Issues to be debated range from British cultural symbols in Northern Ireland to abortion, an issue that has dominated the headlines in the Republic of Ireland this week.

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Mehta also stands certain cultural symbols on their head - for example, the two lovers observe for each other an annual fast that Hindu women embark on to ensure their husbands' longevity.

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Locals have expressed concern about the images, which disrupt an ongoing trend of rebranding east Belfast's murals to reflect symbols of cultural heritage, such as the Titanic and George Best.

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Ms Hohlmeier said these symbols reflected cultural values.

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Only humans have the biological capacity to communicate with a rich language based on symbols and rules, enabling us to pass on cultural ideas to future generations.

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He reckons that the peculiar fanaticism of local football fans and the interest in local historic symbols are part of the same thing: a deep-rooted desire for a cultural identity which reaches back to a time when the region was great and powerful, coupled with a certain resentment towards the south.

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