Paper short abstract

The concurrent growth of pietist movements with the dominance of neoliberalism as the horizon of possibilities requires deeper engagement. Through a focus on a lower middle class neighbourhood in Lahore, the paper will attempt to analyse the relationship between new expression of extremely depoliticized religiousity and neoliberalism.

Paper long abstract

The Tablighi Jamaat is a pietist group that positions itself as vehemently apolitical. Founded in the early part of the twentieth century the organization has really risen to prominence over the last twenty years. Interestingly, many Islamists have also joined TJ over the last two decades. It remains to be seen whether that is a reflection of their disappointment with Islamism specifically or politics more generally. What role the larger context of neoliberalism plays here also remains underexplored. Certainly, there seems to be significant congruence between the extreme depoliticization that TJ supports and the market oriented citizen that neoliberalism promotes. Through a look at the dynamics of a lower middle class neighbourhood in Lahore, the paper attempts to analyse some of the dynamics of social inequality and the ideologies that perpetuate them.