Anthropology and Islam Resources - Below are some resources to accompany this short course.

Giving to God: Islamic Charity in Revolutionary Times by Amira Mittermaier - Giving to God examines the everyday practices of Islamic giving in post-revolutionary Egypt. From foods prepared in Sufi soup kitchens, to meals distributed by pious volunteers in slums, to almsgiving, these acts are ultimately about giving to God by giving to the poor. Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0520300831/

Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, and Hip Hop in the United States by Su'ad Abdul Khabeer - This groundbreaking study of race, religion and popular culture in the 21st century United States focuses on a new concept, “Muslim Cool.” Muslim Cool is a way of being an American Muslim―displayed in ideas, dress, social activism in the ’hood, and in complex relationships to state power. Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1479894508

European Others: Queering Ethnicity in Postnational Europe by Fatima El-Tayeb - The author examines the position of racialized communities in the European Union. Using sources like drag performances and Euro hip-hop, El-Tayeb reveals how Europe's suppressed colonial history affects the representation of Muslim minorities as the illiberal Other. Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0816670161/

Muslim Becoming: Aspiration and Skepticism in Pakistan by Naveeda Khan - The author challenges assumptions about Pakistan's relation to Islam, arguing that the country inherited an aspirational, always-becoming Islam grounded in the thought of Muhammad Iqbal. Through ethnographic research and readings, Khan shows how this aspiration manifests, while also emphasizing its potential for violence. Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B9AQCA2

Authoritarianism and Resistance in Turkey: Conversations on Democratic and Social Challenges by Esra Özyürek - This book delves into Turkish history and politics, analyzing key issues from gender inequality to urban regeneration, and drawing on interviews with leading intellectuals and academics. Unique insight into Turkish society and democratic struggles. Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CZYDFFB/

Say What Your Longing Heart Desires: Women, Prayer, and Poetry in Iran by Niloofar Haeri - Following the 1979 revolution, Iranians were told to pray, fast, and attend mosques to be true Muslims. The revolution turned questions of what it means to be a true Muslim into a matter of public debate, taken up widely outside the exclusive realm of male clerics and intellectuals. Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KWJ1RVP

The Sound of Salvation: Voice, Gender, and the Sufi Mediascape in China by Guangtian Ha - An ethnography on the Jahriyya Sufis, a Sinophone order of Naqshbandiyya Sufism in China, focusing on their distinct melodic chants and vocal recitation in sustaining their faith and enduring persecution. It explores their transcultural interactions and the gendered dynamics of their rituals, highlighting the significance of sound in religious practice and its connections to the broader Islamic world. Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com//dp/B08ZJTVHDC

Islam: Empire of Faith by the Public Broadcasting Service or PBS - Islam's rise was the most significant event between Rome's fall and European voyages. In a few centuries, Islamic empires blossomed, spreading from Africa to the East Indies, influencing literature, arts, science, and medicine in the Western world. Its impact on Western culture and world history is profound. Watch the documentary at the PBS website - https://pbsinternational.org/programs/islam-empire-of-faith/

Science and Islam by the British Broadcasting Corporation or BBC - Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries. What the full documentary on the BBC iPlayer - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gnqck