These slides are about the Ethnography of Pakistan. It particularly talks about the foundation of Islamic Anthropology and try to answer the question that do we have any concept of Islamic anthropology. Then it further explains the two different perspectives about it. Then it talk about marginalisation in Pakistan under the headings of gender discrimination and ethnic politics in Pakistan.

1. Ethnography of Pakistan
Name: Shams-ur-Rehman
Date: 14/12/2016

2. Position on Islamic Anthropology
Do not support the notion of
Islamic Anthropology
Because
 Diverse nature didn’t allow
generalizing
 No universal form of Islam
 Same secret text but
traditions are unfolding
(From place to place)
 Cultural aspects are also
incorporated with Islam,
lead to bifurcations (Sects)
Therefore no analytical
subject as Islamic
Anthropology

3.  Two renowned Islamic Anthropologist
 Akbar S. Ahmed, (1984) argues that as we have other Western and
Soviet Anthropologies similarly there is I.A
 But Western Anthropology comprises of Colonization and
missionaries
 The eminency of I.A than western is due to fact that it faced a large
no of issues which are faced by the anthropology in it
 Fundamental concerns about Islam as a complete code of life
 It not only demand the moral agreement rather asserts an
emotional affection also
 For Non-Muslims IA would be mere Islam and provide a gap to
understand it for them
 Opportunity for Muslims to understand their lives and for Non-
Muslims it opportunity to understand the Islamic Culture leads to
harmony at global level
 Islam is not dormant or inactive science rather Islam is more
applied science which provide solution to a large no of social issues
For example it talks about the gender that “Both men and women
are equal in from of Allah on the basis of their deeds”.

4.  Asad, T (1986) argues that
 No articulate anthropology of Islam can be
founded on the notion of a permanent social
blueprint or on the idea of non-segregated
social totality in which social structure and
religious ideologies collaborate.
 Islam is not a theoretical object to study
 Not an analytical category to study
 Not a historical totality

6. Marginalization
 The process whereby something or someone is pushed to the edge
of a group and rendered lesser importance This is predominantly a
social phenomenon by which a minority or sub-group is excluded,
and their needs or desires ignored.
(http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marginalization.html)
The main groups which are the victims of marginalization are ethnic
groups, women, religious minorities and labour groups in Pakistan.
 During General Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamization process Islam has been
used to marginalized the soft target i.e. women, such as introducing
Hadood Ordinance pointed out by Afzal-Khan, F., (1997) in his
Ajoka theatre
 Another marginalized group of that time was labour where the
alliances of the industrial corporates and bureaucracy get stronger
and they try to suppress the working class by low wages pointed out
by Ali, Kamran Asdar, (1972).
 Hegland, M., (1998) work, where religion has been used for the
suppression of women in the patriarchal society. The religious rituals
are used by the men to subordinate the women, than relates that to
the cultural norms and practices (Pashtun Wali traditions)

7.  Amineh Ahmed, (2005) that how the woman comes out
of the patriarchal norms through Islamic schooling of
Al-Huda as a way of empowering women by making
them aware of the true message of the Quran and the
Hadith and tries to change the Pashtunwali tradition in
which the women are kept supress and Al-Huda
 As Talal Asad’s pointed out that religious traditions are
unfolding which gives rise to various sects and the issue
sectarian conflict which is dominant prevails in Pakistan
 Khan, Naveeda (2010) that how the local mosques in
Lahore are related to the sectarian politics and its
complications with the normal life and the monopolies of
religious leaders under the title of Qabza on mosques
 Marsden, Magnus (2005) argues views of Islamization process
and it’s impacts on the Chitrali (Sectarianism between Sunni
Muslims and Ismaili Shia) by means of Madrassa culture
 DeBergh Robinson, C. (2013) the marginalization within the
Kashmiri refugees transform into an unknown identity

8. • Magnussen, Jan (2011) Baltistan is not sovereign territory and
they are kept deprived of their legal rights by the Pakistani state
Titus, P. (1998), argues that how the state has using the same
polices which were used by the Colonialist and authority is just
limited to Sardars

9. Gender discrimination
 Datta, Anjali (2006), shares the experience of 1947 partition, strong
patriarchal norms and values in the southern Punjab, which were imposed
on the women and the catastrophic experience of partition victimize the
women on one side but on the other side helps the women to comes out of
patriarchal norm. Datta is also cynicism eliminating the patriarchy.
 Afzal-Khan, F. (1997) argues that how interpreting the Islam in certain
manner can victimize the women. Islamization process affected the women
more deeply than the men; rather restricting the women to the private
affairs is a kind of taking their natural rights.
 Hegland, M., (1998) elaborates that during the month of Muharram, the
women of Shia school of thought got a little space of freedom in Peshawar.
Even the religious rituals are used by the men to subordinate the women,
than relates that to the cultural norms and practices.
 Titus, P. (1998) “Honour the Baloch, buy the Pushtun: Stereotypes, social
organization and history in Western Pakistan” limitize the public sphere
such as politics just for the men. In this article the whole faction of society
is dormant due to the fact the people in periphery such as Baluchistan,
women are kept at home and considered them to be a private matter, and
they are not allowed to play role in the policies which are effecting and their
upcoming future.

10. Ethnic Politic
Pakistan comprises of various ethnic groups
 Titus, P. (1998) pointed out in his article “Honour the
Baloch, buy the Pushtun: Stereotypes, social organization
and history in Western Pakistan” that when the leader of
Pashtun leader Wali Khan was asked to name his political
primacies, he argued that “I have been a Pakhtun for 5000
years, a Muslim for 1500 years, and a Pakistani for 40
years”.
 Magnussen, Jan (2011) in his scholarly work “The Balti
Movement and the Power of Pop Ghazals,” argues that as
MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) in Karachi attempt
to form their own political identity and this idea of ethnic
politics were also employ by the Balti students who come
to Karachi for learning and learning the identity politics.
 Ali, Kamran Asdar, (1972) argues that the ethnic politics
is also prevalent in the labour movement as well in
Karachi.

11. Conclusion:
 In will conclude on the notion of power and it relevance with gender
discrimination and ethnic politics. The power and the religion are
two interconnected concepts. The religion can be used as a tool to
obtain power, and as a force of oppression. Then the power factor
can be related to the politics and how by means of politics the
people were exploited and gain the power over them. In Pakistan the
various ethnic groups are kept marginalized. The power factor can
also be observed in the gender discrimination and the issue of
ethnicity.
 Similarly the idea that Islam is the religion which promotes peace
and harmony but to generalize our views about the diverse nature of
Islam won’t be fair to it, therefore the notion of Islamic
anthropology want is sufficient to fully understand the Islam. It has
grown uneven to the point that in my belief is beyond healing.
Religion is used as a tool to marginalize the people on the various
grounds depending upon the audience of it. Therefore I come to a
conclusion that; there is no single lens to observe Islamic
Anthropology by it.