My research is focused on the intersection and co-construction of religion and national identity in the modern Westphalian system, as well as on the interconnections between political and sacred space and the production of religious and political subjectivities. Other areas of research include Islamophobia & anti-Muslim geopolitics, passportization, territoriality, biopolitics, and territorial cleansing. Supervisors: Alexander Diener (Ph.D.) and Alec Murphy (Masters)
Although Islam is described as a fundamental aspect of Kyrgyz national identity, its theological ... more Although Islam is described as a fundamental aspect of Kyrgyz national identity, its theological aspects are generally elided in nationalist discourse. However, as Islam becomes more prominent in Kyrgyz society, anxieties about 'Arabisation' and the weakening of national traditions permeate popular and political discourse. These anxieties operate simultaneously in the national and religious registers, suggesting the extent to which theological beliefs inform national identity, even in secular states. Examining a recent controversy over veiling in Kyrgyzstan, this article argues that theology is both linked to nationality and also a site of contestation over the terms of nationalism itself. IN THE DECADES SINCE THE SOVIET COLLAPSE, SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND political landscapes across Eurasia have been dramatically refashioned. However, along with sometimes halting and geographically uneven integration into the global economy (Laruelle & Peyrouse 2013), the most transformative processes affecting this region have arguably been nation-building and the revival of religion in the public sphere. These developments, importantly, have
Scholars of Central Asia often view religion and ethno-national identity as being linked: “to be ... more Scholars of Central Asia often view religion and ethno-national identity as being linked: “to be Kyrgyz (or Uzbek, Kazakh, etc.) is to be Muslim.” The specific ways in which the relationship between ethno-national identity and religion is constructed and understood, however, have not been adequately researched. “Being Muslim” is not merely an ethnic marker: it can imply a range of different, perhaps even competing, theologies with different relationships to national identity. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, this article investigates the question of what it means to be Kyrgyz and to be Muslim by undertaking a comparative analysis of two Islamic discourses: Kyrgyz ethno-national traditionalism and the normative Maturidi Hanafism promoted by the Kyrgyz state and the religious authorities. What emerges is a portrait of a complex and variegated religious landscape, one in which the meaning of being Kyrgyz and Muslim is continually questioned and renegotiated.
slam’s growing political, cultural, and social influence in Central Asia has become a... more slam’s growing political, cultural, and social influence in Central Asia has become a major preoccupation of analysts and policymakers since 1991.Much of this discussion, however, has focused on questions related to security, extremism, and terrorism.2A characteristic motif in this literature is the juxtaposition of “moderate Islam” with “Islamic extremism.” The struggle between moderates and extremists, in turn, works to shape a broader geopolitical metanarrative in which Central Asia is constructed as a place of instability, violence, and political repression.
The ‘geopolitical where’ of genocide and mass violence has been understudied, under-theorized, an... more The ‘geopolitical where’ of genocide and mass violence has been understudied, under-theorized, and underappreciated, particularly by those outside geography. We examine the study of genocide and mass violence with a critical geographic lens and propose a framework, territorial cleansing, that places such events within an idealized territorial conceptualization. We define territorial cleansing as a geopolitical project consisting of processes, policies, and actions designed by an in-group to remove an Othered group from a territory, where removal may mean physical expulsion or death but may include a range of other means, including ‘removal in place’ by such measures as coerced assimilation or suppression of group identity. The process begins with the in-group's formulation of an imagined place that is idealized and valorized. An environment is then created that allows for the removal of the undesired element and the realization of the imagined place. Once the undesirable Others are identified and conditions are created to facilitate their removal, legal, social, or physical actions might be taken to cleanse the territory of this element. A key feature of the territorial cleansing framework is that it is almost infinitely scalable in both space and time as well as along a continuum of violence.
Despite the crucial role it played in the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, the phenomenon of ... more Despite the crucial role it played in the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, the phenomenon of passportisation has not received a great deal of scholarly attention. Much of the literature has treated the mass distribution of Russian passports to the residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as little more than a strategy to manufacture an excuse to go to war with Georgia. Drawing on recent scholarship on territory and territoriality, as well as with literature addressing Agamben's theories of exceptional spaces, this paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of passportisation by analysing the territorial effects it produced. It argues that the wholesale conversion of Abkhazians and South Ossetians into Russian citizens did not merely manufacture a casus belli, it also produced exceptional spaces within the territory of the Republic of Georgia, where the norms of international law and the modern state system were effectively suspended.
Since independence, Kyrgyzstan, like the other Central Asian states, has been confronted with the... more Since independence, Kyrgyzstan, like the other Central Asian states, has been confronted with the challenge of articulating a viable national identity. This project has involved the mobilization of a variety of ethno-national symbols, such as the epic Manas, to underpin the state’s nationalist ideology. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan’s population has also participated in the “Islamic revival” that has occurred across Central Asia. Consequently, as Kyrgyz Muslims debate the meaning of what constitutes “real” Islam, Kyrgyz national identity and traditions have become the sites of contestation and negotiation.
