Dr Jan Ali

Dr Jan Ali


Biography

Dr Jan A. Ali is a Sociologist of Religion (Islam). He is a Lecturer in Islam and Modernity in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts and simultaneously holds a title as the Community and Research Analyst in the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies at the University of Western Sydney. His main sociological focus is on the study of existential Islam. In recent years Jan has been invited by a number of non-government organizations and government agencies in various capital cities in Australia and overseas to deliver Public Lectures on Islamic Revivalism, Shar’iah, Terrorism, and various other important topics on Islam.

Jan has published numerous peer reviewed articles in international journals and book chapters. He also recently published a book entitled Islamic Revivalism Encounters the Modern World: A Study of the Tablīgh Jamā‘at, New Delhi: Sterling Publishers.

Currently, Jan is researching the concept of Shar’iah in Australia and collaborating with Professor Kevin Dunn and Dr Michael Kennedy from UWS on a research project studying the Effects of the New South Wales Police Counter-Radicalisation Community-Engagement Model in Australia; an empirically based research project investigating the most effective ways of “de-radicalising” young Muslim men within the community and preventing their imprisonment for terrorism related offences.

Qualifications

PhD(UNSW), MPP(MACQ), MA(UNSW), BA(UWS)


Areas of Research

Sociology of Islam, Islamic Revivalism, Shariah (Islamic Law), Sufism, Terrorism, Transnational Islamic Movements, Theories of Social Change, Muslim Women and Piety, Multiculturalism and Social and Religious Movements.


Teaching Expertise (Sociology and Islamic Studies)

Sociological Theory and Methodology; Study of Society; Cultural Identities; Communication Research Methodologies; Contemporary Islam: Religion and Identity; Contemporary Society; Cross-Cultural Communication; Globalisation and Fragmentation; Global Poverty and Development; Introduction to Globalisation; Introduction to Sociology; Social Policy; Qualitative Health and Social Research; Religion and Politics in Contemporary Society; Multicultural Studies; Great Texts of Islam: Quran and Hadith; The Quran: An Introduction;  Islam, Media and Conflict; Islamic Law in a Changing World; Islam in the Modern World; Understanding Islam and Muslim Societies; Ethical Traditions in Islam; and Islam in the West.


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Grants / Current Projects

Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies at UWS (Current)

  • Effects of the New South Wales Police Community-Engagement Counter Radicalisation Model in Australia is an empirically based research project investigating the most effective ways of “de-radicalising” young Muslim men within the community and preventing their imprisonment for terrorist related offences (NSW Police Grant).
  • Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus’ Involvement in the Workforce in Australia: Based on Census data from 1996 and 2006, the project to be submitted to the Journal of Sociology is a study of the difference of income, education and level of workforce involvement in Australia between the three religious groups. 

Independent Community Living Association Inc. (December, 1999 to June, 2001) (City of Sydney Grant)

  • Homelessness: The City of Sydney Experience: A research project investigating the phenomenon of Homelessness in the City of Sydney Local Government Area.

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Publications

Books

Ali, J. A. (2012) Islamic Revivalism Encounters the Modern World: A Study of the Tablīgh Jamā‘at, New Delhi: Sterling Publishers. ISBN 978-81-207-6843-7.

Book Chapters

Ali, J. A. (2010) “The Tablighi Jama’at in Australia”, in S. Yasmeen (ed.) Muslims in Australia: The Dynamics of Exclusion and Inclusion, Melbourne:  Melbourne University Press, pp. 118-140. ISBN 9780522856378.

Ali, J. (2002) “A Comparative Study of the Emergence of Contemporary Islamic Revivalist Movements”, in F. Lovejoy and L. Adorjany (eds.) New Sociology: Awareness, Analysis, Advocacy, Sydney: UNSW Press, pp. 20-25. ISBN 0-909693-02-1.

Refereed Journal Articles

Ali. J. A. (2012) “Contemporary Islamic Revivalism: Key Perspectives”, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, Vol. 29. No. 1, pp. 60-97. ISSN 0742-6763.

Ali, J. A. (2011c) “A Dual Legal System in Australia: The Formalization  of Shari‘a”, Democracy and Security, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 354-373. ISSN 1741-9166.

Ali, J. A. (2011b) “Piety Among Tablīghī Women”, Contemporary Islam: Dynamics of Muslim Life, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 225-247. ISSN 1872-0218.

Ali, J. A. (2011a) “Teaching Islamic Studies in an Australian University”, Perspectives: Teaching Islamic Studies in Higher Education, Issue 2, pp. 28-35. ISSN 2047 0312.

Ali, J. A. (2010b) “Tablīgh Jamā‘at: A Transnational Movement of Islamic Faith Regeneration”, European Journal of Economic and Political Studies, Vol. 3, Special Issue, pp. 103-131. ISSN 1 307 6000.

Ali, J. A. (2010a) “Tablighi Jamā‘at and the ‘Re-Making’ of the Muslim”, Australian Religion Studies Review, Vol. 23, No.2, pp. 148-172. ISSN 1031-2943.

Ali, J. (2008) “The Utility of Participant Observation in Applied Sociological Research”, NEXUS, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 18-20. ISSN 0728-1595.

Ali, J. (2004) “Islam and Muslims in Fiji”, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 141-154. ISSN 1360-2004.

Ali, J. (2003) “Islamic Revivalism: The Case of the Tablighi Jamaat”, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 23, No.1, pp. 173-181. ISSN 1360-2004.

Ali, J. (2001) “Sleeping Rough: A Participant Observer’s View of Homelessness in Sydney”, Australian Quarterly Journal of Contemporary Analysis, Vol. 73, Issue 4, pp. 9-11. ISSN 1443-3605.


