Archive for 2015
Shii News – CfP: ‘Shia Minorities in the Contemporary World’
Call for Papers
Conference on
“Shia Minorities in the Contemporary World: Migration, Transnationalism and Multilocality”
University of Chester, Chester (UK), 20-21 May 2016
Global migrations flows in the 20th century have seen the emergence of Muslim diaspora and minority communities in Europe, North America and Australia. In addition to these new Muslim presences in the global “West”, there have been, since the late 19th century, migration flows from the Middle East (Lebanon and Syria in particular) to South America and West Africa. Likewise, South Asian Muslims settled in East and South Africa in the 19th century. While there is a growing body of research on these Muslim minorities in various regional contexts, the particular experiences of Shia Muslim minorities across the globe has only received scant attention.
As “a minority within a minority”, Shia Muslims face the double-challenge of maintaining an Islamic as well as a particular Shia identity in terms of communal activities, practices, public perception and recognition. Often coming from minority contexts of marginalisation and discrimination, their experience of migration and settlement in other parts of the world, whether enforced or voluntary, is often different from those of other Muslim immigrants. The rich tradition of Shia ritual practices and the authority structures specific to different forms of Shia Islam likewise shape the post-migratory minority experience of Shia.
The conference will bring together researchers working on Shia minorities outside of the so-called “Muslim heartland” (North Africa, Middle East, Central and South Asia). The conference will focus on Shia minorities in Europe, North and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, the Pacific Rim and East Asia that emerged out of migration from the Middle East and South Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries, in particular. The papers presented at the conference will offer unique comparative insights into Shia minorities in a variety of contexts across the globe.
Paper proposal can address but are not limited to the following topics:
– dynamics between centre and periphery in global Shia Islam
– multilocality and transnationalism of global Shia networks
– transnational impact of events in the Middle East on post-migratory Shia minority communities
– institutionalisation and organisation of post-migratory Shia minorities
– public representation and perception of post-migratory Shia minorities and their interaction with state and majority-societies
– sectarianism and Sunni-Shia relations in minority contexts
– gender and generational dynamics within post-migratory Shia minorities
– ritual practices and their adaptation in post-migratory minority contexts
– adaptation of legal practices and legal reforms in minority contexts
– role of clerical authority and leadership (whether transnational or local) in Shia minority contexts
Key note speakers:
Prof Liyakat Takim, McMasters University, Canada
Dr Sabrina Mervin, L’Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris / Centre Jacques Berque, Rabat
Dr Mara Leichtman (Michigan State University) will launch her book Shi‘i Cosmopolitanisms in Africa: Lebanese Migration and Religious Conversion in Senegal (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2015) at the conference.
The conference is organised by the new Chester Centre for Islamic Studies and held in conjunction with a research project on transnational Shia networks that operate between Britain and the Middle East, funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. A limited number of travel bursaries is available for PhD students and early career researchers whose paper proposals are accepted. The publication of a selection of papers in an edited volume is also planned.
The deadline for abstract submission is 15 December 2015. Abstracts of up to 300 words and a short bio of (up to 200 words) should be sent in MS Word format as an email attachment to ccis@chester.ac.uk. Notifications of acceptance of papers will be sent out by 20 January 2016. Early career researchers should indicate whether they would like to receive a travel bursary when submitting the abstract.
Presentations of papers should be 15 minutes long, followed by 10 minutes for questions and discussions. Full papers should not exceed 8,000 words, including references and footnotes, and should be submitted, in full, prior to the conference by 1 May 2016.
For general enquiries, email Prof Oliver Scharbrodt, Director of Chester Centre for Islamic Studies, o.scharbrodt@chester.ac.uk.
Timeline:
Abstract submission: 15 December 2015
Notification of acceptance: 20 January 2016
Full paper submission: 1 May 2016
Conference: 20-21 May 2016
- October 01, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
- September 30, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
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- September 29, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
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- September 28, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
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Shii News – Academic Items
1. Workshop – Armenian Manuscript Studies (Berlin, 14-18 March 2016)
We would like to inform you about our workshop on Armenian Manuscript Studies, to be held at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library) from March 14th to 18th 2016. The workshop will be conducted by one of the leading specialists in the field, Prof. Dickran Kouymjian (California State University Fresno, Berberian Chair of Armenian Studies, emeritus). It is a cooperative working seminar between the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and the Martin-Luther-University Halle Wittenberg (Oriental Institute).
