Archive for 2018

1.SÉminaire ‘SociÉtÉs, politiques et cultures

du monde iranien’

Jeudi 1^er Février 2018, 17h-19h

]  Sandra Aube, chercheuse contractuelle, CNRS, Mondes iranien et indien

« Sur les traces d’un patrimoine méconnu : les mausolées érigés dans le Mâzanderân au XV^e siècle »

La région du Mâzanderân (nord Iran) conserve un important corpus de structures funéraires érigées au cours du XV^e siècle. Situés en marge des plus célèbres ensembles architecturaux construits à la même période sous les Timourides (r. 1370-1506) ou les Turkmènes qarâ qoyunlus et âq quyûnlûs (r. 1378-1508), ces mausolées n’ont fait l’objet que d’études très partielles ; une grande partie de ce corpus s’avère même encore inédite. Or, ces structures funéraires apportent des perspectives tout à fait nouvelles sur les traditions artistiques du monde iranien des XV^e-début XVI^e siècles.

Cette intervention présentera cet ensemble de mausolées, et ses apports, à travers trois principaux axes. Le premier visera à mettre en avant le type architectural très spécifique de ces structures, qui témoigne de traditions artistiques régionales très marquées. Le second axe introduira l’exceptionnel ensemble de portes et de cénotaphes en bois sculptés associés à ces mausolées. Une dernière partie s’intéressera enfin aux artisans œuvrant à ces ensembles. Ces mausolées mâzanderânis conservent en effet un remarquable ensemble de signatures d’artisans, émanant notamment de la corporation méconnue des artisans du bois : ces données épigraphiques introduisent des équipes pluridisciplinaires, mais aussi des familles d’artisans du bois.

Lieu : INALCO, 65 rue des Grands Moulins, amphi 2 (2^e étage), 75013 Paris.

Organisateurs :

Oliver Bast (Paris 3 Sorbonne nouvelle), Matteo De Chiara (INALCO), Denis Hermann (CNRS), Julien Thorez (CNRS).

 

 

 

2. The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture is pleased to invite applications for self-supported Associateships to conduct advanced historical research in Islamic art, architecture, and archaeology at Harvard University. AKPIA Associateships are intended principally for overseas scholars–preferably, but not exclusively, from Muslim countries–to support research in art and architectural history and archaeology. Our program’s Associate positions are not intended to sponsor professional design, conservation, or urban development projects, nor are they intended to support research travel. The recipient is expected to be in residence, except for one or two short research-related trips. Please note–these are unpaid Associate positions.

 

DEADLINE
All application materials must be received by March 1, 2018. Results will be announced by mid-May.

 

Contact Info:

Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture
Harvard University
AKPIA Associate Program
Two Arrow Street, 3rd floor
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

Contact Email: agakhan@fas.harvard.edu
URL: https://agakhan.fas.harvard.edu/fellowships-associateships

 

 

 

3. Calendar Converter for Near East Historians
https://www.muqawwim.com

 

4. FRIENDS OF THE SUMMER LANGUAGE WORKSHOP SCHOLARSHIP is now available for the study of Kurdish (Sorani) language -1^stand 2^ndyear- in the Summer Language Workshop at Indiana University, Bloomington. Please announce this to your students and colleagues who might be interested.

IU Summer Language Workshop:

http://indiana.edu/~swseel/

Fellowships & scholarships

http://indiana.edu/~swseel/funding-costs/funding-application

 

 

 

5. The Department of Middle Eastern Studies in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a lecturer position in Arabic starting in fall 2018. This position is expected to teach Arabic language courses at all levels (including advanced content courses) for an average of twelve hours per week according to the needs of the program. This position is renewable annually; contingent upon budgetary funding and performance. Security sensitive position; background check conducted on applicant selected.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be a native or near-native speaker of Arabic, a PhD in teaching Arabic as a foreign language (TAFL) or a related field is preferred.  Applicants should have at least three years’ university teaching experience and experience teaching in an intensive program integrating the teaching of both standard and spoken Arabic. The successful candidate should have experience in coordinating multiple sections of a course and supervising and training graduate teaching assistants.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit a letter of application indicating interest in the position, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, formal student evaluations, and statement of teaching philosophy via Interfolio, https://apply.interfolio.com/48239 .

