Rasanayagam, Johan. 2006. "Healing with Spirits and the Formation of Muslim Selfhood in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan" The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 12, no. 2 (2006): 377-393.
Rasanayagam states: "In this article I will examine how people explore what it means to be a Muslim through ... healing with the aid of spirits." He explores how healers have responded to increasing post-Soviet "scripturalist" interpretations of Islam. He argues that healers, "construct themselves as 'proper' Muslims according to the orthodoxies authorized by official imams while maintaining their own, often highly individual, interpretations and practices."
Sections: A Particular Mode of Access to Divine Power and Knowledge; Healing Cosmologies; Orthodoxy in the Making; Authorizing Processes; Notes. Descriptors: 2000s, anthropology, diversity, ethnography, healers, journal, otins, post-Soviet, R, rituals, spirits, Uzbekistan; pluralism-textual/popular, Hanafi, syncretism, tabibs, oqsoqols, otins, perikhon, saints, bakshis, mavlud, hatma Qur'an, bibi seshanba, mushkul kushod, jinn, qori, avlio, alcohol
Showing posts with label diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diversity. Show all posts
Tucker, Noah. "They Might Be Muslims!? (Part 2)." Registan.net: All Central Asia, All the Time (March 13, 2009), http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/03/13/they-might-be-muslims-part-1-of-a-critique-on-the-study-of-religion-in-central-asia/.
In Tucker's own words: "This section advocates another way of understanding Central Asian Islam as an alternative to forcing it to one end or another of the “real=dangerous, unreal=safe” spectrum. The paper closes with what I think are serious potential dangers of cramming the whole religious life of a region on one end or another of a faulty black/white paradigm." He warns that the contemporary political oppression and poverty in the region, especially Uzbekistan, could create conflict and that Islam, while not the cause of conflict, could be a rallying point. To avoid conflict, he argues that religion (including Islam) should not be set aside and more popular expression (including religious) should be granted. See also (Part 1). Descriptors: 2000s, bibliographic, blog, CA studies, diversity, post-Soviet, T, Uzbekistan
In Tucker's own words: "This section advocates another way of understanding Central Asian Islam as an alternative to forcing it to one end or another of the “real=dangerous, unreal=safe” spectrum. The paper closes with what I think are serious potential dangers of cramming the whole religious life of a region on one end or another of a faulty black/white paradigm." He warns that the contemporary political oppression and poverty in the region, especially Uzbekistan, could create conflict and that Islam, while not the cause of conflict, could be a rallying point. To avoid conflict, he argues that religion (including Islam) should not be set aside and more popular expression (including religious) should be granted. See also (Part 1). Descriptors: 2000s, bibliographic, blog, CA studies, diversity, post-Soviet, T, Uzbekistan
Tucker, Noah. "They Might Be Muslims!? (Part 1)." Registan.net: All Central Asia, All the Time (March 13, 2009), http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/03/13/they-might-be-muslims-part-1-of-a-critique-on-the-study-of-religion-in-central-asia/%20.
Tucker critiques the contemporary scholarship on religion (including Islam) in Central Asia and the debate over the "nature" of Central Asian Islam (e.g. "real Islam" v. "Central Asian Islam"). He argues that scholarship on Islam in Central Asia should not accept or be based on the misconceived premise that "Muslim=violent fanatic." See also (Part 2).
Descriptors: 2000s, bibliographic, blog, CA studies, diversity, post-Soviet, T.
Tucker critiques the contemporary scholarship on religion (including Islam) in Central Asia and the debate over the "nature" of Central Asian Islam (e.g. "real Islam" v. "Central Asian Islam"). He argues that scholarship on Islam in Central Asia should not accept or be based on the misconceived premise that "Muslim=violent fanatic." See also (Part 2).
Descriptors: 2000s, bibliographic, blog, CA studies, diversity, post-Soviet, T.
Tabyshalieva, Anara. "The Kyrgyz and the Spiritual Dimensions of Daily Life." In Islam and Central Asia: An Enduring Legacy or an Evolving Threat?, edited by R. Z. Sagdeev and Susan Eisenhower, 27-38. A Center for Political and Strategic Studies book. Washington, DC: Center for Political and Strategic Studies, 2000.
