Closing the Week 39
The official website of ISIM is closed and the repository of Leiden University works like…well it doesn’t work so well. Which is a problem if you want to read the ISIM Review articles. Therefore I’m happy to present to you: ISIM Review via Closer
Most popular on Closer this week:
- PVV-Stemmers – Stelletje Malloten!
- IMES Rapport – Salafisme in Nederland. Aard, omvang en dreiging
- Image bites – The Great Burqa Robbery and other political ads
I’m honoured that my post on Orange Fever appeared in the Four Stone Hearth Anthropology Carnival, time compiled by Judith Weingarten.
- If you want to stay updated and did not subscribe yet, you can do so HERE
- If you want to stay updated about the ISIM Review pages I suggest you do subscribe
- You can follow me on Twitter: Martijn5155
Anthropology
Publishing in the GAY-KRANT (‘gay journal’) « Anthropology & Publicity
Over the years I have published articles on my research and that of other anthropologists in many newspapers and weeklies – in the Netherlands and abroad – but I was never sure of the social relevance of all this.
… » Idioms of Islam – idioms of consumerism… a note on Mardin
While it may be true that in a multicultural society we need to develop a religious literacy, i.e. learn to understand various religious idioms in which (ethnic) minorities define themselves in religious terms, members of religious communities cannot avoid picking up the secular idiom of consumerism and human rights. I will come back (inevitably…) to the consumerism aspect – what is normally in the foreground is the question whether Islamic politics is reconcilable with secular constitutions in liberal democracies. And it certainly looks like there is a strong current within Islamism that fairly early on learned to formulate political aims in a secular language.
Book review: Religious globalization = Engaged cosmopolitanism?
Can studying religious movements give us new insights into globalisation or even cosmopolitanism? Anthropologist Tulasi Srinivas thinks so.
How do we make culture? :: CultureBy – Grant McCracken
But of course it’s going to appeal to an anthropologist. We’re in the business of observing how cultural artifacts serve as arguments for their own reality.
But there’s still something breathtaking about the “reality argument” process.
The Joke’s on You – Society for Linguistic Anthropology
this isn’t just a story about private speech becoming public. It is also one about the very nature of meaning. Many people seem to believe that meaning resides in our heads and is merely expressed through language, which operates as a transparent medium communicating our thoughts to the outside world. Linguistic anthropologists view the construction of meaning very differently. For us the construction of meaning is a social process. It is something that is negotiated through the very act of discourse. A joke is only a joke to the extent that your audience accepts it as such. If, instead, they choose to get offended, or take it seriously, it requires a lot of work on the part of the speaker to explain that the statement was meant as a joke. In such a case there are a range of possible outcomes: the audience might accept that it was a “bad joke” and leave it at that, or they might refuse to except the claim that the statement was intended as a joke.
In an unfinished post from some years back, I criticise the anthropologists Akhil Gupta and James Ferguson for their attack on what they call “the standard anthropological tropes of entry into and exit from ‘the field’” (Gupta and Ferguson 1997: 12). If I remember correctly, their point is that these stories exotize the field experience and enhance the strange- and otherness of the field site. That is probably the case in much anthropological writing (the first entry story that came to my mind is Evans Pritchard among the Azande, and there the Azande are far more alive and at least as recognisable in the intro than elsewhere in the book, so that was a bad example.) But that is surely not whole role of these stories. For me, the entry to as well as the exit from the field were surely full of existential experiences that readily can be likened to odysseyic voyages.
Analog/Digital: Why anthropology will never be obsolete
Analog/Digital: New: Anthropology Blogs via Twitter
Further to an earlier post announcing my collection of the best anthropology blogs on the web, you can now receive notifications of the latest blog updates via Twitter.
anthropologyworks » Roma: Not all alike
Since the 1990s, the people who are being displaced and resettled are the ones who are poor. These are not the migratory Roma. Much like low-income migrants from all over the world, Roma are looking to gain a better life for themselves and their children. While Roma are increasingly being organized into a mass movement within their respective countries of origins and in the European Union, local events cause them to be persecuted as a maligned, racialized, and stereotyped minority if they are lucky or as unwanted outsiders and criminals. Roma from East Europe and the Balkans are leaving their countries as a result of the persecution that is so virulent there that it has caused death and destruction of settlements not unlike pogroms of centuries past. For example, in Cluj, a university city in Romania’s multi- ethnic Transylvania region, a large Roma settlement is being displaced and moved into a more remote and environmentally marginal area. The Roma have not been given any recourse. They appear not to have any civil rights. Roma have been attacked in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic. These attacks include fire bombings, shootings, stabbings, beatings and murders.
