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Accepted Paper:

Islam and its Mystical Realm: Redefining the Ritual Dichotomy  
Saba Khan (University of Oxford)

Paper short abstract:

This study analyzes Sufi rituals and their existence in a less indigenous more hybridized form in the era of modern religiosity. They provide space for cultural dialogue between 'us' and 'them' through a peaceful expression of Islam, in an era stricken by a strong stigma against the Muslim world.

Paper long abstract:

This paper aims to discuss the rituals associated with Sufism, and how they continue to exist in a hybrid form in the face of modern religiosity. That is they are practiced even today but in a less indigenous, more globalized form. It seeks to extrapolate the various nuances of Sufi culture, analyzing how even in this world of increasing homogeneity, Sufi rituals continue to don pivotal significance for individuals all over the world. The interesting paradox lies in the adaptation of the ritual process to make them more marketable/palatable to the followers of the 21st century. This increasing 'cultural negotiation' can be witnessed through the popularity that Sufi rituals enjoy in the west: from music, to shrines to poetry, Sufism has partially succumbed to the concept of 'commodification' prevalent in the post-modern world. However this paper will also demonstrate how the underlying Sufi message retains its original appeal, but how the ritual process has been redefined to become more accessible to people across geo-political boundaries, as is evident by the remaking of Turkish Sufism, Iranian Sufism in London and Naqshbandi Sufism in Sweden. Finally this paper will discuss the existence of this relatively peaceful expression of Islamic faith in an era stricken by a strong stigma against the Muslim world and connotations of extremism being attached to the community at large. It will in this way seek to challenge these stereotypes levied against the Islamic world and show how Sufi rituals provide space for cultural dialogue between 'us' and 'them'.

Panel P28
Cultural negotiation: the dialogue between rituals and globalisation
  Session 1