Archive for 2017

حمد بن عيسى: ملك الفتنة والدم!

يُمعن حكام البحرين وملكهم حمد عيسى، بإلحاق الظلم بالشيخ عيسى قاسم، وهو الزعيم الأكبر في البلاد والذي حكمت عليه محكمة في المنامة غيابياً يوم الأحد الماضي، بالسجن مدة سنة مع وقف التنفيذ بعد إدانته “بجمع الأموال بالمخالفة لأحكام القانون… وغسل الأموال”، وبدفع غرامة قدرها مئة ألف دينار بحريني (نحو 265 ألف دولار) و”مصادرة الأموال المتحفظ عليها”.

See the English translation

SÉMINAIRE ‘Culture matérielle et pratiques dévotionnelles dans les sociétés chiites’
Séance Bohra du 1er juin 2017, 9h-12
Olly Akkerman, Freie Universität Berlin
‘Bohra Manuscript Culture, Archive and Secrecy: a Social Codicological Ethnography’
The Alawi Bohras, a small but vibrant Muslim Shia community in India that is almost entirely closed to outsiders, hold a secret Arabic manuscript culture, which is enshrined and preserved in royal archives. Having had unique access to one of these archives, my presentation unravels the as yet unstudied physical and social aspects of the Alawi Bohra philological tradition. Through the lens of what I call social codicology, i.e. the conducting of philological fieldwork and participant observation in the community in Baroda, Gujarat, I intend to discuss the social role of this archive as a repository of secret texts, and further examine the social lives of its manuscripts.

Denis Gay, Université de Lausanne
« Le renforcement de la frontière ethnique de la diaspora bohra à Madagascar »
Les Bohra dawoodi constitue l’une des cinq communautés originaires du Nord-Ouest de l’Inde installées à Madagascar. Fondée sur des théories l’ethnicité, cette communication montre que d’une part les catégories de l’identité et de l’altérité utilisées par les Bohra de Madagascar sont d’une grande diversité et que la limite entre Bohra et les autres dans la société malgache est renforcée par des changements religieux et des activités commerciales. Alors que des auteurs soulignent la cohésion des Bohra (Blank 2001, Salvadori 1989), cette communication met en évidence de manière complémentaire d’une part une tension entre l’unité et la diversité culturelle et, d’autre part la consolidation de la frontière ethnique.

Lieu :
Centre d’Études de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud
UMR8564 – CNRS / EHESS
salle A06_51 (6e étage) 54 bd Raspail 75006 Paris.

Organisateurs :
Zahir Bhalloo (CEIAS), Michel Boivin (CNRS), Anabelle Collinet (Musée du Louvre), Sepideh Parsapajouh (CNRS)

Two conferences spotlight Muslim world’s struggle to counter militancy

Two conferences this week spotlight the Muslim world’s struggle to come to grips with extremism and militancy. The conferences, the Arab-Islamic-American summit in Riyadh and a gathering in East Java of youth leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the world’s largest Muslim movement, laid bare the difficulty of reforming cultures in the battle against extremism, called into question the commitment of Muslim states to combat radicalism and political violence, and put on display US President Donald J.

Bahrain police ‘open fire on sit-in’ around Shia cleric’s home – BBC News

Bahraini police have opened fire during a raid on a sit-in near the home of the Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom’s most prominent Shia cleric, activists say. The UK-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said one protester had been killed in the incident in Sheikh Isa Qassim’s hometown of Diraz.

See also Reuters
“Human Rights Watch condemned the Diraz raid as a crackdown on free expression. It said it was no coincidence it occurred two days after a “convivial” meeting between Trump and King Hamad.”
See also ADHRB statement.
See also Washington Post

UK Protest: at Bahrain Embassy, 15.00 (3.00 pm) today, 30 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QB

Experimenting in Mapping Online Anti-Shia Sectarianism on Twitter in the Middle East

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see if sectarianism itself was more dominant in one place than an other, at least online? Are some countries/cities more sectarian than others? Is sectarianism a localised phenomenon, despite what we might see in the news? If we knew this, we could then highlight where to prioritize tackling it.

This is the aim of Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia

Donald Trump sets off on Friday to create the fantasy of an Arab Nato. There will be dictators aplenty to greet him in Riyadh, corrupt autocrats and thugs and torturers and head choppers. There will be at least one zombie president – the comatose, undead Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria who neither speaks nor, apparently, hears any more – and, of course, one totally insane president, Donald Trump.

