Archive for August, 2017

Medium of the Oppressed: Folk Music, Forced Migration, and Tactical Media – Karimi – 2017 – Communication, Culture & Critique – Wiley Online Library

Karimi, A. (2017), Medium of the Oppressed: Folk Music, Forced Migration, and Tactical Media. Communication, Culture & Critique. doi: 10.1111/cccr.12178

European Commission : CORDIS : Projects and Results : Creating an Alternative umma: Clerical Authority and Religio-political Mobilisation in Transnational Shii Islam

European Commission

The Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham seeks to appoint 1 Post-doctoral Research Fellow and to award 2 PhD studentships to work on the ERC-funded project ‘Creating an Alternative umma: Clerical Authority and Religio-political Mobilisation in Transnational Shii Islam (ALTERUMMA)’ project, led by Professor Oliver Scharbrodt. This interdisciplinary project investigates the transformation of Shii Islam in the Middle East and Europe since the 1950s. The project begins in January 2018 and will in the course of its five-year duration include four post-doctoral researchers and three PhD students.

The Research Fellow and PhD students will work on the first thematic area of the project which begins in January 2018. As part of this thematic area, the various ways in which Shii clerical authorities in Iran and Iraq have positioned themselves towards the modern nation-state are explored.

– The research fellow will investigate the role of senior clerical figures in Iran in the lead-up to the Islamic Revolution in 1979. For more information, see: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BDS780/research-fellow/

– One PhD student will work on how the clerical establishment in Najaf has intervened in and positioned itself towards post-2003 Iraqi sectarian politics and responded to the sectarianisation of Middle Eastern geopolitics. For more information, see: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BDE834/phd-studentship-iraqi-clerics-and-the-state-after-2003/

– The other PhD student will work on the position of current clerical authorities in Iran towards the Islamic Republic and its underpinning ideology and their religio-political interventions in a political system that fuses clerical and political authority. For more information, see: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BDE835/phd-studentship-iranian-clerics-and-the-state-in-post-revolutionary-iran/

Where is Sayed Alawi?

I just supported Where is Sayed Alawi? on @ThunderclapIt // @ADHRB

See more here on Sayed Alawi.
See also 16 year old Mohamed Ebrahim Ali.
See more here on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

1.Williams College: Massachusetts: Arabic Studies

Assistant Professor of Arabic Studies

The Arabic Studies program at Williams College seeks to appoint a tenure-track Assistant Professor, 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, as is a rigorous scholarly agenda. The teaching load is 2-2 plus a January course every other year. The college and the program value teaching and research equally highly, and will expect the new colleague to contribute to the ongoing process of building our vibrant Arabic Studies program.

Applications are due no later than September 20, 2017 and should include a cover letter, CV, and three letters of recommendation, at least one of which addresses the candidate’s promise as a teacher.

For further details about this job search and application instructions, please see:

https://apply.interfolio.com/43331

2. Religion and Law in Medieval Christian and Muslim Societies (RELMIN 8)
Religious Minorities in Christian, Jewish and Muslim Law (5th – 15th centuries)
J. V. Tolan, C. Nemo-Pekelman, N. Berend, Y. Masset (eds.)

454 p., 7 b/w ill., 156 x 234 mm, 2017
ISBN: 978-2-503-56571-2

http://www.brepols.net/Pages/ShowProduct.aspx?prod_id=IS-9782503565712-1

3. Call for Papers: Beyond Bedouin and Bania: Arabia-South Asia Relations

SUBMISSION DEADLINE | 20 SEPTEMBER 2017

The Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore invites
papers for the conference Beyond Bedouin and Bania: Arabia-South Asia
Relations. This is the 4th Muhammad Alagil Arabia Asia Conference.

By dint of proximity and other reasons, Arabia and South Asia are
neighbouring regions which have been involved in each other’s affairs for
centuries. While their relations are not always the most visible, peoples
from the two regions enjoy a degree of familiarity and mutual knowledge
that defies conventional notions of cultural and religious difference.

This conference will explore and map the range of relations between Arabia
and South Asia in the present and the past through a number of topics such
as those below. Proposals are welcome for these topics as well as others.
Joint proposals for panels of 3-4 presenters are welcome as well; please
provide panel title, respective paper titles and abstracts.

In this conference, we seek to gain a better understanding of the following
themes:
Cities and Networks
Maritime Polities
Creole Scripts and Songs
Performing Arts
Migrant Labour
Mercenaries and Militaries
Trade Diasporas
Religious Networks
Consumption
Textiles
Food
Smuggling
Currencies
Legal Platforms (e.g. Islamic, English)
Princely States/Monarchies/Indirect Rule
Empire in the Gulf
Post-Imperial Legacies

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Submissions should include a title, an abstract of no more than 300 words
and a brief biography including current affiliation, research interests,
and publications. Please note that only previously unpublished papers or
those not already committed elsewhere can be accepted. The organisers plan
to publish a special issue with selected papers presented in this
conference. By participating in the conference, you agree to participate in
the future publication plans (special issue/journal) of the organisers.