The participants will be introduced to the study of different codicological and paleographical aspects of Armenian manuscripts, including an overview on the history, collections and catalogues of Armenian manuscripts. Among the topics to be covered will be bindings, genres, mise-en-texte, mise-en-page, inks, illuminations and miniature paintings, colophons, scripts, periodization, provenance, etc. The theoretical part will be supplemented by hands-on sessions, in which the participants will have the unique opportunity to observe the features discussed among Armenian manuscripts in the collection of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.
Applications, including a motivational letter, curriculum vitae, a summary of any current research project, should be sent to orientabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de or by regular mail to Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Orientabteilung, Potsdamer Straße 33, 10785 Berlin, by 15 October 2015.
14-18 March 2016, Berlin: Armenian Manuscript Studies. An Introduction (registration by 15 October 2015) http://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/fileadmin/user_upload/zentrale_Seiten/orientabteilung/pd…
2. Symposium – Friedrich Sarre and the Berlin Museums (Berlin, 23 Oct 2015)
Wie die islamische Kunst nach Berlin kam.
Der Sammler und Museumsdirektor Friedrich Sarre
Tagung 23. Oktober 2015
Archäologisches Zentrum – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Brugsch-Pascha-Saal¸ Geschwister-Scholl-Str . 6, D-10117 Berlin
9.30 – 10.00 Introduction
Friedrich Sarre und die Berliner Museen
Friedrich Sarre and the Berlin Museums
Chair: Stefan Weber (Berlin)
10.00-10.30 Edhem Eldem (Boğaziçi University, Istanbul)
Friedrich Sarre, Osman Hamdi Bey, Halil Edhem Bey and the Birth of the Evkaf Museum in Contantinople
10.30-11.00 Gabriele Mietke (Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, Berlin)
Interests and Activities of the Royal Museums of Berlin in the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 19th century
11.00-11.30 Pause / Break
Friedrich Sarre und die Türkei
Friedrich Sarre and Turkey
Chair: Klaus Kreiser (Berlin)
11.30 -12.00 Malte Fuhrmann (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
That’s What Friends Are For: The Sarres, the Humanns, and Enver Pasha
12.00-12.30 Patricia Blessing (Stanford University)
Friedrich Sarre and the Discovery of Seljuk Architecture in Anatolia
12.30-13.00 Veit Veltzke (Preußenmuseum, Wesel)
“Persia – finally cleared for us”: Friedrich Sarre and the expedition Klein between the Persian lion and the Ottoman half-moon during WWI
13.00-14.30 Mittagessen / Lunch
Orientalismusmode in Berlin
Oriental Fashion in Berlin
Chair: Sven Kuhrau (Berlin)
14.30-15.00 Anna Mc Sweeney (SOAS, London)
Arthur von Gwinner and the Alhambra Cupola
15.00-15.30 Angelika Kaltenbach (Potsdam)
Orient meets Occident: the Aleppo-Room and the Oriental Room in the Villa Stauß
15.30-16.00 Pause / Break
Der Sammler Friedrich Sarre
Friedrich Sarre as collector
Chair: Barry Flood (New York/Berlin)
16.00-16.30 Joachim Gierlichs (Qatar National Library, Doha)
Friedrich Sarre and his collection of Islamic Art
16.30-17.00 Irina Khoshoridze (Georgian National Museum, Tiflis)
Collectors and Museums –Alexandre Roinashvili (Roinov) and his collection
17.30-18.00 Eva Troelenberg (Kunsthistorisches Institut Florenz)
The Masterpiece, the Golden Age and the Canon. Friedrich Sarre and the Introduction of Islamic Art History as Object-History.
3. University of Toronto – St. George – Assistant Professor, Islamic Art and Architecture Before 1800
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=51576
4. AUB Post: Faculty position in Modern Arabic Literature
American University of Beirut – Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages
The Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages at the American University of Beirut seeks applicants in the field of Modern Arabic Literature and Literary Theory (with special emphasis on prose genres)
The language of instruction in this department (and only in this department) is Modern Standard Arabic (fuṣḥā), but mastery of English is an essential requirement. Applicants should be well versed in both Arab and Western classical heritages, including Western literary theory. A reading knowledge of French and/or German is highly desirable, as is the ability to teach a second Semitic language or elementary Persian. Applicants must be able to teach, in Arabic, service courses in Arabic grammar and modern Arabic thought to native speakers of Arabic. Solid knowledge of the Arabic language and heritage and training in modern Western methodologies are essential.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, a CV, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent directly to:
Patrick McGreevy, Dean
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
American University of Beirut
c/o 3 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10017-2303, USA
Or
Patrick McGreevy, Dean
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
American University of Beirut
P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El-Solh
Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
Electronic submissions are highly encouraged and may be sent to: as_dean@aub.edu.lb
For best consideration, please submit all required credentials by the early deadline of 15 October 2015 and indicate whether you will be attending MESA. Applications accepted through 30 November 2015. Visiting scholars will be considered.
