Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary Istanbul
This paper deals with how rituals, deeply rooted in local tradition, can be used to legitimize new forms of activism in complex modern societies. The empirical material comes from fieldwork in Istanbul, where the author has studied a small Muslim women's group. The women have organized their ac...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Donner Institute
1999-02-01
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| Series: | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67275 |
| _version_ | 1818965328570351616 |
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| author | Catharina Raudvere |
| author_facet | Catharina Raudvere |
| author_sort | Catharina Raudvere |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper deals with how rituals, deeply rooted in local tradition, can be used to legitimize new forms of activism in complex modern societies. The empirical material comes from fieldwork in Istanbul, where the author has studied a small Muslim women's group. The women have organized their activities in the form of a religious foundation, offering regular prayer meetings and basic religious education to other women in the vicinity. The women's use of the term vakif comprises both the formal organisation and the meeting place as such. The weekly performance of the repetitive and intense zikir-prayer constitutes the core of activities and the teachings of the leading women and their theology is clearly based on sufi, tasavvuf, thought. They identify themselves as the keepers of sufi traditions, but without any formal connection to any established order, tarikat. Many of the formal aspects of their religious life follow established patterns, but the social and cultural setting in the mega-city of Istanbul is a novelty. From the conditions of modern urban life follows a wider complexity in individual intention and interpretation of the rituals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:15:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a01e4de6edd2484e97ffd8fdb00c0dc5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0582-3226 2343-4937 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:15:16Z |
| publishDate | 1999-02-01 |
| publisher | Donner Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
| spelling | doaj.art-a01e4de6edd2484e97ffd8fdb00c0dc52022-12-21T19:39:34ZengDonner InstituteScripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis0582-32262343-49371999-02-0117210.30674/scripta.67275Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary IstanbulCatharina Raudvere0Lund UniversityThis paper deals with how rituals, deeply rooted in local tradition, can be used to legitimize new forms of activism in complex modern societies. The empirical material comes from fieldwork in Istanbul, where the author has studied a small Muslim women's group. The women have organized their activities in the form of a religious foundation, offering regular prayer meetings and basic religious education to other women in the vicinity. The women's use of the term vakif comprises both the formal organisation and the meeting place as such. The weekly performance of the repetitive and intense zikir-prayer constitutes the core of activities and the teachings of the leading women and their theology is clearly based on sufi, tasavvuf, thought. They identify themselves as the keepers of sufi traditions, but without any formal connection to any established order, tarikat. Many of the formal aspects of their religious life follow established patterns, but the social and cultural setting in the mega-city of Istanbul is a novelty. From the conditions of modern urban life follows a wider complexity in individual intention and interpretation of the rituals.https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67275Mysticism -- IslamSufismIslam -- RitualWomenGenderTurkey -- History |
| spellingShingle | Catharina Raudvere Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary Istanbul Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis Mysticism -- Islam Sufism Islam -- Ritual Women Gender Turkey -- History |
| title | Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary Istanbul |
| title_full | Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary Istanbul |
| title_fullStr | Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary Istanbul |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary Istanbul |
| title_short | Rooms of their own: old rituals in new settings: women between Sufism and Islamic activism in contemporary Istanbul |
| title_sort | rooms of their own old rituals in new settings women between sufism and islamic activism in contemporary istanbul |
| topic | Mysticism -- Islam Sufism Islam -- Ritual Women Gender Turkey -- History |
| url | https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67275 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT catharinaraudvere roomsoftheirownoldritualsinnewsettingswomenbetweensufismandislamicactivismincontemporaryistanbul |