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The Foundations of the Composite Culture in India
by Malik MohamedIn The Foundations of the Composite Culture in India, the focus of the author is the process of establishment of Hindu-Muslim unity as a result of historical, social and cultural factors over a period of ten centuries. Traversing this era, he reveals how the Muslim rulers contributed to such harmony and how the two cultures exchanged and accepted each other's tenets to enrich and formulate a composite Indian culture. To explore the foundations on which the complex culture of India rests, the author examines the contribution of Sufism which inherently connotes syncretism and tolerance, as well as the simultaneous rise of the Bhakti movement in medieval India. This title is co-published with Aakar Books. Print editions not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)
Ghazālī’s Epistemology: A Critical Study of Doubt and Certainty (Routledge Studies in Islamic Philosophy)
by Nabil Yasien MohamedFocusing on Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) – one of the foremost scholars and authorities in the Muslim world who is central to the Islamic intellectual tradition – this book embarks on a study of doubt (shakk) and certainty (yaqīn) in his epistemology. The book looks at Ghazālī’s attitude to philosophical demonstration and Sufism as a means to certainty. In early scholarship surrounding Ghazālī, he has often been blamed as the one who single-handedly offered the death-blow to philosophy in the Muslim world. In much of contemporary scholarship, Ghazālī is understood to prefer philosophy as the ultimate means to certainty, granting Sufism a secondary status. Hence, much of previous scholarship has either focused on Ghazālī as a Sufi or as a philosopher; this book takes a parallel approach, and acknowledges each discipline in its right place. It analyses Ghazālī’s approach to acquiring certainty, his methodological scepticism, his foundationalism, his attitude to authoritative instruction (taʿlim), and the place of philosophical demonstration and Sufism in his epistemology. Offering a systematic and comprehensive approach to Ghazālī’s epistemology, this book is a valuable resource for scholars of Islamic philosophy and Sufism in particular, and for educated readers of Islamic studies in general.
Ghazālī’s Epistemology: A Critical Study of Doubt and Certainty (Routledge Studies in Islamic Philosophy)
by Nabil Yasien MohamedFocusing on Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) – one of the foremost scholars and authorities in the Muslim world who is central to the Islamic intellectual tradition – this book embarks on a study of doubt (shakk) and certainty (yaqīn) in his epistemology. The book looks at Ghazālī’s attitude to philosophical demonstration and Sufism as a means to certainty. In early scholarship surrounding Ghazālī, he has often been blamed as the one who single-handedly offered the death-blow to philosophy in the Muslim world. In much of contemporary scholarship, Ghazālī is understood to prefer philosophy as the ultimate means to certainty, granting Sufism a secondary status. Hence, much of previous scholarship has either focused on Ghazālī as a Sufi or as a philosopher; this book takes a parallel approach, and acknowledges each discipline in its right place. It analyses Ghazālī’s approach to acquiring certainty, his methodological scepticism, his foundationalism, his attitude to authoritative instruction (taʿlim), and the place of philosophical demonstration and Sufism in his epistemology. Offering a systematic and comprehensive approach to Ghazālī’s epistemology, this book is a valuable resource for scholars of Islamic philosophy and Sufism in particular, and for educated readers of Islamic studies in general.
Black Mamba Boy
by Nadifa MohamedNamed as one of the GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELISTS 2013. For fans of Half of a Yellow Sun, a stunning novel set in 1930s Somalia spanning a decade of war and upheaval, all seen through the eyes of a small boy alone in the world.
Globalized Muslim Youth in the Asia Pacific: Popular Culture in Singapore and Sydney (The Modern Muslim World)
by Kamaludeen Mohamed Mohamed NasirThis book is a sociological study of Muslim youth culture in two global cities in the Asia Pacific: Singapore and Sydney. Comparing young Muslims' participation in and reflections on various elements of popular culture, this study illuminates the range of attitudes and strategies they adopt to reconcile popular youth culture with piety.
