What role do the media play in the religion-politics nexus?
AR: Since September 11, 2001 interest in the interactions between religion and politics has grown. There has been a phenomenal increase in popular and academic discourse on this topic. However, the media coverage is fraught with shortcomings. The coverage lacks, among other things, a probing analysis of this growing phenomenon and discussions on the socio-political contexts of this new trend. The media have often presented a lopsided picture, adding to existing misconceptions about many religions. One of the key weaknesses of the media coverage, as well as the academic discussions that preceded and succeeded the events of 9/11, is an essentialist view of religion; that is, portrayal of religion is a monolithic category. When we speak of any religion, we tend to ignore the simple fact that no religion, be it Christianity or Islam or Hinduism, can be monolithic. To view a religion as monolithic, unchanging and immutable is simply flawed. The adherence to some basic tenets by followers of
