BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:PUBLISH PRODID:-//Telerik Inc.//Sitefinity CMS 15.1//EN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Eastern Standard Time BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYHOUR=2;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=11 TZNAME:Eastern Standard Time TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250301T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=2SU;BYHOUR=2;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:Eastern Daylight Time TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:The Moynihan Institute’s South Asia Center presents Abdul Haque Chang\, assistant professor of anthropology at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi\, Pakistan.This talk will delve into the themes of divergence and alterity\, examining the interplay between sacrality and performing arts in South and Southeast Asia\, with a focus on Java and Si ndh. Chang highlights how Jathilan\, a performance rooted in ancient Hindu narratives\, costumes and concepts\, and Shah Jo Raag\, a Sufi musical tr adition of Sindh\, represent distinct ways of being Muslim in their respec tive regions.Drawing from his ethnographic experiences\, Chang explores th e cultural and religious significance of these art forms. He will first di scuss how Jathilan in Java has evolved into a syncretic Muslim performing art\, with ancestral spirits engaging performers through the medium of the spirit handler. He will then describe the healing role of the tambura\, a musical instrument used in Shah Jo Raag performances at the shrine of Sha h Latif Bhittai in Bhitshah\, Sindh\, particularly for women experiencing spirit possession.Chang further examines the shrine performances\, focusin g on how the poetry of Shah Latif\, a Muslim Sufi saint\, presents Hinduis m as a way of life for the Muslim Sufi. Through these encounters\, he demo nstrates that syncretism is not merely a religious phenomenon but also a f undamental cultural dimension within society.Abdul Haque Chang is an assis tant professor of anthropology at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi\, Pakistan. His ethnographic research spans Sindh\, Paki stan\, and Java\, Indonesia\, focusing on themes such as religion\, Sufism \, music and environmental anthropology. His doctoral dissertation examine s the concept of "environmental exception" in Sindh\, particularly regardi ng sacrifice amidst environmental degradation. Currently\, he is investiga ting Javanese Sufism with his project "Jathilan: Performativity and the (R e)Production of Javanese Sacrality\," which highlights how Javanese perfor mance art challenges gender norms and serves as a mode of cultural resista nce. DTEND:20250130T220000Z DTSTAMP:20260510T224131Z DTSTART:20250130T203000Z LOCATION:United States SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Divergence and Alterity: Shrines\, Sacrality and Performing Arts in South and Southeast Asia UID:RFCALITEM639140352914919450 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

The Moynihan Institute’s South Asia Center presents Abdul Haque Chang\, assistant professor of anthropology at the Institute of Busine ss Administration in Karachi\, Pakistan.

This talk will delve into the themes of divergenc e and alterity\, examining the interplay between sacrality and performing arts in South and Southeast Asia\, with a focus on Java and Sindh. Chang h ighlights how Jathilan\, a performance rooted in ancient Hindu narratives\ , costumes and concepts\, and Shah Jo Raag\, a Sufi musical tradition of S indh\, represent distinct ways of being Muslim in their respective regions .

Drawing from his ethnograp hic experiences\, Chang explores the cultural and religious significance o f these art forms. He will first discuss how Jathilan in Java has evolved into a syncretic Muslim performing art\, with ancestral spirits engaging p erformers through the medium of the spirit handler. He will then describe the healing role of the tambura\, a musical instrument used in Shah Jo Raa g performances at the shrine of Shah Latif Bhittai in Bhitshah\, Sindh\, p articularly for women experiencing spirit possession.

Chang further examines the shrine performances\, focusing on how the poetry of Shah Latif\, a Muslim Sufi saint\, presents Hinduism as a way of life for the Muslim Sufi. Through these encounters\, he demonstrates that syncretism is not merely a religious phenomenon but also a fundamental cultural dimension within society.

Abdul Haque Chang is an assistant professor of anthropology at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi\ , Pakistan. His ethnographic research spans Sindh\, Pakistan\, and Java\, Indonesia\, focusing on themes such as religion\, Sufism\, music and envir onmental anthropology.

His doctoral dissertation examines the conce pt of "environmental exception" in Sindh\, particularly regarding sacrific e amidst environmental degradation. Currently\, he is investigating Javane se Sufism with his project "Jathilan: Performativity and the (Re)Productio n of Javanese Sacrality\," which highlights how Javanese performance art c hallenges gender norms and serves as a mode of cultural resistance.

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