Archive for July, 2017

Mazda Publishers – Investigations Explication the States of Existants

null

Bi-Annual Anti-Shiism Report – Shia Rights Watch

The first half of 2017 has been a turbulent time for Shia Muslims all over the world. Anti-Shiism, or the active targeting of Shia Muslim to limit their visibility and expression, was prevalent in across the globe. Shia Muslims, including their sub groups, make up approximately 50% of the total Muslim population.

Saudi Arabia: Increasing fears for civilian lives and property as the authorities escalate the military assault on Awamiyah

The Saudi Arabian authorities must immediately stop the vicious military assault on the town of Awamiyah,and must protect civilians and not forcibly evict them without providing adequate shelter, said the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR). On Friday, 28 July, the Saudi authorities announced that the remaining residents of the town of Awamiyah, estimated…

1.Announcement – Course Registration Open: Introduction to Islamic Codicology, Cambridge University Library, 4-8 September 2017

Registration Open: Introduction to Islamic Codicology Course

4-8 September 2017

Cambridge University Library

The Islamic Manuscript Association—in partnership with the Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation, Cambridge University Library, and the University of Cambridge’s HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies and Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies—announces its eleventh annual Cambridge-based Introduction to Islamic Codicology course, which will be held from 4 to 8 September 2017.

This intensive five-day course will introduce the study of Islamic manuscript codices as physical objects, or the archaeology of the Islamic book. Daily illustrated lectures will provide an overview of writing supports, the structure of quires, ruling and page layout, bookbinding, ornamentation, tools and materials used in book making, and the palaeography of book hands. Participants may choose to register for hands-on sessions during which they will examine Islamic manuscripts from Cambridge University Library and complete a series of practical exercises on manuscript description.

The course will be taught by Professor François Déroche, holder of the Chair of History of the Qur’an, Text and Transmission at the Collège de France, and Professor Nuria Martínez de Castilla Muñoz, Professor of the Codicology and History of the Manuscript Book in the Islamicate World, École Pratique des Hautes Études, both leading scholars of Islamic codicology and palaeography.

All instruction will be in English. The course does not require a knowledge of Arabic, Persian, Turkish, or other languages spoken in the Muslim World, and is suitable for art historians, bookbinders, codicologists, conservators, curators, and anyone else working with Islamic manuscripts.

The full course, including lectures and hands-on sessions, is limited to twelve persons for conservation and security reasons.

Further details, including the programme, fees, and registration form, can be found on the Association’s website, http://www.islamicmanuscript.org/courses/introduction-to-islamic-codicology,-cambridge,-2017.aspx

For more information, one may also contact Davidson MacLaren, executive director of The Islamic Manuscript Association, at davidson@islamicmanuscript.org.

2. Title:  Synagogues of the Islamic World: Architecture, Design and Identity
Edited by Mohammad Gharipour

Publisher:  Edinburgh University Press, 2017
ISBN13: 978-1474411714

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/synagogues-in-the-islamic-world-9781474411714?cc=us&lang=en&

3. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg Fall School in

“Science and Technology in the Islamic Middle Periods”

Each fall the Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg offers, at no cost, an intensive, five-day course to Mamluk scholars (and those in related fields) at the doctoral and post-doctoral level on topics of mutual interest.

The traditional model for such courses has been group work on medieval Arabic texts. The past two years, however, the Kolleg has innovated with course delivery and themes, to cultivate interdisciplinarity and expand and enrich our methodological approaches. The theme of the Fall School 2017 is “Science and Technology in the Islamic Middle Periods”. The Islamic Middle Periods (roughly 12th-16th centuries) witnessed a shift to mass production and the development of new technologies and crafts. To evaluate the contributions of this period in the development of science and technology in general is one goal of this course.

This Fall School will be taught as a webinar, which allows students (and instructors) to log in from anywhere in the world and meet one another in a virtual classroom in real time.  The webinar format was chosen as an appropriate venue for technological experimentation and to create an environment fostering scientific exchange.

