The secular body

Secular societies have, in the process of becoming secular, loosened the grip of religion on the body, but at the risk of delivering it into the hands of market forces. Today, the return of religious identity and the omnipresence of the market, combined with an obsession with looks, have exacerbated the tensions between emancipation and alienation. What does religion have to say about this?

INNA SHEVCHENKO

Born in Ukraine, journalist Inna Shevchenko is the leader of women’s rights organization FEMEN, with which she demonstrated in Ukraine and Belarus until she had to leave the country. She was granted asylum in France, where she continued her fight for equality and further developed FEMEN as an international movement. Despite being the victim of torture and attempted murder, she ardently continues to give lectures and participate in debates.

SEYRAN ATES

Seyran Ates is a Turkish-German lawyer, women's rights activist and author. She is committed to the defense of victims of religious and tradition-bound violence in Islamic countries, more specifically Turkish and Kurdish women suffering from domestic violence. She founded the liberal Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque, where she invites both women and men to debate and reflect on religion. Her texts focus on the (in)equality between man and woman, Islam and integration.

IMAN HUMAYDAN

Lebanese writer and head of the Center PEN Liban, Iman Humaydan is committed to the defence of freedom of speech for Lebanese writers and intellectuals. Her books speak of domestic violence, religion and war, but do so in a hopeful manner, focusing on personal strength and the quest for meaning.

Flagey, Le Soir, RTBF, ULB, VUB