Postcolonialism and Islam: Theory, Literature, Culture, Society and Film (Routledge Islamic Studies Series)

With a focus on the areas of theory, literature, culture, society and film, this collection of essays examines, questions and broadens the applicability of Postcolonialism and Islam from a multifaceted and cross-disciplinary perspective. Topics covered include the relationship between Postcolonialism and Orientalism, theoretical perspectives on Postcolonialism and Islam, the position of Islam within postcolonial literature, Muslim identity in British and European contexts, and the role of Islam in colonial and postcolonial cinema in Egypt and India. At a time at which Islam continues to be at the centre of increasingly heated and frenzied political and academic deliberations, __Postcolonialism and Islam__ offers a framework around which the debate on Muslims in the modern world can be centred. Transgressing geographical, disciplinary and theoretical boundaries, this book is an invaluable resource for students of Islamic Studies, Cultural Studies, Sociolgy and Literature. Ranging from the time of the infallible Imams, to the contemporary era, this book provides a comprehensive overview of Shi'i religious and political authority, focusing on Iran and Lebanon, without limiting the discourse to Khomeini's version of an Islamic State.Utilising untapped Arabic and Persian sources, Hamid Mavani provides a detailed, nuanced, and diverse theoretical discussion on the doctrine of leadership (Imamate) in Shi'ism from traditional, theological, philosophical, and mystical perspectives. This theoretical discussion becomes the foundation for an analysis of the transmission of the Twelfth Imam's religious and political authority vis-á-vis the jurists during his Greater Occultation. Bringing the often overlooked diversity within the Shi'i tradition into sharp focus, Religious Authority and Political Thought in Twelver Shi'ism discusses what constitutes an Islamic state, if there is such a notion as an Islamic state. Hamid Mavani further explores the possibility of creating a space for secularity, facilitating a separation between religion and state, and ensuring equal rights for all. This book argues that such a development is only possible if there is a rehabilitation of ijtihad. If this were to materialise modern religious, social, economic, political, and cultural challenges could be addressed more successfully. This book will be of use to scholars and students with interests ranging from Politics, to Religion, to Middle East Studies. Ranging from the time of the infallible Imams, to the contemporary era, this book provides a comprehensive overview of Shi'i religious and political authority, focusing on Iran and Lebanon, without limiting the discourse to Khomeini's version of an Islamic State. Utilising untapped Arabic and Persian sources, Hamid Mavani provides a detailed, nuanced, and diverse theoretical discussion on the doctrine of leadership (Imamate) in Shi'ism from traditional, theological, philosophical, and mystical perspectives. This theoretical discussion becomes the foundation for an analysis of the transmission of the Twelfth Imam's religious and political authority vis-a-vis the jurists during his Greater Occultation. Bringing the often overlooked diversity within the Shi'i tradition into sharp focus, Religious Authority and Political Thought in Twelver Shi'ism discusses what constitutes an Islamic state, if there is such a notion as an Islamic state. Hamid Mavani further explores the possibility of creating a space for secularity, facilitating a separation between religion and state, and ensuring equal rights for all. This book argues that such a development is only possible if there is a rehabilitation of ijtihad. If this were to materialise modern religious, social, economic, political, and cultural challenges could be addressed more successfully. This book will be of use to scholars and students with interests ranging from Politics, to Religion, to Middle East Studies "This book examines the teaching of Islam and the issues that raises inside universities for the academic community having to negotiate between competing cultural and philosophical demands"-- "Public interest in the religion of Islam and in Muslim communities in recent years has generated an impetus for Western Universities to establish an array of Institutes and programs dedicated to the study of Islam. Despite the growth in number of programs dedicated to this study, very little attention has been paid to the appropriate shape of such programs and the assumptions that ought to underlie such a study. The Teaching and Study of Islam in Western Universities attempts to address two central questions that arise through the teaching of Islam. Firstly, what relation is there between the study of the religion of Islam and the study of those cultures that have been shaped by that religion? Secondly, what is the appropriate public role of a scholar of Islam? After extensive discussion of these questions, the authors then continue to address the wider issues raised for the academic community having to negotiate between competing cultural and philosophical demands. Emerging from a Colloquium co-hosted by the University of Otago and Victoria University, this edited collection provides new perspectives on the study of Islam in Western Institutions and will be an invaluable resource for students of Education and Religion, in particular Islamic Studies"-- Cover 1 Postcolonialism and Islam 2 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Table of Contents 8 List of illustrations 11 Contributors 12 Acknowledgements 17 1 Introduction 18 Part I Keynotes 32 2 Multicultural politics in post-Islamist Muslim Britain 34 3 Muhammad Iqbal: Islam, aesthetics and postcolonialism 52 4 Postcolonialism and Orientalism 65 Part II Theory 80 5 Between postcolonialism and radical historicism: the contested Muslim political subject 82 6 Arab Spring: The end of postcolonialism? Fanon’s war and Franco-Maghrebian theory 93 7 Rushdie, Said, Islam and secular postcolonialism 105 Part III Literature 118 8 Postnational aesthetics and the work of mourning in Ahmed Ali’s Twilight in Delhi 120 9 The other in modern Arabic literature: a critique of postcolonial theory 135 10 Academia, empathy and faith: Leila Aboulela’s The Translator 148 11 ‘He does not deny the suspicion that he himself is a Muslim’: Goethe, Said and the other Orient 159 Part IV Culture and society 172 12 W. H. Quilliam, Marmaduke Pickthall and the window of British modernist