Part of the Ashura lecture series at the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, this talk builds on a recently published article which discusses the dynamic tension between varying interpretations of the practice of Muharram in the Caribbean, known as Hosay in Trinidad. It reflects back on more than 15 years of on-and-off fieldwork and archival research on this phenomenon in the Caribbean. The central dispute that the author has noted over the years, both in popular print and in verbal discourse, is whether the performance practices associated with this central Shi’i ritual is a religious reenactment or a cultural performance. If the latter, then it transcends Shi’ism to become an appealing and emotive tradition for a variety of religious and ethnic groups on the island, which some of my consultants in the field referred to as the performance’s “universal appeal.”
For attendees interesed in background reading, read a downloadable PDF of Korom's article here: https://www.academia.edu/
Speaker:
Frank J. Korom, Professor of Religion and Anthropology, Boston University
Moderator:
Payam Mohseni, Director of the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, Harvard University Weatherhead Center
To register for the event, click here.
Bio:
Frank J. Korom is a professor of religion and anthropology at Boston University, where he has been teaching since 1998. He has been a visiting professor at several universities both at home and abroad. He is the author and/or editor of 10 books and serves as co-editor of the journal titled Asian Ethnology, which is based at the Nanzan Anthropological Institute in Nagoya, Japan, where he is also a research associate. His interests in Islam range from Shi’ism to Sufism, especially how they are practiced and conceived in South Asia and the West. He is currently completing a book on the Tamil Sufi saint from Sri Lanka named Guru Bawa. Earlier this year he was awarded a Humboldt Prize for his overall academic achievements.
The Project of Shi'ism and Global Affairs' focus on Ashura and the life and legacy of Imam Hussain has been made possible by a generous gift from the Jaffer Family Foundation of New York.
LOCATION:Online webinar STATUS:CONFIRMED DTSTART:20211209T190000Z DTEND:20211209T201500Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR