Politics of despotic leaders: subversion, repression and development in the Hazara Ismaili Community of Afghanistan
The book demonstrates the prominent role the local religious leaders played in the lives of the Ismaili community and the governance strategies they adopted to portray themselves as demi-god forcing people to develop blind faith in them, submit to their leadership and follow their dictates unquestio...
| Summary: | The book demonstrates the prominent role the local religious leaders played in the lives of the Ismaili community and the governance strategies they adopted to portray themselves as demi-god forcing people to develop blind faith in them, submit to their leadership and follow their dictates unquestioned "The book studies the Hazara Ismailis of Afghanistan - a community that endured years of marginalization in a repressive environment, persevered and sustained the faith while maintaining and practicing Taqiyya, dissimulation of their faith. It examines policies and actions of local authoritarian Ismaili religious leaders in controlling every aspect of the community affairs. The book also explores the status of Ismailis during and after the US-NATO occupation period and efforts by the Ismaili spiritual leader, the Aga Khan who in 2002 with a stroke of a pen removed the tyrant Ismaili leaders - abolished the hereditary system of leadership in the Ismaili community, established modern institutional structures and appointed new generation of leaders to guide the community for a three-year term renewable once - a system of leadership that liberated Ismailis from bondage to their local religious and tribal leaders and allowed grassroots participation of the people in the daily affairs of their community"-- |
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| Physical Description: | xxx, 429 Seiten, Illustrationen |
| ISBN: | 978-1-80374-651-7 |
