Rebuilding Community: Displaced Women and the Making of a Shia Ismaili Muslim Sociality.

"Rebuilding Community: Displaced Women and the Making of a Shia Ismaili Muslim Sociality" by Shenila Khoja-Moolji is a book that explores the experiences of Ismaili women who have been displaced and their role in creating a sense of community. The book focuses on the cultural memory of Ismaili women and the ethics of communal care. It examines the migratory journeys of Ismaili Muslim women from colonial India to East Africa and then to North America, highlighting how they have forged community and maintained spiritual bonds. The author argues that their acts of care are deeply tied to their religious kinship and contribute to the formation of an Ismaili sociality. The book draws on feminist theories of ethics of care and challenges conventional notions of placemaking by emphasizing the spiritual and sensory dimensions. It also explores the role of seva, or ethic of service, in the lives of Ismaili women and how it contributes to their sense of religious subjectivity. The book includes chapters on the displacement of Ismaili women, the creation of sacred spaces, miracle stories, cookbooks, and the experiences of second-generation Ismaili women. Overall, the book provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the experiences and contributions of Ismaili women in building and sustaining their community. [Extracted from the article]