Categories : Academic items
Shii News – Academic Items
1.HYBRID Summer Schools: “Ottoman Paleography” & “Ottoman Diplomatica” of the “Archive Languages Training Program”, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, Istanbul, 8-31 July 2025
The classes will be held between 09.00-12.30 (UTC +3 Istanbul) on Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday.
Deadline for applications: 30 May 2025. Information: https://mailchi.mp/mediterraneanseminar/enroll-ottoman-paleography-ottoman-diplomatica-summer-school-istanbul-831-july?e=82aeb6c61d
2. Exhibition – “MAMLOUKS 1250-1517” – Musée du Louvre
The Musée du Louvre presents, for the first time in Europe, an important exhibition dedicated to the Mamluk Sultanate.
MAMLOUKS 1250-1517
Main exhibition Hall (Hall Napoléon), Musée du Louvre, Paris
From April 30 to July 28, 2025
Institutional curator: Souraya Noujaim, Director of the Islamic Art Department
Scientific curator: Carine Juvin, Curator for the Medieval Near East collections
The exhibition gathers 260 objects from around 40 international institutions.
It is accompanied with a catalogue, edited by Carine Juvin : Mamlouks 1250-1517, Musée du Louvre/ Skira, 2025, 360 p., ISBN : 2370742674. The book gathers contributions from numerous specialists: Omniya Abdel Barr, Iman R. Abdulfattah, Julien Auber de Lapierre, Thomas Bauer, Doris Behrens-Abouseif, Agnès Carayon, Moya Carey, Amélie Chekroun, Hadrien Collet, Anna Contadini, Damien Coulon, Alice Croq, Kristof D’hulster, Shireen Ellinger, Mathieu Eychenne, Gwenaëlle Fellinger, Finbarr Barry Flood, Noah Gardiner, Carine Juvin, Miriam Kühn, Adeline Laclau, Boris Liebrenz, Julien Loiseau, Clément Moussé, Souraya Noujaim, Alison Ohta, Stéphane Pradines, Nasser Rabbat, Mariam Rosser-Owen, Camille Rouxpetel, Noha Sadek, Maria Sardi, Rachel Sarfati, Vera-Simone Schulz, Élodie Vigouroux, Rachel Ward.
A related conference, Mamluk art: attributions, evolutions will be organized on June 23, 2025, at Musée du Louvre, Centre Dominique-Vivant Denon (limited capacity room) with Omniya Abdel Barr, Doris Behrens-Abouseif, Annabelle Collinet, Shireen Ellinger, Carine Juvin, Corinne Mühlemann, Élodie Vigouroux, Rosalind Wade-Haddon, Rachel Ward.
The exhibition will travel for a second venue at Louvre Abu Dhabi, from September 17, 2025 to January 25, 2026, in a slightly revised version, accompanied with a different catalogue, edited by Carine Juvin, featuring numerous international contributors: Mamluks. the Legacy of an Empire, Louvre Abu Dhabi/Kaph, 2025 (Arabic, English, French versions).
Contact Information
Carine Juvin, Curator for Medieval Near East, Department of Islamic Art, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
Contact Email
3. UCLA Bilingual Lecture Series – Farhad Khosrokhavar
The Mahsa Movement and the Feminist Uprising in Iran
Farhad Khosrokhavar
Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 11:30 am
Lecture in Persian
Zoom Registration:
https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HxPN8qGWQuSbj1Y1WO9TRQ
4. Online Workshops. HIAA: Dialogs with Islamic Art: Hamra Abbas and Varunika Saraf. April 25. 9:00am Los Angeles / 12:00pm NYC / 9:30pm Hyderabad.
Join HIAA for a conversation between two contemporary South Asian artists—Hamra Abbas (w. Lahore, Pakistan) and Varunika Saraf (w. Hyderabad, India)—as they discuss their recent work, their relationship to the history of Islamic art, and the urgency of beauty and care in their turbulent present. Moderated by Sylvia W. Houghteling and Meghaa Parvathy Ballakrishnen.
To register: https://temple.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEim4Cw8QNWvd8C1dcng4w
5. NEW SERIES FROM MAZDA PUBLISHERS
Mazda Publishers – Bibliotheca Iranica: Americans in Iran/Persia Collection
From the 18th to the early 20th centuries, Persia (modern-day Iran) attracted a modest but notable number of American travelers, including missionaries, diplomats, scholars, and adventurers. Although overshadowed by the more prominent European presence in the region, these Americans played a unique role in cultural exchange and early U.S.–Persia relations. Many recorded their observations in travelogues that reflected both fascination and misunderstanding.
One of the earliest and most influential groups of Americans in Persia were Christian missionaries. Arriving in the mid-19th century, particularly through the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, they focused their efforts on Assyrian and Armenian Christian communities in northwestern Persia. These missionaries established schools, medical clinics, and printing presses. Their presence introduced aspects of modern education and medicine to certain areas, but also stirred tensions, as they were often perceived by locals as agents of foreign—and at times, disruptive—influence.
Diplomatic missions also contributed to American engagement with Persia. By the late 19th century, the United States began formalizing relations with the Qajar dynasty. American diplomats and consuls, though relatively few in number, reported on Persia’s internal politics, trade opportunities, and strategic significance—especially as the country found itself entangled in the imperial rivalry between Britain and Russia. These reports fostered a growing, though still limited, American interest in the Middle East.
Among individual travelers, some of the most vivid accounts came from American adventurers, archaeologists, and educators. One such figure was Howard Baskerville, a young teacher from Nebraska who became directly involved in Persian affairs. During the Constitutional Revolution of 1905–1911, he joined the movement in Tabriz and died in battle, becoming a local hero and a rare symbol of American solidarity with Persian aspirations for democracy.
Overall, while the American presence in Persia during this period was limited in scale, it was significant in influence. Their experiences—documented in letters, memoirs, and official reports—reveal a complex blend of idealism, cultural bias, and sincere curiosity. These early encounters laid the groundwork for the longer and sometimes contentious relationship between Iran and the United States in the 20th century.
Mazda Publishers is proud to announce the launch of a new collection of books focusing on this subject. These volumes highlight the contributions and firsthand accounts of American travelers in Iran/Persia over the past several centuries. What truly motivated these journeys—religious conviction, commercial interest, or political involvement? Whatever the reasons, one of the most valuable outcomes of their writings is the vivid and detailed portrait they offer of Persian society during this transformative era.
These memoirs and observations contain highly valuable material for scholars and researchers studying Iranian and Persian history from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
6. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SEMINAR IN ARABIC STUDIES
4/23 Magical Realism in Jordan and Egypt with Caroline Seymour-Jorn
upcoming meeting with Professor Caroline Seymour-Jorn this Wednesday (4/23) at 7pm EST in Faculty House. The talk is titled Magical Realism in Jordan and Egypt: Interrogating Indigeneity, Colonialism and Futurity in the fiction of Samiha Khrais and Hani Abdel Mourid.
Please note that due to new regulations, non CUID holders will not be allowed into Faculty House without prior notice. If you intend to be present in-person and do not have a Columbia ID, please RSVP ASAP. If we don’t receive your RSVP we will not be able to let you in. You should receive a QR code before Wednesday morning–if not, please reply to this message. The talk will be live streamed here on ZOOM for guests who can’t make it in person.
We will begin at 7:00 pm. If you would like to join the speaker for dinner at 6:00 pm at Faculty House please RSVP to the seminar’s rapporteur (rma2152@columbia.edu). The cost of dinners is $30, payable via card or check. Attendees who are fasting may take their dinner into the seminar room.
- April 22, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.UCLA Bilingual Lecture Series – Touraj Atabaki & Lana Ravandi-Fadai
Fallen in the Whirlwind:
The Odyssey and Destiny of Iranian Victims of Stalinist Great Repression in the Soviet Union
Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 11:30 am PST via ZOOM
Zoom Registration:
https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rBjt0ANzRrSrmOOM7chltg
2. Call for Papers – Digital Methodologies
Digital Methodologies for the Study of Religion
25th June 2025, Coventry University
A Knowledge Exchange Symposium organised as part of the ESRC-funded Digital British Islam Project
Deadline for Abstracts: 15th May 2025
https://digitalbritishislam.com/call-for-papers-digital-methodologies/
3. Hybrid: UCLA – Pourdavoud Lecture Series with Gunvor Lindström
The Denavar Satyrs as Time Travelers:
From Ancient Persia to Greece, Rome, and 20th Century Collections
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 4:00pm Pacific
Royce Hall 306
Hybrid Zoom Option Available
4. Hybrid: UCLA – Global Antiquity Distinguished Speaker Series
Climate Change along the Silk Road?
Sitta von Reden
Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time
Royce Hall 306 and Via Zoom
5. Hybrid: UCLA – Pourdavoud Lecture Series with Wu Xin
Imperial Foundations of the Silk Road: Persian Roads and Han Walls
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 4:00pm Pacific
Royce Hall 306
Hybrid Zoom Option Available
6. IIS London – Hybrid: Conceptual Photography and the Craft of Reading Islamic Historical Texts Lecture
Please join us at 5 pm on Thursday, 24 April, for the next Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series session organised by the Institute of Ismaili Studies.
Professor Shahzad Bashir’s talk is titled “Conceptual Photography and the Craft of Reading Islamic Historical Texts”, with Prof. Amanda Lanzillo as discussant.
The event can be attended in person at the Aga Khan Centre in London and online (on Zoom). To join, please register at https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/conceptual-photography/
Abstract:
When historical texts are read, readers rely on their intellectual conditioning to understand and judge what such texts are conveying. In this experimental talk, Dr Shahzad Bashir utilises 19th-century Indian Islamic texts to suggest that anamorphism highlighted in concept-driven photography provides a useful analogy for seeing how historians’ narratives become containers for irreducibly complex worlds. Historians’ claims about the past are always equally valid and distortive, mirroring the way a two-dimensional image in a photograph captures a three-dimensional world. The analogy helps scholars appreciate historical knowledge as a particular form of truth that cannot be mapped to basic notions of objectivity, subjectivity, normativity, and so on.
7. The Spring 2025 issue of Journal18, an online journal dedicated to eighteenth-century art and culture, may be of interest to historians of Islamic art. The theme of the issue is Africa: Beyond Borders.
It can be accessed at:
ARTICLES
Between Europe and Africa: A Gift of Prestige in the Era of the Trade in Enslaved Africans
Ana Lucia Araujo
From Harar to Diu: Circulation and Reception of a Qur’anic Manuscript across the Indian Ocean
Sana Mirza
The Indian Madras Cloth and Elite Self-Fashioning in the Bight of Biafra
Eguono Lucia Edafioka
SHORTER PIECES
Forging Swahili Muslim Style: Material Culture from Pate Island (ca. 1750-ca. 1850)
Zulfikar Hirji
The Ujumbe of Mutsamudu, an Eighteenth-Century Swahili Stone House in the Comoros
Stéphane Pradines and Olivier Onezime
Arts of the Maghreb: North African Textiles and Jewelry – Curatorial Reflections
Helina Gebremedhen
URL
8. ONLINE Webinar on “Their Religion Was a Real and Living Thing”: Alan Villiers’ Interactions with Islam and Arabian Culture, 1938-39″ by Taibah Al-Fagih, Royal Museums Greenwich, 22 April 2025, 18:15 – 19:30 CET
Alan Villiers was a celebrated Australian author, photographer, and seafarer who spent his life seeking to extensively document maritime traditions around the world throughout the 20th century. He documented especially the rich sea-faring heritage in the Arabian Gulf in 1938-39. His photographic collection was studied by Taibah Al-Fagih.