 

 

 

 

 

6. Muslim Women’s Religious Leadership and Authority in Europe and North America

University of Edinburgh: 13th – 14th September 2018

Organisers: Khadijah Elshayyal (Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh), Giulia Liberatore (Sociology & Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies/Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh) and Tazeen Ali (Religious Studies, Boston University).

CALL FOR PAPERS

The rise of female Islamic scholarship and leadership in the non-Muslim world is a relatively recent phenomenon that is garnering increasing public attention. Growing opportunities for women to train as scholars, both abroad and across Europe and the US, have facilitated this process and given rise to a number of institutions – for example, the Women’s Mosque in California, the Muslim Women’s Council in Bradford, England, and the Maryam Mosque in Copenhagen – which actively promote and disseminate female scholarship. Exchanges between female scholars and teachers in North America and Europe do occur, but there are also differences in the experiences, opportunities, forms of teaching, and modes of authority of these public figures across the two continents. Despite public attention devoted to this topic, academic research has been limited. Furthermore, and reflecting a broader trend in the literature on Islam in the West, there is little comparative work on female Islamic scholarship across the two continents.

This interdisciplinary workshop aims to facilitate a dialogue and scholarly exchange on the topic of Islamic female scholarship and leadership. We invite scholars and practitioners from a range of fields and disciplines to submit abstracts (of no more than 200 words) that explore these topics and shed light on female Islamic leadership in Europe and North America. Each presenter will have 30 minutes (including 10 minutes for questions) and presentations do not need to be in the style of an academic paper – we welcome different styles and formats.

For submission and further details please contact: muslimwomensleadership@gmail.com

Deadline for submission: Tuesday 3rd April 2018 5pm (GMT)

The programme will include keynote lectures, panel presentations and a roundtable discussion featuring both academics and practitioners.

Coffee, lunch and dinner provided for all participants.

 

https://www.ed.ac.uk/literatures-languages-cultures/alwaleed/muslims-in-britain/muslim-women-s-religious-leadership-and-authority

 

 

 

7. The President and Board of the Societas Iranologica Europaea (SIE) and the Conference Chair invite submissions for the 9^th Europaean Conference  of Iranian Studies (ECIS9), September 9-13, 2019 in Berlin, Germany.

Please see the attached First Circular and the conference website http://www.fu-berlin.de/ecis9  or http://ecis9.de for details.

Important deadlines:

1 December 2018: Deadline for submissions of abstracts for ECIS9

31 May 2019: Early registration ends

On the occasion of ECIS9 the SIE invites submissions for the “European Award of Iranian Studies” for an outstanding PhD (or equivalent) dissertation in Iranian Studies, completed and successfully defended at any European academic institution between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2018. For details see the SIE website http://www.societasiranologicaeu.org/content/sie_award.html

 

Important deadline:

15 January 2019: Deadline for submissions of applications for European Award of Iranian Studies

 

 

 

8. UK freelance editorial opportunity

The ideal candidate will be based in the UK, have excellent native English, and be able to comprehend a range of Islamic studies texts from various confessional and non-confessional perspectives (including the Shia tradition). Experience is desirable but not essential as full training can be provided.

 

Interested parties should contact me by email with their CV and a covering letter explaining their commitment to freelance work. Please include “Shii News” in the subject field. I will then forward emails to my colleague.

 

Kind regards,

Dr Leila Mehdizadeh

Research Associate

UCL Medical School

Royal Free Hospital
Hampstead
London
NW3 2PF

Email: l.mehdizadeh@ucl.ac.uk

Tel: 020 3108 9218

 

 

 

9. 33rd Annual Conference:  “Middle East History & Theory”, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 4-5 May 2018

We invite proposals for papers and pre-arranged panels from graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars about the Middle East from the sixth century to the present day, including but not limited to history, religious studies, geography, anthropology, political science, literary studies, philosophy, art history, and media studies.

