"Using case studies from the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Basin, this book examines the global trend of violence against religious places and figures. It also addresses the phenomenon of religion becoming a motive or justification for violence. The contributors find attacks on sacred places to be particularly damaging to peace and harmony in many Asian and Pacific societies because of the centrality of religion there. A diverse range of topics are covered, including an empirical exploration of the global trends of violence against sacred spaces; attacks against and policies toward holy sites in Israel and Palestine; the fate of Indian Islamic monuments after India gained independence in 1947; the Christian community's response to the increasing Islamization of Malaysia, and the future of communalism in Malaysia. Africa and Australia are also referenced in the work. The book's penultimate chapter argues that understanding the special role of sacred sites represents a crucial dimension to fully understanding Australia's history and culture. The book ends by recounting the experiences of JUST International, an organization campaigning for the protection of sacred spaces and religious institutions. Taken together, this volume explores the importance of protecting sacred spaces, holy symbols, and religious people as a crucial element in fostering peace in the world, and especially the Asia-Pacific region. The contributors argue that much violence in the world is rooted in politics of religious identity. Acting in the name of religion, violent perpetrators frequently target religious institutions and symbols, which usually generates further deadly conflicts"--Provided by publisher.