Being Muslim and Working for Peace
Ambivalence and Ambiguity in Gujarat
- Raphael Susewind - University of Bielefeld and University of Oxford
Sociology of Religion
More than a decade after the 2002 riots in Gujarat, this empirical typology sheds light on the diversity of Muslim civil society and Muslims in civil society. Muslim peace activists in post-conflict Gujarat experience the 'ambivalence of the sacred' as a personal dynamic; as faith-based actors, secular technocrats, emancipating women and doubting professionals, they struggle for a better future in diverse and sometimes surprising ways. By taking their diversity seriously, this book sharpens the distinction between ambivalence and ambiguity, and provides fresh perspectives on religion and politics in India today.
A must read for journalists and political activists.
[The book] is a welcome addition to the literature on the diversity of Muslim identity in India and should be of interest to scholars and activists alike.... One of the strengths of this book is that Susewind quotes his interviewees extensively and to great effect, highlighting their voices without constantly editorialising them for the reader.
Credit goes to the author Raphael Susewind for his robust empirical research on Muslim peace activists of Gujarat in the aftermath of the communal riots of 2002….By constantly highlighting the micro level of his research unit, the author has attempted to broaden the ambit of research on religion, conflict and peace….Susewind’s study is important for social scientists interested in understanding the ambivalence and ambiguity of Islamic praxis, peace activism and communalism.
A welcome and important addition to the available literature on communal violence and conflict...a must read for all those working on the issues of conflict, peace, development, justice and religion, no matter as activist, professional, researcher, academician or policy maker.