For more information on this position, please visit http://www.aub.edu.lb/fas/pages/academic-employment.aspx
5. Middlebury College: Program in Arabic
Tenure Track Position in Arabic
Location: Middlebury, Vermont
The Program in Arabic at Middlebury College announces an opening for one tenure track position at the Assistant Professor level, beginning the Fall semester of 2016. Superior language proficiency in both Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and English is required, and native or native-like proficiency in at least one Arabic dialect is strongly preferred. The area of specialization for the position is open.
The successful candidate will teach MSA courses at all levels, from beginning to advanced levels, and will also offer non-language courses in both MSA as well as in English in their disciplinary area. Candidates should hold a PhD in their area of specialization or should at least have an advanced ABD status with near-term plans for completion of a doctorate by the time of appointment. Candidates must have prior experience teaching MSA at the college level, preferably in a liberal arts college setting, and in accordance with the proficiency-based communicative approach to Arabic language pedagogy.
Applications for this position will be accepted starting September 18th 2015. Review of applications will begin on November 1st 2015, and will continue until the position is filled.
Middlebury College uses Interfolio to collect faculty job applications electronically. Email and paper applications will not be accepted. Through Interfolio, candidates should submit a letter of application addressed to the Arabic search committee. The letter should include a section addressing approaches to teaching as well as current and future research. In addition, applications should include: a curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, and three current confidential letters of recommendation (at least two of which must speak to teaching ability/promise). Samples of written scholarship will be solicited from candidates invited for interviews.
Inquiries regarding this position should be directed to Usama Soltan, Associate Professor of Arabic, at usoltan@middlebury.edu. More information is available at http://apply.interfolio.com/31686.
Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. More information regarding background checks may be found here: http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/administration/prospective_faculty/background_checks
6. CALL FOR PAPERS
International Journal of Islamic Architecture (IJIA)
Special Issue on Imagining Localities of Antiquity in Islamicate Societies; Thematic volume planned for Summer 2017
In honor of the life of Dr. Khaled al-Asaad
Paper proposal deadline: 30 November 2015
The tragically familiar spectacles of cultural heritage destruction performed by the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq are frequently presented as barbaric, baffling, and far outside the bounds of what are imagined to be normative, “civilized” uses of the past. Often superficially explained as an attempt to stamp out idolatry or as a fundamentalist desire to revive and enforce a return to a purified monotheism, analysis of these spectacles of heritage violence posits two things: that there is, fact, an “Islamic” manner of imagining the past – its architectural manifestations, its traces and localities – and that actions carried out at these localities, whether constructive or destructive, have moral or ethical consequences for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In this reading, the iconoclastic actions of ISIS and similar groups, for example the Taliban or the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia, are represented as one, albeit extreme, manifestation of an assumedly pervasive and historically ongoing Islamic antipathy toward images and pre-contemporary holy localities in particular, and, more broadly, toward the idea of heritage and the uses to which it has been put by modern nationalism.
But long before the emergence of ISIS and other so-called Islamist iconoclasts, and perhaps as early as the rise of Islam itself, Muslims imagined Islamic and pre-Islamic antiquity and its localities in myriad ways: as sites of memory, spaces of healing, or places imbued with didactic, historical, and moral power. Ancient statuary were deployed as talismans, paintings were interpreted to foretell and reify the coming of Islam, and temples of ancient gods and churches devoted to holy saints were converted into mosques in ways that preserved their original meaning and, sometimes, even their architectural ornament and fabric. Often, such localities were valued simply as places that elicited a sense of awe and wonder, or of reflection on the present relevance of history and the greatness of past empires, a theme so prevalent it created distinct genres of Arabic and Persian literature (aja’ib, fada’il). Sites like Ctesiphon, the ancient capital of the Zoroastrian Sasanians, or the Temple Mount, where the Jewish temple had stood, were embraced by early companions of the Prophet Muhammad and incorporated into Islamic notions of the self. Furthermore, various Islamic interpretive communities as well as Jews and Christians often shared holy places and had similar haptic, sensorial, and ritual connections that enabled them to imagine place in similar ways. These engagements were often more dynamic and purposeful than conventional scholarly notions of “influence” and “transmission” can account for. And yet, Muslims also sometimes destroyed ancient places or powerfully reimagined them to serve their own purposes, as for example in the aftermath of the Crusader presence in the Holy Land or in the destruction, reuse and rebuilding of ancient Buddhist and Hindu sites in the Eastern Islamic lands and South Asia.