Islamic Movements
William C. Chittick, Ph.D.: The Meaning of Islam
Scholars often distinguish between “Islam,” meaning the religion as taught and practiced over the centuries, and “Islamism,” meaning the various ideologies that have appeared over the past century claiming to speak on its behalf. As one of these scholars put it, “An ideology is a clear blueprint that requires only mechanical implementation. … It offers easy answers to the most difficult and fundamental questions. … [It] renders redundant the human processes of constantly thinking, evaluating, facing hard choices, and balancing” (Farhang Rajaee, Islamism and Modernism, p. 4).
Muslim Brotherhood expert discusses Maghreb Salafism (Magharebia.com)
Alaya Allani is a professor of contemporary history at the University of Manouba in Tunis and a specialist in political Islam. He has published several studies on the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist currents in the Arab Maghreb. Magharebia sat down with Allani in Tunis to discuss the dangers of the spread of Salafism and what he sees as the root causes of the problem.
New audio statement from Us?mah Bin L?den: “Stop the Method of Relief Work” | JIHADOLOGY
Overall, one can conclude from this that this is yet another example of al-Q?’idah’s efforts to rebrand itself in the aftermath of the slaughter in Iraq, which revulsed much of the Arab and Muslim world. Moreover, the CTC report that stated that al-Q?’idah’s attacks killed Muslims 85% of the time brought light to the hypocrisies of the organization that purported to be at war with the “Zionist-Crusaders” and not a war between al-Qaeda and Muslims. Although most Muslims did not read this report it was fairly obvious to them too who al-Q?’idah killed most of the time. Therefore, al-Q?’idah has tried to be a more inclusive organization and part of this rebranding is a softer message such as this one. At the same time, one should not be fooled by this.
A Crash Course in Jihadi Theory (Part 1) — jihadica
Throughout the years, the number of jihadi writings has grown enormously. Nowadays, books and fatwas on any given subject related to jihadi thought can easily be found and downloaded from the internet. As a service to those who can’t see the forest for the trees anymore or to those people who simply want a brief overview of what every budding jihadi theorist should know, the Shari’a Council of the Jama’at al-Tawhid wa-l-Jihad in Gaza (not to be confused with the Shari’a Council of the Minbar al-Tawhid wa-l-Jihad, on which I wrote previously) produced what can be described as a crash course in jihadi theory some time ago. The book, entitled The Gift of the Unifiers on the Most Important Issues of the Basics of Islam (also available here), describes the theoretical underpinnings of jihadis’ animosity towards Muslim states and their policies in a mere 273 pages. This post is the first of a series in which I discuss this book.
Misc.
Holy ground zero? « The Immanent Frame
Nine years (and a few weeks) have now passed since the events of 9/11, and as Religion in America blogger Paul Matzko noted on the attacks’ ninth anniversary earlier this month, the religious overtones of how Americans remember that day are palpable
Unfaithful Followers » Contexts
Religious conversion may seem like a personal decision, but national history and demographics also play pivotal roles. Robert Barro and his colleagues (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, March 2010) compared conversion rates in 40 countries analyzing country-level policies and characteristics.
The Indypendent » Mom, Apple Pie and Islamophobia
The current nativist impulse is not new. The right’s anti-Muslim campaign is eerily similar to 19th-century anti- Catholic bigotry in America.
Qantara.de – Wars over Symbols
The face veil stirs up many controversies – not only in Europe, but also within the Islamic world. For Mohamed El-Moctar, an Islamic scholar and religious historian, however, it’s a practice that has nothing much to do with Islam. Stephanie Doetzer met him in Doha
And how do you compare with the average American? Here’s your chance to find out.
We need a multiculturalism of hope | Tariq Modood | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
We need a multiculturalism of hope
Moderate secularism and respect for religion are vital if we are to move from a multiculturalism of fear towards genuine pluralism
Continent of Fear: The Rise of Europe’s Right-Wing Populists – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International
All across Europe, right-wing populist parties are enjoying significant popular support. Led by charismatic politicians like Geert Wilders, they are exploiting fear of Muslim immigration and frustration with the political establishment — and are forcing mainstream parties to shift to the right.