Over the past two decades, the study of Islam in Central Asia has experienced something of a rena... more Over the past two decades, the study of Islam in Central Asia has experienced something of a renaissance. In the past, ideological filters were applied to the study of Islam, leading to a variety of distortions. For example, in studies of the history and culture of nomadic peoples, Islam was commonly dismissed as a foreign accretion over more “authentic” cultural traditions. In a similar vein, some Western scholars have sought to compare Islam in Central Asia against the ideal of a supposedly “pure” Islam, a tendency that questioned the authenticity of Central Asian Islam.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, however, offered an opportunity for scholars to move past such stereotypes. Greater access to countries in the region afforded opportunities for researchers to devote their attention to a region that continues to suffer from a certain degree of scholarly neglect. However, due to the new security paradigm after the events of 9/11, Islam in Central Asia is often viewed through the lens of security. This paper argues that the security discourse often obscures more than it explains by conceptualizing Islam as a security problem. Scholars, therefore, run the risk of reducing a rich and complex social, cultural, and political phenomenon to a one-dimensional and potentially threatening object. Instead, this paper suggests that we should adopt an approach that focuses on Muslims, rather than on "Islam" as an essentialized totality.
Many social scientists have presumed a nested hierarchy of identities in which nationality enjoys... more Many social scientists have presumed a nested hierarchy of identities in which nationality enjoys primacy of place and effectively supersedes other forms of identity. Such a perspective, although sometimes helpful, often obscures more than it explains. For instance, it assumes that there is an ineluctable antagonism, or at least a fundamental separation, between national identity and religion. However, the reality is often rather more complex. Using the Epic of Manas as a focal point, this paper examines the relationship between Islam and national identity in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Since independence, the Kyrgyz government has actively promoted a nationalist ideology focused on the hero Manas, who is said to symbolize the Kyrgyz nation’s collective will to statehood. As such, Manas has been transformed into a thoroughly nationalist figure, and monuments to him have been constructed throughout the Kyrgyz Republic. Although the epic has been yoked to the project of Kyrgyz nation-building, it also contains numerous references to Manas being a Muslim, and Manas himself is reputedly buried in an Islamic mausoleum, the Manastin Kümbözü. The mausoleum is a major pilgrimage destination for many Muslims in the Kyrgyz Republic. However, the state has also constructed a large museum and park complex dedicated to Manas, the Manas Ordo, in the vicinity of the mausoleum. A pilgrimage to the Manastin Kümbözü is therefore inextricably a national pilgrimage as well. Manas and the sites associated with him thus represent a symbolic bridge between religious and national identity discourses.
Although Islam is described as a fundamental aspect of Kyrgyz national identity, its theological ... more Although Islam is described as a fundamental aspect of Kyrgyz national identity, its theological aspects are generally elided in nationalist discourse. However, as Islam becomes more prominent in Kyrgyz society, anxieties about 'Arabisation' and the weakening of national traditions permeate popular and political discourse. These anxieties operate simultaneously in the national and religious registers, suggesting the extent to which theological beliefs inform national identity, even in secular states. Examining a recent controversy over veiling in Kyrgyzstan, this article argues that theology is both linked to nationality and also a site of contestation over the terms of nationalism itself. IN THE DECADES SINCE THE SOVIET COLLAPSE, SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND political landscapes across Eurasia have been dramatically refashioned. However, along with sometimes halting and geographically uneven integration into the global economy (Laruelle & Peyrouse 2013), the most transformative processes affecting this region have arguably been nation-building and the revival of religion in the public sphere. These developments, importantly, have
Scholars of Central Asia often view religion and ethno-national identity as being linked: “to be ... more Scholars of Central Asia often view religion and ethno-national identity as being linked: “to be Kyrgyz (or Uzbek, Kazakh, etc.) is to be Muslim.” The specific ways in which the relationship between ethno-national identity and religion is constructed and understood, however, have not been adequately researched. “Being Muslim” is not merely an ethnic marker: it can imply a range of different, perhaps even competing, theologies with different relationships to national identity. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, this article investigates the question of what it means to be Kyrgyz and to be Muslim by undertaking a comparative analysis of two Islamic discourses: Kyrgyz ethno-national traditionalism and the normative Maturidi Hanafism promoted by the Kyrgyz state and the religious authorities. What emerges is a portrait of a complex and variegated religious landscape, one in which the meaning of being Kyrgyz and Muslim is continually questioned and renegotiated.
slam’s growing political, cultural, and social influence in Central Asia has become a... more slam’s growing political, cultural, and social influence in Central Asia has become a major preoccupation of analysts and policymakers since 1991.Much of this discussion, however, has focused on questions related to security, extremism, and terrorism.2A characteristic motif in this literature is the juxtaposition of “moderate Islam” with “Islamic extremism.” The struggle between moderates and extremists, in turn, works to shape a broader geopolitical metanarrative in which Central Asia is constructed as a place of instability, violence, and political repression.
