Governance in the Age of Faith-Driven Warfare: Challenges for International Peace building

In this thought-provoking commentary, BIPSS Research Assistant Abida Farzana Muna explores how faith-driven conflicts reshape governance structures by replacing secular systems with religious legitimacy, often rejecting human rights norms and complicating international diplomacy. From the Taliban’s Sharia-based rule to ISIS’s brutal bureaucratic theocracy, Abida highlights how religious absolutism threatens inclusive governance and sustainable peace.

In an era where religion increasingly fuels not just violence but political authority, Abida’s commentary is especially significant. It urges peacebuilders to move beyond conventional tools and confront the intersection of theology, identity, and governance with cultural sensitivity and moral clarity. As global conflicts become more ideologically rigid and transnational, her work reminds us that upholding inclusive, rights-based governance in faith-driven conflict zones is not just a challenge but an absolute necessity for lasting peace.