Ethnographies of Islam

Established in London in 2002, the Aga Khan University, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations aims to strengthen research and teaching about the heritages of Muslim societies as they have evolved over time, and to examine the challenges these societies face in today's globalised world. It also seeks to create opportunities for interaction among academics, traditionally trained scholars, innovative thinkers and leaders, in an effort to promote dialogue and build bridges. Exploring Muslim Contexts Series Editor: Abdou Filali-Ansary This series seeks to address salient and urgent issues faced by Muslim societies as they evolve in a rapidly globalising world. It brings together the scholarship of leading specialists from various academic fields, representing a wide range of theoretical and practical perspectives. 'A collective volume of rare intellectual and methodological coherence... This is a landmark volume that marks the coming of age for the study of Islam through ethnography.' Nile Green, /Anthropos/ (108) This volume explores the ways in which ethnography can create a greater understanding of Islam in particular social contexts. It does so by advancing a pluralistic use of ethnography in research about Islam in anthropology and the other social science disciplines. The contributors have used ethnography to engage with and relate to specific empirical realities in regions around the world. They argue that this approach allows for a more precise and complex understanding of the practices and discourses that constitute social realities constructed and perceived as 'Islamic' by those who live them. Furthermore, the book encourages ethnography in the study of Muslim practices that have seldom been approached in this way. Key Features *Counters political discourses and stereotypical media portrayals of Islam as a monolithic civilsation *Demonstrates the benefit of using ethnography to engage with and relate to specific empirical realities *Includes case studies on rituals and symbols in Syria, Tunisia, Algeria, Britain, Pakistan, Brazil and Lebanon *Covers veiling, students' religious practices, charitable activities, law and scholarship in Egypt, Jordan, Singapore, Turkey and Yemen Baudouin Dupret is Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). Thomas Pierret is a Lecturer in Contemporary Islam at the University of Edinburgh. Paulo G. Pinto is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil. Kathryn Spellman-Poots is an Assocoate Professor at the Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations.