Fundamentalism Today � Democratic and Feminist Responses

Provoked by the threat of strengthened ultra-right movements and use of religion to spread anti-democratic and anti-women policies in the world, the Woman and Society Centre Sarajevo and Women in Black Belgrade cooperate on a project designed to articulate strategies of resistance to fundamentalism as biggest threat to democracy, human rights and in particular women rights today.

Of course, we think of both �new� and old fundamentalism of various religious background � Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Islamic and other, who work under the cover of religion, tradition and culture. They open new fronts in the US, Europe and, significantly, in the transition countries, and so far there was no true response to the challenge they present.

Under the auspices of the project, on September 19 a caravan started its travel through Serbia (Krusevac, Novi Pazar, Tutin) and Bosnia and Herzegovina, promoting the newly published book Fundamentalism Today � Democratic and Feminist Response and organizing open forums and discussions on the topic.

The book is a collection of essays and texts selected by Marieme Helie Lucas, sociologist and psychoherapist, and founder of the WLUML Network (Women Living Under Muslim Law). The BHS edition was edited by Sta�a Zajović and Nada Ler Sofronić, and was publiched by Women in Black, Belgrade and Woman and Society Centre, Sarajevo.

The first promotion in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be held on September 20, at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Post-Graduate Studies of the University in Sarajevo (Zmaja od Bosne Str. 8), starting at 12:00 hours.

Nada Ler Sofronić, Sta�a Zajović, Zilka �iljak, Đurdja Kne�ević, Esad Bajtal, as well as the author Marieme Helie Lucas are expected to speak at the promotion.

On Septembra 29, in Zenica, the caravan will be hosted by �Zeničke sveske�, periodical of social phenomenology and cultural dialogue and the Museum of the City of Zenica, at 17:00 hours. The caravan will then continue to Croatia.