Please submit your proposal, using the provided proposal template
<https://ari.nus.edu.sg/Assets/repository/files/events/CFP_ProposalForm_Arabia%20South%20Asia(1).doc>
to Dr Nisha Mathew at meinmm@nus.edu.sg <arinmm@nus.edu.sg> and Sharon at
arios@nus.edu.sg by 20 September 2017. Notifications of acceptance will be
sent out by early/mid October 2017.

CONTACT DETAILS
Conference Convenors

Dr Nisha Mathew
Asia Research Institute, and Middle East Institute, National University of
Singapore
E | arinmm@nus.edu.sg ; meinmm@nus.edu.sg

Prof Engseng Ho
Asia Research Institute, and Middle East Institute, National University of
Singapore

Contact Info:
Miss Sharon Ong
Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
Contact Email: arios@nus.edu.sg

URL:
https://ari.nus.edu.sg/Event/Detail/0277b758-26c3-4601-9484-fdf960088152

4. Assistant Professor in Islamic Studies, Haverford College, PA

The candidate is expected to maintain a strong research program that engages broad theoretical interests in religious studies and contribute to the Middle East and Islamic Studies concentration.

Deadline for application: 15 October 2017. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/44014
 

5. Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for the Study of Islamic Culture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Applicants should have at least a doctoral degree in Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, History or a related discipline; research capability in the studies of Islam in China, e.g. Islam and Chinese culture, Islam and Chinese society; good command of both spoken and written Chinese (Putonghua) and English, knowledge of Arabic will be an advantage.

Application as soon as possible. Information: https://cuhk.taleo.net/careersection/cu_career_non_teach/jobdetail.ftl?job=170001OB&tz=GMT%2B08%3A00

6. A Hindu munshi’s ‘Chain of Yogis’: a Persian manuscript in the Mackenzie Collection

http://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2017/08/a-hindu-munshis-chain-of-yogis-a-persian-manuscript-in-the-mackenzie-collection.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+asian-and-african+%28Asia+and+Africa%29

7. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers teaching, research, or combination teaching and research award in over 125 countries for the 2018-19 academic year. We have extended the deadline for select opportunities for scholars of all disciplines with an interest of traveling to the Middle East. The complete awards catalog is available at http://awards.cies.org.

Jordan: All Disciplines (8358-JO): Scholars in any area of interest are welcome to apply. Applicants are encouraged to explore the award descriptions to Jordan to learn more about the grant experience and the exceptional support offered by the Fulbright Commission.

Jordan: Study of the United States (8359-JO): Scholars from a large range of disciplines, including American Literature and Political Science, are encouraged to apply.

Saudi Arabia: All Disciplines (8371-SA): Scholars in any area of interest are welcome to apply.

Applications are due September 12, 2017. For more information on program eligibility and how to submit a competitive application, visit www.cies.org or email MiddleEastNorthAfrica@iie.org with any questions. We’re happy to set up one-on-one phone consultations with prospective applicants.

8. Jobs:

Dartmouth College – HISTORY OF THE ISLAMIC MIDDLE EAST
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=55364

University of North Texas – Tenure Track Assistant Professor,
Medieval History
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=55356

Royal Ontario Museum – Curator, Islamic Art & Culture
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=55357

Satpanthī Khoja-s to Shīʿa Imāmī Ismāʿīlī ṬarīqaThe Construction of Religious Identity of the Khoja-s Imāmī Ismāʿīlī of South Asia ” Brill Online

Books and Journals. Students and scholars affiliated with an institution that has purchased a Brill E-Book on the BrillOnline platform automatically have access to the MyBook option for the title(s) acquired by the Library. Brill MyBook is a print-on-demand paperback copy which is sold at a favorably uniform low price.

conference – alhikmah institute

Potentials of Religious and Cultural Centers in Europe to Promote Positive Interaction Impacts of Islam and Muslims on Europe Contributions of Muslim Emigrants in European Countries Potentials of Islamic Teachings for the Establishment of Peace and Security in Europe Morality and Spirituality in Islam and its Role in Positive Interaction

Anti-Shia Bias Driving Saudi Arabia Unrest

“We were too scared to leave our homes, and most of the shops were shut down or burned,” a resident of Awamiya, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern province, told me this month. “Anything that moved became a target.” He was referring to the deadly clashes over the past three months between Saudi security forces and residents of this Shiite-majority town.

