Islam Comes Alive After Every Karbala: Shifts in the Nature of Muslim Authority in Hindu Nationalist Times

Abstract

One of the consequences of the obsession of the Hindu right-wing with Islam and Muslims has been the unprecedented presence of Islam, even if negatively, in common public discourse in India. The debate about what Islam is, and what role it has to play in Indian, and Muslim life, has consequently become more vital and plural. In this talk I will look at how this unprecedented public presence of Islam has brought about shifts in the nature of religious authority in India. Looking at the work that went into making possible the hitherto unprecedented practice of Shia and Sunni Muslims praying together, this paper discusses how shifts in religious life are brought about by two modes of religious authority working in tandem: the strategic silence of the traditional ‘ulema, and the networked hyper-visibility of young Muslim activists.