Who Speaks for Islam? Muslim Grassroots Leaders and Popular Preachers in South Asia
NBR Special Report no. 22

Who Speaks for Islam?
Muslim Grassroots Leaders and Popular Preachers in South Asia

by Dietrich Reetz, Mumtaz Ahmad, and Thomas H. Johnson
February 12, 2010

Globalization processes, through increasing transnational networks and the growth of new forms of media, are changing the dynamics of Muslim religious authority in South Asia. In this NBR Special Report, Mumtaz Ahmad, Dietrich Reetz, and Thomas H. Johnson examine the evolving social and political roles of Muslim religious figures and leaders in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. This study finds that the role of religious leadership at the local level has not been diminished by increasing globalization, but nontraditional voices of religious authority are emerging and traditional leaders are using new media tools to reach wider audiences.