Blasphemy, Language and Social Meaning: Rethinking Religious Controversy in Pakistan

This lecture examines how blasphemy in Pakistan is not only a legal issue but also a deeply embedded social and linguistic phenomenon. It explores how accusations emerge through everyday language, public discourse, and media narratives, and how these are shaped by religious sensibilities and social structures. By moving beyond formal legal analysis, the talk highlights the role of communication, interpretation, and collective imagination in shaping contemporary controversies around religion.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Shahbaz Manj is Founding Chairperson of the Department of Islamic Studies at the University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan, and currently serves as a Visiting Professor at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany. His research focuses on Islamic intellectual history, Qur’anic interpretation, and the socio-legal dynamics of Islam in South Asia, with particular attention to contemporary debates in Pakistan.