Spiritualising Marginality: Sufi Concepts and the Politics of Identity in Pakistan

Author:

Jaffer Amen1

Affiliation:

1. Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore Cantt, Pakistan.

Abstract

Similar to many parts of South Asia, hijras in Pakistan define themselves as a distinctive gender that is neither men nor women. This article explores hijra identity in Pakistan by focusing on the creative appropriation of Sufi discourses, practices and organisational forms by hijras to construct a spiritual gender identity for themselves. The political significance of this Sufi-informed identity can be located at two different levels. One is the level of the self. I argue in this article that engagement with Sufi concepts, such as faqiri and mast, is central to the construction of a dignified and powerful image of the hijra self that challenges the marginalised status assigned to hijras. The second level of analysis is concerned with the hijra community’s connection with Sufi networks. My argument here is that basing their community, which is cut-off from society and rejects the blood-ties based model of the family, on the model of Sufi groups allows hijras to legitimise their alternative social organisation. However, even though, Sufism offers hijras a possibility to access power, this does not mean that their spiritual claims are always recognised or that a spiritual gender identity does not have its own limitations.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Reference43 articles.

Cited by 26 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. The Afghan Murat: A Queer Subject at Transnational Crossroads;Men and Masculinities;2024-08-29

2. On the Other Side of the Rainbow?;Pakistan Desires;2023-10-06

3. Introduction;Pakistan Desires;2023-10-06

4. Secondary Sources;Abundance;2023-06-30

5. Primary Sources;Abundance;2023-06-30

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3