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...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Asif, Muhammad (Autor)
Otros Autores: Weenink, Don ; Mascini, Peter 1968-
Tipo de documento: Electrónico Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2023
En: The British journal of criminology
Año: 2023, Volumen: 63, Número: 6, Páginas: 1441-1459
Acceso en línea: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Sumario: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.
ISSN:1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azac106