This special issue invites scholars from across disciplines to engage with a critical reassessment of imaginings of the past in Islamicate societies. Papers may draw on historical or contemporary examples to explore some aspect of the themes outlined here, but are not limited to them.
- How are and were ancient place and locality used in Islamicate societies to create a sense of the past, and what are/were the routes, rituals, and performances by which the past is inscribed on the landscape?
- How are holy sites, sites of memory, and sites of ancient heritage simultaneously construed as contemporary and situated in the present in Islamicate societies?
- Although ISIS and other Wahhabi and Salafi groups are often said to be “medieval” in their methods and attitudes, should they in fact be envisioned as hyper-modern, both in their generation of spectacles of violence designed for viral sharing in the social media age, but also in the way they target imaginings of heritage as a cherished building block of the modern nation state and of globalized notions of “universal” values?
- Is there a broader project of reshaping the meaning of heritage unfolding across the Islamic world? The actions of the Taliban, Wahhabi projects of destruction in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the devastation of heritage in Syria by Assad and rebel groups, and the depredations of Islamists in Mali are recent examples. Can they be considered acts of “iconoclasm” in the traditional sense? Are such acts in fact more closely related to other modern acts of heritage destruction aimed at erasing memory, for example during the Cultural Revolution in China or the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia?
- Analysis of ISIS’ destruction frequently seems to parrot the agenda of ISIS itself in ways that amplify and reinforce their message, whether through viral sharing of their slickly produced videos on social media or credulous academic and journalistic analysis that takes ISIS at its word. How can researchers analyze these hypermodern forms without re-producing and disseminating the very vision of violence that they crafted? How can we formulate an active response that goes beyond expressions of dismay and condemnation?
- Although Islamicate societies often found ways to revere, venerate, and coexist with the considerable traces of antiquity in their midst, Muslims were also sometimes agents of destruction. What were the contexts in which Muslims destroyed localities of antiquity in the past? What meanings were claimed for such actions and how were they justified by their agents?
- Is there an “Islamic” notion of heritage? Can the ways Muslims imagined and continue to imagine the past enable a critical interrogation of notions of universal heritage that are predominant in the broader international community?
Essays that focus on historical and theoretical analysis (DiT papers) should be a minimum of 5,000 words but no more than 8,000 words, and essays on design (DiP papers) can range from 3,000 to 4,500 words. Contributions from practitioners are welcome and should bear in mind the critical framework of the journal. Contributions from scholars of heritage history and preservation as well as scholars and critics of heritage in the broadest sense are also particularly welcome.
Please send a 400-word abstract with essay title to the guest editor, Stephennie Mulder, The University of Texas at Austin (smulder@austin.utexas.edu), by 30 November 2015. Those whose proposals are accepted will be contacted soon thereafter and requested to submit full papers to the journal by 1 June 2016. All papers will undergo full peer review.
For author instructions regarding paper guidelines, please consult:www.intellectbooks.com/ijia
7. TUFTS UNIVERSITY
THE ARABIC PROGRAM, and
THE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY AND VISUAL STUDIES PROGRAM
in the Department of German, Russian and Asian Languages and Literatures
The Arabic program and the interdepartmental program on International Literary and Visual Studies at Tufts University invite applicants for a tenure-track Mellon Bridge Assistant Professorship in Comparative Literature with a focus on Arabic literary, film, and/or visual studies of any period. The ideal candidate will provide evidence of excellent research and teaching in these topics, with a rigorously comparative and/or trans-regional emphasis. We are especially interested in candidates whose work engages comparatively with multiple languages and literatures, as well as candidates whose work develops connections between literary and/or cultural studies, understood broadly, and other disciplines or intellectual areas.
Responsibilities include teaching a variety of thematic courses for Arabic Studies, possibly in Arabic, and for the interdepartmental program on International Literary and Visual Studies. There are rich opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with other departments and programs including, Anthropology, Art History, Classics, Colonialism Studies, English, Film and Media Studies, History, International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, and Romance Languages.
This position is being supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation to promote scholarship and teaching that bridges different departments and programs in the humanities at Tufts. The successful candidate will receive an appointment as a fellow at the Center for the Humanities at Tufts (CHAT) for the duration of the pre-tenure probationary period. We seek candidates whose research and teaching has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion in higher education.
Requirements: PhD by starting date; experience and demonstrated excellence in teaching courses in relevant subjects at the university level. While this position has no language-teaching duties, a high degree of fluency in both Arabic and English is required. Fluency in a third language is a plus.
