| This thesis project focuses on the concept of halal (the category of permissible things according to Islam) as a concept important to understanding contemporary Islam. It is constructed around two questions: first, what is the concept of halal as used in the halal industry and how is it different than the merely theological concept of halal? Second, how does the growth of interest in halal inform our understanding of Islamic revivalism more widely?;Data for the project were collected in three sets of interviews. The first set was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and focuses on marketers, industry advocates and government agency employees involved with conceptualizing halal. The second set focuses on those who are involved with the processing of halal food and includes participants based in Kuala Lumpur and the United States. The third set of interviews focuses on members of Chicago's Muslim community as potential consumers of halal products.;The data collected from these interviews demonstrate that the concept of halal is widely contested both by those involved with the industry and their potential customers. It is argued that the resulting concept of halal is social rather than strictly theological. Furthermore, this data is used to argue that, in as far as interest in halal is part of Islamic revivalism, Islamic revivalism should not be seen as uniformly antagonistic to modernity. |