Information and registration: https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/alan-villiers-interactions-islam-arabian
9. 2025 Assyrian Studies Symposium”, Arizona State University, 24-26 October 2025
By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration, we aim to push the boundaries of critical Assyrian Studies and contribute to a deeper and more just understanding of Assyrian history, culture, and identity. This is an
opportunity to challenge conventional perspectives, explore new research avenues, and elevate the field of Assyrian Studies to a central position in academic discourse.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 May 2025. Information: https://www.assyrianstudiesassociation.org/2025symposium
10. 4th Biennial Conference on Contemporary Iranian Studies: “Iranian Studies in the Contemporary Era”, University of Tehran, 27-28 October 2025
Main Topics: Contemporary history – Political science & international relations – Sociology & social transformations – Religions & theology – Art & cultural studies – New media & communication studies – Diaspora studies. Interdisciplinary and comparative studies are highly encouraged. Conference Languages: Persian & English.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 May 2025. Information: https://iranianstudies.ut.ac.ir/
11. Conference “Poetry and Knowledge: The Production and Transmission of Knowledge in Arabic Verse (1100–1800)”, Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Münster, 20-22 November 2025
We aim to explore the diverse strategies used to produce, convey, and disseminate knowledge through poetry. This may include, for example, the composition and structure of the poem, the choice of meter, stylistic devices, sonic and performative aspects, and the use of a specific technical lexicon. We hope this shift in perspective will instead enable a comprehensive analysis of the stylistic, structural, and functional features of the poems.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 June 2025.
Information: https://www.uni-muenster.de/ArabistikIslam/Forschen/Tagungen/poetry-and-knowledge.html
12. International Symposium: “A Century of Revolutions – Centennial of the Great Syrian Revolt (1925-2025)”, Maison méditerranéenne des sciences de l’homme (MMSH), Aix-en-Provence, 8-10 december 2025
We invite researchers from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences (history, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, political science, etc.) to submit proposals for papers (in English, French or Arabic) on the main themes: Anti-colonial ṯawrāt: rebels and locations of revolt. – Questions at a time of profound changes between two worlds (1918-1946. – From one ṯawra to another. – Rediscovering sources.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 June 2025. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20066275/cfp-century-revolutions-centennial-great-syrian-revolt-1925-2025
13. University Assistant Predoctoral (4 Years), Department of Islamic-Theological Studies, University of Vienna
Qualification: Completed Master’s degree in Islamic Theology or Religious Education or a comparable discipline. – Willingness and ability to engage in interdisciplinary and international discourse. – Didactic skills, experience in student supervision. – Good IT skills. – Excellent knowledge of English (C1) – High level of written and oral commu-nication skills.
Deadline for applications: 24 April 2025. Information: https://jobs.univie.ac.at/job/University-assistant-predoctoral-at-the-Department-of-Islamic-Theological-Studies/1186314001/
14. University Assistant Postdoctoral (4 Years), Department of Islamic-Theological Studies, University of Vienna
Qualification: Outstanding dissertation in Islamic-Theological Studies or a comparable discipline. – Research in the field of Islamic theology with a focus on its relevance for European societies. – Critical reflection on socio-political discourses on Islam. – Experience in research management. – Didactic skills and experience in e-learning – Good IT skills. – Excellent knowledge of English (C1).
Deadline for applications: 24 April 2025. Information: https://jobs.univie.ac.at/job/University-Assistant-postdoctoral-at-the-Department-of-Islamic-Theological-Studies/1186325501
15. “Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Postdoctoral Fellowship” (12-24 Months), Institute for Mediter-ranean Studies / Foundation of Research and Technology – Hellas (IMS/FORTH), Rethymno, Crete
Research fields: Ottoman History: preferably (but not exclusively) cultural, economic, political, and social Ottoman history. – Maritime History: maritime history in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, 17th-20th century. – Mediterranean and Global Economic and Social History: Social history of the 19th and 20th centuries, preferably in Mediterranean and Balkans and in topics relevant to labour history. Etc.
Deadline for applications: 10 May 2025. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20065744/institute-mediterranean-studiesforth-pre-call-applications-marie
16. ONLINE “11th Yemen Exchange – An Intensive Online Course on Yemen” Hosted by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies (SCSS), 5-16 May 2025
The course is designed to provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates, and analysis on Yemen for those seeking to develop a working background on the country as well as those already thoroughly versed in its dynamics. Participants will listen to Yemeni analysts, academics, politicians, bureaucrats, business leaders, and international experts to gain insight and rare first-hand knowledge about the country from a wide range of per-spectives.
Deadline for application: 30 April 2025. Information: https://sanaacenter.org/event/the-11th-yemen-exchange
17. Articles on “Within and Beyond Islam. Stories and Engagement of Young Muslims in Italy” for a Special Issue of the Journal “Occhialì – Rivista sul Mediterraneo islamico”
We invite both theoretical and empirical contributions that address a diverse array of themes and contexts pertaining to the lived experiences of second-generation Muslims in Italy. Key areas of exploration include: The dynamics of their relationship with Islam and Islamic communities; interactions with the broader Italian population; and engage-ments with media and political landscapes. Contributions may examine the implications of rising Islamophobia, etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 April 2025. Information: https://rivistaocchiali.com/cfp-no-17/
- April 19, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.”11th Islamic Legal Studies Conference” of the International Society for Islamic Legal Studies (ISILS), Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies & Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics”, University of Münster, 22-24 May 2025
Deadline for registration: 7 May 2025.
Information: https://isils.net/isils/conferences/the-xi-islamic-legal-studies-conference/
2. 2nd International Conference of the Persian Manuscript Association: “Listen to the Flute: Timurid Music and Its Transmissions Across the Persianate World”, SOAS, University of London, 20-21 September 2025
The aim of this conference is to cultivate a broader multidisciplinary discourse among musicologists, historians, philosophers, literary scholars, theologians, and art historians, with the goal of facilitating a comprehensive exploration of musical traditions, practices, and institutions in the Persianate world.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 May 2025. Information: https://persianmanuscripts.org/news/
3. We invite paper proposals for a panel on Symmetrical Structures and Patterns in Islamic Architecture, Poetry, and Imagination,for the 13th Congress of the Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Symmetry. The congress is scheduled to take place August 22-29, 2025, at the Orthodox Academy of Crete.
ABSTRACTS DUE MAY 1 to bier.carol@gmail.com and charleshowley1@g.ucla.edu.
Papers in the panel will be allotted 20 minutes, plus discussion. See below for a description of the panel and further details, including preparation of the abstract.
PANEL PROPOSAL: Symmetrical Structures and Patterns in Islamic Architecture, Poetry, and Imagination
Persian and Islamic lands witnessed an intense flourishing of art, architecture, mathematics, science and poetry beginning in the 9th century. From the poetry of Ferdowsi, Farrokhi Sistani, and Gorgani to the monuments of Bukhara, Isfahan, and Maragha, poetic, artistic, and architectural forms emerged that would become predominant throughout the Islamic world. At the same time, the translation and advancement of scientific, philosophical, and mathematical thought shaped an ‘Islamic Golden Age.’ Ghaznavid palaces were filled with poets and inscribed with poetry. Likewise, the Seljuk courts attracted literati and learned men of diverse backgrounds contributing to a vibrant intellectual environment.
In response to this rich cultural flourishing from the 9th-12th centuries, we envision an experimental gathering of scholars trained in different disciplines to provide interpretive insights and diverse perspectives on the use and significance of imagination in the arts and discourses of the pre-Mongol Islamic world. Papers will explore lines of thought that are literal, mathematical, and metaphorical with a view towards understanding how imagination figures in the articulation of worlds beyond that of the tangible.
This panel focuses on the symmetries of intricate geometric patterns executed in cut and glazed bricks on monuments in Iran and neighboring regions, considered in relation to Qur’anic passages and contemporary poetry. In particular, study of Nezami’s Haft Paykar, a literary masterpiece of enormous complexity and imagination, explores its architectural references and geometric structures. Together we raise questions for the interpretation of patterns in spatial and imaginative realms.
CONFERENCE DATES AND VENUE
August 22-29, 2025, Kolymbari, Crete, Greece
CONFERENCE COSTS (for your calculation and planning)
Airfare to/from Chania, Crete, Greece
Visa, if needed
Registration fee (before June 30) 350€, accompanying persons@ 100€
Conference fee (includes accommodation at the Orthodox Academy of Crete [room and full board], 8/22-29/2025)
double room 1170€ per person; single room 1480€ per person
For more detailed information, see https://sites.google.com/view/the-13th-sis-congress/booking
ABSTRACTS
There is a specific format required for submitted abstracts. A template is provided here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IkbZ1xHcsWBwtihXe49RkKvBwN9o0nqm
TIMELINE
May 1, 2025 – abstracts to bier.carol@gmail.com and charleshowley1@g.ucla.edu
May 4, 2025 – panel proposal with approved abstracts to conference organizers
June 1, 2025 – notification of acceptance of panel/abstracts
Jun 30, 2025 – payments due (by wire transfer) for conference registration and booking
Please note that conference registration and booking fees are non-refundable.
Carol Bier, Research Scholar, Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley CA
Charlotte Howley, PhD Student, Iranian Studies, University of California – Los Angeles CA
4. Boutheina Khaldi 4/17 Signs & Traces in al-Iṣfahānī’s Adab al-ghurabāʾ
Dear Members of the Arabic Studies Seminar and Friends,
Please find below the information regarding our upcoming meeting with Professor Boutheina Khaldi THIS Thursday (4/17) at 7pm EST in Faculty House. The talk is titled Signs and Traces in The Book of Strangers (Kitāb adab al- ghurabāʾ). Please note that due to new regulations, non CUID holders will not be allowed into Faculty House without prior notice. If you intend to be present in-person and do not have a Columbia ID, please RSVP ASAP. If we don’t receive your RSVP we will not be able to let you in. You should receive a QR code before Wednesday morning–if not, please reply to this message. The talk will be live streamed here on ZOOM for guests who can’t make it in person.
