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Observing the Sunni-Shiʿa Divide in Fieldwork : The When and Where of Muslim Identities

Petersen, Jesper LU orcid (2023) In Journal of Muslims in Europe 12(1). p.58-76
Abstract
Based on an ethnographic study of non-conformist mosques, this article demonstrates how Muslims may adopt a Sunni or Shiʿa identity while navigating spaces that are institutionalised as such but give much less importance to this identity – if any – when occupying less structured spaces. It may, for example, have little influence on what religious literature they read, which preachers they follow on social media, and how they practise religion in everyday life. The article argues that research methodologies must be properly sensitised to this. Otherwise, they risk making the Sunni–Shiʿa identity hypervisible, thus producing the divide rather than investigating it.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Shiʿa, Shiʿism, Anthropology of Islam, Salafism, Islamic feminism, warping
in
Journal of Muslims in Europe
volume
12
issue
1
pages
58 - 76
publisher
Brill
external identifiers
  • scopus:85150472006
ISSN
2211-7954
DOI
10.1163/22117954-bja10077
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5e549540-cb60-4edd-bd82-c6b9a50ebf33
date added to LUP
2023-03-19 10:29:01
date last changed
2023-06-15 04:07:42
@article{5e549540-cb60-4edd-bd82-c6b9a50ebf33,
  abstract     = {{Based on an ethnographic study of non-conformist mosques, this article demonstrates how Muslims may adopt a Sunni or Shiʿa identity while navigating spaces that are institutionalised as such but give much less importance to this identity – if any – when occupying less structured spaces. It may, for example, have little influence on what religious literature they read, which preachers they follow on social media, and how they practise religion in everyday life. The article argues that research methodologies must be properly sensitised to this. Otherwise, they risk making the Sunni–Shiʿa identity hypervisible, thus producing the divide rather than investigating it.}},
  author       = {{Petersen, Jesper}},
  issn         = {{2211-7954}},
  keywords     = {{Shiʿa; Shiʿism; Anthropology of Islam; Salafism; Islamic feminism; warping}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{58--76}},
  publisher    = {{Brill}},
  series       = {{Journal of Muslims in Europe}},
  title        = {{Observing the Sunni-Shiʿa Divide in Fieldwork : The When and Where of Muslim Identities}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22117954-bja10077}},
  doi          = {{10.1163/22117954-bja10077}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}