Archive for October, 2019
Shii News – Panels of Interest at MESA 2019
Annual Meeting
Annual Meeting Since 1967, MESA has held an annual meeting in the fall where members gather to share research. MESA has been the hub for scholarly exchange from its first meeting at The University of Chicago in 1967 where a small group gathered for eight sessions to MESA’s 50th anniversary meeting in Boston in 2016 where 312 sessions delighted more than 2,000 attendees.
Based on the preliminary programme, panels with papers of potential interest to this list include:
5731 Contemporary Politics in Syria and Iraq
5767 Pre-Modern Minorities
5660 The Politics and Poetics of Language in the Persianate World
5635 Women as Patrons and Producers of the Islamic Sciences
5512 Non-Sunni Muslims, Yezidis, and the (Local) Ottoman State: Politics of Difference between Persecution and Accommodation
5658 The Nahj al-Balagha as a Case Study of Early Islamic Pietistic Literature
5406 From al-Hadi ila al-Haqq to Husayn al-Huthi: The Zaydi Phenomenon in Yemen
5498 Contested Modes of Islamic Leadership
5594 Margins, Marginals, and Marginalities in the Late Ottoman Empire
The full preliminary programme and an on-line, more up-to-date searchable version can be found here.
- October 30, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Conference: “From Sectarianism to De-sectarianisation – Reimagining Sectarianism, Geopolitics and the State in the Contemporary Middle East”, Lancaster University, 16-17 April 2020
We welcome abstracts reflecting on sectarianism, ‘proxies’, the struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and broader questions about identities, geopolitics, economics and social factors in the contemporary Middle East.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 December 2019. Information: https://www.sepad.org.uk/announcement/sepad-conference-2020-from-sectarianism-to-de-sectarianization
2. BRISMES Annual Conference 2020: “Knowledge, Power and Middle Eastern Studies”, University of Kent, Canterbury, 29 June – 1 July 2020
We invite complete panels or individual paper proposals on any topic related to the Middle East and North Africa. Panels/roundtables in non-English languages spoken in the Middle East region are also welcome.
Deadline for abstracts: 25 November 2019.
Information: http://www.brismes.ac.uk/conference/call-for-papers-2020/
3. Visiting Professor for Cultural Studies of the Middle East, Universities of Bamberg and Erlangen-Nuremberg
The relevant qualifications consist of a doctorate in a relevant discipline, demonstrated ability in teaching, and an excellent track record in publications and related academic achievements. The position presupposes the ability and willingness to teach in English. The position is available 01.10.2020-15.08.2021.
Deadline for applications: 15 December 2019. Information: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/fileadmin/abt-personal/Homepage_ab_2016-03/10_Stellenausschreibungen/01_Professuren/2019/2019-12-15_Gastprofessur_Elite-MA%202020_21.pdf
4. Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies, Dickinson College
International Studies, Middle East Studies and Political Science at Dickinson College are seeking qualified applicants for one two-year visiting assistant professor position in Middle East and North African Politics beginning in academic year 2020-21. A completed or nearly-completed Ph.D. in Political Science, International Relations, or related discipline is required.
Application Review Begin Date: 15 January 2020. Information: https://jobs.dickinson.edu/postings/5294
5. Appel à contribution pour le MIDÈO 36 (2021) : «Iğtihād et taqlīd dans l’islam sunnite et šīʿite»
Le dossier de ce MIDÉO se propose d’approfondir les deux logiques à la lumière du patrimoine islamique. L’histoire de la pensée islamique montre que l’on a établi en effet des distinctions entre les principes fondamentaux (uṣūl) et les branches du fiqh(furūʿ), que l’on a élaboré des relations avec des notions connexes (iḫtilāf, ittibāʿ,iǧmāʿ, tarǧīḥ), que l’on a évalué de manière différente taqlīd (ḥarām, maḏmūm,mubāḥ), ou encore établi des distinctions de degrés d’iǧtihād.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 January 2020. Information: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/36891
6. Assistant or Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies
The Comparative Literature Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) in Qatar invites applications for a position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in Comparative Literature to begin at the start of the 2020 academic year, August 01, 2020.
Founded in 2015, DI is a non-profit and independent institute. Arabic is the official language of instruction, but in the Program of Comparative Literature the language of instruction alternates between Arabic and English. The institute offers excellent remunerative packages including competitive salaries, housing and other benefits.
The Comparative Literature Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is a pioneering program in the region, aiming uniquely to engage with the emergent approaches of the New Comparative Literature and key recent debates in the discipline. In this respect, the Program focuses on recent crucial reflections on the discipline’s historical formations, and the methodological challenges of working across languages and traditions. Expertise and perspectives from non-European literary, aesthetic and critical traditions are integral to this approach.
