Concord and sacrilege: the Christian-Muslim pilgrimage to Mariamabad, Pakistan
Type
conference contribution
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Abstract
This paper focuses on the notion of shared religious space in Pakistan. For the last fifteen years, accusations of irreverence towards Islam have been central to the marginalization of Pakistani Christians. In this context, Muslims and Christians of all denominations stress the supposedly orthodox nature of their respective mode of piety, while minimizing possible ritual borrowings from other religions. Despite this reflexive attempt, my ethnographic experience suggests that there are numerous points of convergence, for instance the participation of Muslims in Pakistan’s largest Christian pilgrimage, Mariamabad, to celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. While documenting this pilgrimage, I explore the translations and the porosity between what are often conceived of as wholly distinct religious traditions and communities. This focus on the spatial embodiment of contact zones between Christianity and Islam will allow for an analysis of this process of relational definition, thereby shedding light on the broader debate about religious citizenship in Pakistan.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SHSS - Kulturen, Institutionen, Maerkte (KIM)
Event Title
The Shared Sacred Sites Workshop
Event Location
Columbia University
Event Date
09.-10.05.2016
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
248759