Karbala in London: Battle of Expressions of Ashura Ritual Commemorations among Twelver Shia Muslims of South Asian Background

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sufyan Abid Dogra
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Transnational Networks ◽  
Power Struggle ◽  
Asian Origin ◽  
South Asian Origin ◽  
History Of

Abstract The roots of the struggle for authority among various groups of Twelver Shias of South Asian background living in London revolves around the idea of what is ‘true and authentic’ Shia Islam. The theological and political genealogy of this power struggle can be traced by examining the history of Shia Islam in South Asia. This article provides historical analyses and ethnographic accounts of Shia Islam and how it is practised in London. It investigates the influence of London-based Iranian and Iraqi Shia transnational networks on South Asian Hussainias and those who attend them. While some London-based Shias of South Asian origin conform to the Iran-backed reformist versions of globally standardised ritual commemoration of Ashura, others detest this and search for religious reinterpretations that assert South Asian ways of commemorating the Ashura ritual.

scholarly journals Analysis of whole-genome re-sequencing data of ducks reveals a diverse demographic history and extensive gene flow between Southeast/South Asian and Chinese populations

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Jiang ◽  
Ruiyi Lin ◽  
Changyi Xiao ◽  
Tanghui Xie ◽  
Yaoxin Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Chromosome 1 ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Chinese Populations ◽  
Asian Populations ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background The most prolific duck genetic resource in the world is located in Southeast/South Asia but little is known about the domestication and complex histories of these duck populations. Results Based on whole-genome resequencing data of 78 ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and 31 published whole-genome duck sequences, we detected three geographic distinct genetic groups, including local Chinese, wild, and local Southeast/South Asian populations. We inferred the demographic history of these duck populations with different geographical distributions and found that the Chinese and Southeast/South Asian ducks shared similar demographic features. The Chinese domestic ducks experienced the strongest population bottleneck caused by domestication and the last glacial maximum (LGM) period, whereas the Chinese wild ducks experienced a relatively weak bottleneck caused by domestication only. Furthermore, the bottleneck was more severe in the local Southeast/South Asian populations than in the local Chinese populations, which resulted in a smaller effective population size for the former (7100–11,900). We show that extensive gene flow has occurred between the Southeast/South Asian and Chinese populations, and between the Southeast Asian and South Asian populations. Prolonged gene flow was detected between the Guangxi population from China and its neighboring Southeast/South Asian populations. In addition, based on multiple statistical approaches, we identified a genomic region that included three genes (PNPLA8, THAP5, and DNAJB9) on duck chromosome 1 with a high probability of gene flow between the Guangxi and Southeast/South Asian populations. Finally, we detected strong signatures of selection in genes that are involved in signaling pathways of the nervous system development (e.g., ADCYAP1R1 and PDC) and in genes that are associated with morphological traits such as cell growth (e.g., IGF1R). Conclusions Our findings provide valuable information for a better understanding of the domestication and demographic history of the duck, and of the gene flow between local duck populations from Southeast/South Asia and China.

scholarly journals P159 Factors associated between SLE and work amongst South Asian people: an explorative qualitative study

Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandeep Ubhi ◽  
Shirish Dubey ◽  
John Reynolds ◽  
Caroline Gordon ◽  
Tochukwu Adizie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Asian Origin ◽  
South Asian Origin ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Minority Ethnic

Abstract Background/Aims  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affect patients from minority ethnic backgrounds, with many patients experiencing symptoms that affect their daily lives despite receiving long-term controller medication. Work is a large part of most people’s lives, yet little has been explored into how people from minority ethnic backgrounds cope at work whilst living with SLE. We conducted a study to understand the impact of SLE on working lives of South Asian patients. The aim was to identify and develop support mechanisms that could assist them with remaining at work. Methods  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten patients of South Asian origin with SLE to explore their work experiences. Patients were recruited from three rheumatology centres in the West Midlands, UK and were interviewed between November 2019 and March 2020. Interviews were audio-recorded and typed by an independent transcribing company. Returned transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and QSR NVivo 12 software was used to organise and manage the data. Results  The majority (n = 8) of patients were female. Eight patients were from an Indian background, and two were from a Pakistani background. Half of all patients were educated to degree level. The age range of patients was 23 - 58 years old (S.D = 10.79), and disease duration varied between 3 months-33 years (S.D = 9.52). All patients had permanent jobs; six were in full-time employment, and four were in part-time employment. Four main themes emerged from the data: 1) Disease related factors; impacting work ability; 2) Employment related factors; impacting work ability; 3) Personal and cultural related factors; impacting work ability; 4) Recommendations for improvement were made by patients. Conclusion  In this novel study we highlight patients’ experiences of being at work. This study reports low awareness of SLE and mixed support in the workplace. Patients discussed work to varying degrees with their clinicians and needed further information for employers that was not available nor provided by their clinicians. The study reports cultural barriers in understanding SLE that could lead to lack of family support to remain in employment. Moreover, recommendations made in this study require further investigation and could be used by clinicians and Lupus UK to support patients of South Asian origin at work. Disclosure  M. Ubhi: None. S. Dubey: None. J. Reynolds: None. C. Gordon: None. T. Adizie: None. T. Sheeran: None. K. Allen: None. R. Jordan: None. S. Sadhra: None. J. Adams: None. R. Daji: None. K. Kumar: None.