 

Deadline for abstracts: 2 February 2018. Information: https://voices.uchicago.edu/mehat/conference/cfp/

 

 

 

10. Conference: “Refugees and Religion”, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Utrecht University, Netherlands, 27-28 September 2018

 

Utrecht University and Max Planck Institute for Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen are calling for papers which approach the issues from a range of viewpoints of those seeking refuge and involved in the process of being recognized as refugees, with the focus on religion.

 

Deadline for abstracts: 9 April 2018. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/1260419/refugees-and-religion

 

 

 

11. Four Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers, Max-Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, Germany

For all positions, applicants should have a degree in anthropology, sociology, political science, geography, or another relevant social science. Successful applicants’ research interests, experience and publications should be relevant to themes and topics within the Department for Socio-Cultural Diversity. All positions should begin between 1 June 2018 and 1 October 2018.

Deadline for applications: 2 March 2018. Information: http://www.mmg.mpg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Stellen/2018_SCD-Ausschreibungen.pdf

 

 

Postdoctoral Fellowships, Max-Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, Germany

Full-time, three years employment. Requirements: Ph.D. in Social/Cultural Anthropology, Religious Studies, Sociology or Political Science. Compensation is based on the German public service scale TVöD, level E13. Successful applicants are expected to start work on 1 May 2018.

 

Deadline for application: 12 March 2018. Information: http://www.mmg.mpg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Stellen/2018-01_RDD_Postdoctoral_Fellowships.pdf

 

 

12. Professor in Social and Cultural History of Islam and Islamic Worlds, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

The Faculty of Theology and Sciences of Religions wishes to recruit a full professor starting at 1 August 2018.

Deadline for applications: 8 March 2018. Information: https://career5.successfactors.eu/career?career_ns=job_listing&company=universitdP&navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH&rcm_site_locale=en_US&site=VjItQWt5MjVDbnNGNGlkV21MMFpPZDkrdz09&career_job_req_id=13102&selected_lang=en_US&jobAlertController_jobAlertId=&jobAlertController_jobAlertName=&_s.crb=p+QSZcdBnvsd9fDCyFZtPNoH7uU=

 

 

 

13. Preceptor in Modern Turkish, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Harvard, USA

The appointment is expected to begin on 1 July 2018. The preceptor will be responsible for teaching all levels of modern Turkish, from the elementary to the advanced, working with colleagues in organizing cultural events, evaluating students, and developing course curricula.

Deadline for applications: 28 February 2018. Information: https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/8089

 

 

 

14. Visiting Assistant Professor in Islamic History, Oregon State University, USA

The focus is any era of Islamic history with a preferred specialization in religion and a regional focus on Africa.

 

Consideration of applications will begin on 1 March 2018. Information: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/54279

 

 

Kidnapping and ant-Shiite rhetoric stirs Malaysian debate about Saudi-inspired ultra-conservatism

Allegedly kidnapped, forty-three-year old Malaysian activist Amri Che Mat, a foreign exchange trader and mountain climber, has not been heard of since he went missing in November 2016.

Asri attacks missing Amri, says Shia Islam threatens ‘national security’

The Perlis mufti admits to being part of a 20-member team who had gone to the activist’s house in 2015. SEPANG: Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today launched an attack on Amri Che Mat, a day after the missing activist’s wife named his state fatwa office and Islamic authorities as among those she suspected of involvement in her husband’s disappearance.

Scotblood – First Minister visits Edinburgh Donor Centre

Today First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP visited the Edinburgh Donor Centre, to thank donors and staff for their efforts during the busy festive season. During the visit she also met with representatives from the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society (SABS), who have been working with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) to encourage more people to give blood, especially members of the Muslim community.