With its critical humanist and interdisciplinary thrust, and through its uniquely designed core and elective courses, the Program aims to train a new generation of comparative literature scholars, who will be able to situate themselves in the discipline at large as a new type of Arabist and comparative literary theorist.
The candidate must have a PhD in Comparative Literature from a recognized Program or Department of Comparative Literature. Preference will be given to candidates with specializations in literary theory, approaches to World Literature and the new comparative literature, and with demonstrable expertise in Arabic literature and an Asian, African or Latin American literature. The candidate will be expected to participate in the teaching of the Program’s core theory courses and electives, and in the Interdisciplinary Curriculum in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Candidates should show evidence of research excellence and a commitment towards quality teaching at the graduate level. Please note that the Ph.D. requirement must have been fulfilled by July 1, 2020.
Key Responsibilities
• Demonstrate a sustained critical and theoretical intervention in the current debates of the discipline through teaching, research and publication
• Demonstrate versatility in lecturing in both Arabic and English and to a highly diverse body of students
• Participate in the teaching of core theory courses and design of new electives to expand the remit of the Program’s vision and critical reach across new areas of investigation and research
• Collaborate with colleagues in other programs and participate in the design and teaching of interdisciplinary courses across the School of Social Sciences and Humanities
• Undertake academic advising, MA Thesis supervision and other administrative duties in the Program
• Serve on academic and professional committees across SOSH and DI
• Participate in DI and ACRPS seminars and international workshops and conferences
• Initiate and participate in collaborative projects with other Qatari and Doha-based institutions, and the Doha community at large
• Participate in the Program’s recruitment plans throughout the region and beyond
• Promote the work of the Comparative Literature Program and the DI in major international conferences and international collaborative research projects and grant applications
The Comparative Literature Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies places high value on diversity and will welcome applications from early career scholars.
Please provide: (1) a letter of application; (2) a curriculum vita; (3) a statement of teaching philosophy; (4) a research statement; (5) evidence of teaching excellence; (6) selected samples of peer reviewed publications and research work; (7) three references (email and phone number). Email: careers@dohainstitute.edu.qa
To apply, please send your documents via email by December 1, 2019 to: careers@dohainstitute.edu.qa.
For more details on the position, please visit the following link:
https://www.dohainstitute.edu.qa/EN/Careers/Pages/Apply.aspx?JobId=DIAC_2019_063
For informal further queries, please contact the Head of Program, Professor Ayman El-Desouky at:
ayman.eldesouky@dohainstitute.edu.qa
7. The American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT)is pleased to announce 2020-2021 fellowship programs for students and scholars based in the U.S. and Canada:
ARIT / National Endowment for the Humanities Advanced Fellowships for Research in Turkey cover all fields of the humanities, including prehistory, history, art, archaeology, literature, and linguistics as well as interdisciplinary aspects of cultural history. The fellowships support applicants who have completed their academic training. The fellowships may be held for terms ranging from four months to a full year. Stipend per month is $4,200.
ARIT Fellowships for Research in Turkey are offered for research in ancient, medieval, or modern times, in any field of the humanities and social sciences. Post-doctoral and advanced doctoral fellowships may be held for various terms, from one month up to one academic year. Stipends range from $2,500 to $15,500.
Applications for ARIT fellowships must be submitted to ARIT by November 1, 2019. The fellowship committee will notify applicants by late January, 2020.
- October 29, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – CfP: Chicago Shiʿi Studies Group Symposium
2020 Shiʿi Studies Symposium
The University of Chicago Shiʿi Studies Group Symposium Call for Papers (CFP): “But by the love you bear my kin”: Devotion (Walāya) and Shiʿi Islam Abstract Submission Deadline: October 31, 2019 Symposium Date: April 3-4, 2020 The Shiʿi Studies Group at the University of Chicago will host its 2020 annual symposium on the theme of walāya-the call of devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt that is at the core of Shiʿi beliefs.
- October 28, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Tenure-track Instructor in Persian Language & Culture (Univ British Columbia)
Application closing date: 18.12.19
2. The fourth Arabic Linguistics Forum conference will be held at the University of Leeds on Wednesday 1st -Thursday 2nd July 2020. As in previous years the aim of this international conference is to provide a forum for academic and scholarly exchange on the linguistics of the Arabic language family, for researchers from across Europe and the Middle East, and beyond.
http://arabiclinguisticsforum.com/leeds-2020/
http://arabiclinguisticsforum.com/leeds-2020/call-for-papers/
The Arabic Linguistics Forum welcomes the submission of abstracts in all areas of Arabic linguistics: phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, morphology, dialectology, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, conversation analysis, historical linguistics, language acquisition, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, and applied linguistics.
