Pragmatic Muslim Politics – The Case of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
The Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations in London is delighted to invite you to its upcoming event Pragmatic Muslim Politics – The Case of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress by Andreas Johansson on Wednesday 13 March 2019.
Abstract
Andreas Johansson will talk about his book entitled Pragmatic Muslim Politics – The Case of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. This book analyses and discusses the use of Islamic terms and symbols in the political party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a Muslim political party that has been part of the democratic process in Sri Lanka since the 1980s. It is based on interviews with the leading members of the party and on analyses of the party’s official documents. It describes the history of Muslims in Sri Lanka, presents the analytical framework used, and discusses the official documents and narratives of party members, as well as the details of the Ashraff and Hakeem terms in Parliament. The book provides knowledge about the state of religion and politics in Sri Lanka, and provides insight into how a religious political Muslim party functions as a pragmatic rather than fundamentalist movement. Representing a recent study on the complex relationship between religion and politics, this book greatly advances the understanding of the power of religion and its effect on both individual lives and society.
Speaker
Andreas Johansson is the Director of Swedish South Asian Studies Network (SASNET), Lund University. He holds a PhD in History of Religion. In his research, he examines how different organisations use religious terms and symbols. He studies a wide range of sources and has conducted fieldwork in Sri Lanka and Japan.
Between 2016-2017 Andreas did his postdoctoral at Linneuas University as part of Associate Professor Kristina Myrvold’s project on the use of religious miniature scriptures during World War I. The research project investigates the production, distribution, and use of miniature scriptures for Muslim and Sikh soldiers from the province of Punjab in India who fought for the British Army at the Western front during World War I between 1914 and 1918.
Time and Venue
Wednesday 13 March 2019, 18.00-19.30
Atrium Conference Room,
Aga Khan Centre,
10 Handyside Street,
London N1C 4DN
Booking
This event is free but booking is essential:
To attend in person, please click here.
To attend online, please click here.
Layal Mohammad
Coordinator, Marketing, Communications and Professional Programmes
Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations
The Aga Khan University (International)
Aga Khan Centre, 10 Handyside Street, London N1C 4DN