Enacting Social Justice in Contemporary Muslim Contexts

This panel explores the complex dynamics between social justice, identity, and ritual practices within contemporary Muslim communities. One paper delves into the experiences of an Iranian seminarian woman as she navigates the intersections of religious conservatism and secularism. Another paper examines the ongoing debate surrounding Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism, questioning whether Islam should be considered a religion or a racial or ethnic group. It discusses how legal categories, biological essentialism, and dehumanization impact marginalized groups, complicating the articulation of the relationship between Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism in contemporary social justice discourse. A third paper shifts the focus to the devotional practices and mourning rituals of young Shiʿa Muslims in Tehran, Iran, exploring how these youths balance state-sponsored Islamism and secular neoliberal influences, demonstrating a nuanced engagement with individual agency, religious conservatism, and neoliberal logics. Together, these papers offer a thought-provoking exploration of how contemporary Muslims articulate and enact social justice.