The ‘geopolitical where’ of genocide and mass violence has been understudied, under-theorized, an... more The ‘geopolitical where’ of genocide and mass violence has been understudied, under-theorized, and underappreciated, particularly by those outside geography. We examine the study of genocide and mass violence with a critical geographic lens and propose a framework, territorial cleansing, that places such events within an idealized territorial conceptualization. We define territorial cleansing as a geopolitical project consisting of processes, policies, and actions designed by an in-group to remove an Othered group from a territory, where removal may mean physical expulsion or death but may include a range of other means, including ‘removal in place’ by such measures as coerced assimilation or suppression of group identity. The process begins with the in-group's formulation of an imagined place that is idealized and valorized. An environment is then created that allows for the removal of the undesired element and the realization of the imagined place. Once the undesirable Others are identified and conditions are created to facilitate their removal, legal, social, or physical actions might be taken to cleanse the territory of this element. A key feature of the territorial cleansing framework is that it is almost infinitely scalable in both space and time as well as along a continuum of violence.
Despite the crucial role it played in the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, the phenomenon of ... more Despite the crucial role it played in the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, the phenomenon of passportisation has not received a great deal of scholarly attention. Much of the literature has treated the mass distribution of Russian passports to the residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as little more than a strategy to manufacture an excuse to go to war with Georgia. Drawing on recent scholarship on territory and territoriality, as well as with literature addressing Agamben's theories of exceptional spaces, this paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of passportisation by analysing the territorial effects it produced. It argues that the wholesale conversion of Abkhazians and South Ossetians into Russian citizens did not merely manufacture a casus belli, it also produced exceptional spaces within the territory of the Republic of Georgia, where the norms of international law and the modern state system were effectively suspended.
Since independence, Kyrgyzstan, like the other Central Asian states, has been confronted with the... more Since independence, Kyrgyzstan, like the other Central Asian states, has been confronted with the challenge of articulating a viable national identity. This project has involved the mobilization of a variety of ethno-national symbols, such as the epic Manas, to underpin the state’s nationalist ideology. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan’s population has also participated in the “Islamic revival” that has occurred across Central Asia. Consequently, as Kyrgyz Muslims debate the meaning of what constitutes “real” Islam, Kyrgyz national identity and traditions have become the sites of contestation and negotiation.
Over the past two decades, the study of Islam in Central Asia has experienced something of a rena... more Over the past two decades, the study of Islam in Central Asia has experienced something of a renaissance. In the past, ideological filters were applied to the study of Islam, leading to a variety of distortions. For example, in studies of the history and culture of nomadic peoples, Islam was commonly dismissed as a foreign accretion over more “authentic” cultural traditions. In a similar vein, some Western scholars have sought to compare Islam in Central Asia against the ideal of a supposedly “pure” Islam, a tendency that questioned the authenticity of Central Asian Islam.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, however, offered an opportunity for scholars to move past such stereotypes. Greater access to countries in the region afforded opportunities for researchers to devote their attention to a region that continues to suffer from a certain degree of scholarly neglect. However, due to the new security paradigm after the events of 9/11, Islam in Central Asia is often viewed through the lens of security. This paper argues that the security discourse often obscures more than it explains by conceptualizing Islam as a security problem. Scholars, therefore, run the risk of reducing a rich and complex social, cultural, and political phenomenon to a one-dimensional and potentially threatening object. Instead, this paper suggests that we should adopt an approach that focuses on Muslims, rather than on "Islam" as an essentialized totality.
Many social scientists have presumed a nested hierarchy of identities in which nationality enjoys... more Many social scientists have presumed a nested hierarchy of identities in which nationality enjoys primacy of place and effectively supersedes other forms of identity. Such a perspective, although sometimes helpful, often obscures more than it explains. For instance, it assumes that there is an ineluctable antagonism, or at least a fundamental separation, between national identity and religion. However, the reality is often rather more complex. Using the Epic of Manas as a focal point, this paper examines the relationship between Islam and national identity in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Since independence, the Kyrgyz government has actively promoted a nationalist ideology focused on the hero Manas, who is said to symbolize the Kyrgyz nation’s collective will to statehood. As such, Manas has been transformed into a thoroughly nationalist figure, and monuments to him have been constructed throughout the Kyrgyz Republic. Although the epic has been yoked to the project of Kyrgyz nation-building, it also contains numerous references to Manas being a Muslim, and Manas himself is reputedly buried in an Islamic mausoleum, the Manastin Kümbözü. The mausoleum is a major pilgrimage destination for many Muslims in the Kyrgyz Republic. However, the state has also constructed a large museum and park complex dedicated to Manas, the Manas Ordo, in the vicinity of the mausoleum. A pilgrimage to the Manastin Kümbözü is therefore inextricably a national pilgrimage as well. Manas and the sites associated with him thus represent a symbolic bridge between religious and national identity discourses.