- This year, the University of Leeds will hold a pre-Forum study day on the Arabic dialects of the Arabian Peninsula, on June 30th At this event , Marjin Van Putten(Leiden University) and Barry Heselwood(University of Leeds) will be in conversation on phonation (title TBC).
- Abstracts are invited for this pre-Forum study day: they must consider Peninsular varieties only, though in all areas of Linguistics. It is possible to submit two abstracts both for the pre-Forum study day and the conference. The deadline and guidelines for submission of abstracts are the same as for the main ALiF call (see below).
Abstracts for both full papers and posters should be written in English and should not exceed 500 words. References and/or figures may optionally be included, but should not exceed two pages of A4 (or US ‘Letter’). Please submit your abstract in pdf format.
Your abstract must be anonymous. You will be asked to submit a version with your name and affiliation on it if your abstract is selected for presentation. Please make sure that you do not use your name in the filename for your abstract, and please erase any details which might identify you in the file that you submit. Please use one word from the title of your abstract as the filename.
Talks will be allotted 20 minutes for the presentation with 10 minutes for questions and answers.
The deadline for all submissions is January 12th 2020.
Abstracts must be submitted via EasyChair at: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=alif2020
Notification of abstract acceptance is issued by March 20th 2020.
3. An International Symposium on Media & the Middle East
RESISTANCE AND ACTIVISM
University of East Anglia (Norwich, United Kingdom) March 6 – 7, 2020
University of East Anglia invites proposals for An International Symposium on Media and the Middle East. The symposium aims to bring together scholars, and filmmakers from around the world interested in exploring ideas of Resistance and Activism in the Middle East in relation to a range of media including film, television, radio, video, and digital media. Papers may be historical or contemporary in scope.
The event will begin with a film screening of For Sama (Waad Al-Kateab, 2019) at Cinema City Norwich on Friday March 6, 2020. A symposium filled with panel discussions, short film screenings and a keynote by Dr Saeed Talajooy (University of St Andrews) will follow the next day on Saturday March 7, 2020.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
* Feminism and gender politics in Middle Eastern media * Art and activism in the Middle East
* Political and social resistance in Middle Eastern Media * Revolution and uprising in media from the Middle East * Censorship and constraints in Middle Eastern Cinema * Political and social movements in a digital age
* Creative media/film projects on and about the Middle East * Short films and excerpts from the Middle East
Please send abstracts of 250 words together with a short (max 100 words) biography to z.khosroshahi@uea.ac.uk by Monday December 2, 2019. We will notify applicants by Monday December 16, 2019.
This event is organized by Professor Eylem Atakav, Zahra Khosroshahi, Khaldoun Shami and Dr Burcu Dabak Ozdemir (Yasar University), and supported by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities Engagement Fund and the Interdisciplinary Institute for the Humanities from the University of East Anglia.
4. On-line resources:
Alphabetical list of Open Access Islamic Manuscripts Collections
Alphabetical List of Open Access Journals in Middle Eastern Studies
5. CALL FOR PAPERS
Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University
Graduate Student Symposium
March 26-7, 2020
The organizing committee of the McGill Institute of Islamic Studies Graduate Student Symposium welcomes abstract submissions to their tenth annual symposium.
Our aim is to provide an opportunity for graduate students based in various parts of the world and approaching the study of Islamicate thought and life across time and space through a multiplicity of disciplinary and methodological approaches to share their work with the Institute’s faculty and students in an atmosphere of constructive and supportive criticism. We are pleased to invite graduate students at all stages of research and dissertation-writing related to Islam and Islamicate communities anywhere in the world (East Asia, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East) to submit proposals for individual paper presentations.
Reflecting our department’s primary research areas, the symposium’s themes include but are not limited to:
- history, political science, and anthropology
- theology, philosophy, mysticism, and jurisprudence
- Urdu, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literature
An abstract of 250-500 words and a one-page résumé should be sent electronically to miisscsymposium@gmail.com by November 30, 2019. Please include a tentative title for your paper and two or three keywords describing its regional and disciplinary focus, as well as your name, programme of study (MA, MPhil, or Ph.D.), and departmental and institutional affiliation. Applicants will be notified of a decision by December 30, 2019. It may be possible to offer a limited number of grants (of not more than 200 CAD) to contribute towards participants’ travel expenses. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any other queries.
