Engineering Vengeful Effervescence: Lynching Rituals and Religious–Political Power in Pakistan
Based on case studies of seven (attempted) lynchings in Pakistan, we argue that they can be considered lynching rituals, which are instrumental in a context of political strife. ‘Shrpsnd anasr’ (agitators) play an important role as ritual engineers; they assemble crowds by spreading rumours and voca...
| Authors: | ; ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
The British journal of criminology
Year: 2023, Volume: 63, Issue: 6, Pages: 1441-1459 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
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| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Summary: | Based on case studies of seven (attempted) lynchings in Pakistan, we argue that they can be considered lynching rituals, which are instrumental in a context of political strife. ‘Shrpsnd anasr’ (agitators) play an important role as ritual engineers; they assemble crowds by spreading rumours and vocalizing accusations, use rhythmic chanting and slogan repetition to generate a shared vengeful mood and focus the crowd’s attention on the (fabricated) encroachment of a moral imperative (notably blasphemy). We conclude that the vengeful effervescence generated in lynching rituals strengthens the clientelistic interdependency networks of religious-political leaders. The contribution of our study lies in demonstrating the importance of bodily practices in lynching rituals and their instrumental political value for both masses and political leaders. |
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| ISSN: | 1464-3529 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/bjc/azac106 |