Tabyshalieva's first two sections briefly discuss sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan, including Suleiman's Mountain in Osh. The third and fourth sections discuss religious pluralism. She divides Kyrgyzstan into three parts: Bishkek with Christian groups; the North with "traditional" Islam; and the South with "strict" Islam. The section on women briefly discusses the veil, polygamy, abortion, and male-domination. The last section discusses political issues in other Central Asian countries. In conclusion, she argues that Central Asian states should be more transparent and open with religion in order to prevent conflicts. Tabyshalieva's chapter covers a lot of material, but not in depth.
Tabyshalieva's first two sections briefly discuss sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan, including Suleiman's Mountain in Osh. The third and fourth sections discuss religious pluralism. She divides Kyrgyzstan into three parts: Bishkek with Christian groups; the North with "traditional" Islam; and the South with "strict" Islam. The section on women briefly discusses the veil, polygamy, abortion, and male-domination. The last section discusses political issues in other Central Asian countries. In conclusion, she argues that Central Asian states should be more transparent and open with religion in order to prevent conflicts. Tabyshalieva's chapter covers a lot of material, but not in depth.
Polat, Abdummanob. "Islam and the Wahabis: A Threat to Stability?" In "Can Uzbekistan Build Democracy and Civil Society?" In Civil society in Central Asia, edited by M. Holt Ruffin and Daniel Waugh, 141-144. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999.
In this four page section, Polat reviews the state control of unofficial Muslim clergy in contemporary Uzbekistan. He mentions many of the names of Muslim religious leaders who have been suppressed and discusses the tension between "traditional" Islam and stricter versions of Islam. The following quote from page 142, which likely holds true today (see McGlinchey), portrays the affect of state suppression on the everyday life of Muslims in Uzbekistan: "Today, there is no known Islamic leader in Uzbekistan, either official or independent, who feels free to express his views publicly."
Descriptors: 1990s, A, chapter, diversity, political science, post-Soviet, section, state control, Uzbekistan; pluralism-textual/popular.
In this four page section, Polat reviews the state control of unofficial Muslim clergy in contemporary Uzbekistan. He mentions many of the names of Muslim religious leaders who have been suppressed and discusses the tension between "traditional" Islam and stricter versions of Islam. The following quote from page 142, which likely holds true today (see McGlinchey), portrays the affect of state suppression on the everyday life of Muslims in Uzbekistan: "Today, there is no known Islamic leader in Uzbekistan, either official or independent, who feels free to express his views publicly."
Descriptors: 1990s, A, chapter, diversity, political science, post-Soviet, section, state control, Uzbekistan; pluralism-textual/popular.
Khalid, Adeeb. The Politics of Muslim Cultural Reform: Jadidism in Central Asia. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998.
Khalid's book covers Jadid reformers in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who sought to reform Islam in order to reconcile it with modernity and who used the media as a tool and promoted modern education. In describing the debates prompted by the Jadids of what is "Islamic," Kahlid argues as follows on page xiii: "Islam, and Muslim culture, and the sense of being Muslim are far from immutable characteristics; rather, they change and evolve and do so through debate and the struggles of different groups in Muslim society."
Sections: List of Tables; Preface; Technical Note; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1-Knowledge and Society in the Nineteenth Century; 2-The Making of a Colonial Society; 3-The Origins of Jadidism; 4-The Politics of Admonition; 5-Knowledge as Salvation; 6-Imagining the Nation; 7-Navigating the Nation; 8-1917: The Moment of Truth; Epilogue; Select Bibliography; Index. Descriptors: 1990s, archival, bibliographic, book, diversity, history, jadids, K, reform, Soviet, Tsarist.
Khalid's book covers Jadid reformers in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who sought to reform Islam in order to reconcile it with modernity and who used the media as a tool and promoted modern education. In describing the debates prompted by the Jadids of what is "Islamic," Kahlid argues as follows on page xiii: "Islam, and Muslim culture, and the sense of being Muslim are far from immutable characteristics; rather, they change and evolve and do so through debate and the struggles of different groups in Muslim society."
