The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics
As the ideas of struggle against imperialism and class were prominent among social scientists a generation ago, those of ethnicity are in the forefront today. Ethnicity-language, race, folk culture, food, etc., cut across class and sect. In Africa and Asia it has assumed violent political shape, su...
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International Institute of Islamic Thought
1988
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oai:doaj.org-article:e3a39aba2ff446dda328233ed109e2cf2021-12-02T19:40:08ZThe State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics10.35632/ajis.v5i1.28862690-37332690-3741https://doaj.org/article/e3a39aba2ff446dda328233ed109e2cf1988-09-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/2886https://doaj.org/toc/2690-3733https://doaj.org/toc/2690-3741 As the ideas of struggle against imperialism and class were prominent among social scientists a generation ago, those of ethnicity are in the forefront today. Ethnicity-language, race, folk culture, food, etc., cut across class and sect. In Africa and Asia it has assumed violent political shape, succeeding in creating nations like Bangladesh or seriously disrupting them as in the case of (Sri Lanka). The interrelationship of ethnicity with the state and religion are explored in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan in the book. It is the very fuzziness of these central concepts - state, religion, ethnicity - that creates so much heat around their discussion. The theoretical linkages between the concepts in these three states are clear. Not so clear is the method to resolve tensions between them. A book, then, which brings together “an outstanding group of anthropologists, historians, political scientists and Islamicists” promises value. Fourteen distinguished academics have combined to produce the contents of the book. Some cannot resist the pitfall into which social scientists are wont to plummet, i.e., the use of impenetrably recondite jargon: “Whatever the particular criterion for group identity, inquiry into the relationship of ethnic groups to the larger sociocultural systems of which they are a part ought to rest on the ‘situational’ approach to ethnicity” (P. Higgins: p.169). Mercifully this kind of language is restricted. African and Asian scholars will be quick to apply the label “Orientalist” to some of the participants. Others will note that the 4 authors of the chapters on Pakistan are non-Muslims; an observation not entirely irrelevant about a book on ethnicity and religion. This kind of emotionalism however, must not be allowed to distract from the quality of the work. The papers are scholarly, and most are based on a life-time’s work. They attempt to discuss the central issues in complex and changing societies. The editors, in a comprehensive and useful introduction, lay out their ... Akbar S. AhmedInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtarticleIslamBP1-253ENAmerican Journal of Islam and Society, Vol 5, Iss 1 (1988) |
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| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
EN |
| topic |
Islam BP1-253 |
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Islam BP1-253 Akbar S. Ahmed The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics |
| description |
As the ideas of struggle against imperialism and class were prominent
among social scientists a generation ago, those of ethnicity are in the forefront
today. Ethnicity-language, race, folk culture, food, etc., cut across class
and sect. In Africa and Asia it has assumed violent political shape, succeeding
in creating nations like Bangladesh or seriously disrupting them as in the
case of (Sri Lanka).
The interrelationship of ethnicity with the state and religion are explored
in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan in the book. It is the very fuzziness of
these central concepts - state, religion, ethnicity - that creates so much heat
around their discussion. The theoretical linkages between the concepts in
these three states are clear. Not so clear is the method to resolve tensions
between them. A book, then, which brings together “an outstanding group
of anthropologists, historians, political scientists and Islamicists” promises
value.
Fourteen distinguished academics have combined to produce the contents
of the book. Some cannot resist the pitfall into which social scientists are
wont to plummet, i.e., the use of impenetrably recondite jargon: “Whatever
the particular criterion for group identity, inquiry into the relationship of
ethnic groups to the larger sociocultural systems of which they are a part
ought to rest on the ‘situational’ approach to ethnicity” (P. Higgins: p.169).
Mercifully this kind of language is restricted.
African and Asian scholars will be quick to apply the label “Orientalist”
to some of the participants. Others will note that the 4 authors of the chapters
on Pakistan are non-Muslims; an observation not entirely irrelevant about
a book on ethnicity and religion. This kind of emotionalism however, must
not be allowed to distract from the quality of the work. The papers are scholarly,
and most are based on a life-time’s work. They attempt to discuss the central
issues in complex and changing societies.
The editors, in a comprehensive and useful introduction, lay out their ...
|
| format |
article |
| author |
Akbar S. Ahmed |
| author_facet |
Akbar S. Ahmed |
| author_sort |
Akbar S. Ahmed |
| title |
The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics |
| title_short |
The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics |
| title_full |
The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics |
| title_fullStr |
The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics |
| title_sort |
state, religion, and ethnic politics |
| publisher |
International Institute of Islamic Thought |
| publishDate |
1988 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/e3a39aba2ff446dda328233ed109e2cf |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT akbarsahmed thestatereligionandethnicpolitics AT akbarsahmed statereligionandethnicpolitics |
| _version_ |
1718376294349012992 |