We will begin at 7:00 pm. If you would like to join the speaker for dinner at 6:00 pm at Faculty House please RSVP to the seminar’s rapporteur (rma2152@columbia.edu). The cost of dinners is $30, payable via card or check. Attendees who are fasting may take their dinner into the seminar room.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SEMINAR IN ARABIC STUDIES
Signs and Traces in The Book of Strangers (Kitāb adab al- ghurabāʾ)
Thursday, April 17, 2025
7 pm EST at Faculty House
Boutheina Khaldi
Abstract:
In Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī’s (d. 356/967) Adab al-ghurabāʾ, the concept of exile emerges as a human phenomenon portrayed in different colors and shapes, shown in writing as a means of declaring absence and documenting presence. This book includes anecdotes, stories, and short poems that had been engraved on walls and doors, leaving behind a mark for travelers and a trail for wanderers. Several reasons prompted the nomads to write down on the walls since there was no other way to escape their alienation, anguish and complaints except through writing. The talk primarily focuses on the writing on walls (graffiti) in Adab al-ghurabāʾ. This topic was based not only on its novelty and humor, but also on the paucity of prior studies that have been conducted on the subject. The studies and research which focus on the writings and graffiti inscribed on walls in general, and the ones which focus on the writing on walls in Arab culture in particular, were relatively scarce compared to the modern era wherein scholars and researchers have displayed an increased interest in this topic. The talk deals with the different manifestations of the concept of exile in outer space, and searches through traces/graffiti as they reveal a polyphonic, polysemic and multilayered text giving way for marginalized and alienated people to communicate, find their voices and make their presence heard.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/92597500745
5. Call for Abstracts
Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies
May 29-30, 2026
University of Toronto, Canada
The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies at the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University in collaboration with The Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University and the Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies program at Oklahoma State University jointly present the inaugural Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies.
The Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies will assemble scholars from various disciplines contributing to transnational and multidisciplinary Iranian Diaspora Studies, with a particular interest in South-South relations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. Panels and speakers are invited to present original research on topics related to the Iranian diaspora, including (but not limited to):
- Exploring diverse historical, artistic, literary, and cultural expressions of the global Iranian diaspora, including gender, class, ethnicity, generation, and overlapping identities (e.g., LGBTQ+, religious minorities, persons with disabilities)
- Comparative studies across Iranian diaspora communities, including between Iranian and other migrant groups
- Activism and social movements within the Iranian diaspora, including engagement with homeland politics
- The role of language and media in shaping Iranian diasporic identities
The conference organizers invite individual papers, pre-organized panels, and creative submissions that engage with the conference topics. To maximize the value of in-person exchanges, the conference will be held exclusively in-person. Presentations will be conducted in English. A limited number of travel grants may be available to graduate students on a competitive basis.
Abstracts are due May 30, 2025. Please send your title along with a 250-300 word abstract, a 100-word bio, and your contact information to: gidc.eomi@utoronto.ca. Be sure to include “Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies 2026” in the subject line of the email. Notification of acceptance will be sent by September 30, 2025.
Conference Committee:
Mohamad Tavakoli, University of Toronto
Persis Karim, San Francisco State University
Amy Malek, Oklahoma State University
Nima Naghibi, Toronto Metropolitan University
Amin Moghadam, Toronto Metropolitan University
Farzaneh Hemmasi, University of Toronto
6. Conference – ARABIC CODICOLOGY WEEK – PARIS, MAY 13-16, 2025
We are delighted to announce an exceptional week dedicated to the study of manuscripts and book culture in Arabic script in Paris. Two conferences will be held by the EPHE and the Collège de France.
Tuesday, May 13 & Wednesday, May 14
From Letters to Digits: The Legacy of Arabic Manuscripts in Contemporary Studies – 2nd Escorial Arabic Codicology Alumni Meeting
Organized by Nuria de Castilla (EPHE-PSL)
- May 13: Collège de France, Room D2
11, place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris - May 14: Bibliothèque nationale de France Richelieu, Salle des Conférences
2, rue de Vivienne, 75002 Paris
Registration: mss.arabicscript@gmail.com
Thursday, May 15 & Friday, May 16
The Book in the Islamicate World: History and Techniques
Organized by François Déroche (Collège de France)
- May 15: Salle Halbwachs, Collège de France
11, place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris - May 16: Amphithéâtre Delmas-Marty, Collège de France
11, place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris
Free admission, subject to seating availability
An opportunity to engage with Arabic-script manuscripts through multidisciplinary lens, bringing together codicology, history, philology, and digital approaches and to foster intergenerational and cross-disciplinary exchange on the history of the Arabic manuscript book.
Contact Email
URL
https://www.academia.edu/128064279/From_Letters_to_Digits_The_Legacy_of_Arabic_…
- April 15, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Eleventh Conference of the School of Mamluk Studies, London, May 8-10, 2025
David Sizer Lecture Theatre, Mile End Campus, Queen Mary University London
REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE UNTIL APRIL 25, 2025
If you want to attend, please first register here: https://mamluk.uchicago.edu/sms2025attend.html
Then follow this link to proceed to payment: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/school-of-mamluk-studies-conference-2025-tickets-1206799593069
For more info: https://mamluk.uchicago.edu/sms-conference.html
2. Online Lecture – “Geometry in Islamic Art: Number, Shape, and the Nature of Space,” Carol Bier, Virtual Islamic Art History Seminar Series, April 15
The final talk of the Virtual Islamic Art History Seminar Series for the spring 2025 semester, will take place on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 9:00 Berkeley / 12:00 New York / 17:00 London / 19:00 Istanbul.
Carol Bier (Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union) will present “Geometry in Islamic Art: Number, Shape, and the Nature of Space.”
To attend, please make sure to register in advance here:
https://wellesley.zoom.us/meeting/register/pQCnTcDFQnOlMVLtV402mA
Upon registration, you’ll receive the link to access the lecture.
3. Zahra Institute – Zoom: “Imaginaries of Shingal as a Landscape of Resistance-Narratives around Yezidi Shrines Since the ISIS Genocide”
Wednesday, 30 April: 12pm Central / 1pm Eastern
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/93743788619?pwd=L9YZaH1Bbdcd5Kyud91OuaayMxAZOa.1
Benjamin Raßbach (Ph.D., Leipzig University) is a postdoctoral researcher at the Orient-Institute Beirut. His research focuses on politics of autonomy, material cultures and knowledge production among various Middle Eastern minority groups and political organizations.
https://www.zahrainstitute.org/
4. Kamran Djam Lectures 2025
The Wisdom of Iran: From the Gāthās of Zarathushtra to the Masnavī of Rūmī
Two Lectures by Professor Alan Williams, The University of Manchester
7–8 May 2025
Lecture 1: 6.30pm, Wednesday 7 May. Followed by a reception.
The Wisdom of the Gāthic tradition in Pahlavi literature: Dēnkard VI (9th Century A.C.)
In 1979 Shaul Shaked published his Wisdom of the Sasanian Sages (Dēnkard VI), which was a revised version of his own doctoral thesis on Pahlavi andarz (gnomic) literature (1964). Shaked had foreshadowed the bold ideas of his thesis about the gnomic aphorisms of Dēnkard VI in an article with the controversial title ‘Esoteric trends in Zoroastrianism’ (Jerusalem, 1969).
This latter article did not meet with much favour among Western scholars at the time. In this lecture, 56 years after its first publication, there will be a further consideration of Shaked’s ideas about ‘esoteric trends’ in Zoroastrianism and andarz literature in general.
Lecture 2: 6.30pm, Thursday 8 May
Wisdom in the Masnavī of Mowlānā Jalāloddīn Rūmī Balkhī (1207-1273)
Rūmī is a Persian ‘Sūfī’ poet who has been afforded ‘saintly’ status in the Muslim world, and is nowadays fêted globally as the epitome of mystical knowledge and love. Yet, in the Masnavi, Rūmī appears as a Ḥanafī Muslim who cites from the Qur’ān and Ḥadīth countless times. The question whether Rūmī himself was ‘orthodox’, on the one hand, or ‘antinomian’ and unorthodox, remains a live issue for Muslims.
Also, it is possibly of concern to many influenced by the ‘versions’ of those who edit out Rūmī’s Muslim background and depict him as a ‘universalist’ thinker whose poetry transcends religious boundaries and categories.
5. University of Maryland 2025 Summer Language Institute in Arabic and Persian
https://sllc.umd.edu/special-programs/arabic-persian/summer-langage-institutes
6. Study Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish at MEDLI this summer (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
The Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute (MEDLI), formerly known as the Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Language Institute (APTLI) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offers high-quality, proficiency-based courses in 4 languages for undergraduates, graduate students, and adult learners. Our 8-week programs are the equivalent of one year of study. Students learn speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills though classroom instruction and a full range of co-curricular activities. Students will receive 8 credits and a letter grade (A-F) after completing the program. MEDLI participants must complete both 4-week sessions for a total of 8 weeks. Courses meet Monday-Friday, 9-11am and 12-2pm (CST), from June 16 – August 8, 2025.
Funding is available to cover ½ of tuition for all applicants.
About MEDLI: https://medli.wisc.edu/
Application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf99qeeSMJea24N4Ws_JHY1KXL99pTzQsE0zH3fWm6PI2HxiA/viewform
7. The full programme, abstracts and free registration for our 2-day global online conference Proofs for God’s Existence in Islamic Thought, hosted by Cambridge Muslim College on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April, is available through the following link: https://www.cambridgemuslimcollege.ac.uk/research/existence/
8. AMEWS Book Award
The Association for Middle East Women’s Studies (AMEWS) Book Award recognizes and promotes excellence in the field of Middle East gender, women’s and sexuality studies. Books published (copyrighted) in 2024 will be considered for the 2025 award. The competition is open only to books published in English. The winner is recognized at the annual meeting of the Middle East Studies Association and receives a monetary prize. Other books deemed exceptional may receive an honorable mention.
Copies of the nominated book must also be sent to the individual Award Committee members (3 in total) listed below under “Instructions.” Works submitted without an accompanying nomination form and book copies will not be considered–both are required.
The deadline to submit the nomination form and the three copies of each nominated book is June 17, 2024. If you have any questions about the book award process, please contact Ellen McLarney at ellenmc@duke.edu with any questions.
Requirements:
- Books published between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 are eligible for this year’s award.
- Books must be non-fiction scholarly monographs based on original research. Works that are not eligible include edited collections and compilations, proceedings of symposia, new editions of previously published books, bibliographies, dictionaries, textbooks, and surveys.
- Books that have already been nominated for this book award cannot be renominated.
To Nominate a Book:
- The deadline is June 15, 2025
- Send copies of the book to each of the three members of the committee (information below).
- The books should be postmarked by June 1, 2025.
Instructions:
Mail one copy of the nominated book to the members of the Book Award Committee:
Ellen McLarney
3901 Darby Road
Durham, NC 27707
Amy Kallander
145 Eggers Hall
Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 13244
Hatoon Alfassi
7252 al-Hamawi Street
AlNafel, Riyadh 13312, Saudi Arabia
hatoon.alfassi@manchester.ac.uk
The nomination is not complete until each member of the committee receives a copy of the nominated book, which should be postmarked by June 1, 2025 to ensure delivery by June 15, 2025. Books cannot be returned.
9. Moroccan Book-making and Manuscript Production: Approaches to Materials, Traditions and Functions (Inperson/online)
14 – 15 April – Qatar National Library is organizing this academic symposium that will bring together a distinguished group of experts and scholars. The symposium will explore the history of book-making (wiraqah) in Morocco and the Maghreb, delving into traditions of authorship and copying, the evolution of materials used in writing, and their impact on the circulation of knowledge.
