Acknowledgements
Producing ethnographic research is not a lonely matter as many people are involved, even in a project that, on paper, is carried out by a single person. I have relied on the goodwill and assistance of my informants, who let me into their lives to do research. Ethnography is collaborative, and thus, my informants—some of whom have chosen to remain anonymous—have taken part in producing the knowledge contained in this book. I hope the analysis and perspective I offer will be enriching. Likewise, I am indebted to Marie Skovgaard who broke with convention and gave me access to her video library while shooting her documentary The Reformist.
Some of my best ideas have emerged and grown in conversations with my PhD supervisor Jonas Otterbeck. I have seldom left your office without being inspired—or maybe even with an urge—to read a book or two that you have recommended. Thank you for your commitment and care, for always giving so generously of your time, and for continuously challenging my ideas in a way that sparks curiosity. You made this a fun, interesting, and exciting experience.
I would also like to thank my co-supervisors, Johan Cato and Brian Arly Jacobsen, for bringing in perspectives that at first seemed foreign to me, but I learned a lot in the process. Your feedback made this a better and theoretically more balanced study.
Working at Lund University has been inspiring, and even if one formally only has a single supervisor, everyone seems to make their time and knowledge available. I have received a great deal of inspiration from Anne-Christine Hornborg who has continually sparked my curiosity on ritual studies by recommending books and articles, while also discussing my observations in the Mariam Mosque. Similarly, I would like to thank Hege Irene Markussen for her support when fieldwork became difficult and I needed to discuss ethical issues related to the project.
In addition to the few named individuals, I have received feedback from colleagues at seminars and conferences in Sweden, Denmark, and abroad. You are too numerous to mention individually, but I greatly appreciate your input and ideas.
And finally, thank you to Anders Ackfeldt who told me about the funding opportunities at Lund University while killing time in the back seat of a police car in the Yemen. Without our adventure—and the unfortunate misunderstanding that got us in trouble—I would not have known about the opportunities that Lund has to offer.