Shining a spotlight on hate speech in Saudi textbooks

Advisers to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and public relations teams in Western capitals have vigorously promoted the energetic royal as a “courageous reformer,” but a new U.S. congressional initiative around Saudi textbook reform could put this narrative to the test.

Summer Courses on Shi’a Studies – alhikmah institute

Just another WordPress site

Bahrain arrests 47, charges 290 in mass crackdown

DUBAI: Bahraini police said Sunday they had arrested 47 people on charges linked to terrorism, including plots to assassinate “public figures,” as well as filing charges against another 290. The government accuses Tehran of training “terrorist cells” in the tiny island state. Iran denies involvement.

 

1.MScT Scholarship in Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies at Edinburgh

The Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh is delighted to invite applications for a fees only MSc Taught degree scholarship for any of its programmes (Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Middle Eastern Studies with Arabic/Advanced Arabic, Advanced Arabic, Persian Civilisation).

The scholarship will be funded by IMES and will cover tuition fees at the Home/EU rate.

Applications for both the Scholarship and the MSc must be made by 2nd May 2018.

For more information and to apply, visit:

 

https://www.ed.ac.uk/literatures-languages-cultures/graduate-school/fees-and-funding/funding/masters-students/imes-msct-scholarship

 

 

2. The Baker Institute is hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow working on religion and politics in the Middle East: https://jobs.rice.edu/postings/12707

 

 

 

 

3. The Ernst Herzfeld Society for Studies in Islamic Art and Archaeology and the University of Strasbourg are pleased to invite you to the 14th colloquium of the Society that will be held at the University of Strasbourg, July 5–7, 2018. This year’s colloquium will be under the title The History of Material Cultures and Visual Arts in the Islamic Lands: Current State of research and New Perspectives.

The history of material cultures and visual arts in the Islamic lands is a relatively young research area, but it has proved to be capable of reflecting critically on itself. Thus, archaeologists, material culture historians and art historians rose to the challenge of Orientalism, questioning their position and perceptions. The field is still debating its very definition and scope: How useful is it to frame it as “Islamic” or “Islamicate”? Where are its geographic and temporal boundaries? What about “centers and peripheries,” and other historiographical models? The area of investigation is so wide, not only in terms of territory and timespan, but also of the types of material and artistic output involved that it requires constant updating of its methods and approaches, notably within the context of museums and exhibitions, and at a time when Islam has become a perennial topic of public debate.

The 14th colloquium of the Ernst Herzfeld Gesellschaft will be a general meeting on the current state and the new perspectives of research on Islamic material cultures and visual arts. Its main objective is to offer an opportunity to present ongoing research projects, to exchange ideas and views, and to discuss practices and experiences on various aspects of the archaeology, material culture and art history of the Islamic or Islamicate worlds. That is why we particularly encourage pre-arranged panels on specific sub-themes addressed from different angles, in the hope of generating unanticipated questions and consistent discussions.

The colloquium begins with a key-note lecture on Thursday, July 5, 2018. It continues with panel sessions on Friday and Saturday, July 6–7. A meeting of the graduate students is scheduled for Thursday, July 5, for which a separate call for papers will be circulated. The annual EHG members’ assembly will be held on Friday or Saturday afternoon.

Registration and participation are free for members of the Society. Other speakers and participants are asked to pay a conference fee (50 € / reduced 25 €). We kindly request that speakers and participants organize their own travel and accommodation. A list of hotels located in the vicinity of the colloquium venue will be sent in due course.

Pre-arranged panels will preferably include three presentations. It is of course also possible to submit individual papers, which will be presented in open panels. Each presentation should be limited to 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of discussion (or 30 minutes of discussion per panel). The colloquium languages will be English, German, and French.

Pre-arranged panels: Please submit a title and an abstract of no-more than 500 words presenting the topic and the aim of the panel, as well as a provisional list of speakers.

Individual papers: Please submit a title and an abstract of no more than 300 words.