A look inside NYC Islamic center imam’s mosques – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs
The controversy over a proposed Islamic center in lower Manhattan has spiraled into a global debate over Islam’s place in the United States, but the arrival of a mosque a couple blocks from ground zero was driven mostly by the simple need for more space.
Doha meet discusses rise of radicalism
Researchers and experts from Europe, the US and the Arab world gathered here yesterday at a workshop to examine in depth the phenomena of terrorism and resistance.
The recent passage of the bill banning the burqa in the French Senate and the heated discussion preceding it have brought into relief a time-honored (masculine) practice of waging culture wars on the bodies of women. In this case, the bodies are those of veiled Muslim women serving as ideological sites for passionate French debates about national identity and cultural authenticity.
The French and Syrian bans on the niqab may look the same, but underneath they are very different.
Naturally it is gratifying, for those of us who spend significant amounts of time in the Arab world, to see the region get the recognition it deserves. Last month, it was good to see commentators in Europe seize on Syria and Egypt as examples to be followed.
EXCLUSIVE A Palestinian Midwife Who Defies the Odds – WMC Blog
Feeza Shraim overcame violence and Israeli embargoes in the Gaza Strip to bring new life to her damaged homeland, as independent journalist Nida Khan recounts before Shraim receives her award from Americans for UNFPA.
In Afghanistan, Midwives ‘Are Like Guardian Angels For Infants And Mothers’ : The Two-Way : NPR
Midwife Farangis Sultani tells the story of a woman who was in a great deal of pain last winter. The woman was in labor — and her family had brought her to the Shatak village clinic after a three-hour walk on the back of a donkey.
Dutch
Parthenon – Handboek Jongeren Religie in Nederland
Zappers, relishoppers, legobouwers. Jongeren in Nederland; je ziet ze nauwelijks nog in de kerk of de moskee. Toch zijn ze wel degelijk bezig met zingeving en religieuze activiteiten. Ze bewegen zich in diffuse sociale netwerken en zijn moeilijk te traceren, laat staan langdurig te binden. Hoe stellen deze jongeren hun eigen bouwpakket van zingeving samen en waaruit kiezen ze? Uit de tradities van de grote wereldreligies? En waaruit nog meer? Welk effect heeft de religieuze erfenis van ouders op jongeren? Welke bronnen boren moslimjongeren aan voor hun religieuze zingeving? Wat voor adviezen kunnen jongerenwerkers geven aan religieuze instituten?
Het Handboek jongeren en religie toont de stand van zaken en laat zien welke rol voor godsdienstige instituten als de kerk en de moskee kan zijn weggelegd. Met behulp van een nuttige typologie van de verschillende groepen jongeren wordt het veld van religieus jongerenwerk inzichtelijk. Actueel onderzoek door verschillende specialisten in het veld van jongerenpastoraat, jeugdwerk en islamitisch jongerenwerk, wordt afgewisseld met best practices: voorbeelden van succesvolle projecten met jongeren, waaronder swingende jeugdkerken uit neo-evangelicale hoek, eucharistievieringen voor tieners, een bezoekgroep voor jonge gedetineerde moslims en een Ramadan festival. Bij de best practices worden telkens ook tips, contactgegevens én valkuilen vermeld.
Met bijdragen van Nora Asrami, Angela Berben-Schuring, Clazien Broekhoff-Bosman, Monique van Dijk-Groeneboer, Toke Elshof, Joris Kregting, Martijn de Koning, Jacques Maas, Johan Roeland en Hijme Stoffels.
Wereldjournalisten De gemiddelde salafi wil baan, baard en bruid
Hoe groot is het salafisme in Nederland en hoe gevaarlijk? 8% van de moslims noemt zichzelf orthodox c.q. salafi, maar de gemiddelde salafi vormt geen gevaar voor de democratie. Dit blijkt uit het onderzoek van de Universiteit van Amsterdam naar aard, omvang en dreiging van het salafisme in Nederland. De gemiddelde salafi is pragmatisch en wil slechts baard, baan en bruid.
Yoram Stein weblog: Is salafisme geen bedreiging voor de democratie? Lees je eigen rapport!