What is Shi'i Islam?: An Introduction (Routledge Persian and Shi'i Studies)
by Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi Christian JambetFor the public at large Shi’ism often implies a host of confused representations, suggesting more often than not obscurantism, intolerance, political violence and other ignominies running hot or cold in response to world events. In fact for many people, Shi’ism stands for "radical Islam", or – worse – "Islamic terrorism". In some respects, nothing is more familiar than Shi’ism, and yet nothing is more misunderstood. For some twenty years the media have increased their coverage of the phenomenon. Never, or only rarely, do they formulate the question we ask here: what is Shi’ism? What is this belief that inspires millions of people dispersed throughout the world? This book provides a broad based introduction to Shi’i Islam. It examines what the Shi’i believe, how they see themselves and how they view the world. It includes a thorough examination of doctrine, philosophy, the Shi’i approach to the Qur’an and the historical evolution of Shi’ism as a branch of Islam. Too often, and too quickly, the conclusion is drawn that Shi’ism is a marginal heretical sect, fundamentally alien to the deeper truth of the great religion of Islam, thrust by historical accident onto the political stage. Shi’ism either speaks the truth of Islam, meaning that it is a truth of terror, or it is entirely foreign to Islam and, therefore, merits outright rejection, as Islamic fundamentalists and some individuals repeatedly claim. This book intends to explain why such common misunderstandings of Shi’ism have taken root. Written in an accessible format and providing a thorough overview of Shi’ism, this book will be an essential text for students and scholars of Islamic Studies or Iranian Studies.
Friendship in Islamic Ethics and World Politics
by Mohammad Jafar Amir MahallatiBased on a decade of direct diplomatic engagement with the United Nations, a decade of teaching on international relations, and another decade of research and teaching on Islamic and comparative peace studies, this book offers a friendship-related academic framework that examines shared moral concepts, philosophical paradigms, and political experiences that can develop and expand multidisciplinary conversations between the Christian West and the Muslim East. By advancing multicultural and interreligious discourses on friendship, this book helps promote actual friendships among diverse cultures and peoples. This is not a monologue. It provides a model of conversations among scholars and political actors who come from diverse international and interreligious backgrounds. The word “Islamic” should not mislead the reader to suspect that this edited volume delves only into religious discourses. Rather, it provides a forum for conversations within and between religious and philosophical perspectives. It sparks friendship conversations thematically and through disciplinary and cultural diversity. The result of the work of many prominent international scholars and diplomats over many years, it conveys at least one message clearly: friendship matters for not only our happiness but also for our survival.
Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (Literatures and Cultures of the Islamic World)
by Daryoush Mohammad PoorExamining the connection between the concept of authority and the transformation of the Ismaili imamate, Authority without Territory is the first study of the imamate in contemporary times with a particular focus on Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary leader of Shi?a Imami Ismaili Muslims.
Iranian-Saudi Rivalry since 1979: In the Words of Kings and Clerics
by Talal MohammadThe fraught relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran is usually attributed to sectarian differences, even by the states' own elites. However, this book shows that in their official speeches, newspaper editorials and Friday sermons, these elites use sectarian and nationalist references and tropes to denigrate each other and promote themselves in the eyes of their respective constituencies in the region. Talal Mohammad, who is fluent in both Arabic and Persian, examines Saudi-Iranian rivalry using discourse analysis of these religious, political and journalistic sources. Tracing what has been produced since 1979 in parallel, he argues for a consistent pattern of mutual misrepresentation, whereby each frames its counterpart as the 'Other' to which a specific political agenda can be justified and advanced. The book covers key events including the Iranian Revolution, the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the Taliban war, the fall of Saddam, the Arab Spring, the rise of Mohammed bin Salman, and the war on ISIS. While until now Saudi-Iranian rivalry has been understood in primarily sectarian or geopolitical terms, the author argues here that the discursive othering serves as a propagandist function that supports more fundamental political and geopolitical considerations.
Iranian-Saudi Rivalry since 1979: In the Words of Kings and Clerics
by Talal MohammadThe fraught relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran is usually attributed to sectarian differences, even by the states' own elites. However, this book shows that in their official speeches, newspaper editorials and Friday sermons, these elites use sectarian and nationalist references and tropes to denigrate each other and promote themselves in the eyes of their respective constituencies in the region. Talal Mohammad, who is fluent in both Arabic and Persian, examines Saudi-Iranian rivalry using discourse analysis of these religious, political and journalistic sources. Tracing what has been produced since 1979 in parallel, he argues for a consistent pattern of mutual misrepresentation, whereby each frames its counterpart as the 'Other' to which a specific political agenda can be justified and advanced. The book covers key events including the Iranian Revolution, the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the Taliban war, the fall of Saddam, the Arab Spring, the rise of Mohammed bin Salman, and the war on ISIS. While until now Saudi-Iranian rivalry has been understood in primarily sectarian or geopolitical terms, the author argues here that the discursive othering serves as a propagandist function that supports more fundamental political and geopolitical considerations.
Islam Encountering Globalisation (Durham Modern Middle East and Islamic World Series #Vol. 2)
by Ali MohammadiOne of the greatest dilemmas facing Muslims today is the fact that Muslim culture is often seemingly incompatible with the culture of the modern Western world, and the features associated with it - technological progress, consumerism, and new electronic communication, all of which have the potential for a homogenizing effect on any culture. This book explores many key aspects of the globalisation process, discussing how Muslim countries are coping with globalisation, as well as considering how the West is responding to Islam.
