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An increasing number of people have questions about Islam and Muslims. But how can we approach and study Islam after September 11th? Which is the best methodology to understand an Islam that is changing in a globalized world? The Anthropology of Islam argues that Islam today needs to be studied as a living religion through the observation of everyday Muslim life. Drawing on extensive original fieldwork, Marranci provides provocative analyses of Islam and its relation to issues such as identities, politics, culture, power and gender. The Anthropology of Islam is unprecedented in its innovative and challenging discussion about fieldwork among Muslims, and its ethnographically based interpretations of contemporary aspects of Islam in a post-September 11th society. The book will appeal to those in anthropology and beyond who see and are interested in investigating the unsettled place of Islam in our multicultural society.
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The Anthropology of Islam This page intentionally left blank The Anthropology of Islam GABRIELE MARRANCI Oxford • New York First published in 2008 by Berg Editorial offices: 1st Floor, Angel Court, 81 St Clements Street, Oxford, OX4 1AW, UK 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA © Gabriele Marranci 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of Berg. Berg is the imprint of Oxford International Publishers Ltd. Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Marranci, Gabriele. The anthropology of Islam / Gabriele Marranci. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-84520-284-2 (cloth) ISBN-10: 1-84520-284-8 (cloth) ISBN-13: 978-1-84520-285-9 (pbk.) ISBN-10: 1-84520-285-6 (pbk.) 1. Islam—Study and teaching. 2. Anthropology of religion—Islamic countries. 3. Islamic sociology. 4. Anthropology—Methodology. I. Title. BP42.M37 2008 306.6'97—dc22 2007049376 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978 1 84520 284 2 (Cloth) ISBN 978 1 84520 285 9 (Paper) Typeset by JS Typesetting, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan Printed in the United Kingdom by Biddles Ltd, King’s Lynn www.bergpublishers.com Dedicated to the memory of Gregory Bateson This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgements ix 1 Introduction 1 2 Islam: Beliefs, History and Rituals 13 3 From Studying Islam to Studying Muslims 31 4 Studying Muslims in the West: Before and After September 11 53 5 From the Exotic to the Familiar: Anamneses of Fieldwork among Muslims 71 6 Beyond the Stereotype: Challenges in Understanding Muslim Identities 89 7 The Ummah Paradox 103 8 The Dynamics of Gender in Islam 117 9 Conclusion 139 Glossary 147 References 151 Index 173 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgements This book is the result of my discussions and debates with students and colleagues about what the anthropology of Islam may be. I have benefited from advice, suggestions and criticism during the many years of reflection on the topic and the two years of writing, rewriting, scrapping and rethinking to rewrite again. The words of this book would never have reached your eyes without the time that students and colleagues spent in sharing their thoughts and ideas. Although intended for teaching, this book is a product of learning. I have learnt from my students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, from their questions and from their challenges and curiosity about the anthropology of Islam. Among my friends an