Nationalism, Banknotes and Islamic Iconography

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the third indicator of Islam’s role in state nationalism; all 66 Turkish and 31 Pakistani banknotes issued since independence are examined for Islamic symbolism. Mosques, portraits and mausoleums of Islamic personalities, and the crescent and star are deemed Islamic symbols. In the case of Turkey, the Ottoman symbols are also viewed as Islamic symbols as, due to their intertwining during the long Ottoman era, Ottoman symbols do evoke Islamic emotions and sentiments. Similarly, for Pakistan, besides the Islamic symbols mentioned above, the Moghul buildings are also counted as Islamic symbols. The analysis demonstrates that the rise and fall in Islam’s role in state nationalism in Turkey and Pakistan based on banknote images follows the pattern seen in Chapters 2 and 3.