Yunus Emre InstituteYunus Emre Institute in London was delighted to host a book talk by Dr Amineh Hoti, on her fascinating book, Gems and Jewels: The Religions of Pakistan, on Thursday 14th April 2022 at 6:30 PM. The event started with a talk by the author Dr Amineh Hoti was followed by a Q&A session and book signing. Iftar was served following the event and this talk formed part of the Arts & Culture Lecture Series organised by Yunus Emre Institute in London since 2017.
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During this talk, Dr Amineh Hoti took the reader on a voyage of discovery of the untold story of Pakistan; the story of a relatively young nationwhose rich plural heritage has endowed it with multiple expressions of faith and custom, woven into a gloriously colourful tapestry. Through her talk and presentation, Dr Hoti showed and narrated the story of a land and people of fascinating depth and sophistication.
Gems and Jewels: The Religions of Pakistan is a welcome counter-narrative to the media portrayal of a nation as rigid and, at times militant, exclusivism and extremism, the troubled child of South Asia, abundant in natural and historical riches, but plagued with political instability.
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Throughout the talk, Dr Hoti highlighted not only the variety of experiences and faiths that decorate Pakistan, but how connected these cultures and lives were. From sharing folk storied with the same message of divine love, to sharing modern and historical admired figures, the unity not often present in the media was put at the forefront of this talk. Full of images, stories and testimonies of people Dr Hoti interviewed across the country, the talk held a deeply personal tone which aimed to both undo stereotypes that can be held but also give a voice to those often ignored.
Based on her meetings and experiences with diverse religious communities and her exploration of religious figures from different faiths who transcended the boundaries and walls of their specificities, Dr Hoti uncovered the multi-layered culture of peoples of diverse faiths whose religions preach peaceful coexistence and whose example is an inspiration to us all. This is no academic analysis of social groupings or stratifications, but rather stepping into the shoes of people of different backgrounds and denominations such that we get a glimpse of their particular perspectives as they strive to live up to the ideals of the respective faiths whilst accommodating those of others.
The book and, it’s accompanying talk, is a celebration of the richness of diversity that connects us with the beauty of the different and of the human character at its best.
The talk and book signing ended with an iftar!
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About the Author:
Dr Amineh Hoti obtained her PhD from the University of Cambridge where she was awarded the Wyse Fund, Trinity College. She is a Fellow Commoner, at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge and has supervised several students. Dr Hoti was the co-founding director of the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations, the Woolf Institute, Cambridge. She is a member of the UNESCO/OSAPG Advisory Group on addressing hate speech. She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, UK. Dr Hoti has designed, pioneered and taught interfaith peace studies courses and has extensive teaching experience on several continents. For more than two decades, she has been a director, teacher, researcher, and public intellectual. Her work has focused on cutting edge interdisciplinary teaching methods of peacebuilding studies, interreligious dialogue, women’s voices and the social anthropology of South Asia and its faith communities. She appears frequently in the media discussing her work. Her anthropological work, Sorrow and Joy Among Muslim Women (2006) was published by Cambridge University Press and her latest book Gems and Jewels: The Religions of Pakistan (2021) is based on ten religious communities of Pakistan.
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Missed the talk? You can watch it back on our YouTube channel, @yeelondra or through the following links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_9o1s2PQeA