The Discourse of Islamic Urban “Heritage”: A Foucauldian Governmentality Perspective

(Abeer Allahham)

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Abstract

In recent decades, the attention given to the concept of heritage, whether tangible or intangible, has significantly increased. Governments have associated the concept of national identity with heritage. However, such an association has transformed heritage, including Islamic urban heritage, into an emotional concept that inspires nostalgic sentiments towards an idealised past. This research raises questions regarding the concept of heritage and its formulation: Does heritage include everything that has been inherited from previous generations? How can we create a landscape of urban heritage that reflects the image of the desired national identity? This research aims to re-read the concept of Islamic urban heritage in a contemporary perspective. It adopts a methodology of critical analysis, stemming from Foucault’s concept of governmentality, to tackle contemporary issues related to urban heritage, such as the concepts of identity, power, and authority, commonly referred to as politicisation of heritage, as well as the concepts of history, tradition, and the inherited. In its analysis of Islamic urban heritage, the research refers to writings on Islamic politics as well as Ibn Khaldoun’s theory of Islamic political modes. The research concludes that the concept of Islamic urban heritage has been developed to serve, among other purposes, the formation of a national identity of an Islamic character, and therefore, it is a selective, politicised heritage that does not reflect authentic Islamic tradition. Rather, it is subject to contemporary capitalist mechanisms that serve to promote national identity, gain material profit, and benefit the heritage tourism industry.

KEYWORDS
Governmentality; heritageization; Islamic ruling modes; national identity; power

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References

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