Letter of Application, CV, statements of research and teaching interests, two writing samples, and three confidential letters of recommendation should be sent via Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/31867 . Further materials will be requested of short-listed applicants. The review of applications will begin on November 16, 2015, and continue until the position is filled. Questions about the search should be addressed to Professor Kamran Rastegar: kamran.rastegar@tufts.edu.
Tufts University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our faculty. Women and members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
8. CALL FOR PAPERS: Cambridge workshop 20-22 June 2016
St Andrews-Cambridge joint research initiative
Khamriyya as a World Poetic Genre:
Comparative Perspectives on Wine Poetry in Near and Middle Eastern Literatures.
After the success of the first Khamriyya workshop held in St Andrews in November 2014 and the Lecture Series supported by the Honeyman Foundation in St Andrews during the 2014-15 academic year, we are now launching the second workshop, to be held in Cambridge (UK) on 20-22 June 2016, supported by the Cambridge Soudavar Fund for Persian Studies and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. The results of this collaborative research will be published in a dedicated volume or special issue of a specialised journal.
The organisors designed the two workshops to function as real “work”shops where shared and mutual critical assessment and open discussions will clarify the state of the question and open up new avenues of research. By opening up the participation to specialists across language and cultural boundaries, we hope to foster a better understanding of the phenomenon of wine-poetry across Near and Middle Eastern Literatures.
The initiative welcomes contributions exploring various aspects of wine poetry in comparative perspective of Near and Middle Eastern literatures with the focus on the following topics:
- Recusancy and transgression: wine poetry challenging cultural, social and
religious norms of society,
- Imagery and stylistics: aesthetic transformations in the history of wine poetry,
- Adoption and transmission: wine poetry crossing linguistic and cultural borders.
In order to put together the Programme, we would be grateful if you could submit your paper abstract (400 words max) and CV by the deadline of 30th November, 2015 at the following email address: cv223@cam.ac.uk. The organisation panel will consider the applications and respond by 15th January 2015. The scientific committee might suggest further focusing of some of the topics in order to better serve the comparative perspective of the workshops. The language of the presentations and publication is English.
For further information please contact Dr Kirill Dimitriev: kd25@st-andrews.ac.uk
or Dr Christine van Ruymbeke: cv223@cam.ac.uk.
9. Séminaire ‘Sociétés, politiques et cultures du monde iranien’
Séance du 8 octobre 2015, 17h-18h30
Hawzhin Baghali, doctorante, CETOBAC, EHESS, Paris
« Le soufisme et le salafisme au Kurdistan d’Iran : une discontinuité historique dans le discours religieux contemporain »
Dans cette présentation, nous nous intéressons au changement discursif religieux dans une région qui constitue de nos jours le Kurdistan d’Iran. L’histoire des régions périphériques tel que le Kurdistan a généralement été ignoré au déterminent d’une histoire du centre. Sur la plan politique, l’Iran est connu peut être la capitale du monde chiite, tandis que la plupart de ses régions frontalières de pays sont sunnites, même que la plupart de la population kurde d’Iran. Cette dernière présente un visage sensiblement différent à par rapport à l’Iran chiite.
Les acteurs religieux dans la société kurde se présentent à travers deux discoures religieux. L’un repose sur le soufisme et l’autre sur l’islam politique. Aujourd’hui, les soufis sont considérablement marginalisés, moment où le Kurdistan était l’un des centres du soufisme depuisle XIVe siècle jusqu’au milieu du XXe siècle. En fait l’islam soufiste représentait l’islam dominant au Kurdistan. Mais à partir de cette date, l’islam politique émergé comme discours dominant par une rupture historique. Actuellement, il y’a trois groupes au Kurdistan sous la formes de groupe islamique ; Dawat va eslah-e Iran qui a l’approche des frères musulman, Maktab-e Qoran qui veut présenter un islam kurde et les petites groupes salafistes.
Donc en présentant de la situation de l’islam soufi et l’islam politique au Kurdistan nous nous demandons que comment l’islam politique a pris la place de soufisme au Kurdistan en tant que le discoures religieux dominant, de sorte que le soufisme se redéfini sous la forme du groupe politique aussi ?
Lieu : Université Sorbonne nouvelle – Paris 3, centre Censier, 13 rue de Santeuil, salle 410 (4e étage), 75005, Paris.
Organisateurs :
Matteo De Chiara (INaLCO), Denis Hermann (CNRS), Fabrizio Speziale (Paris 3), Julien Thorez (CNRS).