Sections: List of Tables; Preface; Technical Note; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1-Knowledge and Society in the Nineteenth Century; 2-The Making of a Colonial Society; 3-The Origins of Jadidism; 4-The Politics of Admonition; 5-Knowledge as Salvation; 6-Imagining the Nation; 7-Navigating the Nation; 8-1917: The Moment of Truth; Epilogue; Select Bibliography; Index. Descriptors: 1990s, archival, bibliographic, book, diversity, history, jadids, K, reform, Soviet, Tsarist.
Louw, Maria Elisabeth. Everyday Islam in Post-Soviet Central Asia. Central Asian Studies Series, Vol. 7. New York: Routledge, 2007.
Louw provides an excellent introduction to Sufism, veneration of saints, shrine visits (like the Naqshbandi shrine), and popular Islamic rituals (like bibi Seshanba) in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
Louw provides an excellent introduction to Sufism, veneration of saints, shrine visits (like the Naqshbandi shrine), and popular Islamic rituals (like bibi Seshanba) in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
Fathi, Habiba. "Otines: The Unknown Women Clerics of Central Asian Islam." Central Asian Survey 16, no. 1 (1997): 27-44.
Fathi's article uses Soviet sources to review otins (women Islamic teachers) in Uzbekistan. It provides a good insight into the role of some women in Soviet society and how, despite Soviet attempts to promote atheism, otins helped to preserve Islam and tradition. Before describing otins, it reviews issues such as the bride price, legal age for marriage, marriage, polygamy, the hujum, the veil, parandja, etc. See also Fathi (2006).
Contents: The Soviet State and the Central Asian Woman; The Traditional Role of the Otines; The Role of the Otines in the Survival of Islam; The Mahalla: a Place of Memory; Initiation; Authority in the Community; The Central Asian Family: An Obstacle to the Emergence of Homo Sovieticus; Islam and Independence
Fathi's article uses Soviet sources to review otins (women Islamic teachers) in Uzbekistan. It provides a good insight into the role of some women in Soviet society and how, despite Soviet attempts to promote atheism, otins helped to preserve Islam and tradition. Before describing otins, it reviews issues such as the bride price, legal age for marriage, marriage, polygamy, the hujum, the veil, parandja, etc. See also Fathi (2006).
Contents: The Soviet State and the Central Asian Woman; The Traditional Role of the Otines; The Role of the Otines in the Survival of Islam; The Mahalla: a Place of Memory; Initiation; Authority in the Community; The Central Asian Family: An Obstacle to the Emergence of Homo Sovieticus; Islam and Independence
Montgomery, David W. "Namaz, Wishing Trees, and Vodka: The Diversity of Everyday Religious Life in Central Asia." In Everyday Life in Central Asia: Past and Present, edited by Jeff Sahadeo and Russell Zanca, 355-370. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2007.
In this chapter Montgomery follows three people in Kyrgyzstan and describes how they each practice and view Islam differently. He argues that religion in Central Asia is diverse and important to the people, but not all consuming.
Contents: Ideas of Islamic Orthopraxy and the Problem of Purity; Traditional Religious Practice, Syncretism, and Everyday Religious Meaning; Multiple Meanings of Sacred Space: The Case of Solomon's Mountain; Russian Orthodoxy, the New Christians, and the Challenge of Plurality; Religion on the Streets
In this chapter Montgomery follows three people in Kyrgyzstan and describes how they each practice and view Islam differently. He argues that religion in Central Asia is diverse and important to the people, but not all consuming.
Contents: Ideas of Islamic Orthopraxy and the Problem of Purity; Traditional Religious Practice, Syncretism, and Everyday Religious Meaning; Multiple Meanings of Sacred Space: The Case of Solomon's Mountain; Russian Orthodoxy, the New Christians, and the Challenge of Plurality; Religion on the Streets
Roberts, Sean R. "Everyday Negotiations of Islam in Central Asia: Practicing Religion in The Uyghur Neighborhood of Zarya Vostoka in Almaty, Kazakhstan." In Everyday Life in Central Asia: Past and Present, edited by Jeff Sahadeo and Russell Zanca, 339-354. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007.
Roberts does a good job in this chapter of showing the diversity of Islam in a village near Almaty Kazakhstan. To do so he describes the influence of religion in three community events: a Muslim holiday, the blessing of a soccer field, and a wedding.
