Shi’i Cosmopolitanisms in Africa

Mara A. Leichtman offers an in-depth study of Shi‘i Islam in two very different communities in Senegal: the well-established Lebanese diaspora and Senegalese “converts” from Sunni to Shi‘i Islam of recent decades. Sharing a minority religious status in a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, each group is cosmopolitan in its own way. Leichtman provides new insights into the everyday lives of Shi‘i Muslims in Africa and the dynamics of local and global Islam. She explores the influence of Hizbullah and Islamic reformist movements, and offers a corrective to prevailing views of Sunni-Shi‘i hostility, demonstrating that religious coexistence is possible in a context such as Senegal.

The book should be available at the discounted conference rate for those attending MESA.

Bahrain

On harassment of Muharram commemorations in Bahrain by security forces, see http://www.adhrb.org/2015/10/attacks-on-muharram-ceremonies-in-bahrain/

For the March 2015 report on discrimination against the Shia in Bahrain, see http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/7419

Panel 2015 MESA annual Meeting, Nov 21-24, Denver, Colorado, USA
P4110] Rethinking Muharram: Shi’i Muslim Minorities and the Politics of Ashura Performances

Texts, Interpretation and Commemorating Imām Husayn. by El-Karanshawy, Samer
The Green Ashura: urban space, ritual, and post-election Iran by Rahimi, Babak
The ‘Africanization’ of Ashura in Senegal by Leichtman, Mara
Muharram Rituals and the Making of British Shi’ism by Spellman, Kathryn

SUMMARY:
The first ten days of the month of Muharram (known as Ashura) are often taken as an essential cultural paradigm for Shi’i Islam by academics and by Shi’i Muslims themselves. Mourning performances revolve around the story of the battle of Karbala (680 CE). In this Iraqi desert field, Husayn, Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, along with his followers, died a martyr’s death by the army of Umayyad caliph Yazid (who ruled from 680-683). For Shi’a, remembering Karbala has served as a basic metaphor upon which many beliefs, worldviews, and ritual performances are based. The commemorative ceremonies have been used to affirm communal solidarity and express political, ideological, and social relationships and identities in shifting historical contexts. These ritual performances are also strategic in that they seek to affirm control of a community’s situation and flexibly reinvent rituals as ongoing processes to accommodate various ideas, symbols, and practices in culturally defined contexts.

This panel explores the creative ways Shi’i communities from various ethnic, racial, and national backgrounds use Muharram discourses and practices to further ethnic/nationalist goals, and to negotiate their identity in the context of shifting state-society relations. Such performances are studied here as new ways of commemorating Muharram that entail transgressive features yet remain conservative to affirm social solidarity and bring minority communities more visibility in society. In particular, we examine Shi’i Muharram rituals that do not conform to “official” models of religious action and yet promote Shi’i identity in terms of authenticity and appeal to “traditions.” In certain contexts, however, Ashura may challenge colonial or state hegemony, serve as expressions of self-revival, or as a means of displaying communal identity in a multicultural state.

Panel presenters expand on Muharram practices across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Ashura commemorations in Lebanon are analyzed as texts, open for interpretation and variability. Similarly, Ashura manifestations in Iran, shortly after the “Green Revolution” contesting the disputed 2009 elections, are examined in terms of carnivaleque theatricality and use of city space. In West Africa, Senegalese Shi’a do not participate in Muharram performances typical in the Middle East, but organize conferences on religious debates inclusive of the Sufi Muslim majority. In Britain, Shi’i youth use Ashura to contest the older generation and assert themselves within larger transnational Islamic movements and British secular space. Throughout all four papers, themes of Ashura performance as local political intervention permeate, regardless of Shi’i majority, Shi’i minority, or Shi’i diaspora contexts.

For full details on the MESA meeting and other panels see http://mesana.org/annual-meeting/

Code of conduct & responsibilities during Muharram – The Express Tribune

The author is chair of the Pakistan Ulema Council, on which see http://www.puc.org.pk/. In 2014 the Council declared ‘that no Islamic sect will be declared ‘kaafir’ (infidel/non-believer). See http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/224383-No-Islamic-sect-to-be-declared-kaafir-Ulama-Cou

Incidents of Anti-Shiism in October 2015

1. Persianate Subalterns:

The first workshop of the Persianate Subalterns project – on pre-Safavid subalterns – will take place on 7-8 November, 2015 in Edinburgh, UK.

To register for free live-streaming of this event, and for further information, and information on our Twitter feed, please visit:

http://www.shii-news.imes.ed.ac.uk/the-subalterns-project/the-first-workshop-edinburgh-7-8-november-2015/

 

2. The second Ethnographic Film and Media Program of the Middle East and Central Eurasia (Network of the European Association of Social Anthropologists)

 

We are pleased to announce the second Ethnographic Film and Media Program of the Middle East and Central Eurasia, which will be held annually in conjunction with the Anthropology of the Middle East and Central Eurasia Network of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA).