Key topics of the symposium
- Authorship, copying, editing and textual verification traditions in Morocco, and the role of scribes and bookmakers (warraqon) in the transmission of learning
- The history of libraries and their role in manuscript preservation
- Materials used in writing: parchment, paper and inks
- Maghrebi and Andalusian scripts: their varieties and historical development
- The aesthetics of Moroccan manuscripts: illumination, decoration and binding
- Paratexts: marginalia, ownership and documentation notes
Event page details and registration: https://events.qnl.qa/event/gowvd/EN
Contact Email
URL
https://events.qnl.qa/event/gowvd/EN
10. ONLINE Panel Discussion: “Freedom of Speech, Trump and Campus Repression: The Case of Badar Khan Suri”, Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), Georgetown University, 14 April 2025, 22:00 h CET
Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown, was seized by federal agents outside of his apartment. Nearly a dozen known students and faculty members have been detained by the Trump Administration in recent weeks. More than 300 visas and green cards have been revoked. How can we best understand this assault on freedom of speech in the United States? What political and constitutional principles are at stake in this crisis?
Information and registration: https://georgetown.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DiwuSWE5T6yc_cUpNqTfqQ?#/registration
11. The Persian Manuscripts Association offers a £1000 research grant to support innovative scholarly projects focused on any aspect of Persian studies. This grant aims to foster research that explores the rich cultural, artistic, linguistic, and historical aspects of Persian studies.
The grant is open to postgraduate and independent researchers working on wide-ranging topics related to any discipline as applied to Persian studies. The funds may be used to support research activities such as archival visits, publication costs, or for the organisation of scholarly workshops. Projects concentrated on Persian manuscripts are prioritised, but everyone is welcome to apply.
Deadline for abstracts: 16 May 2025. Information: https://persianmanuscripts.org/grants/
12. Ferdowsi PhD Dissertation Award
The Persian Manuscripts Association awards an annual Dissertation Award to recognize outstanding doctorate research in Persian studies. This award is part of the PMA’s broader commitment to fostering scholarship of the Persianate world across wide-ranging fields of study, and celebrating the intellectual traditions of the Persian-speaking world. The prize aims to support early-career scholars and promote high-quality research on regions ranging from Iran to Central Asia and beyond.
Eligible dissertations must be written in English or Persian and submitted between January 2023 and December 2024. In addition to the cash prize, winners have the opportunity to publish in the PMA’s academic journal, Shamsa.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2025. Information: https://persianmanuscripts.org/grants/
- April 12, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.HYBRID Roundtable “Sufism from Medieval to Early Modern Era: Recent Studies and Emerging Perspectives” by Professor Ilyass Bouzghaia (Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University), Ottoman and Turkish Studies Initiative, New York University, 17 April 2025, 23:30 h CET
This roundtable brings together scholars specializing in Sufism from the medieval to early modern periods. Its primary aim is to foster a collaborative and productive environment where researchers working on related themes can exchange ideas and engage in in-depth discussions on recent developments and challenges in the field of Sufi studies.
Information and registration:
https://as.nyu.edu/research-centers/neareaststudies/events/spring-2025/ots-template.html
2. International Conference: “Exploring the Meanings of the Holy Quran through Translation and the Role of Emerging Technologies”, Al-Zahra College for Women, Muscat, 3-5 November 2025
The conference will explore innovative solutions and technological tools that can help produce translations that resonate with contemporary audiences while preserving the noble message of the Quran. Themes: Historical perspectives in the translation of the Holy Quran. – Methods and approaches in the translation of the Holy Quran. – Culture in/of the translation of the Holy Quran. – Innovations and emerging technologies in the translation of the Holy Quran
Deadline for abstracts: 15 May 2025. Information: https://www.zcw.edu.om/Research/First-International-Conference-On-QuranTranslation/Scientific-Research-Council.aspx
3. International conference “Forms of (Un)Freedom: Emancipation and Post-slavery in the Red Sea Region”, Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin, 13-14 November 2025
Deadline for abstracts: 1 May 2025.
Information: https://networks.h-net.org/system/files/attachments/call-papersred-sea-workshopnovember-2025.pdf
4. Associate Senior Lecturer in History with Specialisation in Middle Eastern History, Lund University
Qualifications: You hold a doctoral degree or have corresponding research expertise in history that is of value in view of the subject matter of the position and the duties that it will involve. We will primarily prioritise those applicants who have been awarded a doctoral degree after 18 May 2018.
Deadline for applications: 19 May 2025. Information: https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:798426/
5. ONLINE Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar: “Reading Ottoman Turkish”, 9-12 June 2025
This course will introduce participants to the Ottoman language, it’s alphabet, calligraphic styles, basic grammar and structure, as well as an overview of changes over time. The course will focus on primary sources often used by historians and the paleographic challenges they present.
Deadline for applications: 28 April 2025.
Information: https://www.mediterraneanseminar.org/overview-islamic-legal-texts-2025
6. ONLINE Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar: “Islamic Legal Texts: In Depth”, 11-14 August 2025
The seminar is focused on developing the skill of reading Islamic legal texts as opposed to surveying Islamic legal doctrines. It is designed for beginners seeking to build their capacity to investigate Islamic law. Professor Ali will lead participants in a methodical reading of an introduction to Islamic law. Participants will read the chapters on legal obligation (taklīf) and ritual purity (ṭahāra) in Durūs tamhīdiyya fī l-fiqh al-istidlālī by Muḥammad Bāqir al-Īrawānī (b. 1949).
Deadline for applications: 28 April 2025.
Information: https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?e=82aeb6c61d&u=e1ae5bef9757e58afec01a89a&id=62e3b6f14f
7. Job advertisement: Lecturer in Islamic Studies
Theology and Religious Studies
School of Critical Studies
University of Glasgow
Grade 7/8, R&T
For more details, visit: https://www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/lecturer-in-islamic-studies-r-and-t
For informal inquiries, please contact Head of Theology and Religious Studies, Dr Mia Spiro, mia.spiro@glasgow.ac.uk .
Closing date: 27 April 2025.
8. CfP: South Asia and the Neighboring World in the Mughal Period:
Intellectual and Material Exchanges
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Marseille
December 10th-11th 2025
The conference examines the intellectual networks, material exchanges, and scholarly interactions between the Mughal Empire (1526-1857) in South Asia and its neighboring regions of the Middle East, Iran, Central and Southeast Asia. This conference takes a transregional perspective to the recent debates surrounding the cosmopolitan nature of early modern intellectual activities and networks. The scholarship in the last decade has heavily focused on the place of Persian—the high literary and administrative language of the Mughal elites as well as its influences on producing a distinct Indo-Persian culture in South Asia. While Indian Ocean studies had privileged the study of peninsular India, recent works have focused on Iran’s cultural and political influence in the creation of a distinct Persianate world. The expanded definition of the “Persianate” has generated insights on literary and cultural practices, elite self-fashioning, religious pluralism, and artistic production. Others have urged to recognize its limits, boundaries, and the severe constraints of relying on Persian literary narratives for writing about pre-modern South Asia. For instance, the vibrant literary practices in Sanskrit and the vernaculars have been increasingly present in examining the region’s multilingualism. Yet, current approaches, as this project argues, do not take into account the inter-regional dynamics specific to Islamic intellectual networks.
The conference invites scholars to take a transregional perspective to Islamicate culture through the influences and trends in legal, religious, and scientific practices from both the perspective of intellectual and material histories. Rather than artificially decouple the Persianate from the Islamicate, a tendency prevalent in most scholarship on South Asia, our aim is to bring together scholars working in diverse genres of textual practices to examine forms of transmission and acculturation in Arabic, Persian, and other languages as mutually coexisting spheres of Islamic knowledge production.
The conference addresses the need to bring into dialogue scholastic debates, norms, and practices with their transmission in writing practices of the period. Early modern relations between these regions were circumscribed by larger intellectual networks that were trans-imperial in nature while also constrained by specific socio-political contexts. In other words, although the Ottomans, Mughals, and Safavids had extensive internal diversity in literate communities, we argue that their connections going beyond the imperial frontiers have to be examined to revise historiographical views that tend to be concentrated on national or regional zones.
We welcome submissions on themes outlined above taking into account wide-ranging discussions in literature, poetry, philosophy, logic, law, medicine and other fields without ignoring the material transmission through the circulation of works across long distances.
Please send an abstract of 300 words and a short bio of 200 words to the following email address by June 10th 2025: fabrizio.speziale@ehess.fr
Organizers: Asad Q. Ahmed (University of California, Berkeley), Naveen Kanalu (EHESS-CRH, Paris), Fabrizio Speziale (EHESS-CESAH, Marseille-Paris).
Venue: École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales/School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Centre de la Vieille Charité, 2 rue de la Charité, Marseille.
9. Shape of Extinction
Poems by Bijan Jalali
Translated from the Persian by Adeeba Shahid Talukder and Aria Fani
Preface by Domenico Ingenito
Critical Introduction by Aria Fani
Publication date: May 9, 2025
https://asemanabooks.ca/shape-of-extinction/
10. In-Person Workshop in June- Manchester, England -Decolonial Methods
Workshop Title: Collectively Situated Knowledge: A decolonial research method for constructing collective auto-narratives and positionalities
To Apply: Please fill out the form here- https://share.mayfirst.org/apps/forms/s/dqtPkM7GWQntCCJ8m2mEDQEp
Application Deadline: Until all spaces are filled.
Payment Deadline: June 2nd, 2025
Dates: June 4th-5th, 2025
Time: 10am to 6pm
Location: Manchester, England (Specific details will be provided upon acceptance)
- April 08, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Whither Global Antiquity? Retrospection and Future Directions
Global Antiquity is convening its second annual symposium that will be held at UCLA, and live-streamed on Zoom, on April 10–11, 2025. Whither Global Antiquity? Retrospection and Future Directions aims to assess the state of ancient studies, its relevance to the Humanities today, and its future directions.
Over the span of two days, the fields of Classics, ancient Near East, ancient East Asia, and ancient Americas will be explored critically and new approaches presented. These include the experience of ancient worlds with race and ethnicity, the entangled relationships between ancient history and modern states, the expansion and re-centering of areas of inquiry, and indigenous ontologies and histories.
In providing a forum for interdisciplinary conversations, the goal of the symposium is to identify a shared vocabulary for the study of the ancient worlds that extends across traditional fields of inquiry to encompass the achievements of the whole of antiquity as humanity’s common patrimony.
Register for the Event in Person and on Zoom
2. THE TABLE IS SET: Food Traditions and Legacies in the Islamic World
https://exhibitions.museumwnf.org/the_table_is_set/en/
This exhibition explores the rich culinary traditions of the Islamic world, offering a deeper understanding of Islamic culture and fostering cross-cultural dialogue. Visitors will discover six thematic areas: The Food System at Islamic Courts, Social Life, Religion, Environment, Gendered Roles and Coexistence, featuring artefacts from our Partners across the globe. On display objects and monuments from 76 Partners in 33 countries.
What sets this exhibition apart is its uniquely international approach, with a curatorial team from diverse cultural, professional, and academic backgrounds.
URL
https://exhibitions.museumwnf.org/the_table_is_set/en/
3. Humour in Iran
Eleven-hundred Years of Satire and Humour in Persian Literature
H Katouzian,
Bloomsbury, 2025
4. Three upcoming spring courses in Middle and Classical Persian languages and literatures, specially designed for lovers of Persian literature.
