Assignment: Anthropology of Islam

Prompt: Choose one significant theme, concept or practice that is understood by at least some of the ethnographic subjects we have read about as Islamic. This should be an idea or practice that appears in multiple readings from the course and that holds significance for the ethnographic subjects themselves.

The theme on which you focus may be represented by a single Arabic-derived word or phrase that we may have seen repeatedly (perhaps in italics) throughout our readings, but could also be a word or concept expressed in other languages (including English) spoken by Muslims. In some cases it make sense to choose a closely linked pair of terms, such as zahir/batin, rather than a single term.

In your essay, discuss the meanings and uses of this concept or practice in ways that highlight one of the following themes:

1) Variations and continuities across different Muslim groups or communities (including distinctions based on region, ideology, culture, sectarian divisions or other factors).

2) Debates, contestation or intellectual questioning among Muslims, whether within or across community lines.

3) The role of interaction and dialogue between Muslim and non-Muslim people, institutions (e.g. the media) and parts of the world in shaping life within Muslim communities.

I expect you to draw on at least 4 course readings, if not more, in making your argument (though not all need to be given equal weight in your paper).

Format: 10-12 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt, font, 1 inch margins. Paper should be organized, free of excessive errors and formal in tone. Use the AAA-preferred citation style.