Islam Encountering Globalisation (Durham Modern Middle East and Islamic World Series)
by Ali MohammadiOne of the greatest dilemmas facing Muslims today is the fact that Muslim culture is often seemingly incompatible with the culture of the modern Western world, and the features associated with it - technological progress, consumerism, and new electronic communication, all of which have the potential for a homogenizing effect on any culture. This book explores many key aspects of the globalisation process, discussing how Muslim countries are coping with globalisation, as well as considering how the West is responding to Islam.
Political Islam in Post-Revolutionary Iran: Shi'i Ideologies in Islamist Discourse (International Library of Iranian Studies #20150505)
by Majid MohammadiIn the wake of the Iranian Revolution of 1978/79, the regime that took power sought to establish a form of government modelled on a particular understanding of political Islam. And since this revolution, Shi'i Islam has been used in various ways to justify political activity, both by those in government and those in opposition. As a result, outsiders often see 'Islamist ideology' in Iran as a monolith: unchanging and uniform. But as Majid Mohammadi shows in this book, the field of Islamist discourse is actually extremely wide, varied and in constant flux. By charting the central concepts and nuances of the ideological map of post-revolutionary Iran, he demonstrates how Iranian clerics, religious and secular intellectuals, and political theoreticians and activists have responded to cultural, political and social transformations since the revolution. With analysis of key thinkers such as Ali Shari'ati, Ayatollah Khomeini, Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi and Abdolkarim Soroush, this book is a comprehensive account of the diversity of Islamist ideologies in Iran, and how they interact with political reality.
The Spirits Talk to Me: True Accounts of Paranormal Investigations
by Sarbajeet Mohanty Neil D'Silva‘It’s something in your line of work,’ he said hurriedly. ‘It’s something…otherworldly. Please come. There is no time to lose.’ A forest lures men to their doom, invisible hands smash crockery in a time-worn house, machines turn malevolent in an old factory, phantom laughter, whispers from nowhere, shadows that trail people – these are just some of the experiences that Sarbajeet Mohanty, paranormal investigator and founder of the Parapsychology and Investigations Research Society, confronts daily on the job. Tracking Sarbajeet and his team as they probe harrowing supernatural happenings across the country, these ten suspenseful tales move from a courthouse occupied by an insidious presence to a hellish riverbank where battles from the ancient Kalinga war continue to play out, to a film studio in Mumbai where a sordid past waits to be unearthed. Along the way, readers get a rare peek into the distinctive investigative methods used by the team to detect mysterious forces that exist in parallel realms. Narrated by veteran horror writer Neil D’Silva in atmospheric prose, the chilling accounts in The Spirits Talk to Me are spine-tingling and guaranteed to make you lose sleep.
Selected Topics on Archaeology, History and Culture in the Malay World
by Mohd Rohaizat Abdul Wahab Ros Mahwati Ahmad Zakaria Muhlis Hadrawi Zuliskandar RamliThis book presents selected academic papers addressing five key research areas – archaeology, history, language, culture and arts – related to the Malay Civilisation. It outlines new findings, interpretations, policies, methodologies and theories that were presented at the International Seminar on Archaeology, History, and Language in the Malay Civilisation (ASBAM5) in 2016. Further, it provides new perspectives and serves as a vital point of reference for all researchers, students, policymakers and legislators who have an interest in the Malay Civilisation.
Navigating Religious Authority in Muslim Societies: Islamist Movements and the Challenge of Globalisation
by Asif MohiuddinGlobalisation stands as an indispensable lens through which to analyse current cultural, political, and social transformations. This prevailing paradigm, acknowledged by its advocates and critics, profoundly shapes our environment. Within this global landscape, Islam's position is noteworthy—often perceived as rejecting globalisation and its secular underpinnings. This book offers a perspective of the global resurgence of religion in general and the revival of Islam in particular as crucial features of globalisation. Furthermore, the book deeply explores how Islamist groups strategically challenge religious authority, utilising social media and the internet to reshape their spheres of influence. By exploring these dynamics, the book aims to provide comprehensive insights into the interplay between Islamist strategies, digital platforms, and religious institutions within our interconnected world.