Sections: Daily Religious Practice in Central Asia: Making Sense of Diversity; Bourdieu's "Theory of Practice" as a Means of Understanding Everyday Life in Central Asia; Zarya Vostoka: From Collective Farm to Land Port on a New Silk Road; Daily Religious Practice and Negotiation in Zarya Vostoka (Qorbon Hayit in Zarya Vostoka; Blessing of the Zarya Vostoka Soccer Field; A Wedding in Zarya Vostoka); Conclusions: Toward an Everyday Understanding of Religiosity in Central Asia
Roberts does a good job in this chapter of showing the diversity of Islam in a village near Almaty Kazakhstan. To do so he describes the influence of religion in three community events: a Muslim holiday, the blessing of a soccer field, and a wedding.
Sections: Daily Religious Practice in Central Asia: Making Sense of Diversity; Bourdieu's "Theory of Practice" as a Means of Understanding Everyday Life in Central Asia; Zarya Vostoka: From Collective Farm to Land Port on a New Silk Road; Daily Religious Practice and Negotiation in Zarya Vostoka (Qorbon Hayit in Zarya Vostoka; Blessing of the Zarya Vostoka Soccer Field; A Wedding in Zarya Vostoka); Conclusions: Toward an Everyday Understanding of Religiosity in Central Asia
Privratsky, Bruce G. Muslim Turkistan: Kazak Religion and Collective Memory. Richmond UK: Curzon, 2001.
Privratsky's book is a good ethnographic survey of contemporary Islamic practice among Kazakhs in Turkistan, Kazakhstan. It discusses, among other things, Sufism, lines of ancestry traced to the first century of Islam, observance (or non-observance) of the five pillars of Islam, shrine visitations like that of the Yasawi Mausoleum, veneration of ancestors, and healing arts. There are interesting discussions about pre-Islamic influences of contemporary religious practices and what are true Islamic practices.
Contents: Maps and Illustrations; Preface; Abbreviations; Transliteration; The Problem of Kazak Religion; Kiyeli Jer: Muslim Landscapes and Kazak Ethnicity; Taza Jol: The Pure Way of Islam Among the Kazaks; Aruaq: Remembering the Ancestors; Auliye: Remembering the Saints; Emshi: The Kazak Healer; Kazak Religion and Collective Memory; Religion as Culture and Spirit; Appendix: Principal Informants; References Cited; Glossary; Index
Privratsky's book is a good ethnographic survey of contemporary Islamic practice among Kazakhs in Turkistan, Kazakhstan. It discusses, among other things, Sufism, lines of ancestry traced to the first century of Islam, observance (or non-observance) of the five pillars of Islam, shrine visitations like that of the Yasawi Mausoleum, veneration of ancestors, and healing arts. There are interesting discussions about pre-Islamic influences of contemporary religious practices and what are true Islamic practices.
Contents: Maps and Illustrations; Preface; Abbreviations; Transliteration; The Problem of Kazak Religion; Kiyeli Jer: Muslim Landscapes and Kazak Ethnicity; Taza Jol: The Pure Way of Islam Among the Kazaks; Aruaq: Remembering the Ancestors; Auliye: Remembering the Saints; Emshi: The Kazak Healer; Kazak Religion and Collective Memory; Religion as Culture and Spirit; Appendix: Principal Informants; References Cited; Glossary; Index
Liu, Morgan Y. "A Central Asian Tale of Two Cities: Locating Lives and Aspirations in a Shifting Post-Soviet Cityscape." In Everyday Life in Central Asia: Past and Present, edited by Jeff Sahadeo and Russell Zanca, 66-83. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007.
This chapter is an interesting comparison between life in Soviet apartment blocks and mahallas in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Liu shows that those living in the mostly Uzbek mahallas turn more to Islam for moral guidance than those living in the Russian apartment blocs. Sections: Bazaar Nexus; Soviet City; Entering the Mahalla; Conclusion: Two Cities, Two Visions
This chapter is an interesting comparison between life in Soviet apartment blocks and mahallas in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Liu shows that those living in the mostly Uzbek mahallas turn more to Islam for moral guidance than those living in the Russian apartment blocs. Sections: Bazaar Nexus; Soviet City; Entering the Mahalla; Conclusion: Two Cities, Two Visions
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