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Market-based but socially conservative post-Islamism: A case of Gullen movement in Pakistan
Abstract
The Pak-Turk school and college network, a project of Hizmet movement, has witnessed tremendous growth in the recent past in Pakistan. Gender segregated Pak-Turk schools have been established in various cities such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Peshawar. A dawah center, the Rumi forum, is engaged in preaching activism through various activities such as suhbat-e-janan, public lectures as well as organizing study tours of Pakistani intellectuals and columnists to Turkey. The partially funded study tourists then build a positive and an impressive image of the Gullen movement in Pakistan. The activists of the movement attempt to pretend a more liberal and tolerant face of movement culture as well as Islam. In a number of interactions at various social settings, the current researcher had critical reflections on the ambivalent nature of their commitment to gender equality and freedom of expression. This research aims to explore if and how the activists of the movement promote gender equality as well as freedom of expression? In dealing with such issues, how and in what respect (and why), the Gullen movement in Pakistan is different from its Turkish counterpart? In other words, how difference in social and political context (Turkey and Pakistan in this case) determine movement’s approach to gender equality and freedom of expression?
Discipline
Political Science
Geographic Area
Pakistan
Sub Area
None