Pieter Friedrich is an author specializing in analysis of historical and current affairs in South Asia.
He engages with issues such as human rights in India, the spread of nationalism, political ideologies and growing politicization of religious extremism, authoritarian government structures and policies, and the need to unify around doctrines of liberty.
Friedrich is a student of world religions, human liberties, economic action, imperialism, and South Asian history and culture. He has a penchant for learning about Ambedkar, American police reform, caste, civil liberties, the Dalit Bahujan movement, Gandhi, genocide, Hindu nationalism, the lives of human rights defenders, Mughal history, Nazi history, Sikhism, state-sponsored atrocities, torture, U.S. foreign policy, and white supremacy. Above all, he’s interested in replacing politics of hate with politics of reconciliation.
He has traveled and lived in Europe and Asia. A frequent speaker at universities, he has lectured at Columbia University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Carleton University, and St. Stephens College. A staunch supporter of religious liberty and interfaith cooperation, he has spoken at mosques, gurdwaras, churches, and viharas.
