @sonias26.bsky.social warns that Trump may pay no heed to it, because of his own ties with the far-right network. 👉️ bit.ly/3OLvv3u

🌊 US calls for sanctions on right-wing Indian paramilitary organisation

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has called for sanctions on India’s Hindutva Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, for its flagrant violations of religious freedom. Sonia Sarkar...

bit.ly

My 2nd batch of conflict reporting class-30April-3May. Learn dynamics of conflict reporting,real-life challenges in dealing with State/non-State actors,journalism Vs activism and journalist Vs propaganda arm of State/non-State actors. Will share my reporting exp.from Afghanistan,Iraq, Kashmir & more

State ownership complicates smoking battle in Japan and China trib.al/fyer5Q9

A new edition dropped! 🤓

I write for @religionmag.bsky.social.In war-torn Iraq, Muslims join Christians in celebrating Easter fostering solidarity especially since ISIS was forced out of major strongholds.But occasional interfaith support-limited to Easter-may not be sufficient to address challenges of Christian communities

Religion Unplugged@religionmag.bsky.social · 4mo ago

In war-torn Iraq, Muslims will join Christians in celebrating Easter every year, fostering a spirit of solidarity and coexistence. The celebrations have gained prominence since ISIS was forced out of major strongholds. religionunplugged.com/news/muslims...

90 Academics across Europe/UK called out the German government for not clearly condemning US-Israel attacks against Iran - they say it "violates international law" and further erodes "rules-based and institutional order in Europe" & "the world". verfassungsblog.de/statement-on... @verfassungsblog.de

Statement on German Foreign Policy in Light of the U.S. and Israeli Attacks on Iran

verfassungsblog.de

Yesterday morning I stepped outside on my balcony for coffee with my wife and our neighbor. The drone was as low as it has ever been. We saw it over our heads. Below, our alleyway had turned into a parking lot for displaced people’s cars. A school next door is hosting around 1500 people.

🌍️ #India sits precariously in this US-Israel-led war against its old regional partner #Iran. 🤝 This, says @sonias26.bsky.social is because of Hindu supremacist Prime Minister Narendra #Modi’s proximity to Israel's leader Benjamin #Netanyahu. ➡️ bit.ly/4bzfuEX

India in a fix amid US-Israel war against Iran

India sits precariously in this US-Israel-led war against its old regional partner Iran. This, says Sonia Sarkar, is because of Hindu supremacist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proximity to Israel's l...

bit.ly

Verfolgt in Deutschland, ausgewiesen aus Frankreich, ist Karl Marx mit 64 Jahren am 14. März 1883 in London gestorben. Er ist bis heute der einflussreichste Theoretiker der klassenlosen Gesellschaft & war den Herrschenden auch in seiner politischen Praxis zeitlebens ein Dorn im Auge. #AnDiesemTag🧵

I write Religion Unplugged: Several faith groups and religious figures in South Korea’s Jeju Island-"Peace Island”-have been unequivocally standing for the rights of Palestinians.Despite South Korea not recognizing Palestine as a state,these groups participate in rallies for Palestinian liberation.

They Organized To Protest A US Naval Base. Now 'Peace Island' Residents Stand With Palestinians.

The residents of Jeju Island remember what it is like to resist imperialism and outside interests. Groups that were formed to protest the U.S. naval base construction have now shifted their focus to&n...

religionunplugged.com

After four days of hesitating, the president of France has joined the prime minister of Spain in saying that the 🇺🇸🇮🇱 attack on Iran is a violation of international law. But they are still the only 2 EU leaders to have done so. Will others join?

US strikes on Iran ‘outside international law,’ says Macron

Macron joins Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez in calling the legality of the strikes into question.

politico.eu

In my MA thesis @ifshhamburg.bsky.social I examined the interactions between India's RSS-BJP and AfD(Germany) + National Rally (France).They have been aiming to gain mutual validation of their narratives around Islamophobia, sovereignty & Euroscepticism. repository.gchumanrights.org/items/37e3da...