6. H-Maps
H-Maps is an international digital forum in the historical study of the making, circulation, use and preservation of maps from the ancient to the contemporary period. Because of its international nature, H-Maps welcomes contributions in world languages, including (but not limited to) English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. Abstracts in one of these languages is requested for posts submitted in a language not spoken by list editors. H-Maps is a collaboration between the International Society for the History of the Map (ISHMap) and H-Net to further substantive inquiry among a growing number of global scholars with an interest in the history of maps and mapping.
The aim of H-Maps is to advance the work of scholars, curators, archivists, collectors, students, and others interested in aspects of map history of any place, scale, type, or historical period. H-Maps welcomes cross-disciplinary and non-traditional interpretations and encourages contributions related to new approaches in research, curation, teaching, and tools for analysis. H-Maps commissions and publishes reviews of work relevant to the field as a part of the H-Net Book Review Project. H-Maps will announce and review conferences and exhibitions, and post calls for papers, fellowships, and employment opportunities.
H-Maps Editorial Staff
Jordana Dym, Skidmore College – Network Editor
Carolina Martínez, CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina – Network Editor
Quentin Morcrette, Le Mans Université – Network Editor
Bram Vannieuwenhuyze (Belgium/The Netherlands) – Network Editor
David Weimer – Network Editor
H-Maps Advisory Board
Jordana Dym
Mark Monmonier – Distinguished Professor of Geography at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Carla Lois
Gilles Palsky
André Reyes Novaes
Benjamin Sacks benjaminjamessacks@gmail.com
All H-Maps content is freely accessible at: https://networks.h-net.org/h-maps
You can contact the editors of H-Maps here: editorial-maps@mail.h-net.org
A free account and subscription are required in order to receive discussion posts by email for all of our networks. For assistance with creating accounts and managing subscriptions on the H-Net Commons:
For instructions to create an account in the Commons go to:
https://networks.h-net.org/node/905/pages/943/getting-started.
For instructions on subscribing to H-Maps go to:
https://networks.h-net.org/node/905/pages/965/subscribing-or-unsubscribing-network
For tutorials and assistance in using the H-Net Commons, visit H-Net’s Help Desk:
https://networks.h-net.org/help-desk
7. Socio-Environmental Dynamics along the Historical Silk Road (2019)
Open Access book, accessible at:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-030-00728-7
Editors Liang Emlyn Yang, Hans-Rudolf Bork, Xiuqi Fang, Steffen Mischke
Introduction
Front Matter, 1
On the Paleo-climatic/Environmental Impacts and Socio-Cultural System Resilience along the Historical Silk Road
Liang Emlyn Yang, Hans-Rudolf Bork, Xiuqi Fang, Steffen Mischke, Mara Weinelt, Josef Wiesehöfer, 3-22
Landscape Evolutions in the Human-Environment System
Front Matter, 23
Evolution of Saline Lakes in the Guanzhong Basin During the Past 2000 Years: Inferred from Historical Records
Jie Fei, Hongming He, Liang Emlyn Yang, Xiaoqiang Li, Shuai Yang, Jie Zhou, 25-44
Landscape Response to Climate and Human Impact in Western China During the Han Dynasty
Steffen Mischke, Chengjun Zhang, Chenglin Liu, Jiafu Zhang, Zhongping Lai, Hao Long, 45-66
The Ili River Delta: Holocene Hydrogeological Evolution and Human Colonization
Jean-Marc Deom, Renato Sala, Anne Laudisoit, 67-94
Quantitative Evaluation of the Impact on Aral Sea Levels by Anthropogenic Water Withdrawal and Syr Darya Course Diversion During the Medieval Period (1.0–0.8 ka BP)
Renato Sala, 95-121
Reconsidering Archaeological and Environmental Proxies for Long Term Human-Environment Interactions in the Valley of Kashmir
Michael Spate, 123-149
Natural Disasters and Impacts in the Past Societies
Front Matter, 151
Living with Earthquakes along the Silk Road
Miklós Kázmér, 153-176
Natural Disasters in the History of the Eastern Turk Empire
Rustam Talgatovich Ganiev, Vladimir Vladimirovich Kukarskih, 177-193
Dry and Humid Periods Reconstructed from Tree Rings in the Former Territory of Sogdiana (Central Asia) and Their Socio-economic Consequences over the Last Millennium
Magdalena Opała-Owczarek, Piotr Owczarek, 195-214
A Drought Reconstruction from the Low-Elevation Juniper Forest of Northwestern Kyrgyzstan since CE 1565
Feng Chen, Shulong Yu, Qing He, Bakytbek Ermenbaev, Rysbek Satylkanov, 215-228
Climatic Factors in the Transitions of Social Systems
Front Matter, 229-229
Social Impacts of Climate Change in Historical China
Xiuqi Fang, Yun Su, Zhudeng Wei, Jun Yin, 231-245
Climate Change and the Rise of the Central Asian Silk Roads
Daniel J. Hill, 247-259
The Coming of the Barbarians: Can Climate Explain the Saljūqs’ Advance?