Scholarly writing about Islam frequently falls into the trap of over-simplification and objectifi... more Scholarly writing about Islam frequently falls into the trap of over-simplification and objectification. Drawing on examples from Central Asia, a part of the world that remains critically understudied, this lecture demonstrates that analyses that rely on essentialized understandings of Islam sometimes obscure their object of inquiry, and it suggests potential alternative approaches to understanding Islam.
Abstract Although Islam is described as a fundamental aspect of Kyrgyz national identity, its the... more Abstract Although Islam is described as a fundamental aspect of Kyrgyz national identity, its theological aspects are generally elided in nationalist discourse. However, as Islam becomes more prominent in Kyrgyz society, anxieties about ‘Arabisation’ and the weakening of national traditions permeate popular and political discourse. These anxieties operate simultaneously in the national and religious registers, suggesting the extent to which theological beliefs inform national identity, even in secular states. Examining a recent controversy over veiling in Kyrgyzstan, this article argues that theology is both linked to nationality and also a site of contestation over the terms of nationalism itself.
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The collapse of the Soviet Union, however, offered an opportunity for scholars to move past such stereotypes. Greater access to countries in the region afforded opportunities for researchers to devote their attention to a region that continues to suffer from a certain degree of scholarly neglect. However, due to the new security paradigm after the events of 9/11, Islam in Central Asia is often viewed through the lens of security. This paper argues that the security discourse often obscures more than it explains by conceptualizing Islam as a security problem. Scholars, therefore, run the risk of reducing a rich and complex social, cultural, and political phenomenon to a one-dimensional and potentially threatening object. Instead, this paper suggests that we should adopt an approach that focuses on Muslims, rather than on "Islam" as an essentialized totality.
Since independence, the Kyrgyz government has actively promoted a nationalist ideology focused on the hero Manas, who is said to symbolize the Kyrgyz nation’s collective will to statehood. As such, Manas has been transformed into a thoroughly nationalist figure, and monuments to him have been constructed throughout the Kyrgyz Republic. Although the epic has been yoked to the project of Kyrgyz nation-building, it also contains numerous references to Manas being a Muslim, and Manas himself is reputedly buried in an Islamic mausoleum, the Manastin Kümbözü. The mausoleum is a major pilgrimage destination for many Muslims in the Kyrgyz Republic. However, the state has also constructed a large museum and park complex dedicated to Manas, the Manas Ordo, in the vicinity of the mausoleum. A pilgrimage to the Manastin Kümbözü is therefore inextricably a national pilgrimage as well. Manas and the sites associated with him thus represent a symbolic bridge between religious and national identity discourses.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, however, offered an opportunity for scholars to move past such stereotypes. Greater access to countries in the region afforded opportunities for researchers to devote their attention to a region that continues to suffer from a certain degree of scholarly neglect. However, due to the new security paradigm after the events of 9/11, Islam in Central Asia is often viewed through the lens of security. This paper argues that the security discourse often obscures more than it explains by conceptualizing Islam as a security problem. Scholars, therefore, run the risk of reducing a rich and complex social, cultural, and political phenomenon to a one-dimensional and potentially threatening object. Instead, this paper suggests that we should adopt an approach that focuses on Muslims, rather than on "Islam" as an essentialized totality.
Since independence, the Kyrgyz government has actively promoted a nationalist ideology focused on the hero Manas, who is said to symbolize the Kyrgyz nation’s collective will to statehood. As such, Manas has been transformed into a thoroughly nationalist figure, and monuments to him have been constructed throughout the Kyrgyz Republic. Although the epic has been yoked to the project of Kyrgyz nation-building, it also contains numerous references to Manas being a Muslim, and Manas himself is reputedly buried in an Islamic mausoleum, the Manastin Kümbözü. The mausoleum is a major pilgrimage destination for many Muslims in the Kyrgyz Republic. However, the state has also constructed a large museum and park complex dedicated to Manas, the Manas Ordo, in the vicinity of the mausoleum. A pilgrimage to the Manastin Kümbözü is therefore inextricably a national pilgrimage as well. Manas and the sites associated with him thus represent a symbolic bridge between religious and national identity discourses.