 

Our second program will be held with the collaboration of the Department of Sociology of the University of Nantes and Institut du Pluralisme Religieux et de l’Athéisme – IPRA/MSHG (Nantes) during 19th and 20th November 2015 (University of Nantes, Nantes, France).

http://easaonline.org/networks/amce/film.shtml

Curator and organiser: Dr. P. Khosronejad (Institut du Pluralisme Religieux et de l’Athéisme – IPRA/MSHG, Nantes, France)

Contact : Pedram.khosronejad(AT)univ-nantes.fr

 

3. The IU Libraries Area Studies Department is excited to announce the return of our Area and International Studies Librarianship course in an all-new format. This Spring we will be offering the course online, which means that we will be able to enroll students beyond the boundaries of Indiana University. If you know librarians, library students, or others interested in Area Studies Librarianship would you kindly help us spread the word? This course is team-taught by the entire department, who collectively have global subject expertise. Additionally, we will bring in other relevant experts in our discipline. You will find more details about the course in the attached flyer. International students are welcome; all non-IU students, please see the attached form for enrollment information. If you have any questions about the class, please feel free to contact Marion Frank-Wilson at mfrankwi@indiana.edu

 

 

4. Research Methods in Islamic Studies: A Beginners Guide

The Centre for Islamic Shi’a Studies would like to invite you to attend our second in a series of workshops on research methods and techniques within academic and seminarian studies of Islamic studies.

The workshop will run as a full day workshop on the 14th and 15th of November 2015 from 10am to 5pm. It will be led by Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi, a lecturer and researcher in Islamic intellectual and religious history at the University of Saint Andrews with vast experience in the many research methods in Islamic Studies. The workshop shall cover topics such as how to read classical Arabic texts, research methodology, practical skills and techniques within academia and much more.

There will be a charge of £75 per person in order to cover the costs of running the workshop. This must be paid on registration.

Location: Brunei Gallery, Room B104, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG.

Refreshments will be provided.

 

Places are limited.
In order to register for attendance please contact: h.alkhateeb@shiastudies.org

Amir F. M. Bahrululoom
Alsalam Foundation
247 High Road, Willesden, London
United Kingdom, NW10 2RY
Tel: (+44) 2084513322 | Mob: (+44) 7816518699
www.salamf.org

 

5. Ethnomusicology grants

 

Three grants made available for students or young people interested to join in a short term study of ethnomusicology in Iran for a period of three months. The grant made available by Golnoosh Zolfonoon, the daughter of one the outstanding Iranian Setar player Maestro Zolfonoon (whom passed away a few years ago). The course take place in Khaneh Honarmandan (The Great National House of Iranian Artists). Grants cover complete fees (please note that traveling and living costs are not covered in grants). Course presented in Persian language (although you may find several volunteer students and young scholars willing to help you with Persian there).

Please do let your students and interested people know by distributing this announcement. For farther detail about the course please visit following link or contact the course conductor
Prof. Mohammad R. Azadehfar (azadehfar -at- art.ac.ir):

https://www.academia.edu/7731885/An_Open_course_Introduction_to_Ethnomusicology_and_Anthropology_of_Music_

 

 

6. The 14th Arabic Papyrology Webclass: Documents on Marriage and Divorce

Layout: Women in Muslim societies not only showed presence in the labor
market and as foundation founders, but also in courts while claiming
their personal rights. Therewith, legal evidence set up by scholars
provide information on the legal framework and give information of the
then legal discourse. Yet, these sources pay little attention to
gendered marital conditions and are devoid of the immediacy provided by
documentary evidence. We will read both marriage contracts and divorce
documents, and complement this by letters written by and to women.

Mode: This is an on-line webclass. We will read both published and
unpublished documents. A scan of the document to be discussed will be
sent to you in advance. Communication will be in English.

Time: 16 November 2015 – 15 February 2016, Monday, 6-8 pm CET.

Further Information: www.naher-osten.lmu.de/apw.

Register until: 11 November 2015.

—
Prof. Dr. Andreas Kaplony
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Institut für den Nahen und Mittleren Osten
Veterinärstrasse 1, Zimmer 209, D-80539 München
Tel. 0(049)89-2180-2352, 2436
www.naher-osten.lmu.de

 

7. Leiden University: Assistant Professor in Arabic Philosophy

 

http://werkenbij.leidenuniv.nl/vacatures/wetenschappelijke-functies/15-360-vacature-universiteit-leiden-assistant-professor-in-arabic-philosophy.html

Only applications received before 30 November 2015 can be considered.