Yehoshua Frenkel, 261-273
Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of the Oxus Civilization in Southern Central Asia
Élise Luneau, 275-299
Climatic and Environmental Limiting Factors in the Mongol Empire’s Westward Expansion: Exploring Causes for the Mongol Withdrawal from Hungary in 1242
Stephen Pow, 301-321
Social Adaptation and Resilience to Environmental Stresses
Front Matter, 323-323
Resilience of the Human-Water System at the Southern Silk Road: A Case Study of the Northern Catchment of Erhai Lake, China (1382–1912)
Anning Xu, Liang Emlyn Yang, Weibing Yang, Aubrey L. Hillman, 325-358
The Age and Origin of Karez Systems of Silk Road Oases around Turpan, Xinjiang, P.R. of China
Bertil Mächtle, Stefan Hecht, Nicola Manke, Bernd Kromer, Susanne Lindauer, Cheng-Sen Li et al., 359-378
Water Supply and Ancient Society in the Lake Balkhash Basin: Runoff Variability along the Historical Silk Road
Irina P. Panyushkina, Mark G. Macklin, Willem H. J. Toonen, David M. Meko, 379-410
Demographic Changes, Trade Routes, and the Formation of Anthropogenic Landscapes in the Middle Volga Region in the Past 2500 Years
Leonid A. Vyazov, Ekaterina G. Ershova, Elena V. Ponomarenko, Konrad Gajewski, Mikhail S. Blinnikov, Ayrat G. Sitdikov, 411-452
Social-Culture in Connection with the Environment
Front Matter, 453-453
Routes Beyond Gandhara: Buddhist Rock Carvings in the Context of the Early Silk Roads
Marike van Aerde, 455-480
Steppe and Sown: Eurasianism, Soil and the Mapping of Bukhara in the Light of Soviet Ethnographic Accounts
Susanne Marten-Finnis, 481-506
A Karez System’s Dilemma: A Cultural Heritage on a Shelf or Still a Viable Technique for Water Resiliency in Arid Regions
Shalamu Abudu, Zhuping Sheng, James Phillip King, So-Ra Ahn, 507-525.]
8. Call for Papers for an edited volume: “Western Hegemonies and their Contestations” – Deadline December 2nd, 2019
The present call of paper solicits chapter proposals to complete a peer-reviewed collection of original research papers on the topic “Western Hegemonies and their Contestations”. This collection is inspired from the international and multidisciplinary conference “The End of Western Hegemonies ?” held in Jyväskylä, Finland, in June 2019, organized by The West Network. The proposed chapters must fall within one of the following categories:
1 – Analysis of a type of Western hegemony (political, economic, cultural, intellectual (see general description below)) in a non-Western setting (i.e., in the former Eastern bloc, USSR (or in post-Cold War Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia), Africa, Asia);
2 – Analysis of contestation(s) of a given type of Western hegemony in a non-Western setting (i.e., in the former Eastern bloc, USSR (or in post-Cold War Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia), Africa, Asia);
3 – Analysis of the challenges met by democratization in non-Western settings.
Guidelines for chapter proposals
The planned chapters must develop original research and not have been previously published in English or another language.
Potential authors must be Ph.D. holders and affiliated to a university.
Submissions will be peer-reviewed (and full chapters thereafter). They must contain (please send all documents in Word format):
1) A short abstract of the planned chapter clearly stating the topic, hypothesis, main arguments, methodological approach and sources + a list of 5-6 keywords (1/2 page – ¾ page).
2) A detailed preview of the planned chapter (5-6 pages) including references and footnotes. (The full chapters will be 8000 words long.)
Please also include:
3) In a single file:
(page 1) Identification : Name, job title, affiliation, institutional address, work phone number, home address, home phone number, e-mail address
(page 2) Short biography mentioning professional information relevant to the publication (as previous publications, teaching/research experience)
4) A short cv (2-3 pages max.)
Please send all material by Monday, December 2nd, 2019 to the attention of Dr. Marie-Josée Lavallée at marie-josee.lavallee@umontreal.ca
No submissions will be considered afterwards.
Selected authors will be allowed six months for the preparation of their full chapter.