Sectarian Materialities

Research Seminar organised by the research group SWAR (Sectarianism in the Wake of the Arab Revolts)

Opinion | Don’t Profit From Abuses by Bahrain

We know we risk much in calling for this. Some of my fellow activists have been tortured, sentenced to life imprisonment, even killed. But I believe that respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms is the way to attain peace, stability and prosperity in any nation; I have devoted my life to that ideal.

1.The European Institutes for Advanced Study (EURIAS) Fellowship Programme is an international researcher mobility programme offering 10-month residencies in one of the 19 participating Institutes: Aarhus, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bologna, Budapest, Cambridge, Delmenhorst, Edinburgh, Freiburg, Helsinki, Jerusalem, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Paris, Uppsala, Vienna, Warsaw, Zürich. The Institutes for Advanced Study support the focused, self-directed work of outstanding researchers. The fellows benefit from the finest intellectual and research conditions and from the stimulating environment of a multi-disciplinary and international community of first-rate scholars.

EURIAS Fellowships are mainly offered in the fields of the humanities and social sciences but may also be granted to scholars in life and exact sciences, provided that their proposed research project does not require laboratory facilities and that it interfaces with humanities and social sciences. The diversity of the 19 participating IAS offers a wide range of possible research contexts in Europe for worldwide scholars. Applicants may select up to three IAS outside their country of nationality or residence as possible host institutions.

The Programme welcomes applications worldwide from promising young scholars as well as from leading senior researchers. The EURIAS selection process has proven to be highly competitive. To match the Programme standards, applicants have to submit a solid and innovative research proposal, to demonstrate the ability to forge beyond disciplinary specialisation, to show an international commitment as well as quality publications in high-impact venues. The EURIAS Consortium welcomes applications from scholars at risk.

For the 2018-2019 academic year, EURIAS offers 54 fellowships (26 junior and 28 senior positions).

All IAS have agreed on common standards, including the provision of a living allowance (in the range of € 26,000 for a junior fellow and € 38,000 for a senior fellow), accommodation (or a mobility allowance), a research budget, plus coverage of travel expenses.
Application period
5 May – 7 June 2017

Application

* Applications are submitted online via www.eurias-fp.eu<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__AsianStudies.hosted.phplist.com_lists_lt.php-3Ftid-3DLU5UVFENXlheAhkNAgFTGlcCUgNLVQACWh9UUFtdUg9QBFYBUAtEDFQBBglUBlQaB1FXUEsAVlMIHw9TDg9MDwNUXAkCCAwLUVwARVNQBQRVVVJQS1IADQ8fA1FdDUwAVFEBHFdaXVhXUwZaAFcBUg&d=DwMFaQ&c=lhMMI368wojMYNABHh1gQQ&r=2c_2rNSmRvqc9lubXXiZdA&m=OZuK0xEwdd-fFWoAVUPRGTUdmFHgx1UoHm5k4stVJSM&s=e9k7AtOkGzEBXWa9xURG3SJ9TChHNqZ4oc4kT87uK2Q&e=>, where, you will find detailed information regarding the content of the application, eligibility criteria, and selection procedure.
* Application period: May 5th, 2017 → June 7th, 2017 (4pm GMT)
* Late applications will not be considered.

Selection procedure

* Scientific assessment by two international reviewers
* Pre-selection by the international EURIAS Scientific Committee
* Final selection by the IAS Academic Boards
* Publication of results: January 2018

Contact & information
For any question related to the application procedure or eligibility send a mail directly to programme.officer@eurias-fp.eu

For further information on the Programme, please consult the above website.

2. 8th Conference on Ibadi Studies: “Local and Global Identities. Social Change and Diaspora in the Ibadi Communities,” The University of Tokyo, Sultan Qaboos Chair in Middle Eastern Studies, Tokyo, 20-23 May 2017

The panels will include four major sections: Identity, Social Change and Diaspora: Theoretical Considerations; The Formation of Ibadi Identity; Ibadi Identity in Modern Times; Expressions of Ibadi Identity.

Information and program: http://www.ibadistudies.org/

3. Conference: “The Dynamics of Change in the Pakistan Afghanistan Region: Politics on Borderland”, University of Peshawar, Pakistan, 20-22 August 2017

In order to gain a more holistic view of the dynamics of change in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, the Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Islamabad are jointly organizing this conference.

