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The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics (Cultures of History) Paperback – July 1, 2009

by Charles Hirschkind (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
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Charles Hirschkind's unique study explores how a popular Islamic media form—the cassette sermon—has profoundly transformed the political geography of the Middle East over the last three decades.

An essential aspect of what is now called the Islamic Revival, the cassette sermon has become omnipresent in most Middle Eastern cities, punctuating the daily routines of many men and women. Hirschkind shows how sermon tapes have provided one of the means by which Islamic ethical traditions have been recalibrated to a modern political and technological order—to its noise and forms of pleasure and boredom, but also to its political incitements and call for citizen participation. Contrary to the belief that Islamic cassette sermons are a tool of militant indoctrination, Hirschkind argues that sermon tapes serve as an instrument of ethical self-improvement and as a vehicle for honing the sensibilities and affects of pious living.

Focusing on Cairo's popular neighborhoods, Hirschkind highlights the pivotal role these tapes now play in an expanding arena of Islamic argumentation and debate—what he calls an "Islamic counterpublic." This emerging arena connects Islamic traditions of ethical discipline to practices of deliberation about the common good, the duties of Muslims as national citizens, and the challenges faced by diverse Muslim communities around the globe. The Ethical Soundscape is a brilliant analysis linking modern media practices of moral self-fashioning to the creation of increasingly powerful religious publics.
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  1. Part of series
    Cultures of History
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Columbia University Press
  5. Publication date
    July 1, 2009
  6. Dimensions
    5.9 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0231138199
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0231138192
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A very timely ethnography of Islam in general and Egypt in specific. ― Anthropology.net

The relevance of this analytic project to readers both within and outside the academy cannot be underestimated. -- Ilan Pappe ― Arab Studies Journal

This stimulating book offers a sustained argument and excellent, accessible ethnography for specialists of Islamic politics and media alike. ― International Journal of Middle East Studies

The Ethical Soundscape provides a timely update to this important genre of Muslim expression. -- Flagg Miller ― Contemporary Islam

Well worth the effort. -- Andre Singer ― Journal of Royal Anthropological Institute

This is a substantial anthropological study that delves deep into the meaning and significance of cassette sermons in the context of Islamic revival... This book is a welcome analytical study which should be of profit to many. ― The Muslim World Book Review

About the Author

Charles Hirschkind is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the coeditor, with David Scott, of Powers of the Secular Modern and has published numerous articles on religious practice, media technologies, and emergent forms of political community in the Middle East.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia University Press (July 1, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231138199
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231138192
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.9 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

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Charles Hirschkind

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

angelusnovus
5.0 out of 5 stars like cassette tapes
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2017
the book is a serious intervention within the anthropology of religion, Islam, and media studies. It asks many questions, but of the most important is the transmission of an ethical tradition through different aesthetic forms and modes, like cassette tapes. How is it possible that something like ethical self-cultivation is transmitted and made viable through modern forms of media and what possibilities does this ethical aspect of media open up for politics, democracy, debate and deliberation? Can there be something like affective democracy? Shifting the focus of deliberation from speech to affects and the architecture of the body and sensorium. Many nuances, great read!
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Lionel S. Taylor
4.0 out of 5 stars Shedding light on an important aspect of the Islamic community.
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2011
Verified Purchase
One of the interesting things in the hunt for Bin Laden and a lot of the other leaders of Al Qaeda was how even in hiding they continued to release a large number of statements that would get distributed from person to person and eventually land on the internet. This was surprising because by releasing these statements the authors risked exposing themselves and yet they seemed to have the need to risk this in order to explain what they were doing and to justify it. After reading The Ethical Soundscape this behavior makes a little more sense.
While this book does not deal with the tapes being released by Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, it does thoroughly explore the tradition of the taped Islamic sermon in Egypt and the wider Muslim community. This is an old tradition and is often done without the approval of the government authorities. The author does a good job of explaining how these sermons are listened to and the role they play in the larger society. This book counters the stereotype of Islam being some archaic religion stick in the 16th century and shows that theses sermons are not listened to passively but are actively engaged by the listener and sparks a wider debate on how the principles of Islam can be applied to the wider society. The author does a very good job of explaining this and also compares the sermons to many other traditions of public oratory to put it into context. This book would be very useful for anyone interested in the wider debates going on in the Islamic community and how this debate is reflected in the community's dealings with the outside world.
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Butterfly
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2008
This is a very insightful read into one of the counterpublics of Islam. I had some knowledge cassette sermons were produced by the state but I did not know this was also taking place. Not only did I enjoy reading this book I also learned a lot. Good read!
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