All three courses are organized by the Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature, and are conducted online, making them accessible to anyone interested in deepening their understanding of Persian literary traditions. In line with the school’s mission to make Classical Persian more accessible, I would gratly appreciate it if you could share this announcement with anyone who might be interested.
Below are the courses along with their schedules. For more details, please click on the course titles:
- The Shahname: An Introduction to the Iranian Epic
(April 16 – July 30) - Introduction to Early Judeo-Persian: Jewish Letters from Xinjiang to Cairo
(April 28 – May 9, 2025) - Introduction to Pahlavi: Online Spring School of Zoroastrian Middle Persian
(May 12 – May 30, 2025)
You are warmly invited to register for one or more of these courses as soon as possible, to secure your place. Discounts may be available for students and for those who enroll in multiple courses.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I will be happy to respond as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Ruben S. Nikoghosyan
Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature
Yerevan, Armenia
Website: www.ferdowsi.org
5. WEBINAR | Can Inshāʾ Literature Compensate for the Lack of Archives in Medieval Iran?
The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies and Invisible East present a series of monthly online seminars about archives and documents.
Convened by Arezou Azad and Mohamad Tavakoli, the seminars are held monthly on Zoom.
Please join us this month to hear from David Durand-Guédy on ‘Can Inshāʾ Literature Compensate for the Lack of Archives in Medieval Iran?’ Wednesday 9 April at 12PM EST / 5PM GMT. Pre-registration is essential.
https://utoronto.zoom.us/meeting/register/WIQppj7tRMGqiqueSdLg0A#/registration
6. Webinar: Pandemics in Late Modern Iran – A UCSB Talk by Dr. Amir A. Afkhami
Organised by the Iranian Studies Initiative at UC Santa Barbara.
Dr. Amir A. Afkhami from George Washington University will speak this Saturday, April 5th, on ” Pandemics in Late Modern Iran. ”
To attend, please register using this link.
7. Islam and Self-Development Programme (Cert.) by Al-Mahdi Institute:
Al-Mahdi Institute is proud to present a new course designed to challenge your perspective on Islam, yourself, and the world! The ‘Islam and Self-Development Programme’ running from 15th – 24th September 2025 at Al-Mahdi Institute, is a 10-day residential course designed for those eager to deepen their understanding of Islam while engaging in both intellectual and spiritual growth. The programme provides a unique opportunity to critically explore faith, reason, and self-discovery while tackling some of the most profound questions in Islamic thought. No prior knowledge of Islamic studies or Arabic is required to join this programme and all are welcome to join!
Find out more about the Programme here: https://ami.is/isdp
AMI is also offering an early bird offer of 40% OFF the course fees until the 31st June 2025. This offer covers all learning materials, along with lunch, dinner, and refreshments throughout the course. Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your place on the course! For those travelling from outside the area, accommodation can be arranged at an additional cost. Please contact education@almahdi.edu for more details or questions.
8. The first cycle of the Iran Heritage Foundation’s 2025 grant programme, with the deadline of 30th April 2025, is now open for receipt of application. With the overall aim of fostering knowledge and appreciation of Iran’s rich cultural heritage research grants in various academic disciplines are awarded.
Preference will be given to applications on (in alphabetical order) archaeology, architecture, art, history, linguistics and literature, as well as subjects of contemporary interest, such as cinema, music, sociology and so on; applications from other disciplines will also be considered.
Projects to be supported may include the most varied academic initiatives, from fieldwork to workshops, conferences, building databases and digitising images. The Committee privileges ground-breaking research, which may include editions and translations of key texts. In order to support multiple initiatives grants of up to a maximum of £3,000 will be considered.
The application process and conditions for the grants can be viewed on our website.
To apply please click here
For Terms and Conditions please click here
9. Edinburgh University Press – New Series
Critiquing Gender & Islam
10. Launching rumi roaming multi-platform, multi-lingual project- Sunday 4/6
Please join us virtually this Sunday for a project launch event, rumi roaming: a multi-platform and multi-lingual anthology. rumi roaming juxtaposes new translations of some of Rumi’s ghazals with contemporary creative non-fiction, poetry, scholarly essays, photo essays, and performance and art videos. Join editors Gita Hashemi and Elena Basile, along with contributors Raul Moarquech, Ferrera-Balanquet, Hajar Hussaini, Öykü Tekten, Mahdi Tourage, and Fatemeh Keshavarz, for a virtual presentation and discussion.
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 2 PM EDT
Zoom Link: https://go.umd.edu/rumiroaming
11. Iran and Persianate Culture in the Indian Ocean World
A Peacock, ed.
Bloomsbury, 2025
12. CFP – Edited volume: Islamization and Arabization of the Arabian Peninsula in light of material evidence
According to the conventional narrative, the Arabian Peninsula became fully Muslim very soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, during the reign of the second caliph ‘Umar (d. 644) if not before. Moreover, a natural link has been assumed between the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabic language, and an Arab identity. In recent years, however, important scholarship has questioned these notions. The new scholarship employs mainly contemporary or possibly contemporary sources, e.g., archaeological, epigraphic and poetical evidence. The evidence suggests that the Arabian Peninsula was not exclusively Muslim in the first centuries of hijra: Jews and Christians were living in the region (even in the Hijaz) as late as around 1000 CE. In addition, the spread of Arabic language in the whole Peninsula – along with Arab identity, possibly a separate phenomenon – appears to have taken place in early Islamic times and not before. The spread of Muslim faith, as well perhaps to the distribution of the caliphate administration, are assumed to be the main engines to Arabization, even in the Arabian Peninsula.
This edited volume would contribute to the question of Islamization and Arabization of Arabia during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Some source sets are still underused, and new archaeological and epigraphic continues come to light; the edited volume aims at putting forward new sources and insights on these issues. Moreover, researchers who employ material evidence as their main source (e.g. epigraphers, archaeologists, numismatics) rarely communicate with each other. Bringing them together under one umbrella will thus be beneficial.
We invite contributions that are based on and deal with Arabian epigraphic evidence, numismatics, and other types of archaeological evidence. The volume is expected to be published by late 2027. Authors should submit their papers after proofreading by a native speaker of English.
Book series: Brill’s Arabian Heritage
Editors of the volume: Ilkka Lindstedt (Helsinki) and Hagit Nol (Frankfurt)
Deadlines for submissions
Abstracts (max. 500 words): June 1st 2025
Articles: August 1st 2026
Contact Email
13. Events at The Institute of Ismaili Studies
All are welcome to join us at the following upcoming events in London and online from The Institute of Ismaili Studies (and with our partners). Please note registration is required:
TALK: “Reconsidering verses on women in the Qur’an” (Dr Karen Bauer and Dr Feras Hamza)
SOAS, London | 10 April 2025
TALK: “Conceptual Photography and the Craft of Reading Islamic Historical Texts” (Dr Shahzad Bashir)
Aga Khan Centre, London and Online | 24 April 2025
CONFERENCE: “Devotion to the Prophet’s Family in Islamic Thought and Practice” (The Institute of Ismaili Studies)
Aga Khan Centre, London and Online | 20-22 May 2025
Further events are listed here: https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/
14. HYBRID Workshop “Christian Arabic Literature: Figures, Thought and Challenges”, Beirut – Tübingen – Venice, 7 April 2025, 9:45-19:00 CET
Papers: Pilar GONZÁLEZ CASADO (Madrid): The concept of law in the secular legal regulations in Ibn aṭ-Ṭayyib’s Fiqh al-Naṣrāniyya. – Martino DIEZ (Milan): Al-Makīn Ibn al-‘Amīd and his Universal history. – Alice CROQ (Montpellier): Not so Christian after all? On the different versions of the Dialogue between the caliph and a Chinese monk. – Alexander TREIGER (Dalhousie): Major themes in Christian Arabic literature. – Etc.
Information and programme : https://www.unive.it/data/33113/4/100547
15. Articles for the “Journal of Religious Minorities under Muslim Rule” and Edited Volume on “Studies on Religious Minorities in Islam” (Edinburgh UP)
Topics: • Historical evolution of religious minority rights in Muslim societies • Re-examining dhimmitude and similar legal concepts in Islamic law • Impacts of colonialism on religious minority status in Muslim lands • Critical methods in understanding “minorityhood” in Muslim societies • Roles of religious minorities in shaping Islamic art and cultural heritage • Gender dynamics within religious minority communities under Muslim rule. Etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 21 April 2025. Information: Abbas Aghdassi, Ed., aghdassi@um.ac.ir
- April 05, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Chapters on “Innovation During the Later Crusades: War & Society” for Book Edited by Martin Neuding Skoog and Stefan Stantche
We will explore the changing character of warfare and statecraft as they relate to the history of crusades after 1291. This volume aims to synthesize current scholarship, present informative case studies, and refine methodologies for studying innovation during the Later Crusades. The volume’s intended audience is broad: specialists, generalist historians, political scientists, students, and anyone with an interest in the history of crusades.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 August 2025. Information: https://mailchi.mp/mediterraneanseminar/contribute-innovation-during-the-later-crusades-war-society?e=82aeb6c61d
2. “Selecting Linguistically Appropriate Literary Texts in Teaching Persian Language”
Dr. Mahbod Ghaffari
University of Cambridge
Saturday, 5 April 2025, 12:00 USCT/1:00 EDT
Zoom Registration Link:
https://utoronto.zoom.us/meeting/register/xVWCr9HHQ4SQkzmQ-NlB3w
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
3. Lecturer in Middle Eastern History
University College London
In this role, the appointee will be responsible for producing high-impact research that contributes to the broader historiographical and theoretical debates in Middle Eastern history. Teaching responsibilities will include designing and delivering undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Middle Eastern history, as well as contributing to broader survey courses in world history, historiography, and historical methodologies.
Deadline | 11 April 2025
More information
4. PhD in Classical Arabic and Islamic Linguistics
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
This PhD research will explore the development of classical Arabic linguistic and grammatical studies within the broader framework of Islamic disciplines. The successful candidate will contribute to the work package on external influences on the Arabic linguistic thinking, specifically exploring the interplay between Islamic scholarly traditions and classical Arabic language studies.
Deadline | 7 May 2025
More information
5. Call for Applications | Rewriting World Archaeology: Middle East Writing Group (2025-2026)
Online workshops and in-person workshop at BIAA, Türkiye
This programme is designed to equip a cohort of ECRs with the necessary knowledge and skills to access and publish in reputable, international, peer-reviewed academic journals, to develop and lead bold research agendas, and to share their results with the public. It is intended that the programme will significantly advance the careers of these ECRs, strengthen their ability to rewrite the archaeology and cultural heritage of the Middle East, and to use this heritage to help forge a more equitable world archaeology.
Deadline | 14 April 2025
- April 01, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The International Journal of Islam in Asia: Religion, Cultures, Histories, Connections(IJIA), published by De Gruyter Brill, has just been relaunched.
IJIA is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes high-quality articles on Islam and Muslims in Asia and the diaspora. The journal encourages explorations of the diverse expressions of Asian Islam and Muslim cultures, histories, and connections across Asia through multidisciplinary methods, bringing together fields such as history, anthropology, religious studies, Islamic studies, material culture studies, art history, sociology, and gender studies.
The journal is open to standalone articles, photo essays, and guest edited issues on a single topic or theme.