Dr. Marie-Josée Lavallée
University of Montréal, Canada
The West Network
Contact Info:
Dr. Marie-Josée Lavallée
Contact Email:
marie-josee.lavallee@umontreal.ca
9. Conference at The Courtauld Institute of Art
Fri 15 Nov, 2019 – Sat 16 Nov, 2019
DECENTRING THE FLÂNEUR: GLOBAL HISTORIES OF WALKING THE EARLY MODERN CITY
10. A Critical Introduction to Islamic Legal Theory
based on Imām al‑Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī’s Kitāb al‑Waraqāt (كتاب الورقات)
Open Access Book
“…offers to students and scholars interested in the Islamic discipline of legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh) a critical Arabic edition and an English translation of Imām al-Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī’s Leaflet on the Sources of Law (Kitāb al-Waraqāt fī uṣūl al-fiqh), along with a new explanatory commentary on the text and a method for readers to add their own comments to any page, paragraph, or phrase. Unlike the many traditional commentaries that have been written on al‑Juwaynī’s popular medieval handbook https://waraqat.vishanoff.com, David Vishanoff’s extensive commentary explains for uninitiated modern English-speaking readers the function and significance of each legal theory principle, and critically examines the conceptions of ethics, knowledge, and scriptural interpretation that are articulated or assumed in this classic summary of Islamic legal theory.”
- October 26, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Bahrain Human Rights at UK Parliament
Parliamentary Event – The Crackdown on Human Rights in Bahrain
18 October – Yesterday, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR) co-hosted an event at Parliament to highlight the deteriorating state of human rights in Bahrain. The event included a panel of experts who discussed the brutal crackdown on political opposition, human rights…
- October 25, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Bahraini Women Political Prisoners Expose Systemic Abuses (Washington, DC., 29.10.19)
ADHRB Upcoming Event – Breaking the Silence: Bahraini Women Political Prisoners Expose Systemic Abuses
ADHRB will be holding a Congressional briefing next week on women political prisoners in Bahrain and women’s rights in the region more broadly. ADHRB’s event “Breaking the Silence: Bahraini Women Political Prisoners Expose Systemic Abuses” will take place on Tuesday, 29 October at 10 am in 421 Cannon House Office Building.
- October 24, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – تاریخ فرهنگ و تمدن ایران در دوره صفویان
دانلود کتاب تاریخ فرهنگ و تمدن ایران در دوره صفویان: با تاکید بر هویت فرهنگی -محسن بهرام نژاد – سمت –
مطالعه کتاب تاریخ فرهنگ و تمدن ایران در دوره صفویان در کتابخوان سمت
- October 24, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Zaydi Manuscripts
Zaydi Manuscript Tradition
ZMT provides a centralized platform and draws records of endangered manuscripts from an international network of partners contributing microfilms, photographs, and high-quality digital reproductions. Its goal is to provide free online access to 15,000 books by the end of 2020.
- October 23, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The 12th Annual International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference (IRTP) 24-27 June 2020 in Braga, Portugal
All detailed information about the Conference can be found at our web site: www.irtp.co.uk
2. International Conference: “Historicity and Islamicity: Perceptions of Early Islamic History in Contemporary Muslim Thought”, Institute for the Study of Islamic Culture and Religion, Goethe University in Frankfurt a.M.,12-14 December 2019
Our conference attempts to shed light on the contemporary Muslim perceptions and perspectives on the early history of Islam. It will first address the mechanisms of construction of ‘early Islamic history’ and its use in the processes of identity building among Muslims and, in a next stept, the critical and revisionist approaches to history developed by Muslim scholars.
Organizers: Prof. Dr. Armina Omerika, Dr. Soumaya Louhichi-Güzel.
See program at https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/82093441/ContentPage_82093441
3. Conference “Visible and Invisible Borders between Christians and Muslims in the Early Modern World”, Central European University, Budapest, 10-11 January 2020
We aim to create a network that will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of past relations between Christianity and Islam in the European context through the addressing of three main research problems: otherness, migration and borders.
Information: https://is-le.eu/calls/conferences/
4. Workshop: “Mosques, Power and Politics”, University of Copenhagen, 22-24 January 2020
This seminar will examine the power strategies used by national and local politicians, examining national legislation and municipal planning on mosques, and will investigate a number of concrete cases of contested mosque building.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 November 2019. Information: https://mosques.ku.dk/nordic-mosques/
Contact: lbm993@hum.ku.dk
5. Workshop: “Dialogues in the Late Medieval Mediterranean: Methodological Encounters and (Dis)Encounters”, Casa Árabe, Madrid, 27 January 2020
The aim of this workshop is to create a network that will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of past relations between Christianity and Islam in the European context through the addressing of three main research problems: otherness, migration and borders.
