Research
Mohammad Reyaz works at the intersectionality of (new) media, society, and (identity) politics in India and larger Eurasia.
India
Before starting a full-time career in academics, I worked as a journalist for five years, broadly covering issues of Muslim and other marginalized communities. Based out of Delhi, I travelled extensively in Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, and Rajasthan during elections, riots, and other occasions, and I wrote many articles.
I closely monitor the developments related to Indian Muslim issues (mainly through the prism of (new) media, and have made both academic interventions and written articles popular press. I have also helped organize seminars and special lectures on related topics since 2017.
Below is a glimpse of academic interventions:
Mitra, M, Khatun, R. and Reyaz, M. (2024). Female Politicos in Indian Web Series: The Politics of Portrayal, in Laskar, K.A. and Barclay, F.P. (eds.) Gender and Popular Visual Culture in India (pp. 45-56), Oxon: Routledge. [ISBN: 978-1-032-56144-8]. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003434092
Reyaz, M., Laskar, K.A. and Ameen, F. (2023). Muslims between Citizenship and Media Bias: Insights from Anti-CAA Protest Sites, in Gorky Chakraborty (ed.) Citizenship in Contemporary Times: The Indian Context (pp. 183-200), New Delhi: Routledge. [ISBN: 978-1-032-34712-7]. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003345152
Laskar, K.A., and Reyaz, M. (2022). The Vulnerable, Victim and Subjugated: Politics of Representing the Muslim (Wo)Men in Hindi TV Soaps. Quarterly Review of Film and Video. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2022.2162328. [ISSN: 1050-9208; eISSN: 1543-5326].
Reyaz, M. (2022). Muslims and Secularism. In Unmasking Indian Secularism: Why We Need a New Hindu Muslim Deal, edited by Hasan Suroor, pp. 130-133. New Delhi: Rupa Publications India. [ISBN: 978-93-5520-406-6].
Laskar, K. A. and Reyaz, M (2021). Mapping the Fake News Infodemic Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A study of Indian Fact-checking Websites. Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 93-116. https://doi.org/10.1386/jammr_00026_1. [ISSN: 1751-9411; eISSN: 1751-942X].
Reyaz, M. (2021). New Media, Identity and Minorities: The Role of Internet in Mainstreaming of Muslims in India. In Inhabiting Cyberspace in India: Theory, Perspectives, and Challenges, edited by Simi Malhotra, Kanika Sharma, & Sakshi Dogra, pp. 57-68. Singapore: Springer. [ISBN: 978-981-15-9933-0]. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9934-7_6.
Reyaz, M (2017). New found Muslim Assertiveness in Bengal and the Rise of Hindutva. Café Dissensus: Special Issue on Muslim Life in West Bengal, Issue 37 (July). https://cafedissensus.com/2017/07/15/new-found-muslim-assertiveness-in-bengal-and-the-rise-of-hindutva/ . [ISSN: 2373-177X].
Reyaz, M. (2019). Hindutva’s Reach Out to Muslims in 2014 Elections: A Historical Analysis. In The Algebra of Warfare-Welfare: A Long View of India’s 2014 Elections, edited by Irfan Ahmad & Pralay Kanungo, pp. 242-270. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. [ISBN: 9780199489626]. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199489626.003.0009
Afghanistan
I have been following the developments in Afghanistan since my college days, but more seriously, I have monitored it since 2014, when I first traveled to that country during the presidential elections as a reporter. Since 2014, I have written over 25 articles for different media on Afghanistan alone, following every major development. In 2019, I revisited Afghanistan during August-September to complete fieldwork as part of an ICSSR-IMPRESS sponsored Project on ‘Stakes of India’s Soft Power: Case Study of Afghanistan’ in the run-up to the presidential elections. I closely monitored the fall of the Republican government and the return of the Taliban as well, and I still keep a close eye on the new developments in Afghanistan.
Below is a glimpse of academic interventions:
Islam, Nazmul Md., and Reyaz, Mohammad (2022). Friend, Foe or Ally: The Post-Taliban 2.0 India’s Dilemma and Strategic Foreign Policy Logic Towards Afghanistan. In The Second Taliban Era in Afghanistan: Identifying Risks and Opportunities, edited by Osama Kubbar, Merve Seren and Rashid Hammad al-Naemi. Istanbul: Orion. [ISBN: 9786257294904].
Reyaz, M., and Ahamed, S. (2022). Scope and Limitations of Soft Power Diplomacy: A Quantitative Analysis of Afghans’ Perceptions about India. Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 150-176. https://www.doi.org/10.47305/JLIA2282150r. [eISSN: 1857-9760].