Gunmen attack Shia Imam Zaman mosque in Kabul

Gunmen attacked a Shia Muslim mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, police said. Explosions were reported as several fighters entered the Imam Zaman mosque in Qala-Najara. The clashes are ongoing. There was no immediate word on casualties. More soon… Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

See also BBC.
See also CNN.

1.Position: Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies (Islam in Asia/Asian Religious Traditions), University of Glasgow

Job purpose: To undertake high-quality research and research supervision, to make an active and high level contribution in the School of Critical Studies in the College of Arts to teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level in Islamic Studies and/or Asian Traditions, and to undertake administration as requested by the Head of School.

Hours: Full Time
Contract Type: Permanent

Deadline for application: 31 August 2017.

Information: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BDH613/lecturer-in-theology-and-religious-studies-islam-in-asia-asian-religious-traditions/

2. Position, Assistant Professor of History (South Asian History
specialization), Salisbury University

For details, see https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=55345

Salisbury University, History
Assistant Professor of History (South Asian History specialization)

The Department of History at Salisbury University is accepting applications
for the position of Assistant Professor of History. This is a full-time
tenure-track position.

Area of Specialization: South Asian History. Ideal candidate will
complement existing strengths of the department.

Primary Job Duties: Teaching load is 3-3 to include World Civilizations,
upper-division undergraduate, and graduate courses for our M.A. in History
program. Salisbury University faculty members are expected to engage in
appropriate levels of scholarly activity, student advisement, and service
as well as utilize an effective teaching style that supports a diverse
student body.

Website:
http://www.salisbury.edu/hr/careers/employment-opportunities.html?id=3338&e=faculty&t=facu…
<http://www.salisbury.edu/hr/careers/employment-opportunities.html?id=3338&e=faculty&t=faculty-listings>
Posting Date: 08/21/2017
Closing Date 11/01/2017

3. Lecturer in Islamic History

The University of Edinburgh seeks to appoint a Lecturer in Islamic History, based in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES) (http://www.ed.ac.uk/literatures-languages-cultures/islamic-middle-eastern) and teaching within IMES.

The lecturer will provide teaching and dissertation supervision at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and will commence in January 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful candidate will have expertise in the study of Islamic history, 500-1500 CE.

The role open-ended, is grade UE08 and attracts an annual salary of £39,992 to £47,722 for 35 hours, each week.

The closing date for receipt of applications is no later than 5.00pm (GMT) on Friday 22nd September 2017. We anticipate presentations and interviews will be held on Thursday 9th November 2017.

See: https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=041030

Informal queries can be emailed for the attention of Dr Nacim Pak-Shiraz, Head of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, at llc@ed.ac.uk.

4. The Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS), the policy
research institute of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS),
is *hiring a Director of Research.*

We would be very grateful if you could circulate the job posting within
your networks. This is an excellent field opportunity for academics and
analysts with an interest in the Middle East, Iraq, and the Kurdistan
Region.

The complete job posting is available here:
http://auis.edu.krd/content/director-research
<http://auis.edu.krd/content/director-research>.

The Director of Research will be expected to manage and contribute to
ongoing research projects and events and to develop its research
portfolio. The Director of Research will also be in charge of IRIS’s
fellowship program. Finally, depending on interest and qualifications,
upon request candidates for Director of Research may receive
consideration for a joint faculty appointment at AUIS.

Ideal candidates would have:

* A graduate (Masters or Ph.D.) degree in a relevant field (Middle
East Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Economics,
Sociology, History, etc.)
* Minimum 1 year of experience in research project coordination/
management (including management of a research team)
* Knowledge of Iraq and/ or Iraqi Kurdistan and the main policy
issues and debates
* Prior field experience in Iraq and/or the Middle East region
* Excellent communications skills, both written and oral, in English
(Kurdish and/or Arabic are assets)
* Experience in donor reporting
* Teaching experience as a Teaching Assistant or Lecturer in a
relevant field (if the candidate wishes to be considered for a faculty
appointment)

Interested candidates should submit CV and cover letter via the AUIS
online application system <http://auis.edu.krd/content/apply-auis-job>.

Questions about the position can be sent to iris@auis.edu.krd
<mailto:iris@auis.edu.krd>.

5. Call for Papers: “Religious? Secular? Re-thinking Islam and Space in Europe”
University of Cambridge, 30th November – 1st December 2017

Call for Papers
We invite scholars to present their work for a two-day inter-disciplinary workshop, “Religious? Secular? Re-thinking Islam and Space in Europe”.

This workshop offers a much-needed opportunity to evaluate questions of space within the study of Islam in Europe. It will take place at the University of Cambridge on 30th November – 1st December, bringing together established academic speakers and postgraduate researchers.

The workshop will be inter-disciplinary in character, connecting fields such as religious studies, geography, politics, anthropology, and architecture. We will look to tackle the subject both in breadth (in terms of content and concepts under discussion) and depth (with particular, but not exclusive, interests in German and UK contexts).