Volgens politicoloog Jean Tillie en volgens berichten in de media zou een onlangs verschenen wetenschappelijk rapport over het salafisme in Nederland stellen dat salafistische moslims ‘niet gewelddadig’ zijn, en dat deze stroming ‘geen gevaar vormt voor de democratie’. NRC Handelsblad en de NOS meldden dit alsof het wetenschappelijk geconstateerde feiten betrof. De journalisten namen klaarblijkelijk niet de moeite om het onderzoek zelf te lezen. Wie het onderzoek namelijk leest, komt tot een geheel andere conclusie.
Naar aanleiding van het jaarverslag van de AIVD, waarin werd gerept over subsidies aan salafistische organisaties, heeft de Asmetrdamse CDA-fractie gevraagd in de hoofdstad de brochure ‘Facadepolitiek van salafistische organisaties’ te gaan gebruiken. Deze brochure biedt weinig handvatten, versterkt vooral wantrouwen en draagt niet bij aan een zakelijke benadering van het salafisme.
Nederlands Marokkaans Netwerk: Kabinet van verdeeldheid en polarisatie
“In plaats van ‘vrijheid en verantwoordelijkheid’ verdient dit regeerakkoord eerder de naam ‘verdeeldheid en polarisatie’, het akkoord kenmerkt zich door maatregelen die ten doel lijken te hebben om de verschillende bevolkingsgroepen in ons land te verdelen en tegen elkaar op te zetten.”
NOS Headlines – Moslims actief met media – Nieuws
Moslimjongeren lezen vaker een krant dan niet-moslimjongeren. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek van de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Sowieso zijn moslim-jongeren intensievere media-gebruikers dan niet-moslimjongeren. Ze kijken bijvoorbeeld meer televisie. Alle resultaten van het onderzoek staan in het boek ‘Jong en multimediaal; mediagebruik en meningsvorming onder jongeren’ dat vandaag is uitgebracht.
Turkse moslims bidden op straat uit protest – POLITIEK – PAROOL
150 tot 200 Turkse moslims hebben vrijdagmiddag in Amsterdam-West uit protest op straat gebeden. Ze deden dit omdat de bouw van de veelbesproken Westermoskee maar niet mag beginnen. Het gebed vond plaats voor het kantoor van het stadsdeel West aan het Bos en Lommerplein.
Een Nederlandse militair filmde in oktober 2007 Afghaanse soldaten die gevangenen martelen. Het gebeurde tijdens ‘ Spin Ghar’, een ISAF-operatie tegen de Taliban in de Baluchi-vallei in Noord- Uruzgan onder Nederlands commando.
Zijn de Nederlandse militairen verantwoordelijk?
The walk of shame: drank kopen in Marokko | Standplaats Wereld
Moslims mogen van hun geloof geen alcohol drinken. Dit wist ik al toen ik naar Marokko ging. Ook wist ik dat ik in Arabische landen het drinken van alcohol sociaal niet geaccepteerd is en dat ik niet hoefde te verwachten dat ik in elke kroeg een biertje kon bestellen zoals in Nederland. Maar hoe sociaal onacceptabel alcohol hier is werd mij pas duidelijk toen ik zelf wijn ging kopen.
Factcheck: NCRV’s Altijd Wat – De tsunami van islamisering – GeenCommentaar
In haar uitzending van 24 september vroeg het NCRV-programma Altijd Wat zich in haar rubriek Feit of Fictie af hoe reëel de angst is voor de in 2006 door PVV-leider Geert Wilders voorspelde tsunami van islamisering. De vraag is natuurlijk of de cijfers die in de uitzending genoemd werden, inderdaad kloppen. Mijn conclusie: ondanks een enkele onzorgvuldigheid – en een fout – kan je zeggen dat de cijfers en de eindconclusie kloppen.
FORUM, FORUM Jaarlezing 2010. Waar zijn wij bang voor? De extreme ander in ons midden
In de FORUM Jaarlezing 2010 neemt historicus Beatrice de Graaf ons mee op een aanschouwelijke tocht langs de gewezen en vermeende vijanden van de Nederlandse staat en samenleving. Voor welke ‘extreme anderen’ waren en zijn wij bang?
To Jaap or not to Jaap, that is the question | DeJaap
@EdgeofEurope: Eén extreemrechtse bende, dat DeJaap.
Greta Duisenberg: DeJaap is een zionistisch blog.
Leon de Winter: DeJaap is een antisemitisch blog.
Martijn de Koning: DeJaap is mijn favoriete blog.