Research candidate

Syed Naqvi

Research topic

Shi’ite ulema in Pakistan and Azadari: Reforming the ritual along didactic lines

Shi’ite rituals colloquially known as Azadari are identity-constituting for the minority sect of Islam. Haider in this research tends to study the discourse its language creates via the sermons delivered by the Shi’ite religious scholars in the context of Pakistan. He is analysing the evolution of the ritual in response to the social context and studies how nuanced differences in its interpretation unfold in the conservative religious environment of Pakistan. This project contributes to the linguistic analysis of an identity-defining ritual of Shi’ites and further enables a formation of understanding of the conceptual influences the clerical class can bring through the medium of mourning ritual.

Supervisory team

Principal supervisor: Dr Rachel Busbridge
Co-supervisor: Professor Bryan Turner