- September 26, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Bahrain Update: Book Launch (London, 7.10.15)
Book Launch: Bahrain’s Uprising:Resistance and Repression in the Gulf – Zed Books in Association with Amnesty International
Wednesday, 7 October 2015 from 19:00 to 21:30 (BST)
London, United Kingdom
Amnesty International UK, 25 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EA London ,United Kingdom
[Sign up at
Zed Books and Amnesty International invite you all to celebrate the publication of Bahrain’s Uprising: Resistance and Repression in the Gulf (Zed Books, 2015), edited by Bahrain Watch’s Marc Owen Jones and Ala’a Shehabi.
Join us from 7 – 8.30pm for a panel discussion and audience Q and A on the book, followed by a drinks reception and activist stalls from 8.30pm.
Link to the event.
_____________________________________________
Speakers:
Marc Owen Jones is a member of the advocacy NGO Bahrain Watch. He has written extensively about Bahrain for outlets such as the Independent, the New Statesman, CNN, Open Democracy, Index on Censorship, Muftah, Your Middle East, and Middle East Eye.
Farida Ghulam is the Vice Secretary of the secular National Democratic Society (Wa’ad) in Bahrain and an activist for women’s rights and general public affairs. Her husband is Ibrahim Sharif, a political activist imprisoned for 5 years for exercising his right to free speech. Although released, Ibrahim Sharif was re-arrested and could face charges of 10+ years. Ghulam was a frequent contributor to Al Wasat, a national newspaper in Bahrain.
Shane Enright (chair) is the Global Trade Union Advisor for Amnesty International.
_____________________________________________
About the book:
‘Brings together a powerful group of voices, observers and activists, who have worked not only to make sense of events in Bahrain, but who have also tirelessly advocated for justice in one of the region’s most tyrannical states. A timely and important volume.’ – Toby Jones, Rutgers University
‘Beautifully written, empirically rich, theoretically provocative and meticulously researched, it is a must-read for scholars interested in social movements in Bahrain and more broadly.’ – Frances S. Hasso, Duke University
‘Through first-person accounts and rigorous analysis, this book teaches us a great deal not only about contentious politics and social movements in Bahrain but about regional geopolitics writ large.’ – Lisa Hajjar, University of California, Santa Barbara
The 2011 uprisings that started in Tunisia and swept across the region have been extensively covered, but until now the Gulf island of Bahrain has almost been forgotten from the narration of events that have dramatically changed the region. Bahrain’s Uprising examines the ongoing protests and the state’s repression, revealing a sophisticated society shaped by its political struggle against a reactionary ruling elite that see’s the island as the bounty of conquest.
Drawing on powerful testimonies, interviews and conversations from those involved, this broad collection of writings provides a rarely heard voice for the lived experiences of Bahrainis and young scholars studying them. From the trial speech by one of the most prominent political leaders of the uprising, to the evocative prose of an imprisoned poet, the book harnesses the power of storytelling, to lead into scholarly articles that address the themes of space, social movements, postcolonialism, social media, and the role of foreign patrons.
Copyright 2015 Bahrain Watch, All rights reserved.
–
- September 25, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
- September 24, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. CMES | The Yale Council on Middle East Studies
Iran Colloquium
Fall 2015
September 18 Graduate Student Workshop
12PM Painting, poetry, photography: A conversation in Qajar art
Luce 203 Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, Graduate Student, Department of the History of Art, Yale University
October 2 The Allure of the Female: Aesthetic Transformations in
12PM Early Modern Persianate Poetry and Painting
ISPS A001 Sunil Sharma, Professor of Persianate & Comparative Literature, Boston University
Co-sponsored by the South Asian Studies Council
*Location change: ISPS, 77 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511 Room A001
October 16 Self-Representation, Audience Response, and the Art of Poetry
12PM in the Signature Verses of Sa’eb Tabrizi
Luce 203 Paul Losensky, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington
November 13 From Persian nasta‘liq to Ottoman ta‘lik: Aesthetic
12PM dissemination and cultural appropriation of a script (1500-1700)
Luce 203 Simon Rettig, Iran Heritage Foundation Curatorial Fellow, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
Co-sponsored by the Medieval-Renaissance Forum of the History of Art Department and The Çağatay Fund
December 4 The Social World of “Polluted” Carpets
12PM Narges Erami, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Yale University
Luce 203
All lectures are in Luce Hall Room 203 unless stated otherwise. Light lunch available at all lectures.