For more information, please see the journal web page (https://brill.com/view/journals/ijia/ijia-overview.xml).
Journal correspondence should be sent to: ijiabrill@gmail.com. All journal submissions must be submitted directly through the online submission system (https://www.editorialmanager.com/IJIA).
Contact Email: ijiabrill@gmail.com
URL: https://brill.com/view/journals/ijia/ijia-overview.xml
2. YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies invites contributions for its seventh and eighth volumes to be published in December 2025 and December 2026. YILLIK is a peer-reviewed, open access, international academic journal featuring cutting-edge research on Istanbul’s past and present, published by the Istanbul Research Institute in print and online (via DergiPark). YILLIK is indexed by SCOPUS, ERIH PLUS and the MLA International Bibliography.
YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies is accepting submissions of original research articles, opinion pieces and visual essays (Meclis), book and exhibition reviews in Turkish or English, by researchers working on any period of the city through the lens of history, history of art and architecture, archaeology, sociology, anthropology, geography, urban planning, urban studies, and other related disciplines in humanities or social sciences.
Articles submitted for publication in the journal are first evaluated by the Editorial Board. Articles deemed suitable by editors in terms of subject matter and quality will be sent to two anonymous reviewers elected in accordance with their expertise from the Advisory Board or from the larger field. Reports from the double-blind reviewers are combined with the comments of the editors and sent back to the author. Depending on their quality and relevance, articles may be accepted or rejected, or the author may be asked to revise the work.
The review process is mandatory for research articles, while book and exhibition reviews along with the Meclis pieces only require editorial evaluation. The editors of the YILLIK pledge to complete the submission process as quickly and constructively as possible. Our aim is to limit the duration of the evaluation process, from the submission to the journal to the forwarding of reviewer reports to the author, to six weeks.
The deadline for the submission for the seventh volume, to be published in December 2025, is May 5. Some of the accepted articles with revisions may be published in the eighth volume in December 2026.
Every year, one of the articles written by a student or recent PhD will be awarded the YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies Early Career Article Prize. For details, click here.
Those who wish to submit a book or exhibition review are strongly recommended to ask for the opinion of the Editorial Board in order to avoid duplicate reviews.
YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies conforms to Chicago Manual of Style 18th Edition. Before submitting your article, please refer to our submission & publishing style guide.
For the “YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies Publishing Ethics and Peer Review Statement” click here.
Peer-reviewed article submissions must be made through DergiPark.
For other submissions and questions: istanbulstudies@iae.org.tr
3. 18th International Congress of Turkish Art
We are honored to announce that the 18th International Congress of Turkish Art (ICTA) will be held from September 17-20, 2027, in Skopje, North Macedonia. The International Congress of Turkish Art has a distinguished history of convening every four years for nearly 65 years, and this esteemed tradition will continue with the upcoming congress. It will be hosted by the Balkan Studies Foundation at the National Gallery Chifte Hamam and the National Gallery Daut Pasha Hammam in Skopje, 2027.
Announcement of the 1st circular 18th ICTA: 10 October 2024
Submission Deadline for abstracts: 01 May 2025
Announcement of the accepted abstracts: 01 March 2026
Announcement of the 2nd Circular 18th ICTA: 01 September 2026
18th ICTA Congress: 17-20 September 2027, Skopje-North Macedonia.
For further information:
https://balkanfoundation.com/18th-international-congress-of-turkish-arts/
For application: https://icta.congress.gen.tr/
URL
4. Call for Submissions: South Asia Muslim Studies Association (SAMSA) Biennial Book Prize
The South Asia Muslim Studies Association (SAMSA) is pleased to announce its Biennial Book Prize, recognizing outstanding scholarship on the Muslims of South Asia across all disciplines and fields. We invite submissions of books published in 2023 and 2024 for consideration.
Award Description
This prestigious award honors innovative and methodologically rigorous research that advances our understanding of South Asian Muslim histories, cultures, societies, and lived experiences. The prize reflects SAMSA’s commitment to promoting excellence in scholarship that contributes significantly to South Asian Muslim studies.
Eligibility Criteria
- Books must be scholarly monographs (single or co-authored) published in English during the calendar years 2023 or 2024
- Works must make a substantial contribution to the study of Muslims in South Asia
- Edited volumes, textbooks, translations, and reprints of previously published works are not eligible
- Submissions welcome from all disciplines, including but not limited to history, anthropology, political science, religious studies, literature, sociology, and area studies
Submission Process
- Authors or publishers should send one copy of the nominated book to each member of the prize committee (addresses will be provided upon initial inquiry)
- Please include a brief cover letter with the book’s publication details and author’s contact information
- Electronic submission of supplementary materials may be requested following the initial nomination
Timeline
- Submission Deadline: April 27, 2025
- Winner announcement: Annual Meeting for South Asian Studies, Madison, WI, October 2025
For submission addresses or any inquiries regarding the prize, please contact:
Dr. Yasmin Saikia
SAMSA Book Prize Committee Chair
ysaikia@asu.edu
We encourage scholars and publishers to contribute to this celebration of outstanding scholarship on South Asian Muslim studies.
5. The Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC)is proud to announce the publication of Islamic Themes in US Hip-Hop Culture by Anders Ackfeldt. Exploring how Islam has been produced in American hip-hop culture by both Muslims and non-Muslims, the book is the most recent addition to AKU-ISMC’s Music and Performance in Muslim Contexts series, published in association with Edinburgh University Press and the Aga Khan Music Programme (AKMP). Published Open Access – download your free copy here.
And join us on Tuesday, 13 May 2025 for a Book Launch to celebrate with author Anders Ackfeldt and AKU-ISMC. Philip Wood will engage the author in a discussion of the historical continuity of Islamic themes running through US musical culture – themes also often connected to African American religious initiatives and empowerment politics.
Tuesday 13th May 2025, 17:30 – 18:45 (London).
Aga Khan Centre (Atrium Conference Room),
10 Handyside Street,
London N1C 4DNw
The event is free, but booking is essential. Book your ticket HERE to join us in person.
Or if you want to join the event online, register HERE.
6. Aug 8, 2024
Faces of God
Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500-1800
Islamic art is often misrepresented as an iconophobic tradition. As a result of this assumption, the polyvalence of figural artworks made for South Asian Muslim audiences has remained hidden in plain view.
Faces of God: Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500-1800 (Brill, 2023) situates manuscript illustrations and album paintings within cultures of devotion and ritual shaped by Islamic intellectual and religious histories. Central to this story are the Mughal siblings, Jahanara Begum and Dara Shikoh, and their Sufi guide Mulla Shah. Through detailed art historical analysis supported by new translations, this study contextualizes artworks made for Indo-Muslim patrons by putting them into direct dialogue with written testimonies.
Podcast: https://newbooksnetwork.com/faces-of-god
7. Intensive Online Course on Islamic Feminism
July 14–20, 2025
Join us for an immersive week-long online course exploring the evolution, challenges, and future of Islamic feminism. Led by renowned scholars, this course delves into historical roots, Quranic reinterpretations, gender justice, and contemporary debates—offering fresh insights and visionary perspectives.
Course Highlights:
Expert Instruction – Learn from leading scholars in the field
Comprehensive Curriculum – A deep dive into key topics
Interactive Sessions – Engage in discussions & Q&A
Flexible Learning – Access live online lectures
Course Schedule & Lecturers
Day 1: The History of Islamic Feminism
Dr. Miriam Cooke (Duke University, USA)
Day 2: Innovative Perspectives: Reinterpreting the Quran on Women’s Issues
Dr. Asma Afsaruddin (Indiana University, USA)
Day 3: The Potential of Sufi Heritage for Islamic Feminism
Dr. Sa’diyya Shaikh (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
Day 4: Gender Equality and Justice in the Quran: A Critical Review
Dr. Juliane Hammer (UNC-Chapel Hill, USA)
Day 5: Islamic Feminism, Islamophobia, and the Muslim Woman
Dr. Lana Sirri (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Day 6: The Future of Islamic Feminism: Perspectives and Innovations
Dr. Mulki Al-Sharmani (University of Helsinki, Finland)
Day 7: Ethical Horizons: Gender, Power, and Justice in Islamic Thought
Dr. Zahra Ayubi (Dartmouth College, USA)
Scholarships Available
For more details and registration, visit: https://sadrai.com/islamic-feminism
8. R Mathhee, ‘Shah ‘Abbās I:The Myth, the Monarch, and the Man’,
Iranian Studies, 2025
9. Conference “Arab-German Relations in the Mirror of History” by the Orient-Institut Beirut and the Egyptian Society for Historical Studies, Cairo, 8-10 November 2025
Themes: 1. How did the early encounters between Arabic and German speakers shape modern and contemporary relations? – 2. What political and cognitive divides can be identified in the course of Arab-German relations? – 3. To what extent are the areas of Arab-German relations independent or interconnected? – 4. How did history and historiography influence the development of Arab-German relations, and what types of historical did these relations produce?
Deadline for abstracts: 15 April 2025. Information: https://www.orient-institut.org/fileadmin/user_upload/OI_Beirut/20251703-Call_for_Papers_for_the_Conference_on_Arab.pdf
10. “58th Seminar for Arabian Studies”, International Association for the Study of Arabia (IASA), Abu Dhabi, 12-14 December 2025
Papers submitted should address a research approach that engages with answering unknown questions or challenge existing assumptions as opposed to papers that strictly report on empirical observations. Two types of papers will be accepted: 1. Short rapportage with the results of current fieldwork (or labwork) of any sort. – 2. Synthetic overview with a review and/or analysis of a wider research question of any sort.
Deadline for abstracts: 13 June 2025. Information: https://iasarabia.org/the-seminar/
11. Call for Papers
Trajectories of Islam between Europe and South Asia Feb. 2026
University of Göttingen, Germany
The workshop explores the routes and connections through which people, ideas, and practices of and about Islam and Muslims have traversed back and forth between South Asia and Europe from the 18th century to the present day. The workshop highlights the production of Muslim religious knowledge as a result of mutual entanglements between South Asian and European actors, ideas, and archives.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 April 2025. Information: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1173975894513293&id=100057026816918&_rdr
12. Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Respect Graduate School, Bethlehem, PA
Qualifications: Expertise in Qur’anic Studies, Hadith Studies, or Islamic Jurisprudence, and demonstrated proficiency in comprehending and analyzing classical Arabic texts. A record of publications and conference presentations. Strong demonstrated potential for excellence in research, teaching, and student mentorship, including at least one year of teaching experience in Islamic Studies with positive student evaluations.
Deadline for application: 4 May 2025. Information: https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37799750/assistant-professor-of-islamic-studies?utm_source=EmailAFriend&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=37799750
13. Islamic Studies Summer School: “Approaches to the Study of Islam”, Istanbul University, 14-20 July 2025
Information and application: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/118758
14. “Fall Study-Abroad Programmes in Arabic and Middle East Studies “, Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo (NVIC)
The BA in Middle East Studies at NVIC is designed for second- and third-year undergraduate students in the humanities, social sciences, or related disciplines. – 2. The MA in Arabic & Islamic Studies at NVIC is a rigorous and immersive language-acquisition programme, specifically tailored for advanced students of Arabic.
