Dr Jan Ali

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Publications
• In the Media
• Professional Affiliations
• Contact Details

Biography

Dr Jan A. Ali is a Sociologist of Religion (Islam). He lectures in Islamic Studies in the School of Humanities and Languages 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 Sydney and Adelaide to deliver Public Lectures on Islamic Revivalism, Shar’iah, Terrorism, and various other important topics on Islam.

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)

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

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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.

Centre for Research on Social Inclusion at Macquarie University (May, 2007 to May, 2008) (DIAC Grant)

• StepOne: A website developed based on empirical research investigating the “best practices” in community development/harmony.
• Muslim-Australians & Local Government: Grassroots Strategies to Improve Relations Between Muslim and Non-Muslim Australians:  A research project investigating the most effective community-based activities for improving relations between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians.

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
     (2011) Islamic Revivalism Encounters the Modern World: A Study of the Tablīgh Jamā‘at, London: Sterling Publishers/New Dawn Press (Forthcoming).

Book Chapters
     (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.
     (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
     (2011) “Piety Among the Tablīghī Women”, Contemporary Islam: Dynamics of Muslim Life, Vol. 5, No. 1, (Forthcoming).
     (2011) “A Dual Legal System in Australia: The Formalisation  of Sharī‘ah”, Democracy and Security, Volume 7, Issue 1, (Forthcoming).
     (2010) “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.
     (2010) “Tablighi Jamā‘at and the ‘Re-Making’ of the Muslim”, Australian Religion Studies Review, Vol. 23, No.2, pp. 148-172. ISSN 1031-2943.
     (2008) “The Utility of Participant Observation in Applied Sociological Research”, NEXUS, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 18-20. ISSN 0728-1595.
     (2004) “Islam and Muslims in Fiji”, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 141-154. ISSN 1360-2004.
     (2003) “Islamic Revivalism: The Case of the Tablighi Jamaat”, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 23, No.1, pp. 173-181. ISSN 1360-2004.
     (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
     (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.
     (2001) Homelessness: The City of Sydney Experience, Sydney: Independent Community Living Association Inc. ABN 67 340 057 765.

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

(2010) “A Sociological Analysis of Muslim Terrorism: Causes and Consequences”, paper prepared for Muslims and Counter Terrorism Conference 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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

 (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

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.

• Arab Council Australia Inc.

• Reviewer for The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences.

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