 

8. Middle East and Central Asia Music Forum

 

Friday 27^th November 2015

 

Convened by the Music Department at City University London and Music Department, SOAS in conjunction with the Institute of Musical Research

 

Venue: City University London, Music Department, Room AG09, College Building, St John Street, London EC1V 4BP

 

All welcome and admission is free but advance registration is requested for planning purposes.

http://www.city.ac.uk/events/2016/november/middle-east-and-central-asia-music-forum

 

Registration from 9.30am

9.45am                  Welcome

 

Session 1, 10-11.30am

Tamara Turner (King’s College, London)

‘Algerian Diwan of Sidi Blel: Moving and Musicking the Affective Community’

 

Rachel Beckles Willson and Salvatore Morra (Royal Holloway, University of London)

‘Al Kindi,Villoteau and the North African oud: The Case of the Horniman Museum in London’

 

11.30-12                    Tea/Coffee

 

Session 2, 12-12.45pm

Owen Wright (SOAS)

‘A Safavid Theoretical Text’

 

12.45 – 2.15pm  Lunch (not provided)

 

Session 3, 2.15-3.45pm

Louis Brehony (King’s College, London)

‘Mohammed Assaf: Arab Idol and the Zionist occupation of Palestine’.

 

Ruth Davis (University of Cambridge)

Title tbc

 

3.45-4.15pm              Tea/Coffee

 

Session 4, 4.15-5pm

Saeid Kord Mafi (SOAS)

‘Broadening Practice Horizons Through Theory:  A Study of Some Modal Capacities in Persian Classical Music’

 

Film screening (tbc), 5 – 6.30pm followed by Q&A

6.45pm onwards, a local restaurant will be booked for anyone who would like to end the day with a shared meal.

 

The Middle East and Central Asia Music forum has been running since 2007 and is open to researchers, students and anyone interested in the music and culture of the region. In the spirit of fostering dialogue and interdisciplinarity, we hope that the issues discussed at the forum will be of interest to a broad audience, including musicologists, ethnomusicologists and other researchers in the arts, humanities and social sciences. In addition, we welcome those working on other aspects of Middle Eastern and Central Asian culture broadly speaking (dance, visual arts, media, film, literature, etc.)

 

The Forum is convened by Dr Laudan Nooshin, City University London (l.nooshin@city.ac.uk) and Dr Rachel Harris, SOAS (rh@soas.ac.uk)

 

9. The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) announces its funding opportunities for 2015-16.

ARISC Graduate Fellowships
The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) announces the availability of US graduate fellowships in support of research in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and/or Georgia). Awards will be made for a maximum of $1500 each. Projects in all fields in the social sciences, humanities and related sciences are eligible. Proposals will be judged on their quality and on the potential of the research to strengthen scholarship on the South Caucasus. The purpose of the fellowship is to help cover travel and/or living expenses in the South Caucasus. During his/her stay in the South Caucasus, the fellow is expected to give an ARISC-sponsored presentation on a subject related to his/her research. The fellow will acknowledge ARISC in any publication that emerges from the research carried out during the fellowship.

Application requirements: Please send a complete application including the application form, a project statement of not more than 3 pages, work schedule, budget, and curriculum vitae, by Friday, December 18, 2015, to info@arisc.org. Two letters of recommendation must also be submitted. All information must be received by Friday, December 18, 2015, in order for the applicant to be considered for the fellowship, as well as in any presentations of the research results.

For details, eligibility, and to download the application form, please visit http://arisc.org/?page_id=70#Grad

ARISC Junior Research Fellowship
The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) announces the availability of US graduate student, postdoctoral and junior scholar fellowships in support of research and mentoring activities in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and/or Georgia). The goals of the fellowship are 1) to support research in and the study of the South Caucasus; 2) to select, recognize and financially support individuals early in their careers who demonstrate high potential to contribute to research in this region; 3) to support a mentoring relationship that will both develop the academic skills of the mentee and strengthen ties between the US and host country. Projects in all fields in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are eligible, but all projects must include one or more undergraduate and/or graduate students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and/or Georgia as research assistants/participants. Research awards will be made for a maximum of $4000 each to help cover travel, living, and research expenses in the South Caucasus. For ARISC grant purposes, mentoring is understood to involve integrating a local scholar into a research project in a fundamental way that involves cultivating skills and knowledge of methods that will contribute to the professional development of the local scholar. Proposals will be judged on their quality and on the potential of the research to strengthen scholarship on the South Caucasus.

