Dissertation Fieldwork: Power, Exclusion, and Identity: The Politics of the Muslim Disadvantage in India

In the summer of 2022, political science PhD student Feyaad Allie '23 traveled to India to conduct research for his dissertation "Power, Exclusion, and Identity: The Politics of the Muslim Disadvantage in India."

"I argue that a key contributor to the Muslim disadvantage in India is the crucial yet understudied heterogeneity within the Indian Muslim population. Muslim identity is diverse –some Indian Muslims adhere to different versions of Sunni Islam (Barelvi, Deobandi, Wahhabi, etc.) while others subscribe to Shia Islam. In an increasingly globalized world, these beliefs are shaped by connections to external sources of Islam such as a Saudi Arabia and Iran. I argue that these divisions are reflected in political behavior (especially after Muslims gain power), ultimately leaving the marginalized Muslim community divided and unable to sustain power."