The deadline for papers has already passed. Information: http://www.uop.edu.pk/events/?q=143
 

4. Jobs:

Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Stockholm University
The applicant must have demonstrated teaching proficiency, gained from teaching Middle Eastern and North African studies, and have a doctoral degree  in Social Sciences and/or History within Middle Eastern and North Africa Studies is also required for the position. The Senior Lecturer is expected to master modern Arabic. Other well-developed language skills are also qualifying.
Deadline for application: 5 June 2017. Information: http://www.su.se/asia/english/avalible-job-senior-lecturer-in-middle-eastern-and-north-african-studies-1.330184
 

Professor of Arabic, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
We are seeking to appoint an outstanding scholar to the Chair in the Department of Arabic and Persian with a start date of 1 September 2017, or as soon as possible thereafter.  Requirements: an internationally-recognised research record in Arabic literatures and cultures; a willingness and proven capacity to teach Arabic language at all levels; etc.
Deadline for application: 23 May 2017. Information: http://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/welcome.aspx
 

Teaching Assistant Professorship in Arabic, Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University
The three-year position is affiliated with the Arab and Islamic Studies program, and involves teaching Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and at least one Arabic dialect.
The appointment begins on 1 August 2017 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Deadline for application: 4 June 2017. Information: http://www.au.dk/en/about/vacant-positions/scientific-positions/stillinger/Vacancy/show/907849/5283/

Assistant Professor in Ottoman History, University of Pennsylvania
We welcome a range of scholarship in Ottoman history, including transnational and imperial perspectives as well as approaches that address the political, ethnic, and religious diversity of the Ottoman world.
Review of applications will begin 15 September 2017. Information: http://facultysearches.provost.upenn.edu/postings/1146

Post-Doctoral Teaching Scholar in the History of the Modern Middle East, North Carolina State University
We seek applicants who specialize in any aspect of the history of the modern Middle East. Requirements: Ph.D. in Middle Eastern History, experience as teaching assistant or instructor, etc.
Review of applications will begin 22 May 2017. Information: https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/85717

History 3/4 Time Position, Ottoman History or Modern Middle East, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
The specialist will teach a course in “Historical Methods” and preferably “World History since 1500”. This is a one-year position for the 2017-2018 academic year with a possible extension for at least two more years. The successful candidate should have a Ph.D. degree by the time of employment and evidence of college teaching experience.
Deadline for application: 10 June 2017. Information: https://rowanuniversity.hodesiq.com/jobs/3-4-time-faculty-history-glassboro-new-jersey-job-5447103

Assistant Teaching Professor of Arabic, Georgetown University
The position is starting in August 2017, on a three-year contract. Ph.D. in hand by summer 2017 is required. Applicants should be experienced in proficiency-based, communicative methods of teaching Modern Standard Arabic and spoken Arabic at all levels, and are expected to have a solid grounding in classical Arabic language and culture.
Review of applications will begin 25 May 2017. Information: http://www.linguisticsociety.org/job/assistant-teaching-professor-arabic-georgetown-university
 

5. Contributions for “Middle East Studies Center Working Paper Series”

This is a platform for individual scholars and contributes to international social science and humanities scholarship on the Middle East, and wider Islamic world, from the seventh century to the present.
Rolling deadline. Information: http://schools.aucegypt.edu/GAPP/mesc/Pages/Working%20Paper%20Series.aspx
 

6. Articles on “Understanding Muslim Mobilities and Gender” for Special Issue of Journal “Social Sciences”
We are particularly interested in works that incorporate historical and socio-political understandings of Muslim pilgrims, tourists and migrant mobility and settlement.
Deadline for manuscripts: 15 June 2017. Information: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/socsci/special_issues/muslim_mobilities_gender
 

7. CFP – Symposium: “Naẓar: Ways of Seeing in Islamic Cultures,” 10 October 2017

A one-day symposium will be held on the theme of Naẓar: Ways of Seeing in Islamic Cultures at the University of Adelaide, Australia, on Tuesday 10 October 2017.

This is being co-ordinated by Prof. Samer Akkach and Perri Sparnon, and more information is available here: https://ilm-in-islam.org/portfolio/announcing-2017-symposium/

Please submit 200-word proposals by Friday 16 June 2017 to perri.sparnon@adelaide.edu.au

(This is envisioned as a follow-up to the ‘Ilm: Science, Religion and Art in Islam conference of July 2016)

8. Reconstruction of a Source of Ibn Isḥāq’s Life of the Prophet and Early Qurʾān Exegesis

A Study of Early Ibn ʿAbbās Traditions, Harald Motzki

https://www.gorgiaspress.com/reconstruction-of-a-source-of-ibn-ishaqs-life-of-the-prophet-and-early-quran-exegesis

UN Committee Against Torture Releases Concluding Report on Bahrain – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain

12 May 2012 – The United Nations (UN) Committee Against Torture (CAT) released its concluding observations regarding Bahrain’s second and third periodic reports today as the panel’s 60th session comes to a close in Geneva. This session marked the first time in five years that the CAT has conducted a …

See also ADHRB Newsletter 206.