Suchergebnisse

AbstractThis paper explores the responses of women living in a small town in the Chitral region of northern Pakistan to the Islamizing policies of the Muttahida Majlis-e Amal, a coalition of Islamist parties elected to provincial government in the North West Frontier Province in October 2002. Its focus is on women in the region who vocally and publicly criticize Chitral's politically activemadrasa-educated 'men of piety'. Documenting the ways in which these women and the region's 'men of piety' debate with one another on matters concerning personal morality, comportment and self-presentation illuminates dimensions of small-town Muslim life that are rarely considered important in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. In particular, by exploring these complex and multi-dimensional debates, I seek to emphasize the inherently unfinished nature of Chitralis' responses to ongoing Islamizing processes, a growing and pervasive sense of disenchantment amongst many of the region's Muslims with the authenticity of public expressions of personal piety, and, in this context, the continuing emergence of new ways of being Muslim, modes of self-presentation and categories of Islamic public opinion forming figures.

Naveeda Khan, Muslim Becoming: Aspirations and Skepticism in Pakistan, New Delhi, Orient Black Swan, 2012.

Contributed articles

This article explores the challenges facing British Muslim women in the UK today in the face of increased racism. Taking Fanon as an initial inspiration, we ask: how can British Muslim women reconcile a British and Muslim identity when government strategy and widespread prejudice make these two identities irreconcilable? The study uses social dreaming as a method to provide opportunities for uncovering hidden and unconscious emotions and thoughts among the participants. We provide a contextual background followed by an analysis of the dreams and associations provided by the group. We conclude that the difficulties in identity for the women are accompanied by profound emotions of fear, mourning and desperation, as well as gender insecurities in relationships with men. Finally, we suggest that policymakers and community leaders should focus on issues around belonging, acceptance, safety and agency for British Muslim women in order to encourage stronger and fairer integrated communities.