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Emergent Pluralism in a Fragmented and Polarized Diaspora: the Politics of Iranian Diasporic Identity Formation in Malaysia
Abstract
In this paper I explore the politics of Iranian diasporic formation in Malaysia, specifically, the ways in which domestic conditions, state relations, and transnational forces are molding the religio-political discourse, social organization, and economics of this diaspora. About one hundred thousand Iranians live in Malaysia, a population that expanded exponentially after the contested Iranian presidential elections in 2009 when many reformists and alternative thinkers were threatened and sought refuge in a country that had no visa restrictions for Iranian nationals (at the time) and offered a fairly low cost of living. Based on my preliminary fieldwork in Kuala Lumpur, individual and collective Iranian diasporic identities are the outcomes of simultaneous processes of polarization and pluralization. The former refers to the production of increasingly fragmented communities among overlapping socioeconomic, political, religious, and gender categories. The latter denotes the emerging capacity in/of Iranian political discourses and modes of associational life to recognize and accept such diversities. I argue that as Iranians observe and discuss pluralism within their host country, they become exposed to varieties of political orientation and religious interpretation. Their experience provides an opportunity for the emergence of pluralism in the (semi-) private sphere that is anchored in a fragmented and polarized public sphere. I propose to provide an analysis of the linkages between these processes by explicating some of the connections between polarizing forces and sites of pluralization among students, political elites, and business owners.
Discipline
Anthropology
Geographic Area
Iran
Sub Area
Diaspora/Refugee Studies