The Yale Program in Iranian Studies
[Iranianstudies.macmillan.yale.edu]Iranianstudies.macmillan.yale.edu
Yale University Council on Middle East Studies at the MacMillan Center
Luce Hall
34 Hillhouse Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
Sponsored by the Yale Program in Iranian Studies and the Council on Middle East Studies
Funded by a USDE Title VI National Resources grant
2. A position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Semitic Languages at Uppsala University, beginning in 2016 and with a maximum extent of four years is now open for applications. Application deadline is October 30 2015.
Subject area: Semitic languages, their philology, linguistics and literature have been studied and researched for over 400 years in Uppsala. Current research and teaching concentrates mostly on Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic/Syriac as well as Assyriology. The diversity of the field of Semitic Languages studied in Uppsala at present means that the postdoctoral research fellow will be part of the leading hub for research and education in the subject in Sweden. Work duties: The vacancy is for a research position within the subject area Semitic Languages and includes teaching and supervision at different levels. Some administrative duties are also part of the job. For more information, see links below.
Announcement in English: Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Semitic Languages http://www.uu.se/en/about-uu/join-us/details/?positionId=73523
Announcement in Swedish: Forskarassistent i semitiska språk http://www.uu.se/jobb/detaljsida/?positionId=73523
3. The Birmingham Qur’an Manuscript
2-25 October 2015
Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham
A Qur’an manuscript held by the University of Birmingham has been placed among the oldest in the world thanks to modern scientific methods. Radiocarbon analysis has dated the parchment on which the text is written to the period between 568 and 645 CE with 95.4% accuracy. Researchers conclude that the Birmingham manuscript is among the earliest fragments of the Islamic holy book known to survive.
The Birmingham Qur’an manuscript is on public display for a limited time only. The exhibition is ticketed and time slots will be allocated. For more information and to book your tickets, please visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/quran
Upcoming events accompanying the exhibition:
Unravelling the story behind the Birmingham Qur’an
Fri 16 Oct, 1-2pm
Nicolson Building, University of Birmingham
Explore the story behind the Birmingham Qur’an with curator Josefine Frank. Find out how the manuscript connects the 7th-century Muslim community in the Arabian Peninsula with Birmingham’s Quaker community in the 1930s. Free event, please register via http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/artslaw/events/bttf/2015/josefine-frank.aspx
| 4. London Middle East Institute: Forthcoming Events
To mark the start of the new academic year, we are pleased to announce the following special events which we hope will be of interest:
Friday 25 September, 5:30 pm: ISIS and the Crisis in the Middle East – A Year on Panel discussion with Professor Gilbert Achcar (SOAS), Professor Nadje Al-Ali (SOAS) and Ghias Aljundi (Syrian writer and human rights activist). Chair: Dr Hassan Hakimian (Director, London Middle East Institute). Organised by the LMEI jointly with the SOAS Students’ Union
Saturday 26 September, 7:30 pm: Live Concert by Reem Kelani The acclaimed Palestinian musician Reem Kelani performs live at SOAS
Monday 28 September, 6 pm: ISIS and the Caliphate: the uses and abuses of history Professor High Kennedy of SOAS examines how ISIS, in its periodical Dabiq, interprets early Islamic history to make its own propaganda and justify its own positions
The forthcoming October-November issue of the LMEI’s bi-monthly magazine ‘The Middle East in London’ is out at the end of the month. Featuring articles on the cultural, political, economic and other issues that affect Middle Eastern communities in London along with the most comprehensive guide to all events relating to the Middle East in London and across the UK the next issue of the magazine focuses on Endangered Languages in the Middle East. You can subscribe to ‘The Middle East in London’ magazine by becoming an Individual Affiliate of the LMEI.
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5. Journée d’étude – 17 octobre 2015
9h -17h30 – Galerie Colbert
Représentations des martyrs en mondes musulmans
Fabrications des images – Présences dans l’espace public
Partant du constat largement partagé d’une exposition aussi nombreuse que diverse des figures de martyrs dans les espaces publics de pays musulmans, cette journée se consacre à l’étude des processus de fabrication (peintures, photographies, pochoirs, images numériques…), des supports d’affichage (murs, musées, internet) ainsi qu’à la mise en rapport de ces productions par-delà les singularités des pays, des conflits et des mythologies, pour en interroger le sens et les évolutions.
Journée organisée par l’HiCSA – Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne en partenariat avec : CéSor, IIAC-LAU, IREMAM, Tehran Municipality
Adresse : Galerie Colbert – 2 rue Vivienne 75002 Paris
Entrée libre
www. hicsa.univ-paris1.fr
Contact : agnes.devictor@univ-paris1.fr.