Application requirements: Please send a complete application including the application form, a project statement of not more than 1500 words, work schedule, budget, and curriculum vitae, by Wednesday, December 23, 2015, to info “at” arisc.org. Three letters of recommendation must also be submitted.  Letters of recommendation should be sent directly from your referee via email to info “at” arisc.org. All information must be received by Wednesday, December 23, 2015, in order for the applicant to be considered for the fellowship.

This fellowship is supported with a grant from the US Department of Education.

For details, eligibility, and to download the application form, please visit http://arisc.org/?page_id=70#ResFlw

ARISC Collaborative Heritage Management in Armenia Grant
Date Due: December 18, 2015

The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus invites proposals from collaborative teams in support of the preservation and conservation of the Republic of Armenia’s archaeological and historical heritage. This ARISC program, generously funded by Project Discovery!, seeks to foster joint work between American and Armenian scholars and institutions dedicated to the proper curation and preservation of heritage materials such as artifacts, sites, and manuscripts. Successful applications will demonstrate substantive collaborations that not only contribute to heritage conservation but also demonstrate efforts to build capacity and enhance local knowledge of current techniques and approaches to heritage management. These grants require active participation of both American and Armenian principal investigators in all aspects of the collaborative project.

Examples of potential projects include:
•    Restoration of threatened archaeological remains
•    Stabilization of historical resources
•    Long-term protection for archaeological sites or historical monuments
•    Curation and permanent exhibition of heritage materials
•    Cataloging and recording of collections
•    Digitization of heritage materials for wider public access
•    Enhancement of conservation lab facilities
•    Advanced training for specialists

Given the level of funding, these awards can also be used as seed grants to demonstrate the feasibility of a pilot program and/or in concert with funds from parallel sources.

Grantees will be required to either give a talk or run a workshop pertinent to the subject of the grant while in Armenia.

For details, eligibility, and to download the application form, please visit http://arisc.org/?page_id=70#CHM

ARISC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, medical condition, ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran.

 

10. Second Annual Conference: “Academia and Social Justice”, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship / Arab Studies Institute, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 11-13 March 2016 X

This conference aims to query aspects of this relationship between academia and social justice in the Arab region and internationally. What are the debates and paradigms that define this engagement given the trends towards market-place economics, corporatization, and political orthodoxy?

Deadline: 30 November 2015. Information: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2706fba83081d638f41bab041/files/AI_ASI_2016_Call_4_Papers_E.pdf
11. Islamic World History, Eastern Connecticut State University – www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=51918

 

Postdoctoral Fellow in Islamic Art, Washington University in St. Louis – www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=51902

 

Assistant Professor of World History, Georgian Court University – www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=51932
12. Master’s and Doctoral Scholarships for Syrian Students in Social Sciences, Humanities, Human Rights, Law and Legal History, Economic History / Studies at the Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

The University is offering a number of full scholarship packages for the Academic Year 2016/2017. Application deadline: 4 February 2016. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/90564/cfa-graduate-scholarships-syrian-students

 

13. http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/asian-and-african/2015/11/new-evidence-for-the-style-of-the-fraser-artist-in-delhi-portraits-of-afghans-1808-10.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+asian-and-african+%28Asia+and+Africa%29

 

 

New evidence for the style of the “Fraser artist” in Delhi: Portraits of Afghans 1808-10

One of the earliest European scientific accounts of Afghanistan is Mountstuart Elphinstone’s An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, and its Dependencies in Persia, Tartary, and India, which was first published by Longman, Rees, & Co in London in 1815 and went through several different editions in the 19^th century.

 

14. CfP: The Third Annual Conference of British Association for Islamic Studies (BRAIS) is taking place in London on 11th and 12th April 2016 and the organisers particularly encourage panel proposals on any aspect or sub-discipline of Islamic Studies.  For full details on how to submit papers or panels please visit our website:
http://www.brais.ac.uk/conferences/brais-conference-2016/brais-2016-call-for-papers

Completed submission forms must be submitted via e-mail attachment to conference2016@brais.ac.uk by 5pm (UK time) on Monday 30th November 2015.

The Alawis of Syria | Hurst Publishers

Painful Archaeology: Excavating Saddam’s Mass Graves

On Ashura Day, Al-Azhar criticizes Sunni ‘hard-line stance’ on Shiites

The BBC story on the closing can be found at:
http://www.bbc.com/arabic/middleeast/2015/10/151022_egypt_hussein_shrine.shtml

Here is reaction from Moqtada al-Sadr
http://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/2015/10/23/iraq-shia-moqtada-alsadr-egypt

and from inside Egypt
http://www.shorouknews.com/news/view.aspx?cdate=24102015&id=609802a2-b60a-4770-852c-6c0eb52a0275

For the Azhar fatwa on Shiism (in Arabic), see
https://ar.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%89_%D8%B4%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AA