The course runs September 25-29, 2017. There will be generally two, two-hour seminars each day, each taught by a different instructor (or pair of instructors), who are leading scholars in their field.  The seminars combine powerpoint lectures, group discussion of secondary readings, group work with period manuscripts (on science), and hands-on (online) exercises to develop knowledge about a range of technologies and sciences developed during the Middle Islamic Period. Daily seminars will cover the following topics:

• engineering and technology of warfare
• industry, production, and transfer of trade knowledge
• pharmacology and medicine
• water technology and agrarian science
• astronomy and mapping

The language of instruction is English. Applicants will be scholars of medieval Islamic history (or related fields) at the doctoral or post-doctoral level. All participants need dependable internet access and a Skype account, and agree to be available the entire week during the times scheduled for the daily seminars. To apply, send a statement of interest and CV to Dr. Abdelkader Al Ghouz (aalghouz@uni-bonn.de) by August 15, 2017.

4. Ghent University – postdoctoral research fellows in Arabic
historiography
https://www.ugent.be/en/work/vacancies/scientific/post-doctoral-researcher-fellowship-in-arabic-vugno

5. Iranian Studies Summer School

11-17^th September, 2017

Sofia – Bulgaria

Contact for more information and registration:

Centre for Iran, Balkans and Central European Studies – IBCE

www.cibce.org

address: Bulgaria, Sofia, blv. Evlogi Georgiev № 101, fl.2

mob. tel. +359 8 77 55 45 62, +359 8 85 04 17 23

e-mail: office@cibce.org

IBCE – Executive Director: Alireza Pourmohammad

e-mail: alireza.purmohammad@cibce.org

6. The Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML),  holds the world’s largest collection of resources for the study of manuscript cultures both East and West. Since 1965, HMML has been preserving and sharing the world’s manuscript heritage. Now, scholars have free, online access to manuscripts and research resources on vHMML, <http://www.vhmml.org/>.

As of today, vHMML Reading Room, the sophisticated catalog database component of vHMML, reached a benchmark of 20,000 records available for research – and more are added every day.

About half of the manuscripts on vHMML belong to collections from the Middle East and Africa. There are currently over 10,000 records in Arabic, Syriac, and Garshuni, dating from the fifth century CE to modern times. High-resolution digital images of these manuscripts are available for viewing on vHMML, and the catalog information is searchable.

Registration on vHMML is open to anybody who has a scholarly interest in the manuscripts. Go to <http://www.vhmml.org/> and click on “Register” at the top right.

HMML is located at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. While a modest collection of physical manuscripts and rare print books resides at HMML, most of our online offerings are from manuscripts that were photographed onsite in countries around the world. The photography is done by local teams outfitted and trained by HMML, and the manuscripts remain in the possession of their owning institutions. This work has preserved, in digital form, thousands of manuscripts that have since gone missing or been destroyed due to political upheaval.

David Calabro, PhD
Lead Cataloger, Eastern Christian and Islamic Manuscripts
Hill Museum & Manuscript Library
2835 Abbey Plaza
PO Box 7300
Saint John’s University
Collegeville, MN 56321-7300, USA
<dcalabro001@csbsju.edu>.

7. Stanford University, Art and Art History, Music, Theater and Performance
Studies, Comparative Literature

Islam and the Arts
Assistant Professor/Associate Professor,

Tenure Track Faculty

Stanford University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant  Professor or a tenured Associate Professor faculty position in Islam and
the Arts. The search is open to scholars focused on Islamic religious
arts and performance; non-religious artistic and literary productions of
the diverse cultures of Islamic societies; and scholar/artist
practitioners. The applicant must have a conferred terminal degree in
his/her field by September 1, 2018. The appointment can be in one of the
following departments in the School of Humanities and Sciences: Art and
Art History, Music, Theater and Performance Studies, or Comparative
Literature.

The successful candidate will be based in a humanities department but is
also expected to contribute to the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies’
curricular and outreach efforts. Candidates should demonstrate interests
that afford effective interactions with a broad range of colleagues and
the ability to teach and mentor a diverse student body. Teaching
responsibilities will be determined by the home department.