Information: https://is-le.eu/workshop/dialogues-in-the-late-medieval-mediterranean-methodological-encounters-and-disencounters/
6. Conference: “Protests, Power, and Prayer: Intersection of Activism, Culture, and Religion”, Religion Graduate Students Association, University of Florida, 21-22 February 2020
Contributors should frame their papers primarily in response to the questions: In what ways are religious practices and/or beliefs deployed within various socio-cultural protests? How and why do certain individuals or groups engage in activism? To what degree are religiously motivated protests effective/ineffective?
Deadline for abstracts: 15 November 2019.
7. 17th Annual Duke-UNC Conference: “Who Speaks for Islam? Approaches to Authority within the Academy and Beyond”, University of North Carolina, 29 February 2020
In light of recent attempts at intimidation by the state, we are particularly interested in thinking through the politics of power. As such, we are seeking papers that interrogate questions of authority and power. Potential topics include, but are not limited, to the following: Who gets to speak for Islam and Muslims? What landscape of authority exist in the Islamicate World? For example what geographies constitute the Islamicate world? Etc.
Deadline for applications: 15 November 2019. Information: https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/40033
8. Graduate Student Workshop on Religion, Law, and Politics in the Middle East, Syracuse University, 23 April 2020
The workshop will serve as avenue for advanced graduate students (ABDs) to meet and share their work-in-progress and receive extensive feedback on their dissertation projects from a panel of interdisciplinary experts. The workshop welcomes research conducted on a broad range of topics that addresses the historical and contemporary interactions between religious, legal and political institutions in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2019.
9. Conference: “Rethinking Narratives of China and the Middle East: The Silk Roads and Beyond”, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 8-10 April 2021
The conference examines the relationship between China and the Middle East, both ancient and modern. Papers that incorporate additional regions, such as Europe, Central Asia, or South/Southeast Asia are also encouraged, provided they are also incorporate both China and a country in the Middle East, broadly construed.
Deadline for abstracts: 21 January 2020. Information: mec-conference@sas.upenn.edu
10. Post-doctoral 2020-2021 Fellowships for Scholars in the Study of Africa, University of Bayreuth
Africa-based scholars with a proven track record in the study of Africa are eligible to apply. They may come from any discipline in the humanities and the social, technical and ‘hard’ sciences.
Deadline for applications: 30 November 2019.
11. Research Fellow, German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Hamburg
Qualifications: excellent university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Political Science, Sociology, Islamic Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, or related social sciences / area studies; familiarity with academic research on radicalisation, political Islam and jihadism; proficiency in English and Modern Standard Arabic; good working knowledge of German; etc.
Screening of applications will begin on 18 November 2019. Information: https://www.giga-hamburg.de/sites/default/files/md_pdf/GIGA-19-11_Call_ResearchFellowIMES.pdf
12. Ahmed Seddiqi Endowed Chair in Gulf and Middle Eastern Studies, Department of International Studies, American University of Sharjah
Successful candidates will have a PhD in an area related to Gulf and/or Middle Eastern studies, a strong record of scholarship with an active and ambitious research agenda as well as a record of excellent teaching. As a university formed on the American model and with English as the language of instruction, American University of Sharjah gives priority to candidates who have substantial experience in American models of higher education.
Deadline for applications: 15 November 2019. Information: https://www.aus.edu/employment/the-ahmed-seddiqi-endowed-chair-in-gulf-and-middle-eastern-studies
13. Tenure-track Assistant Professor on the Culture, Economics or Politics of Muslim Societies in Iran, Central/South/East Asia, Stanford University
Applications from Anthropology, Communication, Economics, Political Science, or Sociology are welcome from scholars who can contribute to the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies.
Deadline for applications: 25 October 2019. Information: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14164
14. The Richard Gillespie Mediterranean Prize for Early Career Researchers
Mediterranean Politics is pleased to announce the launch of this Prize for the best research article on the contemporary social and political dynamics of the Mediterranean region published in the Journal by an early career researcher. We welcome contributions on politics and international relations as well as economics, human geography, sociology, anthropology and other relevant disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.
Information: https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/journal-prize-richard-gillespie-mediterranean-prize/
15. Grant to Digitise Collections at Risk
The Endangered Archives Program seeks to preserve cultural heritage and make it available to as wide an audience as possible. We fund digitisation projects to record the content of archives, which can include rare printed sources, manuscripts, visual materials, or audio recordings.
