Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, Pakistan
This paper examines the ‘textbook controversy’ (2000-2005) that arose when the Pakistan state introduced new, overtly Sunni textbooks in the Northern Areas, and the local Shia population began to agitate for a more balanced curriculum. The conflict reached an acute stage during 2004-2005, as violent...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Centre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud
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| Series: | South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/1172 |
| _version_ | 1797316312649695232 |
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| author | Nosheen Ali |
| author_facet | Nosheen Ali |
| author_sort | Nosheen Ali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper examines the ‘textbook controversy’ (2000-2005) that arose when the Pakistan state introduced new, overtly Sunni textbooks in the Northern Areas, and the local Shia population began to agitate for a more balanced curriculum. The conflict reached an acute stage during 2004-2005, as violent confrontations took place between Shia and Sunni communities, and a constant curfew paralyzed daily life in Gilgit for eleven months. I argue that the Shia mobilization against textbook Islam was not just a form of “sectarian” outrage; rather, it symbolized a broader political claim to inclusion in a context of long-standing regional subordination and religious suppression. The politics of sectarian emotions in the Northern Areas must therefore be understood in relation to the regulatory processes of state-making, which are the very source and embodiment of ‘sectarianism’ and ‘outrage’ in the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:16:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f7a036adad7431083fba51714378f42 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1960-6060 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:16:27Z |
| publisher | Centre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f7a036adad7431083fba51714378f422024-02-12T15:38:42ZengCentre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du SudSouth Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal1960-6060210.4000/samaj.1172Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, PakistanNosheen AliThis paper examines the ‘textbook controversy’ (2000-2005) that arose when the Pakistan state introduced new, overtly Sunni textbooks in the Northern Areas, and the local Shia population began to agitate for a more balanced curriculum. The conflict reached an acute stage during 2004-2005, as violent confrontations took place between Shia and Sunni communities, and a constant curfew paralyzed daily life in Gilgit for eleven months. I argue that the Shia mobilization against textbook Islam was not just a form of “sectarian” outrage; rather, it symbolized a broader political claim to inclusion in a context of long-standing regional subordination and religious suppression. The politics of sectarian emotions in the Northern Areas must therefore be understood in relation to the regulatory processes of state-making, which are the very source and embodiment of ‘sectarianism’ and ‘outrage’ in the region.https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/1172 |
| spellingShingle | Nosheen Ali Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, Pakistan South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal |
| title | Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, Pakistan |
| title_full | Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, Pakistan |
| title_short | Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens:Deconstructing the ‘Textbook Controversy’ in the Northern Areas, Pakistan |
| title_sort | outrageous state sectarianized citizens deconstructing the textbook controversy in the northern areas pakistan |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/1172 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nosheenali outrageousstatesectarianizedcitizensdeconstructingthetextbookcontroversyinthenorthernareaspakistan |