Inside Muslim Institutions and Indian Democracy

Dr. Taha Rauf joins the podcast to highlight the importance of local religious infrastructure in Indian democracy. Rauf is the new Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Asian Democracy, which he joined after recently completing his PhD at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on the religious institutions associated with India's ~200 million member Muslim minority. He contrasts the political and economic effects of Sufi Khanaqah's from those associated with local madrasas. Debates about religion in Indian politics frequently highlight national political leaders, but Rauf's research reminds us that all religious politics is local!