I suppose that some of us remember the furore around the current prime minister’s secret Catholic wedding in Westminster Cathedral half a year ago. Considering that he had already been married twice, reactions to the news ranged from raised eyebrows through astonishment to acrimony. The event left a particularly bitter taste for those who had divorced, started a new family…

Identity is an indispensable part of who we are. But what is identity? How do we define it? Identity is how each individual defines him or herself. When you think about it, such identification is virtually always made by linking to specific and particular things and – secondly – it’s multi-layered. For example, I can describe myself as a fifty-year-old…

Tradition can be a very good thing. It connects us to the past, gives a sense of familiarity and provides helpful routines. Tradition is an indispensable component of identity on each level, from individual through to national or ethnic. Tradition is good as long as it’s meaningful. But traditions can turn into shackles. Deprived of its meaning it has nothing…

One of the main themes in reporting the turmoil in Afghanistan is the fate and future of women and their rights under the Taliban regime. There’s fear of turning back the clock and a return to a situation where females effectively have no rights, no education, no career of their own; their role practically reduced to being submissive underlings of…