Islam 174 13 Backlash as excess: scattered speculations on liberal multiculturalism 186 14 Between Hip-hop and Muhammad: European Muslim Hip-hop and identity 198 Part V Film 210 15 Realist cinema and Islam 212 16 ‘Shooting Muslims’: looking at Muslims in Bollywood through a postcolonial lens 225 17 The Battle of Algiers revisited 234 Index 244 Multicultural politics in post-Islamist Muslim Britain / Tahir Abbas Muhammad Iqbal: Islam, aesthetics and postcolonialism / Javed Majeed Postcolonialism and Orientalism / Patrick Williams Between postcolonialism and radical historicism: the contested Muslim political subject / Rosa Vasilaki Arab spring: the end of postcolonialism? Fanon's war and Franco-Maghrebian theory / Kathleen Kerr-Koch Rushdie, Said, Islam and secular postcolonialism / Hasan Majed Postnational aesthetics and the work of mourning in Ahmed Ali's Twilight in Delhi / Alex Padamsee The other in modern Arabic literature: a critique of postcolonial theory / Christina Phillips Academia, empathy and faith: Leila Aboulela's The Translator / C.E. Rashid 'He does not deny the suspicion that he himself is a Muslim': Goethe, Said and the other Orient / Fritz Wefelmeyer W.H. Quilliam, Marmaduke Pickthall and the window of British modernist Islam / Geoffrey Nash Backlash as excess: scattered speculations on liberal multiculturalism / Alexej Ulbricht Between hip-hop and Muhammad: European Muslim hip-hop and identity / Amir Saeed Realist cinema and Islam / Anastasia Valassopoulos 'Shooting Muslims': looking at Muslims in Bollywood through a postcolonial lens / Syed Haider The Battle of Algiers revisited / Gerhard Koch. "Public interest in the religion of Islam and in Muslim communities in recent years has generated an impetus for Western Universities to establish an array of Institutes and programs dedicated to the study of Islam. Despite the growth in number of programs dedicated to this study, very little attention has been paid to the appropriate shape of such programs and the assumptions that ought to underlie such a study. The Teaching and Study of Islam in Western Universities attempts to address two central questions that arise through the teaching of Islam. Firstly, what relation is there between the study of the religion of Islam and the study of those cultures that have been shaped by that religion? Secondly, what is the appropriate public role of a scholar of Islam? After extensive discussion of these questions, the authors then continue to address the wider issues raised for the academic community having to negotiate between competing cultural and philosophical demands. Emerging from a Colloquium co-hosted by the University of Otago and Victoria University, this edited collection provides new perspectives on the study of Islam in Western Institutions and will be an invaluable resource for students of Education and Religion, in particular Islamic Studies"-- Provided by publisher Offering a unique analysis of Islamist ideology, Islamism and the West attempts to explain how- and why-mainstream Islamist leaders have, for the past century, developed and canonized theories which depict theWest as engaged in a sophisticated conspiracy to undermine Muslim identity by cultural means, while morallycollapsing and yearning for the spiritual salvation brought by Muslim migrants.This book demonstrates how seemingly triumphalist Islamist writings served, in fact, to legitimize pragmatic concessions undertaken by Islamists – from cooperating with regimes allied with the West, to encouraging Muslim migration to Christian lands. Following the Arab Spring, and with Islamism becoming a dominant force in Middle Eastern politics, Islamism and the West is an essential reading for the understanding of a region in transitionProviding new insights on familiar concepts including ‘cultural imperialism,'‘liberal democracy,'and ‘civilisational decline,'this book will be of use to students of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Political Science, Migration Studies and Cultural Studies. Offering a unique analysis of Islamist ideology, Islamism and the West attempts to explain how- and why-mainstream Islamist leaders have, for the past century, developed and canonized theories which depict theWest as engaged in a sophisticated conspiracy to undermine Muslim identity by cultural means, while morallycollapsing and yearning for the spiritual salvation brought by Muslim migrants. This book demonstrates how seemingly triumphalist Islamist writings served, in fact, to legitimize pragmatic concessions undertaken by Islamists from cooperating with regimes allied with the West, to encouraging Muslim migration to Christian lands. Following the Arab Spring, and with Islamism becoming a dominant force in Middle Eastern politics, Islamism and the West is an essential reading for the understanding of a region in transition Providing new insights on familiar concepts including cultural imperialism, liberal democracy, and civilisational decline, this book will be of use to students of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Political Science, Migration Studies and Cultural Studies. "With a focus on the areas of theory, literature, culture, society and film, this collection of essays examines, questions and broadens the applicability of Postcolonialism and Islam from a multifaceted and cross-disciplinary perspective. Topics covered include the relationship between Postcolonialism and Orientalism, theoretical perspectives on Postcolonialism and Islam, the position of Islam within postcolonial literature, Muslim identity in British and European contexts, and the role of Islam in colonial and postcolonial cinema in Egypt and India. At a time at which Islam continues to be at the centre of increasingly heated and frenzied political and academic deliberations, Postcolonialism and Islam offers a framework around which the debate on Muslims in the modern world can be centred. Transgressing geographical, disciplinary and theoretical boundaries, this book is an invaluable resource for students of Islamic Studies, Cultural Studies, Sociolgy and Literature"-- Provided by publisher The Ethos Of Shi'ism -- Approaches To The Imamate: Traditional, Theological, Philosophical, And Mystical -- Mode Of Succession And Imam's Policy Vis-à-vis The Rulers -- Shi'i State Models During The Major Occultation -- Khomeini's Concept Of Governance And Its Critique -- The Case For Secularity In Islam: Traditional And Foundational Ijtihad. Hamid Mavani. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [247]-266) And Index.