Die Kunst der Innovationsgesellschaft: Kreative Interventionen als Suche nach Neuheit (Kunst und Gesellschaft)
by Henning MohrAngesichts der zunehmenden Bedeutung künstlerischer Prozesse für andere Gesellschaftsbereiche (etwa Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Stadtentwicklung),werden die besonderen Potentiale des Künstlerischen herausgearbeitet. Anhand einer Analyse verschiedener Kunstprojekte der Kulturorganisation Urbane Künste Ruhr zeigt sich, dass künstlerisches Handeln nahezu idealtypisch dem Neuheitsimperativ einer wissens- und kreativitätsbasierten Innovationsgesellschaft entspricht. Künstlerische Prozesse leisten einen außeralltäglichen Beitrag zur Dynamisierung und zwar auf Basis einer Reflexivierung, Experimentalisierung und Aktivierung bestehender Wissensbestände.
Politics of the Oberammergau Passion Play: Tradition as Trademark (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Jan Mohr Julia StenzelThis collection provides a comprehensive overview of the Oberammergau Passion play and its history from the 19th century onwards. Specialists in theatre and performance studies, comparative literature, theology, political studies, history, and ethnology initiate an interdisciplinary discussion of how Oberammergau has built a trademark from tradition. A typological and historical outline of this development is followed by detailed analyses of the blending of spaces, temporalities, and cultures, through which Oberammergau as an institution is stabilized while at the same time remaining open to the dynamics of historical change. The authors comprise the formation of a theatrical public sphere, literary imaginations, and layers of authenticity in modern practices of distributed communication that culminate in the notion of tradition as trademark. This collection is analysed from a wide spectrum of cultural historical perspectives, ranging from literary studies, theatre and performance studies to theology, political studies, and ethnology.
Politics of the Oberammergau Passion Play: Tradition as Trademark (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Jan Mohr Julia StenzelThis collection provides a comprehensive overview of the Oberammergau Passion play and its history from the 19th century onwards. Specialists in theatre and performance studies, comparative literature, theology, political studies, history, and ethnology initiate an interdisciplinary discussion of how Oberammergau has built a trademark from tradition. A typological and historical outline of this development is followed by detailed analyses of the blending of spaces, temporalities, and cultures, through which Oberammergau as an institution is stabilized while at the same time remaining open to the dynamics of historical change. The authors comprise the formation of a theatrical public sphere, literary imaginations, and layers of authenticity in modern practices of distributed communication that culminate in the notion of tradition as trademark. This collection is analysed from a wide spectrum of cultural historical perspectives, ranging from literary studies, theatre and performance studies to theology, political studies, and ethnology.
Khomeini: life of the Ayatollah (PDF)
by Baqer MoinWhen the Ayatollah Khomeini burst onto the international scene in the late 1970s, radical Islam became a factor of political life that would change the world. And with the Iranian Revolution that Khomeini led in 1978/79, religion once more moved centre stage in world politics. Who was this frail octogenarian who became the inspiration for a new militant Islam? Khomeini was the most radical Muslim reader of this age. He launched an Islamic revival movement which quickly turned him into a hero for his supporters and a villain for his enemies. In the process, Khomeini became one of the seminal figures of the modern age. Still an enigma in the West, Khomeini transformed the Middle East and the world. But where did the man come from? What was his childhood and family background? How did the turbulent events in Iran during his youth shape Khomeini's politics? What changed him from an obscure traditional theologian into a competitive and vengeful radical set to reshape the Middle East? With radical political Islam now clearly central in all attempts to understand the international political scene today, this compelling biography of the man who started it all becomes essential reading for observers of the Middle East and world affairs.
Salvation in Indian Philosophy: Perfection and Simplicity for Vaiśeṣika (Routledge Hindu Studies Series)
by Ionut MoiseThis book offers a comprehensive description of the ‘doctrine of salvation’ (niḥśreyasa/ mokṣa) and Vaiśeṣika, one of the oldest philosophical systems of Indian philosophy and provides an overview of theories in other related Indian philosophical systems and classical doctrines of salvation. The book examines liberation, the fourth goal of life and arguably one of the most important topics in Indian philosophy, from a comparative philosophical perspective. Contextualising classical Greek Philosophy which contains the three goals of life (Aristotle’s Ethics), and explains salvation as first understood in the theology of the Hellenistic and Patristics periods, the author analyses six classical philosophical schools of Indian philosophy in which there is a marked emphasis on the ultimate ontological elements of the world and ‘self’. Analysing Vaiśeṣika and the manner in which this lesser known system has put forward its own theory of salvation (niḥśreyasa), the author demonstrates its significance and originality as an old and influential philosophical system. He argues that it is essential for the study of other Indian sciences and for the study of all comparative philosophy. An extensive introduction to Indian soteriology, this book will be an important reference work for academics interested in comparative religion and philosophy, Indian philosophy, Asian religion and South Asian Studies.
