About Belonging Flexibly
Belonging Flexibly is curated by Moska Najib, an award-winning photographer, with the input of Magnus Marsden (Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Asia Centre at the University of Sussex), Vera Skvirskaja (Associate Professor, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Copenhagen University), and Paul Anderson (HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal University Associate Professor in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge).
The exhibition stems from the Afterlives of Urban Muslim Asia project at the University of Sussex, University of Cambridge, and Copenhagen University. Funded by the AHRC, the project maps the migratory trajectories of non-Muslim residents in major cities in the region and explores the attachments these communities maintain with their cities of origin and their Muslim populations. It aims to offer critical insights into forms of belonging that transcend sectarian and national identity, fostering a deeper understanding of cultural heritage. All images featured in this project were produced between 2018-2019 (Afghanistan) and 2022-2024.
For more on the Afterlives project, click Learn More.
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Magnus
Marsden
is Professor of Social Anthropology and Director of the Sussex Asia Centre at the University of Sussex. He is a specialist of Muslim Asia and has conducted long-term research in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. His research has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, a European Research Council Advanced Grant, Research England and the AHRC.
His publications include Living Islam: Muslim ReligiousExperience in North West Pakistan (Cambridge, 2005),Fragments of the Afghan Frontier (Hurst, 2012, with Benjamin D. Hopkins), Trading Worlds: Afghan Merchants across Modern Frontiers (Oxford, 2016) and Beyond the Silk Roads: Trade, Mobility and Geopolitics across Eurasia (Cambridge, 2021). He has recently conducted intensive archival research on the history and development of the Karakul fur trade and is working on two monographs that explore the insights of this material for understanding the ongoing legacies of Afghanistan and Central Asia’s history of urban cosmopolitanism.
Dr Vera Skvirskaja
is a social anthropologist interested in post-Soviet society (mainly Ukraine, Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus), minorities, trade and migration as well as heritage, justice and ideology.
She gained her PhD in social anthropology at the University of Cambridge. She is affiliated with the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen.
Magnus
Marsden
is Professor of Social Anthropology and Director of the Sussex Asia Centre at the University of Sussex. He is a specialist of Muslim Asia and has conducted long-term research in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. His research has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust,
a European Research Council Advanced Grant, Research England
and the AHRC.
His publications include Living Islam: Muslim ReligiousExperience in North West Pakistan (Cambridge, 2005),Fragments of the Afghan Frontier (Hurst, 2012, with Benjamin D. Hopkins), Trading Worlds: Afghan Merchants across Modern Frontiers (Oxford, 2016)
and Beyond the Silk Roads: Trade, Mobility and Geopolitics across Eurasia (Cambridge, 2021). He has recently conducted intensive archival research on the history and development of the Karakul fur trade and is working on two monographs that explore the insights of this material for understanding the ongoing legacies of Afghanistan and Central Asia’s history of urban cosmopolitanism.
Dr Paul Anderson
is the Prince Alwaleed Associate Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, the Assistant Director of the Centre of Islamic Studies, and a Fellow of Darwin College at the University of Cambridge. He is a social anthropologist interested in Syria and the Syrian diaspora, trade, migration and intersection of economic, religious and political life. He gained his PhD in social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh and his BA(Hons) in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford.
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Moska
Najib
is a writer and visual storyteller, blending her Afghan heritage into her creative works. With over a decade of experience in storytelling and media production, she founded Act Five, a consultancy specialising in crafting compelling human stories through various media. Born in Kabul and raised in India, Moska has a background as a Broadcast Journalist for BBC, has contributed to The Guardian, and is a co-author of a travel guidebook on Afghanistan.
Her photography series, ‘From Kabul to Kolkata,’ explores migration themes and has been exhibited across South Asia, Europe, and the US. Dedicated to reshaping global perceptions, Moska's work celebrates Afghan culture and bridges cultural divides, making her a vital voice in contemporary media.
Dr Vera Skvirskaja
is a social anthropologist interested in post-Soviet society (mainly Ukraine, Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus), minorities, trade and migration as well as heritage, justice and ideology.
She gained her PhD in social anthropology at the University of Cambridge. She is affiliated with the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen.
Dr Paul Anderson
is the Prince Alwaleed Associate Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, the Assistant Director of the Centre of Islamic Studies, and a Fellow of Darwin College at the University of Cambridge. He is a social anthropologist interested in Syria and the Syrian diaspora, trade, migration and intersection of economic, religious and political life. He gained his PhD in social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh and his BA(Hons) in Arabic and Islamic Studies
at the University of Oxford.
_JPG.jpg)
Moska
Najib
is a writer and visual storyteller, blending her Afghan heritage into her creative works. With over a decade of experience in storytelling and media production, she founded Act Five, a consultancy specialising in crafting compelling human stories through various media. Born in Kabul and raised in India, Moska has a background as a Broadcast Journalist for BBC, has contributed to The Guardian, and is a co-author of a travel guidebook on Afghanistan.
Her photography series, ‘From Kabul to Kolkata,’ explores migration themes and has been exhibited across South Asia, Europe, and the US. Dedicated to reshaping global perceptions, Moska's work celebrates Afghan culture and bridges cultural divides, making her a vital voice in contemporary media.