BOOK of ABSTRACTS XXTh WORld COngReSS InTeRnATIOnAl ...

Bano, Shermeen – Fatima Jinnah Women’s University,
Pakistan
sufism vs ortHodox islam: a study of
sufism as sPace of modern identity (a case
study of Pakistan)
The present study aims to explore Sufism as a space of
modern religious identity and its impact on religious
indoctrinations in Pakistan. Sufism acts as a chief source
of religious identity in the country. The study explores
how the mystical tradition continues to be a significant
aspect of religious lives of a large majority of Pakistani’s
despite their diverse backgrounds. The study further
makes a comparative analysis of Sufism and Orthodox
Islam. Unlike Orthodox Islam that is often perceived as
rigid and extremist, Sufism through its message of love,
tolerance and equality creates unique social spaces of
religious diversity. Modernization and traditional
practices merge and give rise to wide ranging religious
and cultural practices within these social spaces; Sufi
shrines of Pakistan. Sufi ideology therefore, preserves a
distinct Muslim Identity by abandoning conformity to
orthodox or conventional subject matter of Islamic
thought. For this reason, Sufism is often criticized by the
proponents of Orthodox Islam for introducing unlawful
changes within the basic premise of Islam by
intermingling religious aspects with cultural facets of
the region. These changes include ritualistic practices of
Sama and Dhamal at Sufi shrines among many others.
Participant observations at shrines were carried out at
Sufi shrines of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (Bari Imam,
Golra Sharif, Eid Gah Sharif and Shah ki Tallian).
Purposive Sampling technique was utilized in this study
for making a perceptual analysis of Sufism in Pakistan. It
includes 33 in-depth interviews and 12 case studies of
18 visitors of Sufi shrines of, 9 non-visitors of shrines
and 6 religious scholars of both, Barelvi and Deobandi
School of thought of Orthodox Islam.
Bantugan, Brian – St. Paul University Manila,
Phillipines
tHe netWork of engendered sPirituality
talk of “otHered” men: a comParative crosscultural
maPPing
Integrating the spiral dynamics theory of Dr. Don Beck
into a modified network structure analysis approach
that is more organic, process-oriented and longitudinal
in representation, the study attempted to achieve a
cross-cultural mapping of the interactions in two
selected forums of non-heterosexual men that discussed
similar issues on spirituality. Using threads from www.
downelink.com and www.guys4men.com with high
activity networks involving Filipino non-heterosexual
men, the research revealed that both networks are
pushed into activity by authoritarian superhubs.
However, a more individualistic and task-oriented
superhub (in the global network) allowed for more
decentered (superhub-detached) interactions within a
network than in a “social-oriented superhub”-focused
network. Ownership of the forum thread network was
made more manifest by the superhub in the global
network and by the community of hubs in the local
network. The greater intensity of the spirituality
exchanges in the local networks reveal a more
spirituality engaged but more conflicted and
antagonistic community of non-heterosexual men. Both
networks, nonetheless, highlight that “othered” men in
real life also “other” “othered” men in cyberspace. There
is as much inclusion and exclusion in seemingly more
empowered virtual alternative, if not subversive,
communities.
Baracs, Martinez Rodrigo – Instituto Nacional
Antropologia e Historia, Mexico
tHe Writing of tHe nican moPoHua
It is well known that the story of the four apparitions in
Mexico of the Virgin of Guadalupe to the Indian Juan
Diego, of the cure of his uncle Juan Bernardino and of
the apparition in Juan Diego’s cloth of her image in the
presence of bishop Zumárraga between 9 and 12 of
December 1531, was first registered in the book
published in 1648 in Mexico City by the criollo (born in
Mexico) priest Miguel Sánchez, Imagen de la Virgen
María Madre de Dios de Guadalupe. This narration, in
a simplified version, and with the title of Nican
mopohua (“Here begins...”), was published in Nahuatl in
1649, in the book of another criollo priest, Luis Lasso de
la Vega, Huei tlamahuiçoltica. The beauty and strength
of this narration has led many authors to believe that,
even though it was published after the Spanish version,
it can be considered the original version. However, there
is no concordance among the scholars: some of them
– believers (Chauvet) or not (O´Gorman and León-
Portilla) of the historicity of the apparitions story –
think that it was written in the XVI century, maybe by
Antonio Valeriano, the Nahua disciple of fray
Bernardino de Sahagún, but some other historians and
philologists (Lockhart, Poole, Brading) think that the
narration was written in the XVII century. In a previous
work, I have shown that at the time being it is
impossible to be sure about the date problem. However,
I have been able to gather some historical information
that lead to the circumstances of the writing of an
original version of the Nican mopohua in 1554–1555.
XX tH WORLd CONGREss of the INtERNAtIONAL AssOCIAtION for the HIstORy of RELIGIONs
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