Please submit your panel or paper proposal by March 1, 2018 to Nourane Ben Azzouna: benazzouna@unistra.fr

If you want to submit a paper proposal for the graduates meeting, please send your title and abstract to Sarah Johnson: sarah.cresap.johnson@gmail.com

All proposals will undergo a peer review selection process. Acceptance will be notified by April 1.

 

 

 

 

4. The British Library: Of unicorns and other oddities: an 18th century Persian medical manual

http://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2018/01/of-unicorns-and-other-oddities-an-18th-century-persian-medical-manual.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+asian-and-african+%28Asia+and+Africa%29

 

 

 

5. Visiting Assistant Professor of Arabic

Washington and Lee University

Department of German, Russian, and Arabic

Deadline: 15 February 2018

Washington and Lee University invites applications for a one-year visiting assistant professor in Arabic, beginning 1 July 2018. This position carries a teaching load of 6 courses over three terms (two 12-week terms and one 4-week term): 2-3-1. Duties include teaching all levels of Arabic (first-, second-, and third-year), as well as advanced Arabic language courses that focus on media, conversation and composition, or topics in Arab literature, culture, and film. In addition to teaching responsibilities, the candidate will be expected to help supervise the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA), organize and assist with extracurricular activities, and contribute to the recently formed program in Middle East and South Asia (MESA) Studies.

Qualifications: Candidates must have completed at least an M.A. in Arabic Language (TAFL or a related field (e.g., second language acquisition, comparative literature, Middle Eastern Studies)). Preferred qualifications include ABD status or a Ph.D. Qualified applicants will have comprehensive mastery and fluency in Modern Standard Arabic and a dialect. The competitive applicant will have demonstrated experience in Arabic language pedagogy using the integrated approach in a North American or liberal arts context.

Review of applications will begin 15 February 2018. Interviews will be conducted through Skype. The position will remain open until filled. When applying online to this position, applicants will be required to upload a cover letter, C.V., teaching philosophy, graduate transcript(s), teaching portfolio (to include sample syllabi and teaching evaluations, if available), and contact information for three confidential letters of recommendation. Please upload all documents on Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/48377

Questions may be addressed to Professor Anthony Edwards, at EdwardsA@wlu.edu.

 

 

6. Understanding Shari’a: Past Perfect, Imperfect Presen

Uses of the Past in Islamic Legal Thought and Practice

Summer School

8^th – 14^th July 2018

University of Exeter, UK

Call for Applications

We are inviting advanced doctoral students and early career researchers (see definitions below) in the area of Islamic Legal Studies, to apply to participate in the USPPIP Summer School. USPPIP is a collaborative project of the universities of Exeter, Bergen, Göttingen and Leiden. The project (running from 2016 to 2018) aims to explore how the past is employed in Islamic legal thought and practice with a focus on the areas of violence, the state, gender and custom.

Eight fully-funded places are available on the Summer School. Funding will include travel to and from Exeter, accommodation and subsistence whilst in Exeter. The Summer School sessions will take place in the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies. Participants will include members of the USPPIP team (drawn from the universities of Bergen, Exeter, Gottingen and Leiden), invited scholars and members of the Centre for the Study of Islam in the University of Exeter (see http://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/iais/research/centres/csi/).

For more information on the “Uses of the Past” research programme of Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA) got to: www.heranet.info.

 

 

 

7. Call for Papers: Joint Conference between the British Association for the Study of Religions and the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions

3–5 September 2018, Queen’s University, Belfast

Held in Association with the Religious Studies Research Forum at the Institute of Theology and the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics.

 

Keynote Speakers

Gladys Ganiel (Queen’s University, Belfast)

Naomi Goldenberg (University of Ottawa)

 

See https://basr.ac.uk/ and/or https://isasr.wordpress.com/ for more information and updates.