Reyaz, M. (2020). [Book Review] Afghanistan's Islam: From Conversion to the Taliban. Reading Religion: A Publication of the American Academy of Religion. https://readingreligion.org/books/afghanistans-islam . [eISSN 2475-207X]
Reyaz, M. (2018). Prospects of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline for India. Avrasya Dünyası/ Eurasian World, Year 2, No. 3, pp. 47-51. https://avim.org.tr/tr/Dergi/Avrasya-Dunyasi-Eurasian-World-1/3 . [ISSN: 2587-0920].
Below is a glimpse of articles I wrote in different media on Afghanistan (and related issues):
Al Jazeera English
TAPI pipeline: A new silk route or a pipe dream? http://goo.gl/aSeGrf
India Today
Have Taliban changed as much as Afghanistan over the last two decades?
MoneyControl
Who is responsible for the failure in Afghanistan? https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/opinion/who-is-responsible-for-the-failure-in-afghanistan-7361111.html
India Times
Will Afghanistan's 'Friend' India Be Left As The Biggest Loser In The Ongoing Taliban Talk? http://bit.do/ePgnJ
India Finally Appears Serious About Central Asia, Making Uzbekistan Its Gateway To The Region https://goo.gl/jAHtgo
DailyO:
Donald Trump Mocks Narendra Modi and India: The US President Needs a Fact-Check and a Lesson in History https://goo.gl/C79Hbt
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit: Kabul wants more from India, but will New Delhi take risks? https://goo.gl/AE8JVQ
Twin blasts in Kabul: Why terrorists are targeting the fledgling Afghan media https://goo.gl/puLsbC
TAPI pipeline signals a new phase in regional cooperation http://goo.gl/AdWmuQ
Heart of Asia: Ashraf Ghani echoed Afghanistan's anger at Pakistan, not Modi’s https://goo.gl/D9AMEH
Is Afghanistan descending into era of civil war again? https://goo.gl/UZBBGJ
Modi's 'friendship dam' is historic for Afghanistan https://goo.gl/FBC4Fm
Real winners of World T20 are Afghan players https://goo.gl/wEvtcX
Afghanistan represents victory of India's soft power http://goo.gl/ocAanP
FirstPost:
Afghanistan Prez's visit: Ghani dispels India's concern over his govt's pro-Pakistan tilt http://goo.gl/xkC9vE
Afghanistan Prez's India visit: Can Modi-Ghani bring back the old spark in Indo-Afghan relations? http://goo.gl/pSfw3S
Scroll:Afghanistan's new government is good news for India http://scroll.in/article/680456
Afghan Zariza:Beyond Blue Burqas and Taliban http://goo.gl/Ltfws4
Tehelka:Second Round Will Decide Afghanistan’s President http://goo.gl/2oN74g
DNA:
Is the US brokered agreement for a 'national unity government' in Afghanistan the silver lining in a dark cloud? http://goo.gl/NMCS6U
Afghanistan’s fate uncertain after allegations of fraudulent voting mar electoral celebration http://goo.gl/WJIWMW
Battle for Kabul: Will Abdullah Abdullahsucceed President Karzai in Afghanistan? http://goo.gl/zgk4Uf
Why India is the talk of the town in Afghanistan this election season http://goo.gl/9lwEsz
In Afghanistan run-off imminent between Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai http://goo.gl/COHaX8
No clear front-runner in Afghanistan presidential election. http://goo.gl/jNSDAE
Afghanistan keen on April 5 presidential poll despite repeated terror attacks http://goo.gl/9Mghqw
Ethnic allegiance remains strong ahead of Afghanistan presidential elections http://goo.gl/eHsZ3l
TwoCircles.net:
Afghanistan sees first democratic transition amidst ‘sigh of relief,’ hope from the new government, and nostalgia for Karzai era http://goo.gl/qba2l2
Resilient Afghans come out in large number despite Taliban threats http://goo.gl/gyPw9G
Nostalgia for Karzai era grips many Afghans http://goo.gl/aPR8oy
Abdullah leading in partial election result, Ghani still not out of the race http://goo.gl/dvOCVc
Afghanistan heads for run-off between Abdullah and Ghani http://goo.gl/8M8Drr
Pleasantly surprised by political awareness and hospitality of Afghans: Kashmiri Editor working in Kabul http://goo.gl/uK9lw