Private Life in Public Spaces: Discourse, Ummah, and (Muslim) Piety in Tatarstan

In this new project, Dr. Karimova explores the relationship between public and private space, discourse, Muslim piety, and the notion of Ummah in present-day Tatarstan. She illustrates how physical space produces a variety of discourses that both reflect and shape the local Ummah in multiple, sometimes unexpected, ways. In one such instance, a newly built mosque stays empty and struggles to survive while a tiny Muslim clothing store becomes the locus of (Muslim) practice and spirituality. This project is based on recent (summer 2015) ethnographic observations and interviews with local Muslim officials and practicing Muslims in and around the city of Kazan, Russia.

Liliya Karimova recently received her Ph.D. in Communication from UMASS-Amherst. She is currently an independent researcher and a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Organizational Sciences and Communication at the George Washington University, Washington, DC. She has published in Nova Religio: the Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions; The Journal of Intercultural Communication Research; Central Asian Survey; Anthropology and Archaeology of Eurasia. Her research focuses on women, identity, piety, Islam, space, and discourse in Tatarstan, Russia.

This event is part of the CERIA Initiative, generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.