 

 

 

 

8. Ferdowsi Tusi Millennium Memorial Endowment Persian Literature and Culture Graduate Paper Award 

The Persian Studies Program and the University Libraries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are pleased to announce the Ferdowsi Tusi Millennium Memorial Endowment Persian Literature and Culture Annual Graduate Paper Award.

Deadline: The paper must be submitted by February 1, 2018.

We welcome papers from graduate students of various disciplines focusing on different historical periods of Iran. We are interested in interdisciplinary approaches. The paper should be written in English, double-spaced, unpublished, and not exceed 5000 words (excluding the bibliography). Please add a 200-word abstract on top of your paper and have your name and affiliation marked on all documents.

A committee of three reviewers will review the papers and announce the winner by the end of February 2018. The winner is required to attend the UNC annual Nowruz Celebration in late March and give a talk on the topic of their paper. All the economy class travel expenses within the U.S. and lodging will be covered by UNC.

Please submit your paper by Email to Dr. Claudia Yaghoobi at yaghoobi@email.unc.edu

 

 

 

 

9. International Conference: “Commentaries Read Horizontally: Towards a Sociological Approach to the Study of Commentaries in the Islamicate World,”  University of Bonn, 25–27 January 2019

The conference and the planned publication aim for a holistic approach to commentary literature, reading them horizontally (across space, including social space) as well as vertically, and understanding the commentary’s contents on the one hand and the author’s social and political context on the other as two complementary and equally necessary elements of the analysis.

Deadline for abstracts: 28 February 2018. Information: https://www.academia.edu/35692792/Commentaries_read_horizontally_-_CfP.pdf

 

 

 

10. Posts:

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Exeter, UK

The College of Humanities wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the work of Dr. Nandini Chatterjee within the project Forms of Law in the Early Modern Persianate World, 17th-19th centuries. This full-time post is available from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2020.

Deadline for applications: 1 March 2018. Information: www.exeter.ac.uk/jobs. For further information contact Dr. Nandini Chatterjee on email: n.chatterjee@ex.ac.uk

 

Full-time Lecturer in Arabic Program, Carleton College, Northfield, MN

The Department of Middle Eastern Languages at Carleton College invites applications for a full-time lecturer in its dynamic and growing Arabic program, to begin September 1, 2018. MA or Ph.D. in Arabic language, literature or applied linguistics as well as teaching experience at college level is required.

Deadline for applications: 23 February 2018. Information: https://jobs.carleton.edu/postings/3507

 

Visiting Assistant Professor in Islamic History, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

Applications are invited for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 9-month, fixed-term position from 16 September 2018 until 15 June 2019. Preferred specialization is religion, as well as a regional focus on Africa. Reappointment is possible.

Deadline for applications: 1 March 2018. Information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=56306

 

 

11. CFP – Conference on the Role of Art and Architecture in Scientific Communication between Iran and the Arab World
University of Kashan
May 12-13, 2018

The rich background of architecture and art in the two geographic regions of Iran and the Arab world and its role in scientific and cultural communication in the Muslim world is a major issue that has been dealt with little and the deep relationship between them has been insufficiently documented. Kashan University is proud to organize an international conference on the role of art and architecture in scientific communication between Iran and the Arab world with the participation of international and foreign thinkers. The Scientific Secretariat of the Conference invites all researchers interested in the subject to submit articles on this topic

For more information, please visit the website of the conference: http://irarconf.ir/en/

 

 

Between the Politics of Difference and the Poetics of Similarity|

This paper studies the ritual of Ashura as performed by a group of Shia Pakistani migrants in Piraeus, Greece, inscribed in the context of the financial crisis that is currently shaking the country and its socio-political implications, notably the rise of the far-right.

Bahrain ruling on Nabeel Rajab jail term condemned

Human rights groups have roundly condemned a ruling by a Bahraini court to affirm a two-year jail sentence of activist Nabeel Rajab, saying the verdict “illustrates the corruption” of the kingdom’s justice system. Rajab had been found guilty in July of “spreading rumours and untruthful information” against the government in TV interviews.