Confirmed keynote speakers are Professor Kim Knott (Lancaster University), Professor Riem Spielhaus (University of Göttingen), and Dr Marian Burchardt (University of Leipzig).

Overview
From identity-framed accounts of territory to contests over mosque construction, questions associated with Islam and space underlie major academic and public sphere debates in contemporary Europe (Fadil 2013; Hopkins and Gale 2008; DeHanas and Zacharias 2011; Baker 2017). The extent of these enquiries is broad, affecting scholarly topics such as place, networks, and the dynamics of identity, as well as familiar policy issues such as values, migration, and political participation (Amir-Moazami 2018; Knott 2005; Minkenberg 2014; Walters 2010). Most recently, both the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and supporters of Brexit have made the presence of Muslims in Europe a key point of their rhetoric. At the same time, ever more sophisticated studies of “local Islams” try to point out the differences of Muslim life worlds varying not only depending on national and ethnic backgrounds, but also with regards to spatially refined levels of analysis such as neighbourhoods, networks, or single mosques (Schiffauer 2014).

The premise of this workshop is that the place of “space” within the study of Islam in Europe has lacked systematic examination. We are therefore looking to bring together researchers tackling questions of space in this field from a range of disciplinary and thematic perspectives, in order to explore challenges and suggest solutions for theoretical, conceptual, and methodological debates associated with the topic.

Proposals
We invite proposals that engage with one or more of the following questions:
– What theories, concepts and methods are most useful in order to investigate the intersections of Islam, secularism/secularity and different dimensions of space in Europe?
– What are the benefits and limitations of utilising space as an analytical lens in the study of Islam and Muslims in Europe?
– How does space connect with other topics associated with the study of Islam in Europe, such as conversion, the state, ethnicity, or the family?
– How should researchers analyse the spatial implications of major scholarly challenges such as debates over Islamic exceptionalism, or the contestation of binaries (e.g., “religious”/”secular”, “public”/”private”)?
– How do particular research contexts require the use of different space-related concepts, such as territory, network, scale, dispositif, or assemblage?
– How can researchers navigate methodological challenges in the study of Islam and space in Europe?
– Why might symbolic and material contestations and/or collaborations be framed in terms of notions of space, and is space an adequate analytical tool in these instances?
– How should we study the role(s) of governmentality in spaces marked as “religious” and “non-religious” (e.g., spheres, publics)?
– How can a critical evaluation of the categories of “Islam”, “Religion”, “Secularism”, and/or “Europe” inform the study of space?
– What can material and sensory approaches (e.g., architecture, media, and orality) to the study of Islam and space reveal?
– How do insights gained within Gender Studies and Postcolonial Theory with regard to agency, power and (subversive) knowledge production relate to a space-sensitive analysis of Islam in Europe?

Format

The format will involve distributing workshop papers (c. 2500-3000 words) two weeks ahead of the workshop (16th November), in order to ensure in-depth engagement with every contribution. Following the workshop, participants will be invited to submit developed papers for a special issue of a leading journal.

To Apply…
To apply, please send an abstract (max 400 words) and biography (max 200 words) to islam.space.workshop@gmail.com. Abstracts from postgraduate students and early career researchers are especially welcome, and there will be some expenses available towards speakers’ accommodation and travel. The closing date for proposals is 17th September, with decisions communicated by 25th September.

Sponsors
We are most grateful for the sponsorship of DAAD Cambridge Research Hub for German Studies (www.daad.cam.ac.uk) and Cambridge Institute on Religion and International Studies (http://ciris.org.uk/).

Organising Committee

Adela Taleb (Institute for European Ethnology, Humboldt University Berlin), Tobias Müller (Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge), Chris Moses (Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge).

For any queries, please contact us at: islam.space.workshop@gmail.com.

6. New Online Resources on the History of Kuwait

A series of archival documents that contain a wealth of information about Kuwait during the 1930s and 1940s have recently been digitized and uploaded on to the Qatar Digital Library. These documents are preserved in a file from the archive of the British Political Agency in Kuwait (now a part of the India Office Records) and consist of several reports covering a broad range of topics including Kuwait’s geography, history, flora and fauna, climate, leading personalities and political structure. In addition to what the files themselves discuss, as colonial records, they also illustrate the extent of British influence in Kuwait at this time, as well as provide a rich illustration of how Kuwait was conceptualised and recorded by British officials that were based in the country

http://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2017/08/new-online-resources-on-the-history-of-kuwait.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+asian-and-african+%28Asia+and+Africa%29

Hartford Seminary

This course provides a historical study of the development of Shiʿi Islam against the backdrop of key events such the succession crisis and Occultation ( Ghayba), and the formation of Shiʿi states such as the Buwayhids, Safavids, Qajars and Modern Iran.