European far-right parties including AfD and National Rally are part of RSS-BJP's transnational networks. In Feb 2025, before Ursula von der leyen's India visit,Thierry Mariani-led Patriots for Europe delegation was invited by RSS affiliate India Foundation, where RSS &PFE ideologues criticised EU.

The Loop@ecprtheloop.bsky.social · 5mo ago

🌍️ The #EU’s expanding engagement with #India, notably the proposed 'mother of all deals' #FreeTradeAgreement, signals a strategic partnership. 📊 Yet without clear human-rights benchmarks, this cooperation risks legitimising India’s democratic backsliding, argues Amit Singh. 👉 bit.ly/40wW3r8

Important report for understanding how Hindutva - a variant of right-wing extremism- has become a cause of concern in UK!Local police "lacked" knowledge and understanding of Hindutva & political Islamism and political contexts that shaped the unrest is worrisome too. #Leicesterriots #Hindutva

Ashok Swain@ashoswai.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Newly Released Report of Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 2022 Violence in Leicester: "The failure to confront Hindutva supremacism risks deepening and entrenching communal tensions within UK South Asian communities." www.leicesterinquiry.org

While an #AIsummit is on in India, I write @ecprtheloop.bsky.social how Hindutva actors --affiliated with the #RSS- the ideological parent body of the ruling BJP -- are using AI-generated porn to target #Muslimwomen, and degrade the entire community of 200 million. theloop.ecpr.eu/hindu-nation...

​​​🌈 Hindu nationalists are targeting Muslim women via AI porn

Followers of the ‘Hindutva’ Hindu nationalist movement are using AI-generated pornographic images to degrade Indian Muslim women – including public figures. Their tactics, argues Sonia Sarkar, serve t...

theloop.ecpr.eu

🌈 #GenderingDemocracy No.34 💻️ Followers of the Hindu nationalist #Hindutva movement are using AI-generated pornographic images to degrade Indian Muslim women. Their tactics, argues @sonias26.bsky.social, serve the movement’s wider drive to humiliate India’s Muslim community. 👉 bit.ly/4riRtbR

​​​🌈 Hindu nationalists are targeting Muslim women via AI porn

Followers of the ‘Hindutva’ Hindu nationalist movement are using AI-generated pornographic images to degrade Indian Muslim women – including public figures. Their tactics, argues Sonia Sarkar, serve t...

bit.ly

The Maldives, the South Asian island nation of 515,132 people, recently passed a new law to tighten the noose of the media. But this new law also indirectly strengthens the state’s restriction on religious freedom. My latest religionunplugged.com/news/law-exp...

The Beautiful Island Nation That’s Cracking Down On Religion

(ANALYSIS) The Maldives, the small South Asian island nation, recently passed a new law to tighten the noose of the media. But this new law also indirectly strengthens the state’s restriction on relig...

religionunplugged.com

Diplomatic ties with Taliban,responsible for gender,ethnic & religious apartheid,would undermine India’s professed pluralism.Recognising it as Afghanistan's legitimate representative would normalise atrocities against women/minorities.I write @ecprtheloop.bsky.social theloop.ecpr.eu/india-has-a-...

India has a new friend: the Taliban

Four years after it cut all ties with Afghanistan, the Indian government’s strategy towards the Taliban regime is undergoing a transformation. Sonia Sarkar argues that India’s deteriorating relationsh...

theloop.ecpr.eu

✂️ 4 years after cutting ties with #Afghanistan, the Indian government’s strategy towards the #Taliban is changing. 📉 @sonias26.bsky.social argues #India's deteriorating relationship with #Pakistan prompted this change + that India’s pluralist reputation is now at risk. 👉 bit.ly/3XzSy1N

India has a new friend: the Taliban

Four years after it cut all ties with Afghanistan, the Indian government’s strategy towards the Taliban regime is undergoing a transformation. Sonia Sarkar argues that India’s deteriorating relationsh...

bit.ly