Pragmatic Muslim Politics

This dissertation investigates the use of religious terms and symbols in politics. More specifi cally, it investigates Muslim politics in Sri Lanka. Its aim is to analyze the role of religious terms and symbols within a nonfundamentalist political party, namely the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a Muslim political party that has been part of the democratic process in Sri Lanka since the 1980s. Analyzing offi cal documents, parliamentary speeches, and interviews, it hopes to broaden the range of research concerning political parties founded on religious ideologies. Andreas Johansson is a PhD candidate in the History of Religions, and he has visited Sri Lanka several times since 2006. This is his doctoral dissertation.