{"product_id":"queer-companions-religion-public-intimacy-and-saintly-affects-in","title":"Queer Companions: Religion, Public Intimacy, and Saintly Affects in","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Queer Companions Omar Kasmani offers a focused ethnographic and theoretical account that will appeal to readers interested in religion, queer studies, and South Asian anthropology; the single biggest reason to buy is its sustained argument that saintly affections produce enduring queer social relations in Pakistan, grounded in lived encounters at a major Sufi pilgrimage site. The book combines close attention to fakirs and devotees with accessible theorizing, making it a substantial contribution for scholars and thoughtful general readers who want an embodied perspective on how religion and intimacy intersect in public life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnographic focus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Detailed fieldwork at Pakistan's principal Sufi shrine provides vivid examples of how saintly intimacy operates in everyday life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheoretical synthesis:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book brings together \u003cstrong\u003equeer theory\u003c\/strong\u003e and the anthropology of Islam to reinterpret devotional relations as socially generative.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAttention to affect:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kasmani emphasizes felt, embodied ties-how saintly affections shape personal and political attachments.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical grounding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Discussion of the shrine's thirteenth-century patron saint situates contemporary practices within a longer religious lineage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocus on fakirs:\u003c\/strong\u003e The lives of ascetics are central, showing how unstraight modes of living emerge through devotional practice and social bonds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is well suited to graduate students and scholars in anthropology, religious studies, gender and sexuality studies, and South Asian history who seek a field-based argument linking intimacy, affect, and public religion. Its blend of theory and ethnography also makes it valuable for activists and readers curious about non-heteronormative socialities in Muslim contexts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders looking for a broad survey of Pakistani history or a purely biographical account of the shrine's patron saint should look elsewhere; the book prioritizes interpretive analysis of contemporary devotional life over exhaustive historical chronology.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCareful ethnography gives concrete scenes that illustrate the book's central claims about \u003cstrong\u003esaintly intimacy\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe theoretical integration of queer theory and Islamic studies opens productive new lines of inquiry for scholars.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFocus on fakirs provides a clear lens for understanding how lived religious practice can foster alternative social formations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear linkage of affect, place, and politics makes the argument relevant beyond regional studies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe book is specialized in scope, so readers seeking a general primer on Pakistan or Sufism may find its focus narrow.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eQueer Companions: Religion, Public Intimacy, and Saintly Affects in Pakistan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOmar Kasmani\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFocus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSaintly intimacy, fakirs, and queer social relations\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRegion\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePakistan; major Sufi pilgrimage site\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproach\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEthnography and queer theory in anthropology of Islam\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHistorical reference\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThirteenth-century patron saint\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eQueer Companions is a thoughtful, well-documented study that reorients how scholars might read religious devotion as a site of public intimacy and alternative sociality. It is good value for readers invested in interdisciplinary takes on religion and sexuality, offering careful ethnographic evidence and clear theoretical payoff that reward sustained attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes this book use fieldwork?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes; the reviewer emphasizes detailed ethnographic research conducted at Pakistan's major Sufi shrine, centered on fakirs and devotees.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the book mainly theoretical or narrative?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book blends theory and ethnography, pairing queer theoretical frameworks with narrative description of lived devotional practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is the author?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOmar Kasmani is the scholar behind this study, combining expertise in anthropology of Islam with queer studies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Omar Kasmani","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48196250534107,"sku":"1478015411","price":99.03,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/81bf4BTDZrL._SL1500.jpg?v=1770225174","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/queer-companions-religion-public-intimacy-and-saintly-affects-in","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}