Deadline for application: 1 May 2025.
Information: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/nvic/education/international-students-nvic
15. Articles on “Indigenous Conversion(s) to Islam: Causes, Processes, and Consequences” for a Special Issue of the Journal “Religions”
The main goal is to identify local and global patterns and dynamics, and provide up-to-date and analytical insights into the growing appeal of Islam among Indigenous populations across the world. Topics: How and why Indigenous people embrace Islam. – Their phases of conversion. – Individual and societal consequences and challenges of Indigenous conversions to Islam. – Deconversion. – How different groups of converts experience Islamic conversion. Etc.
Deadline for abstracts extended to 7 April 2025.
Contact: ayca.arkilic@vuw.ac.nz. Information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/6TKFN20FIG
- March 29, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.PhD Position in International Relations, Project “Unbounding the Arab World: Anti-Colonial Geopolitics, Transnational Territorial Imaginations and Post-Imperial Worldmaking, c. 1908-1977”, University of Groningen
Qualifications: Master’s degree in International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, Political Science, History, or related fields; interest in anti-colonial geopolitics, pan-movements, and territorial imaginations in/of the Arab World; research experience or knowledge of intellectual history; proficiency in English and preferably Arabic or other relevant regional languages.
Deadline for applications: 30 April 2025. Information: https://karimeltaki.com/phd-position-in-international-relations/
2. ONLINE Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar: “Reading Arabic Manuscripts”, 23-26 June 2025
This seminar will provide participants with the paleographical tools and skills to read premodern handwritten Arabic texts with greater speed and accuracy. Intensive practice sessions, both prepared and impromptu, will be paired with readings in the major reference works in English (and occasionally other modern languages).
Deadline for applications: 28 April 2025.
Information: https://www.mediterraneanseminar.org/overview-reading-arabic-manuscripts-2025
3. Articles for “Indonesian Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Humanity”, State Islamic University (UIN) Salatiga, Indonesia
IJORESH is committed to studying the empirical dynamics of Abrahamic religions in the Asian context, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Submission deadline: 30 May 2025. Information: https://ejournal.uinsalatiga.ac.id/index.php/ijoresh/index
4. Hybrid – Columbia University: Arabic Studies Seminars Chiara Fontana 3/27 9th-century Baghdad’s Mirabilia: Artisans and Literati
Upcoming meeting with Professor Chiara Fontana on Thursday (3/27) at 7pm EST in Faculty House.
The talk is titled 9th-century Baghdad’s Mirabilia: Artisans and Literati. Please note that due to new regulations, non CUID holders will not be allowed into Faculty House without prior notice. If you intend to be present in-person and do not have a Columbia ID, please RSVP ASAP. If we don’t receive your RSVP we will not be able to let you in. You should receive a QR code before Wednesday morning–if not, please reply to this message. The talk will be live streamed here on ZOOM for guests who can’t make it in person.
We will begin at 7:00 pm. If you would like to join the speaker for dinner at 6:00 pm at Faculty House please RSVP to the seminar’s rapporteur (rma2152@columbia.edu). The cost of dinners is $30, payable via card or check. Attendees who are fasting may take their dinner into the seminar room.
Abstract:
The early rhetorical treatises, as testing grounds for emerging aesthetic concepts, are deeply tied to specific socio-cultural contexts and influence readers’ literary preferences. They invite reflection on the evolution of balāgha (Muslim eloquence) during the Arabic-Islamic classical period, particularly in response to the profound influence of urbanization on literature. This talk, while providing an overview of 9th-century Baghdad’s cultural growth, explores how historical moments of urban development linked to cultural enlightenment could have inspired some authors to develop a new approach to literary writing as the study of the 9th-century rhetorical treatise Kitāb al-tashbīhāt by Ibn Abī ʿAwn (d. 322/934) shows. This innovative approach enabled the Abbasid authors to explore, analyze, and employ their own languages and literary traditions as powerful tools and reflect on new literary styles, models, and perspectives whilst harmonizing a secular, progress-driven mentality with more unorthodox forms of critical thinking.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/92597500745
5. Post: Valparaiso University – Visiting Assistant Professor in History
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68667
Closing date:
31 March 2025
6. Religion, Politics, and Architecture in Iran
MESA Global Academy Event, organized by the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies
A panel featuring Leyla Hajimehditajer (Independent Scholar), Maryam Heydarkhani (Visiting Researcher, Center for Arabic Language and Muslim Cultures, University of Calgary), and Zahra Khoshk Jan (Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Sociology, University of Chicago)
Moderator: Nayareh Tohidi (Professor Emerita, Cal State Northridge)
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM PST
Online
https://www.international.ucla.edu/cnes/event/17152
- March 26, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The Qurʾān You Don’t Expect: An Overview of the Multifarious Forms of a Well-Known Text
A special issue of the Journal of Islamic Manuscripts (JIM) will be dedicated to the unexpected outcomes of the Quranic manuscript and material production and its textual excerpts. We welcome contributions that examine unusual features of Quranic manuscripts—or early printed volumes—as well as textual Quranic excerpts in under-studied surfaces. The goal is to document the multifarious aspects of the Quranic production and investigate the geographical, chronological, religious, linguistic and sociocultural contexts in which these unusual manuscript shapes and material uses—on the edge of what can be considered a familiar and somewhat normative text and book-form production—were rooted and made sense.
This special issue therefore aims to cover, discover, illustrate and analyse the contexts of production of what goes beyond the well-known form of the Quranic codices. These range from Quranic scrolls to illustrated Quranic manuscripts and prints, from Quranic cipher texts to Qurans in exceptional formats (large or small), from Qurans written on watermarked paper bearing Christian symbols to Qurans with translations, from relic Qurans to forged Quranic manuscripts (for example, falsely attributed to famous people), from xylograph Qurans to epigraphic Qurans, notably on textiles and coins. The issue aims to include a wide range of nuances in which the sacred text of Islam appears in manuscript or written form, with the aim of contributing to the study of the Quran as a living text.
Please send your paper proposal (500 words plus selected bibliography) to the following addresses for the end of May 2025:
Arianna.dottone@uniroma1.it or benazzouna@unistra.fr
You will be informed about the paper selection in June 2025 and the final text (between 8.000 and 12.000 words, and 8–10 HR images) will be expected for the end of December 2025.
For the stylesheet and transliteration chart, please refer to JIM website.
Contact Information
Nourane Ben Azzouna
Contact Email
URL
https://brill.com/view/journals/jim/16/1/article-p121_7.xml
2. Rethinking the Qur’ān in Late Antiquity
J Cole
De Gruyter, 2025
3. Ottoman Jewry, Leadership, Charity, and Literacy
Y Ayalon
Brill, 2024
4. Pacifism and Non-Violence in Contemporary Islamic Philosophy: Mapping the Paths of Peace
Tom Woerner-Powell
CUP, 2025
Open Acess at:
5. Le CeRMI a le plaisir de vous convier à la prochaine séance du séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du Monde iranien”, qui se tiendra le jeudi 10 avril 2025, 17h-19h, en salle 4.15 à l’INaLCO(65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII, 4eétage).
Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir M. Nima Asefi (Universität Hamburg), pour une conférence intitulée: “Central Iran during the Late Sasanian and Early Islamic Periods : A Study Based on the Pahlavi Archive of Hastijān and the Tārīkh-e Qom”.
Résumé:
Our understanding of Iran after the Muslim conquests relies mainly on chronicles written two centuries or later after the facts. For a long time, the scarcity of local accounts and limited access to original administrative documents left scholars with little direct evidence from the final years of the Sasanian Empire and the first two centuries of the Islamic period.
In the late 20th century, the discovery of the Pahlavi Archive of Hastijān provided researchers with valuable evidence from Central Iran during the first century following the collapse of the Sasanian Empire. Chiefly spanning the period of 3 to 50 years after the death of Yazdgird III, the last Sasanian king, this economic archive sheds new light on the distribution of wealth, the prerogatives of governors (darhandarzbed, ōstāndār), as well as storekeepers and public ration managers (dārīg). It also documents the presence of Arabs in the region, or the celebration of the Frawardīgān festival, thus offering invaluable insights into the history of that period.
A most useful complement to these documents is provided by the late 10th-century local chronicle of Tārīkh-e Qom, which describes the events following the arrival of the Ash‛ari Arabs in the region, between the years 62 and 82 after Yazdgird’s death. The book does not merely discuss the region of Qom and its surroundings extensively, it offers precious cues to identify protagonists and locate places mentioned in the Hastijān archive. Based on Tārīkh-e Qom, for instance, a recurring placename formerly misread as “Namtar” could be restored as “Namēwar,” and identified with the village of “Nīmwar” which is still standing to this day. Similarly, Tārīkh-e Qom provides a host of information about the life and whereabouts of one Yazdānpādār/Yazdānfāδār, an important character mentioned in both corpora. By cross-reading the data from the Pahlavi Archive of Hastijān and the Tārīkh-e Qom, therefore, we gain new insights about the life and circumstances of the people of central Iran right after the Arab conquests.
Orientations bibliographiques:
– Ansari, M. R. (ed.), 2006, Tārīx-e Qom, Qom: Ketābxāne-ye Omoumi-ye Āyatollāh Marʿaši Najafi.
– Weber, D., 2010, “Villages and Estates in the Documents from the Pahlavi Archive: The Geographical Background.” Bulletin of the Asia Institute, New Series, Vol. 24, p. 37-65.
– Weber, D., 2014, “Pahlavi Documents of Windādburzmihrābād. The Estate of a Zoroastrian Entrepreneur in Early Islamic Times (with an Excursus on the Origin of the Fulanabad-Type of Village Names).” Bulletin of the Asia Institute, New Series, Vol. 28, p. 127-147.
– Weber, D., 2014, “Arabic activities Reflected in the Documents of the Pahlavi Archive (Late 7th and Early 8th Centuries).” In R. Gyselen (ed.), Documents, argenterie et monnaies de tradition sassanide, Res Orientales 22. Bures-sur-Yvette, p. 179-189.
– Gignoux, Ph., 2013, “Les documents de Dādēn dans l’Archive de Berkeley/Berlin.” In Pavel Lur’e & S. Tokhtasjev (eds.), Commentationes Iranicae (Sbornik statej k 90-letiju V.A. Livšica). St. Petersburg, p. 157-165.
– Gignoux, Ph., 2010, “La société iranienne du 7e siècle AD d’après la collection de Berkeley.” In Carlo G. Cereti (ed.), Iranian Identity in the Course of History. Proceedings of the Conference Held in Rome, 21–24 September 2005, (Serie Orientale Roma CV, Orientalia Romana 9), Rome, p. 145-152.
Pour rappel, vous retrouverez le programme 2024-2025 du séminaire mensuel de recherche “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du Monde iranien” sur le site du CeRMI :
6. Invitation: Bilingual Lecture Series – Abbas Amanat
Calendar and Identity:
Why did the Persian solar calendar survive for 1400 years and become an important feature of Iranian identity?