Applicants should provide a cover letter including a brief statement of
research interests, a curriculum vitae including list of publications,
and one recent writing sample or, in the case of an arts practitioner, a
link to the applicant’s website. Assistant level and untenured
applicants should arrange to have three letters of reference submitted
to AcademicJobsOnline.org. Currently tenured applicants should submit
the names of three references. For full consideration, materials should
be received by October 2, 2017.

Please use the following link to apply:
https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/9281

Contact:
Zack Al-Witri, Ph.D.
Associate Director
The Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
Stanford University
zalwitri@stanford.edu

Calls to stop Saudi executions, UK MPs call for Rajab’s release VOB.ORG

International pressure is mounting on the Saudi regime to stop the execution of 14 innocent citizens from the Eastern Province. They are accused of taking part in anti-regime protests in 2011. Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, the human rights campaign group, called for Britain and America to step in.

Profiles in Persecution: Khalil Ebrahim al-Saffar – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain

Khalil Ebrahim al-Saffar is a 21-year-old Bahraini citizen who was detained on 15 September 2015 from his family’s home. Six security officers raided the house without a warrant or any explanation. The family was informed that Khalil would be returned after an hour-long interrogation; instead, he never came back home.

1.Call for Papers: Conference on “Ideas of Harmonious Coexistence: Religions and Philosophies of India,” 27-28 December 2017, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, in collaboration with and sponsored by the “Taqreeb Conference Series” of the Qutbi Jubilee Scholarship Program (QJSP), Mumbai, invites the submission of abstracts for a conference on ideas of harmonious coexistence in the religions and philosophies of India. The purpose of the conference is to bring together scholars and community leaders to explore notions of communal harmony in India, as theorized and practiced, historically and today. The conference would create a platform to connect these notions to contemporary challenges to peace and pluralism.

Please send your 500 word (English) abstract by filling the online abstract submission form available on http://taqreeb.org/call-for-papers/ by 5 August, 2017. Selection decisions will be emailed by September 1. The program sponsors are pleased to offer transport within India and New Delhi, as well as meals and accommodation for all invited participants.

For further information on the sponsors, venue, and conference topic, please see attached document.

Please address any correspondence to contact@taqreeb.org

2. Conference: “Islam and Modernity”, Essaouira, Morocco, 14 September 2017

This conference is sponsored by the Three Cultures of the Mediterranean Foundation, the International Council for Middle East Studies (ICMES) with the collaboration of the Association Essaouira Mogador.

Information: http://www.tresculturas.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/07/ICMES-programa-1-1.pdf
 

3. Workshop: “Maslaha, Siyasa and Good Governance: Shari’a and Society”, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Bergen, 19-20 April 2018

This workshop will explore the use of the classical fiqh concepts of “maslaha”, “siyasa” and “maqasid” in contemporary debates. Are such terms used only for reformist rhetoric, or are the classical discussions relevant for legal actors of the modern period? The workshop is part of the EU/HERA project: “Uses of the Past: Understanding Shari’a”.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 October 2017. Information: https://goo.gl/cikwG6 or mailto:knut.vikor@uib.no
 

4. Transregional Research Junior Scholar Fellowships: “InterAsian Contexts and Connections”, University of Göttingen, 15 April – 15 July 2018

Invitational priorities for the 2018 Global Summer Semester Residencies include Movements of Knowledge, Transregional Populisms, Religious Networks.

Deadline for application: 27 September 2017. Information: http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/transregional-research-fellowship

5. Jobs:

James A. Bellamy Professorship in Pre-Modern Arabic Culture, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
We seek to hire an innovative scholar with a specialization in law, theology, or philosophy, or any combination of those fields. Preference will be given to candidates working on questions of social history, gender and sexuality, or critical theory. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. at the time of the appointment, and have native or near-native proficiency in English and Arabic.
Deadline for application: 15 October 2017. Information: http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=55131
 

Assistant Professor of Arabic Studies, Williams College, Massachusetts
Beginning July 2018. Specialization open, PhD in hand by September 2018 expected. Excellent training and experience in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers are essential.
Deadline for application: 20 September 2017. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/43331