Towards a More Varied Picture of Slavery

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-261
Author(s):  
Jessica Hinchy ◽  
Girija Joshi
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Historical Memory ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Subaltern Studies ◽  
Crucial Question ◽  
Revenue Collection ◽  
History Of ◽  
Forms Of Violence ◽  
Slavery Studies

Abstract Indrani Chatterjee’s ground-breaking research has shown the centrality of obligation and provision to historical forms of slavery in South Asia, deepening our understanding of slave-using societies beyond the plantation systems that have dominated historiography, as well as historical memory. In this interview, Chatterjee explains why the crucial question in the context of South Asian slavery was: who do you serve and for what purpose? Enslavers were obliged to materially provide for their slaves, in return for the enslaved person’s service, labor and loyalty, creating varied relationships of dependence. By foregrounding the complex set of relationships and obligations in which slaves were enmeshed, Chatterjee seeks to “make people out of laborers.” This has led her to rethink the ways that resistance and agency have been conceptualized in slavery studies and Subaltern Studies, emphasizing the relationships within which a person became an agent. Her research has also deepened our understanding of colonialism and slavery. British colonizers generally ignored slaves’ entitlements to certain labor or taxation exemptions from the state, and colonial revenue-collection made the already-burdened doubly burdened. But in a hetero-temporal colonial context, older ways of identifying and forms of relationships endured. Chatterjee argues that this history of the provision of survival in contexts of enslavement is not “romanticizing,” but rather historicizes multiple forms of violence and shows a fuller, more varied picture of slavery.

scholarly journals South Asian Heroes

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Triya Chakravorty
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Asian Origin ◽  
South Asian Origin ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Research And Education

The United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) staff and students have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic in a multitude of ways, including caring for patients, volunteering their time, or being involved in research and education. People of Asian origin make up 29.7% of the NHS medical workforce1. In recognition of South Asian Heritage Month, we asked our readers to nominate health care workers of South Asian origin who have demonstrated their tenacity, innovation, and excellence in recent months.

Development of verb-verb complexes in Indo-Aryan

2021 ◽  
pp. 249-274
Author(s):  
Benjamin Slade
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
History Of ◽  
Verb Compounds

This chapter discusses the historical development and properties of verb-verb compounds in Indo-Aryan, with reference to verb-verb compounds in Dravidian. The history of modern Indo-Aryan verb-verb compounds is explored, including an examination of the precursors of such constructions in early Indo-Aryan, as well as the apparent earliest examples in late Middle and early modern Indo-Aryan. A number of morphosyntactic and lexical differences between verb-verb structures in different modern Indo-Aryan languages are examined, focusing particularly on differences between Hindi and Nepali. The larger picture of South Asian verb-verb compounds is examined through comparison of lexical inventories of Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages, with some evidence pointing to independent developments within South Asia, with some later partial convergence.

South Asian Entanglements

2020 ◽  
pp. 43-79
Author(s):  
Daniel S. Markey
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
International Pressure ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Military

This chapter describes the intersection of Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian economic, political, and security interests in South Asia. It introduces a brief history of China’s interaction with South Asia and explains how China now perceives its economic, security, and diplomatic goals in the region. It shows how Pakistanis are divided in their perceptions of China and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and explains how the military and other establishment figures are likely to gain from closer ties, while liberals and other opposition groups stand to lose. It details how Pakistan benefits from its military ties to China, especially in the areas of nuclear weapons, missiles, and drone technologies, and how China’s diplomatic support shields Pakistan from international pressure. It evaluates that on balance, China’s deepened regional presence and economic, military, and diplomatic assistance to Pakistan will tend to raise tensions with India.

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