The myths exposed in this publication come from the experiences of more than 1,600 women’s rights activists who responded to AWID’s Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms survey, as well as 51 key experts who were interviewed for the project.
This publication is about the top ten myths common to all regions and religions covered in AWID’s research. They can be countered by holding religious fundamentalists accountable for what they say and do, and by ensuring that our analysis most closely matches the lived experiences of women’s rights activists.
- Myth #1: Religious fundamentalisms are about the fundamentals of religion
- Myth #2: Religious fundamentalisms are only about politics
- Myth #3: Religious fundamentalisms are like any other political force
- Myth #4: Religious fundamentalists are those backward extremists
- Myth #5: Religious fundamentalisms exist in only some religions or regions
- Myth #6: Religious fundamentalisms promote clean politics and honesty
- Myth #7: Religious fundamentalisms stand for the poor and the downtrodden
- Myth #8: Religious fundamentalisms are family- friendly and pro-life
- Myth #9: Religious fundamentalisms defend our traditional ways and authentic identities
- Myth #10: Religious fundamentalisms are invincible
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