Two Visiting Assistant Professors, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University (near New York), Mid-August 2017 – Mid-May 2018
The scholars are expected to teach from one or more of the following areas: 1) research methods;  2) international security; 3) international law; 4) international relations theory; and 5) current global issues including the Middle East, negotiation, and political economy.
Deadline for application: 26 June 2017.  Information: http://jobs.shu.edu/cw/en-us/job/492929/visiting-assistant-professor-1-year

Assistant Professor for Contemporary International History: “Asian or Middle Eastern Transnational”, University of Toronto and Trinity College, Toronto
This position provides a platform for examining the history of recent global processes and transnational relations with attention to Asia and/or the Middle East.
Deadline for application: 28 September 2017. Information: https://utoronto.taleo.net/careersection/10050/jobdetail.ftl?job=1701097

6. MESA Graduate Student Paper Prize Competition
The author of the winning paper will be presented with a certificate and $250 cash award at the Awards Ceremony at MESA’s annual meeting. In addition, the paper can be submitted for publication in the “Review of Middle East Studies”.
Deadline for papers: 15 August 2017. Information: http://mesana.org/awards/student-paper-prize.html
 

7. The University of Texas at Austin: College of Liberal Arts : Department of Middle Eastern Studies

Associate or Full Professor of Arabic

Location: Austin, Texas

Closes: Sep 29, 2017 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
(GMT-4 hours)

The Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a tenured position as an Associate or Full Professor of Arabic Studies. The position will begin in Fall 2018.

Duties include directing the Arabic Flagship Program, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses, directing graduate research, and assuming a leadership role in the graduate program. As a member of the faculty, the successful hire will be expected to maintain an active, strong record of research and publication and to engage in service to the Department, College, University and the profession. The Department places a high premium on collegiality and maintaining a diverse and hospitable working environment.  Salary and rank are dependent upon experience and qualifications.

Qualifications

All applicants must have a Ph.D. in hand in Arabic Studies or in a discipline where their expertise falls within the field of Middle Eastern Studies. Applicants must have at least ACTFL Superior-level proficiency in Arabic and pedagogical expertise that is relevant to the goals of the Arabic Flagship. While discipline and research specializations are open, prior engagement with an Arabic program is essential. A successful candidate should demonstrate an established record of managing or running an academic unit and successful grant application(s), as well as scholarly activity and excellence in teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
In line with our effort to strengthen the Department’s regional profile, preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate research and/or teaching ability in any of the other established departmental programs: Persian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew, Islamic Studies, or the Ancient Near East.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, one sample publication, a teaching dossier including sample syllabi (both graduate and undergraduate), student evaluations (both graduate and undergraduate) and the names and contact information for three professional referees. Electronic submissions only (through Interfolio). All materials should be submitted by September 29, 2017 and review of applications will begin October 2, 2017. We intend to conduct preliminary Skype interviews in late October 2017.

For Further Info:
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/mes/ 
512-471-3881
Or:
Esther Raizen, Search Committee Chair and Senior Associate Dean for Research
Email: raizen@austin.utexas.edu

BLOOD, TEARS, PARACHINAR

On June 23, 2017, while the rest of Pakistan was observing Jummatul Wida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan, the town of Parachinar in Kurram Agency was rocked by twin bombings. The attack claimed 72 lives and injured nearly 250.

Sabine Schmidtke,”Preserving, Studying, and Democratizing Access to the World Heritage of Islamic Manuscripts: The Zaydī Tradition,” Chroniques du manuscrit au Yémen 23 [nouvelle série 4] (2017), pp. 103-166.

The complete issue can be accessed (open access) via <http://www.cdmy.org/cmy/cmy23.pdf>

Safavid Studies Journal

Safavid Studies Journal (SSJ)

CfP: Articles for “Journal of Safavid Studies”

This academic journal is published by the Safavid Studies Center, University of Isfahan, Iran. The journal welcomes all articles that are related to any aspect of Safavid Studies. This journal aims to provide a scholarly platform for critical and informed articles with a historical approach.