Muhammad Asif

Since his masters, Muhammad Asif has been working on vigilantism, lynching, and policing. He completed his masters and MPhil at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, and later earned his PhD from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He has received several scholarships and fellowships. First, he was awarded a fellowship from the International Development Research Centre of Canada during his two-year MPhil. Then, he secured a fully funded scholarship for his PhD at the University of Amsterdam. Recently, he obtained a postdoctoral fellowship for one academic year at the University of Toronto. He has published numerous research articles in prestigious journals, such as The British Journal of Criminology, Theoretical Criminology, and the European Journal of Criminology.

Refereed Publications

• Asif, M. (2024). "Integration and significance of multiple factors toward the approval of vigilantism." Under review.
• Asif, M., Fazal. H., Sarfraz, M., & Ali, H. (2024). "Investigating the moderators in the relationship between righteous anger and support for lynching." Asian Journal of Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-024-09444-y
• Tankebe, J., & Asif, M. (2024). "Can police prevent vigilantism through anti- corruption reforms? Evidence from an experimental vignette study." Under review.
• Asif, M., Fazal. H., & Akbar, M. S. (2024). "Legitimacy of the courts: Evidence from a survey in Punjab, Pakistan." International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1080/01924036.2024.2310174
• Asif, M., Weenink, D., & Mascini, P. (2023). "Engineering Vengeful Effervescence: Lynching Rituals and Religious–Political Power in Pakistan." The British Journal of Criminology, 63(6), 1441-1459. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azac106
• Asif, M. (2023). "Police legitimacy and approval of vigilante violence: The significance of anger." Theoretical Criminology, 27(2), 305-325. https://doi.org/10.1177/13624806221101369
• Asif, M., & Weenink, D. (2022). "Vigilante Rituals Theory: A cultural Explanation of vigilante violence." European Journal of Criminology, 19 (2), 163-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370819887518
• Tankebe, J., & Asif, M. (2016). "Police legitimacy and support for vigilante violence in Pakistan." International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 40(4), 295-314. https://doi.org/10.1080/01924036.2016.1217425
• Jackson, J., Asif, M., Bradford, B., & Zakar, M. Z. (2014). "Corruption and Police Legitimacy in Lahore, Pakistan." The British Journal of Criminology, 54(6), 1067-1088. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azu069

Papers Accepted and Presented

• 2024 (August). "Integration and significance of multiple factors toward the approval of vigilantism." Presented at the 119th annual meeting of American Sociological Association, Montreal, Canada.
• 2023 (June). "Public Approval of Vigilante Violence in Pakistan." Accepted at the ISA World Congress of Sociology, Melbourne, Australia.
• 2023 (June). "Justification and Legitimacy of Police Violence: A Cultural Explanation." Accepted at the ISA World Congress of Sociology, Melbourne, Australia.
• 2023 (April). "Public Approval of Vigilante Violence in Pakistan." Accepted at the annual conference of the British Sociological Association, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
• 2023 (April). "Justification and Legitimacy of Police Violence: A Cultural Explanation." Accepted at the annual conference of the British Sociological Association, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
• 2020 (April). "How does the crowd turn violent? A qualitative study of lynching incidents in Pakistan." Accepted at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Washington, D.C., United States.
• 2018 (July). "Vigilante violence: A cultural explanation." Presented at the annual meeting of the British Society of Criminology, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
• 2018 (June). "Vigilante violence: A cultural explanation." Presented at Stockholm Criminology Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden.