Brand Islam

Abstract

Brand Islam: The Marketing and Commodification of Piety examines thegrowing business of Muslim merchandise, ranging from food products consideredḥalāl (permissible) to children’s dolls that represent devout Muslimbehavior through sartorial choices such as modest clothing and the wearingof the veil. Faegheh Shirazi illustrates how a growing Muslim marketoften intersects, in both problematic and intriguing ways, with capitalism.Using an extensive survey of case studies, illustrations, and diverse Muslimcommunities (Iran and Indonesia are often cited), the book provides a usefulexploration of the question of Muslim consumption and contributes tolarger discussions surrounding material religion.
 In chapter 1, Shirazi begins her investigation into these topics by discussingthe problem of Islamophobia and how it may influence Muslimsto seek out markers of religious identity, thus influencing the market. Herdefinitions of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Islamoparanoia are useful,although I felt myself wanting a richer discussion of how these trends intersectwith white supremacy, colonial politics, and misogyny. Symbols—especially the veil and the mosque—can be used, as other scholars haveshown, to generate anxiety in non-Muslim populations. Although Shiraziis less interested in how these symbols are used to shore up white, male,Christian, or secular authority, she employs them to show the ways inwhich Islamophobia and radical, literalist Islamic rhetoric feed off eachother. The manipulation of this rhetoric is even used when non-Muslimsmake concessions in an effort to improve relations with Muslims, such asQueen Elizabeth’s 2010 visit to the UAE, when she covered her hair. AsShirazi points out, “Sheikh Yasser Burhani, one of Egypt’s leading Islamicscholars, jumped on the queen’s gesture as justification for furthering an oppressive,fundamentalist Salafi Islamic position” (p. 32). The ways in whichthe body—in this case a white, regal body—is used in debates surroundingIslam and modernity is at the crux of this book ...