Monographs

Wise, A. and Ali, J. (2008) Muslim-Australians and Local Government: Grassroots Strategies to Improve Relations Between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians, Sydney: Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Centre for Research on Social Inclusion - Macq. Uni.

Ali, J. (2001) Homelessness: The City of Sydney Experience, Sydney: Independent Community Living Association Inc. ABN 67 340 057 765.


Media Articles

Ali, J. A. (2012) “Sharia: Why a Dual Legal System Will Not Work in Australia”, The Conversation, Melbourne, 29th February.

Conference Reports

Ali, J. (2008) “Muslim Citizens in the West: Promoting Social Inclusion”, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, Vol. 25. No. 1, pp. 154-156. ISSN 0742-6763.

Conference Proceedings

Ali, J. (2003) “The Role of the Tablighi Jamaat in Reviving Islam in Australian Muslims”, in F. Lovejoy and L. Adorjany (eds) Celebrations, Causes and Consequences: Proceedings of a Conference Held at School of Sociology and Anthropology (UNSW), Sydney, UNSW Press, pp. 13-18. ISBN 0-909693-04-8.


Conferences

Ali, J. A. (2011) “Tablīghīs as Neo-Sufis: Reconciling Spirituality with the Demands of Modernity”, paper prepared for Sufism for a New Age: Twenty-first Century Neo-Sufism, Cosmopolitan Piety and Traditionalist Responses  organised by the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, 29-30 September.

Ali, J. A. (2010) “Australian Multiculturalism and Islam”,  paper prepared for Understanding Multiculturalism  Conference organised by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Berlin, 29 November – 3 December.

Ali, J. A. (2010) “A Sociological Analysis of Muslim Terrorism: Causes and Consequences”, paper prepared for Workshop on Muslims and Counter Terrorism organised by Australian Defence Force Academy and Australian Government Department of Defence/Defence Science and Technology Organisation, University of New South Wales Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, 8th October.

Ali, J. A. (2010) “Muslim Terrorism: Causes and Consequences”, paper prepared for Rethinking the Postcolonial in the Age of the War on Terror Conference organised by the International Centre for Muslim and Non-Muslim Understanding in conjunction with the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Diasporas and Reconciliation Studies, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 16-17 September.

Ali, J. A. (2010) “A Dual Legal System in Australia: The Formalisation  of Sharī‘ah”, paper prepared for Legal Pluralism and the Shari’a Law Conference organised by the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, 7th  July.

Ali, J. A. (2010) “The Cult of Chishti Sabiri Sufi Order”, paper prepared for A Century from Durkheim: Perspective from the Pacific NZASR Conference organised by the Religious Studies Programme, School of Arts History, and Classics and Religious Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 30 June – 2 July.

Ali, J. A. (2009) “Understanding Islamic Revivalism”, paper prepared for Living Islam in the Contemporary Global Society International Seminar organised by the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair Consortium, University of Western Sydney (Parramatta Campus) Sydney, 5th October.

Ali, J. A. (2008) “Muslims and Social Inclusion: The Australian Experience”, paper prepared for Challenges to Social Inclusion in Australia: The Muslim Experience Conference organised by the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 19-20 November.

Ali, J. A. (2008) “The Tablighi Jama’at and Re-making of Muslim Australians”, paper prepared for History, Modernity and the Muslim World Between Europe and Asia Symposium organised by Islam and the West Research Network in the Faculty of Arts, University of Sydney, Sydney, 18-19 September.

Ali, J. A. (2007) “Tablighi Jama’at in Australia”, paper prepared for Muslim Citizens in the West: Promoting Social Inclusion Fulbright Symposium organised by the Centre for Muslim States and Societies, University of Western Australia, Perth, 1-3 August.

 

In the Media

Nepean News (2011) “The Battle of the Burqa”, Issue 54, p.8, 28 July 
 
The Sydney Morning Herald (2011) “'Eye for an Eye' Acid Punishment Postponed after Outcry”, 16 May 

ABC 702 (2011) “Lakemba Mosque Open Day” on Weekends with Simon Marnie Program, 19 April. 

SBS Radio (2009) “Islamic Studies Growing in Australian Universities”, in SBS World View Program, SBS Radio, 14 October. 

Muslim Community Radio (2008) “Muslim Australians and Social Inclusion”, in Local Community Program, Muslim Community Radio, 20 November

ABC Radio (2008) “Social Inclusion”, in The Religion Report, ABC Radio National, 19 November 

ABC Radio (2001) “Sleeping Rough: Down and Out in London and Sydney”, on the Life Matters Program, ABC Radio National, 2 October  

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Professional Affiliations

  • The Australian Sociological Association
  • Malek Fahd Muslim School Board Member

 

PhD Thesis Supervision


Faroque Amin (Principal Supervisor) Contemporary Methodological Transition in Islamic Revivalist Movement: An Analysis of the Societal Approaches.

Ahmad Khodr (Co-Supervisor) Death and the Concept of the Enemy and Friend.

Farjana Mahbuba (Co-Supervisor) Muslim Women's Gender Perceptions in Urban Bangladesh.

Neven Bondokji (Co-Supervisor) (Uni of Sydney) The Cycle of Violence in the Discourse of HAMAS (2005-2009).

Ashleigh Barbe-Winter (Co-Supervisor) Islamic Family Separation in the Australian Legal System. 

Terri Drage  (Co-Supervisor) The National Sufi Council: Redefining the Islamic Republic of Pakistan through a discourse on Sufism after 9/11.

Godo Tjahjono (Co-Supervisor) Religiosity and Luxury Goods Purchases Among Young Muslims in Indonesia: A Case Study of the Relationship Between Religion and Consumer Behaviour.

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