6. Medical Manuscript Studies has grown, and we now have an editorial board that allows us to accept submissions from a broader area: manuscripts, papyri and early printed books in Latin, Greek, Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew, Aramaic and German.
http://simonofgenoa.org/index.php?title=Medical_Manuscript_Studies
We accept submissions on a rolling basis. Our publications are peer reviewed.
We are happy to receive articles containing non-Latin alphabets, and we do not have any restrictions regarding colour photographs, tables and the like. We publish fast.
For all administrative intents and purposes, MMS is a normal journal. We have an ISSN, and we are being archived by the British Library. The only difference is that we don’t have a commercial publisher who makes a profit from our work. (Instead, I declared myself publisher, using my work address).
The main reason why I created this journal is that it is getting increasingly difficult to publish contributions that relate to more than one subject area, e.g. ancient and medieval or Greek and Arabic. Moreover, some fields are somewhat disconnected from the history of medicine debate. Here, the prime example is Turkish.
Also, I wanted to create a platform that suited the needs and interests of academics, rather than the interests and abilities of some publishers. The journal appears under the simonofgenoa.org URL, which is a decent branding, as it reflects five years of solid open access research. We are Wellcome Trust funded as well.
Please feel free to get in touch with any further enquiries!
Best wishes,
7. Conference: “Islam in Russia”, Harvard University, 15-16 October 2015
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies is hosting this conference. It is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, but is appreciated for planning purposes. Information: http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/conference-islam-russia
8. Lecturer in Arabic, Department of Religion and Classics, University of Rochester
This is a three-year position, subject to annual review and potentially renewable, to begin fall, 2016. Requirements: M.A. or equivalent, and native or near-native proficiency in Arabic. Ph.D. degree would be beneficial. Information: https://www.rochester.edu/faculty-recruiting/login
9. Director, Carnegie Middle East Center, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Beirut
Successful candidates will have recognized expertise on the Arab region; a Ph.D. in a field relevant to public policy and a distinguished publication record; proven team leadership and project management experience. Information: https://carnegieendowment.applicantpro.com/jobs/273952.html
10. Assistant Professor in Political Science (Focus on Middle East/North Africa), Bryn Mawr College, PA
The position will start on 1 August 2016. Deadline for applications: 7 October 2015. Information http://apply.interfolio.com/30357
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11. Assistant Professor in Sociocultural Anthropology (Focus Middle East/Islamic World etc.), Haverford College, PA
Deadline for applications: 15 October 2015. Information: http://apply.interfolio.com/31066.
12. Associate or Full Professor, M.S. Sofia Chair in Arabic Studies, Ohio State University
The preferred field of specialization is pre-modern Arabic Islamic texts and traditions or classical Arabic language and literature. Information: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/6247
13. Research Project Coordinator of the Islamic and Middle East Studies Centers of Duke University, Durham, NC
This positon will work with the directors of the two centers to design, develop, and carry out research projects that pull together faculty from across the university. MA or equivalent higher degree preferable; minimum 4 years experience. Information: www.hr.duke.edu/jobs/apply/external.php?pageid=search, Requisition Number 401003203.
14. Stipend for Doctoral Studies in the Field of History of Egypt in the Islamic Period (7 – 20th centuries), Yousef Jameel Scholarship Fund, Philipps-Universität Marburg
The Department of Islamic Studies which is part of the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS) has a strong emphasis on socio-political and cultural issues but applications outside this field like Islamic Philosophy will be considered as well.
Deadline for application: 30 November2015. Information: www.uni-marburg.de/cnms/aktuelles/stellen/yousef-jameel-academic.pdf
15. Articles on “Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Muslim Thought” for “Journal of Islamic Thought & Civilization”
Deadline for full paper submission: 10 November 2015. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/GROUP_NID/announcements/83951/allama-muhammad-iqbal-and-muslim-thought
16. Palos Verdes Persian Heritage Foundation presents a two-day workshop for Persian instructors, tutors & parents:
This event has been sponsored in part by Farhang Foundation, USC Dornsife Middle East Studies-Iranian Studies Initiative, and Association of Professors & Scholars of Iranian Heritage.
Teaching Persian in the 21st Century
Date: October 3-4, 2015
Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: 25550 Hawthorn Blvd., Suite 300, Torrance, CA 90505
Deadline: September 21, 2015
Register at: http://www.pvphf.org or http://www.teachmepersian.com/pages/teachingpersian.php
To register for the workshop fill out the online application before September 21st deadline. Please feel free to forward the announcement to interested individuals.
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17. The British Library: Persian and Turkish manuscripts on view in the Treasures Gallery
- September 23, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
- September 23, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
- September 22, 2015
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment