In defense of ho(s)tels: islamophobia, domophilia, liberalism

Journal article


Ahmad, Irfan. (2013). In defense of ho(s)tels: islamophobia, domophilia, liberalism. Politics, Religion & Idealogy. 14(2), pp. 234 - 252. https://doi.org/10.1080/21567689.2013.792651
AuthorsAhmad, Irfan
Abstract

I foreground the reconstituted notion of ‘nation-state-as-home’ as central to our understanding of the hostility to and fear of Muslims, Islamophobia, in the contemporary west and beyond. The reconfiguration of the quest from a ‘heavenly home’ into an ‘earthly home’ – a prime signature of secular modernity – led to the consolidation of the nation-state as sort of a ‘natural’ home generating a new kind of love: domophilia – domo + philia, love for home. This love for home, domo, stemming from the Indo-European linguistic root, dem – a zone of possession and imagined security – derives its sustenance from its constitutive obverse, foris/foras,outsider and stranger. What simultaneously connects and separates the two is hostility often manifest, inter alia, in war. Discussing the condition of Muslims in the west and in India, this article aims to demonstrate the complex intimacy between domophilia and Islamophobia. Public expression of Islamophobia, I argue, is not a deviation from but constitutive of liberalism. It is my contention that much of the talk about Muslims' ‘integration’, verily a moderate word for assimilation, is less than adequate to meet the ever-growing challenge of Islamophobia. We need a significantly new way of imagining politics anchored in a ho(s)tel, not in the hegemonic established sense of a ‘home-as-nation-state’ which carries seeds of violence.

Year2013
JournalPolitics, Religion & Idealogy
Journal citation14 (2), pp. 234 - 252
PublisherRoutledge
ISSN2156-7689
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/21567689.2013.792651
Page range234 - 252
Research GroupInstitute for Religion, Politics, and Society
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8q9q4/in-defense-of-ho-s-tels-islamophobia-domophilia-liberalism

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 174
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Injustice and the New World Order: An anthropological perspective on "terrorism" in India
Ahmad, Irfan. (2017). Injustice and the New World Order: An anthropological perspective on "terrorism" in India. Critical Studies on Terrorism. 10(1), pp. 115 - 137. https://doi.org/10.1080/17539153.2016.1219532
Islamic reform in Asia
Ahmad, Irfan. (2015). Islamic reform in Asia. In In B. S. Turner and O. Salemink (Ed.). Routledge handbook of religions in Asia pp. 144 - 157 Routledge.
Talal Asad
Ahmad, Irfan. (2015). Talal Asad. Public Culture: an interdisciplinary journal of transnational cultural studies. 2(27), pp. 259 - 279. https://doi.org/10.1215/08992363-2841856
On the State of the (Im)possible: Notes on Wael Hallaq's Thesis
Ahmad, Irfan. (2015). On the State of the (Im)possible: Notes on Wael Hallaq's Thesis. Journal of Religious and Political Practice. 1(1), pp. 97 - 106. https://doi.org/10.1080/20566093.2015.1047694
Inaugural Statement
Ahmad, Irfan and Turner, Bryan. (2015). Inaugural Statement. Journal of Religious and Political Practice. 1(1), pp. 1 - 6. https://doi.org/10.1080/20566093.2015.1047689
In Conversation With John Keane: Gods, Power, Democracy
Ahmad, Irfan. (2015). In Conversation With John Keane: Gods, Power, Democracy. Journal of Religious and Political Practice. 1(1), pp. 73 - 91. https://doi.org/10.1080/20566093.2015.1047688
Kafka in India: Terrorism, media, muslims
Ahmad, Irfan. (2014). Kafka in India: Terrorism, media, muslims. In In R. Jeffrey and R. Sen (Ed.). Being muslim in South Asia: Diversity and daily life pp. 289 - 329 Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198092063.003.0014
Islamophobia, European modernity and contemporary illiberalism
Doyle, Natalie and Ahmad, Irfan. (2013). Islamophobia, European modernity and contemporary illiberalism. Politics, Religion & Idealogy. 14(2), pp. 167 - 172. https://doi.org/10.1080/21567689.2013.792647
Cracks in the 'Mightiest Fortress': Jamaat-e-Islami's changing discourse on women
Ahmad, Irfan. (2013). Cracks in the 'Mightiest Fortress': Jamaat-e-Islami's changing discourse on women. In In F. Osella and C. Osella (Ed.). Islamic Reform in South Asia pp. 317 - 347 Cambridge University Press.
Islam and politics in South Asia
Ahmad, Irfan. (2013). Islam and politics in South Asia. In In J. L. Esposito and E. E. Shahin (Ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics pp. 324 - 339 Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195395891.013.023
Between moderation and radicalization: Transnational interactions of Jamaat-e-Islami of India
Ahmad, Irfan. (2012). Between moderation and radicalization: Transnational interactions of Jamaat-e-Islami of India. In In A. K. Sahoo, M. Baas and T. Faist (Ed.). Indian Diaspora and Transnationalism pp. 271 - 396 RAWAT Publications.
Theorizing islamism and democracy: Jamaat-e-islami in india
Ahmad, Irfan. (2012). Theorizing islamism and democracy: Jamaat-e-islami in india. Citizenship Studies. 16(7), pp. 887 - 903. https://doi.org/10.1080/13621025.2012.716206
Immanent critique and Islam: Anthropological reflections
Ahmad, Irfan. (2011). Immanent critique and Islam: Anthropological reflections. Anthropological Theory. 11(1), pp. 107 - 132. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463499611398188
Democracy and Islam
Ahmad, Irfan. (2011). Democracy and Islam. Philosophy and Social Criticism. 37(4), pp. 459 - 470. https://doi.org/10.1177/0191453711400996
Genealogy of the Islamic state: Reflections on Maududi's political thought and Islamism
Ahmad, Irfan. (2010). Genealogy of the Islamic state: Reflections on Maududi's political thought and Islamism. In In B. Soares and F. Osella (Ed.). Islam, Politics, Anthropology pp. 137 - 155 Wiley-Blackwell.
Islamism and democracy in India: The transformation of Jamaat-e-Islami
Ahmad, Irfan. (2009). Islamism and democracy in India: The transformation of Jamaat-e-Islami Princeton University Press.
The Indian Jama'at-i Islami reconsiders secular democracy
Ahmad, Irfan. (2009). The Indian Jama'at-i Islami reconsiders secular democracy. In In B. D Metcalf (Ed.). Islam In South Asia In Practice pp. 447 - 455 Princeton University Press.
Cracks in the 'mightiest fortress': Jamaat-e-Islami's changing discourse on women
Ahmad, Irfan. (2008). Cracks in the 'mightiest fortress': Jamaat-e-Islami's changing discourse on women. Modern Asian Studies. 42(March), pp. 549 - 575. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X07003101
Power, purity and the vanguard: Educational ideology of the jama'at-i islami of India
Ahmad, Irfan. (2008). Power, purity and the vanguard: Educational ideology of the jama'at-i islami of India. In In J. Malik (Ed.). Madrasas in South Asia Teaching Terror? pp. 142 - 164 Routledge.