The Market of Muslim Goods and Services in Dagestan: Practices of Consumption and Public Debates

Abstract

The article deals with the functioning of the sector of Islamic goods and services in Dagestan's urban space and the popular practices of consumption. It describes and analyzes various aspects of Islamic business: operation of the halal market, the sector of women's clothing, advertising strategies. Special attention is given to the issue of the hijab, its symbolic meaning, and its role in women's social life. The problem of Islamic consumption is viewed through the prism of the commodification of Islam, which affects both religious practices and the local economy. An intensive appeal to Islam in the city's social and economic space is not so much a sign of Islamic radicalization as it is a choice of cultural references in the society and the quest for new behavioral patterns. The emergence of new consumer attitudes puts before Dagestani society a problem of choice between European standards and a new identity - belonging to global Islamic civilization. The article draws upon the author's field materials of 2011-2015.