Abbas Amanat
Monday, April 7, 2025 at 3:00 pm (Pacific), Bunche Hall 10383
Alternate live stream on Zoom:
https://ucla.zoom.us/j/95885037418
(No need to register in advance, just click the link at 4:00pm on April 6 to join)
Since the end of the Sasanian era the Persian solar calendar, and the associated rite of Nowruz, endured as became a significant features of Iranian, and to some extent the Persianate, cultural identity. With Hijra as its starting point but based on vernal equinox, it is a unique solar time reckoning throughout the Muslim world and beyond. This talk explores the circumstances that allowed the survival and its adoption as a national calendar of Iran at the turn of the 20th century. A book of the same title is in the press.
7. Pourdavoud Lecture Series with Yuhan Vevaina
Zoroastrian Hermeneutics in Late Antiquity
The Sūdgar Nask of Dēnkard Book 9
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 4:00pm Pacific
Royce Hall 306
Hybrid Zoom Option Available
The Sūdgar Nask of Dēnkard Book 9 is a commentary on the ‘Old Avesta’ of the 2nd millennium BCE produced in Pahlavi (Zoroastrian Middle Persian) in the Sasanian (224–651 CE) and early Islamic centuries. This commentary is a value-laden, ideologically motivated discourse that displays a rich panoply of tradition-constituted forms of allegoresis. It mobilizes complex forms of citation, allusion, and intertextuality from the inherited Avestan world of myth and ritual in order to engage with and react to the profound changes occurring in Iranian society. Despite its value and importance for developing our nascent understanding of Zoroastrian hermeneutics and the self-conception of the Zoroastrian priesthood in Late Antiquity, this primary source has attracted scant scholarly attention due to the extreme difficulty of its subject matter and the lack of a reliable translation. This 2-volume work represents the first critical edition, translation, and commentary of this formidable text which will contribute to the philological, theological, and historiographical study of Zoroastrianism in a pivotal moment in its rich and illustrious history. Reading the Sūdgar Nask is a hermeneutic process of traversing texts, genres, and rituals in both the Avestan and Pahlavi corpora, thus activating nodes in a web or network of textual and meta-textual relations that establish new forms of allegoreses or meaning making. It is argued that this entire hermeneutical complex of weaving a ‘new’ text composed of implicit proof text and explicit commentary renews, extends, and, ultimately, makes tradition.
8. Macaulay Family Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Art of the Islamic World
Smarthistory is seeking applications for a one-year Macaulay Family Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow to develop public art history content in the area of the arts of the Islamic world. This is a one-year full-time position, beginning September 2025. Applicants will have a Ph.D. in art history (earned within the last three years) as well as teaching experience.
The successful applicant will have a commitment to public scholarship and teaching and will be self-motivated and comfortable working remotely for a small organization. The Fellow will work closely with Smarthistory founders and Executive Directors Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker and content editor Dr. Marika Sardar. The position will largely consist of writing Smarthistory-style essays on the art of the Islamic world for a broad public audience. These essays will augment the work of numerous authors who have contributed to Smarthistory over the years. See https://smarthistory.org/islamic/ for existing content created prior to 1900 (note: Modern and Contemporary work is located elsewhere on the site, all of these sections will soon undergo a significant reorganization). The Fellow will also be expected to work with contributors and content editors, to seek new contributors, and help develop syllabi.
The Fellow will receive professional development mentoring, periodic performance evaluations, and will be supported in developing professional relationships with academic contributors, curators, and museums over the course of the year. This is a temporary full-time position with an annual salary of $60,000 (plus a generous health insurance option and a retirement match). The Macaulay Family Foundation Fellow can work remotely but will ideally be available during eastern-time zone working hours.
Smarthistory is a not-for-proft organization dedicated to making engaging yet rigorous art history accessible to learners around the world for free. Learn more about the organization and its mission here: https://smarthistory.org/about/.
Only those with a Ph.D. in art history will be considered (degrees expected to be received by the end of the academic year—prior to August 2025 may apply).
Application deadline: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
URL
https://smarthistory.org/macaulay-family-foundation-postdoctoral-fellowship-in-…
9. Great Mughals Conference – online tickets
The V&A will be hosting a two-day conference in conjunction with the Great Mughals exhibition on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th March.
In-person tickets are almost sold out, but online tickets are available via the website: https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/lXn7Yo3pzK9/the-great-mughals-conference-online-mar-2025
All of the talks will be streamed online, and ticketholders will receive a joining link prior to the event.
10. UW-Madison Annual Conference on South Asia, October 22-25, 2025
Call for Abstract Submission
Panel Discussant: Professor Sylvia Houghteling, Associate Professor of History of Art, Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania
The panel, “Ecological Imaginaries in South Asia’s Art History” invites abstracts for the Annual Conference on South Asia at UW-Madison in Wisconsin from October 22-25, 2025.
The preeminent archive of art and architectural histories—objects, structures, and creative renderings—is produced by the human species. Thereby, human agents such as artists, patrons, and audiences become the essential interlocutors in this disciplinary narrative. How can non-human agency activate the material and materiality of artmaking in new ways? What are the pathways to invigorate and rethink disciplinary methodologies and paradigms in the wake of epochal climate crises? And, how can this recalibration enrich scholarship on spatial and visual cultures of South Asia?
The early glimmers of such an ecological alertness can be seen in longue durée histories of the Mediterranean. Within art history, ecological imaginaries emerge in the North American context through the Land Art Movement and a call from art historian W J T Mitchell to study landscape not just as a “genre” but as a “medium” holding social, political, and cultural meaning (Mitchell 1994).
While the ecocritical turn in art histories of North America and Western Europe began to crystallize in the first decade of the twenty-first century, the ecological turn in South Asian Studies was first discernible in disciplines such as history and anthropology. However, the last few years has seen a growing momentum in South Asian scholarship on exploring the intersections between art history, hydro architecture, climate, materiality, monsoon, and geology in the construction of affect in spaces and works of art. This panel seeks to build on this burgeoning ecological turn in South Asia’s art history to pave the course for critical inquiries on the subject.
The panel invites abstract submissions from Art History and allied disciplines such as Architecture, Geography, Geology, Urban Studies, Anthropology, South Asian Area Studies among others.
The Annual Conference on South Asia invites scholars, students, and professionals to Madison, Wisconsin, for a four-day event featuring research panels and round tables, lectures, performances, film screenings, booksellers, association receptions, and other special presentations! The conference has grown year-by-year since its inception in 1971 and welcomed over 1,200 registered attendees in 2024.
Abstract Submission Deadline: Wednesday, 02, April, 2025
Eligibility:
- Paper must have 2 points of focus— ecology, South Asia
- Upon selection, pay registration fees through the conference website— $115 for students, $255 for non-students (refundable; student fees typically covered by conference grants offered through your institution/ department/ south asia studies institute at your institution)
How to submit?
Email Title: Abstract Submission for Ecological Imaginaries in South Asia’s Art History
Submission Format: Pdf attachment
Documents: 200-300 word abstract and CV
Email address for submission : krishnashekhawat@berkeley.edu
Selected participants will be contacted very shortly after 02 April, 2025.
Organizer: Krishna Shekhawat, University of California, Berkeley
For further information on submission guidelines: See section, “Panel and Single Paper Submission Guidelines” at https://southasiaconference.wisc.edu/conference-submission-guidelines/
11. Online Course: Classical Persian through Historical Texts: Reading Beyhaqī’s History of Mas’ūd
Upcoming online course titled “Classical Persian through Historical Texts: Reading Beyhaqī’s History of Mas’ūd“.
As the title suggests, the main text that we are going to study during this one week course, is the mid-11th c. historical masterpiece of Beyhaqī. You can learn more about the course and the program by visiting the course’s webpage.
The deadline for applications is March 26th, and the course will start on March 31st.
I also want to mention that the course is free of charge.
Ruben Nikoghosyan
Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature
Yerevan, Armenia
Website: www.ferdowsi.org
12. The next lecture in the Virtual Islamic Art History Seminar Series will take place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 12:00 New York / 16:00 London / 17:00 Venice / 19:00 Istanbul.
Amber Elisabeth Peters (Ca’Foscari University) will present “The Ocean in Early-Modern South Asian Art.”
To attend, please make sure to register in advance here:
https://wellesley.zoom.us/meeting/register/ipegVg01RVGFLnpNRDJigA
Upon registration, you’ll receive the link to access the lecture.
You may also wish to save the date for our subsequent talk, which will be the final lecture of the semester. On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Carol Bier (Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union) will present “Geometry in Islamic Art: Number, Shape, and the Nature of Space.”
As always, you can find a full schedule of upcoming talks and register for our list-serv on our website at www.viahss.org . Although not every talk is recorded, we also have recordings of several recent talks available on the VIAHSS Vimeo page at vimeo.com/viahss . Lastly, you can follow us on Instagram at @theviahss to stay up to date on upcoming events!
13. “AI and the Digital Humanities for the Study of Asia, Africa, and Oceania.”
We are particularly interested in the following strands: Institutional organisation of/around DH and AI. – DH research design with AI. – AI and language. – AI and cultural heritage. – DH, AI and ethics.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 March 2025. Information: https://digitalorientalist.com/2025/03/04/cfp-the-digital-orientalists-virtual-conference-2025/
14. “XIII International Medieval Meeting Lleida”, Universitat de Lleida, Espanya, 3-6 June 2025
Main themes in Medieval Studies: Wars and Crusades. – Institutions, Law and Government. – Islam. – Judaism. – Political History. – Social and Economic History. – Woman and Gender Studies; Etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 March 2025. Information: https://www.internationalmedievalmeetinglleida.udl.cat/en/
15. 58th International Conference of the “ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies” on “The Aramaeans BC: History and Archaeology,” Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, 14-15 July 2025
Deadline for registration: 31 March 2025.
Information: https://www.aramsociety.org/conferences/current-conferences/
16. 58th International Conference of the “ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies” on “The Amorites and Hurrians”, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, 17-18 July 2025
Deadline for registration: 31 March 2025.
Information: https://www.aramsociety.org/conferences/current-conferences/
17. “Third Conference of Early Modern Ottoman Studies (EMOS)”, Historians Association, Istanbul University, 4-6 September 2025
We invite historians, researchers, and scholars (with a PhD degree or having already started with their doctoral research) specialized in the political, diplomatic, social, economic, cultural, military, etc. intricacies of Ottoman early modernity.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 April 2025. Information:
https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20060592/emos-early-modern-ottoman-studies-2025
18. Workshop “New Approaches to Khārijite History, 7th – 10th Century CE”, SCORE Social Contexts of Rebellion in the Early Islamic Period, University of Hamburg, 16-17 October 2025
The organisers invite contributions that study Khārijism from a decidedly historical perspective. Social-historical approaches are especially welcome, as are more experimental methods and those that bring in (sociological, anthropological …) theory. In order to respond to the dearth of research on Khārijism, we strongly encourage historians of the early Islamicate world and adjacent fields who do not usually work on Khārijites to consider submitting an abstract.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 April 2025. Information: https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/voror/medien/kharijite-history-cfp.pdf
19. “Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding”, Nominations for 2025
The total prizes for each sub-category of main languages are up to $200,000 USD. The total value of the award is $2 million. They include the translation from Arabic to German, Turkish and English and vice versa.
Deadline for nominations: 31 March 2025. Information: https://www.hta.qa/pages/topic/1872
- March 22, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
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