President Putin and the Orthodox Church; Liberated Slaves; Religious Matchmakers

On this weekend’s Sunday programme, our Presenter Edward Stourton explores President Putin’s ambitions towards Ukraine and whether religion plays a significant role, with Marat Shterin, Professor of Religion at King’s College London and Co-Editor of the Routledge Journal ‘Religion, State and Society’. Islanders from the British Overseas Territory of St Helena in the Southern Atlantic Ocean are making plans to give more than 300 liberated slaves a respectful reinterment, after their bodies were exhumed for construction work on the Island. The Rt. Revd Dale Bowers, Bishop of St. Helena and Helena Bennett, Chair of the Liberated African Advisory Committee told Edward about the details. Six months after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan for a second time, Edward asks what life is like now for the people of Afghanistan, with BBC Presenter and International Correspondent, Yalda Hakim and Dr Obaidullah Baheer, Lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan And on the eve of St. Valentine’s day, we look at the role of Matchmakers in religious tradition and explore whether they really can help people find true love, with Dassy Miller who runs a service for Orthodox Jews and Naseem Mohammed who runs a service for Muslims. Producers: Jill Collins and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Editor: Tim Pemberton