Salvation in Indian Philosophy: Perfection and Simplicity for Vaiśeṣika (Routledge Hindu Studies Series)
by Ionut MoiseThis book offers a comprehensive description of the ‘doctrine of salvation’ (niḥśreyasa/ mokṣa) and Vaiśeṣika, one of the oldest philosophical systems of Indian philosophy and provides an overview of theories in other related Indian philosophical systems and classical doctrines of salvation. The book examines liberation, the fourth goal of life and arguably one of the most important topics in Indian philosophy, from a comparative philosophical perspective. Contextualising classical Greek Philosophy which contains the three goals of life (Aristotle’s Ethics), and explains salvation as first understood in the theology of the Hellenistic and Patristics periods, the author analyses six classical philosophical schools of Indian philosophy in which there is a marked emphasis on the ultimate ontological elements of the world and ‘self’. Analysing Vaiśeṣika and the manner in which this lesser known system has put forward its own theory of salvation (niḥśreyasa), the author demonstrates its significance and originality as an old and influential philosophical system. He argues that it is essential for the study of other Indian sciences and for the study of all comparative philosophy. An extensive introduction to Indian soteriology, this book will be an important reference work for academics interested in comparative religion and philosophy, Indian philosophy, Asian religion and South Asian Studies.
Orpheus in Macedonia: Myth, Cult and Ideology
by Tomasz MojsikThe mythological hero Orpheus occupied a central role in ancient Greek culture, but 'the son of Oeagrus' and 'Thracian musician' venerated by the Greeks has also become a prominent figure in a long tradition of classical reception of Greek myth. This book challenges our entrenched idea of Orpheus and demonstrates that in the Classical and Hellenistic periods depictions of his identity and image were not as unequivocal as we tend to believe today. Concentrating on Orpheus' ethnicity and geographical references in ancient sources, Tomasz Mojsik traces the development of, and changes in, the mythological image of the hero in antiquity and sheds new light on contemporary constructions of cultural identity by locating the various versions of the mythical story within their socio-political contexts. Examination of the early literary sources prompts a reconsideration of the tradition which locates the tomb of the hero in Macedonian Pieria, and the volume argues for the emergence of this tradition as a reaction to the allegation of the barbarity and civilizational backwardness of the Macedonians throughout the wider Greek world. These assertions have important implications for Archelaus' Hellenizing policy and his commonly acknowledged sponsorship of the arts, which included his incorporating of the Muses into the cult of Zeus at the Olympia in Dium.
Orpheus in Macedonia: Myth, Cult and Ideology
by Tomasz MojsikThe mythological hero Orpheus occupied a central role in ancient Greek culture, but 'the son of Oeagrus' and 'Thracian musician' venerated by the Greeks has also become a prominent figure in a long tradition of classical reception of Greek myth. This book challenges our entrenched idea of Orpheus and demonstrates that in the Classical and Hellenistic periods depictions of his identity and image were not as unequivocal as we tend to believe today. Concentrating on Orpheus' ethnicity and geographical references in ancient sources, Tomasz Mojsik traces the development of, and changes in, the mythological image of the hero in antiquity and sheds new light on contemporary constructions of cultural identity by locating the various versions of the mythical story within their socio-political contexts. Examination of the early literary sources prompts a reconsideration of the tradition which locates the tomb of the hero in Macedonian Pieria, and the volume argues for the emergence of this tradition as a reaction to the allegation of the barbarity and civilizational backwardness of the Macedonians throughout the wider Greek world. These assertions have important implications for Archelaus' Hellenizing policy and his commonly acknowledged sponsorship of the arts, which included his incorporating of the Muses into the cult of Zeus at the Olympia in Dium.
Women And The Bible In Early Modern England: Religious Reading And Writing
by Femke MolekampWomen and the Bible in Early Modern England provides an account of the uniquely important role of the Bible in the development of female interpretative and literary agency, as well as in the expression of female subjectivity in early modern England. In the later sixteenth and throughout the seventeenth century women's religious writing diversified in genre and entered increasingly into a public literary sphere. Femke Molekamp shows that the Bible was at the heart of female reading culture, and that women can be seen to have participated in multiple modes of reading it, which, in turn, fostered various kinds of literary writing. The sources used in this book to reconstruct reading practices, and trace their connection to religious writing, are drawn from diverse archives, to include the annotations, biographical writing, commonplace books, letters, treatises, and other literary writings in print and manuscript of both prominent early modern women well known to us, and women who have so far remained obscure. The book argues that the increased circulation of the Bible in English fostered reading practices that enabled a growth in female interpretative and literary agency.