Deadline for applications: 11 November 2019. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/11419/discussions/4733064/apply-grant-digitise-collections-risk
16. Scholarship Program of the German Bundestag for Highly Motivated Graduates from the Arab Region in Berlin, 1-30 September 2020
The programme is aimed at politically engaged young graduates from the Arab region who are interested in the German parliamentary system and play an active role in promoting core democratic values in their home countries. Participants have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the German parliamentary system and political decision making processes.
Deadline for applications: 1 December 2019.
Information: https://www.bundestag.de/en/europe/international/exchange/ips/arabian-250618
17. Critical Muslim Studies Summer School, Granada, 15-20 June 2020
The premier summer school on Islam and Decoloniality focuses on approaches to the academic study of Islam which are both critical and post-Orientalist. The program is geared towards advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students; junior lecturers; as well as those working in the government or civil society sectors who have a keen interest in the summer school topics.
Deadline for applications: 1 February 2020. Information: http://www.dialogoglobal.com/granada/
18. Maps of the Ottoman Empire
http://www.dlir.org/about-aiarmaps.html?layout=default
The W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR) in Jerusalem in cooperation with the Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes (CAMEL) at the University of Chicago scanned and geo-referenced a series of topographical maps of Eastern Turkey and the lands of the broader Ottoman Empire with a grant from the US Department of Education TICFIA program. The bulk of the collection contains topographical maps compiled at the British Intelligence Division War Office in 1915 derived from map and survey data collected during multiple expeditions 1839-1906. The collection contains high resolution copies of the original maps held by AIAR, and geo-referenced versions can be requested by contacting dlir@caorc.org.
19. The Bodleian Libraries, Oxford are now accepting applications for Visiting Fellowshipsto be taken up during academic year 2020-21. Fellowships support periods of research in the Special Collections of the Bodleian Libraries, across a range of different subjects. Of particular interest might be the Bahari Visiting Fellowships in the Persian Arts of the Book
Fellows are hosted in the Visiting Scholars’ Centre at the Weston Library, where they join a lively research environment.
Details of the Fellowship terms and application process can be found on our Fellowships webpage: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships. Please note this year applicants for a Bahari Visiting Fellowship are asked to submit an article length example of their work with their application materials.
A list of current Visiting Fellows and in the academic year 2019-20 can be found at: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships/current-and-past-fellows/2019-20-visiting-fellows
Applications for these Fellowships should be made by the deadline of midnight, Sunday, 01 December 2019.
For further information, please email: fellowships@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
20. Research Associate position at Doha Institute
https://www.dohainstitute.edu.qa/EN/Careers/Pages/Apply.aspx?JobId=DIAC_2019_061
A full-time highly motivated Research Associate (RA) is being sought for a research project, led by Dr. Eid Mohamed and funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) titled, “Computational Study of Culture: Cultural Analytics for Modern Arab and Islamic Studies.” The project will operate within the Research & Grants Department led by the Director.
The overall vision of this project is to harness state-of-the-art Cultural Analytics (CA) approaches and technologies to make pioneering forays into the vast corpus of machine-readable Arabic texts that has become available in the last two decades. It also aims to digitize and annotate a set of early Arabic media material from the late 19th century until present. This will be done along the lines of two case studies: Modern Arab socio-political and cultural history and Contemporary Diaspora Arab-Islamic cultural archive and digital repository.
We invite applications for an RA position in Digital Humanities with a specialization in literary, rhetorical, cultural, media or historical studies. We welcome applications from those engaged in research areas and technologies across the digital humanities domain and are particularly interested in research that explores the critical and cultural significance of tools and methods in the context of questions of East-West encounters, representation, culture and politics. We strongly encourage applicants with expertise in digital technology and an interest in global Arab studies, especially as it relates to bringing the field of Arab Literature/Humanities into the digital age and who will bring theoretical, methodological, and technical expertise to the project.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- To contribute to a comprehensive literature review on digitized Arab newspapers, magazines, etc.
- To contribute to developing models of historical newspaper research, past and future.
- To work with team members to develop use cases of the project’s ontology in describing and mapping Arabic text and concept migration across regional and linguistic borders.
- To co-author research papers suitable for publication in high quality academic journals on Arabic literature and culture historically and materially produced and reproduced.
- To organize, attend and contribute to events at Doha Institute (DI)
- To contribute to project promotion and public engagement events
- Engage in training programmes at DI that are consistent with the needs and aspirations of the project.
- Undertake other duties as may necessary
MA in Comparative Literature, Culture and Media Studies, with background in Arabic Digital Humanities studies. PhD holders or PhD candidates are preferred.
For full consideration please provide 1) a brief cover letter stating the applicant’s academic field, area of specialization, and a short summary (1 page) of the proposed work during the appointment period, 2) CV 3) A Research statement: summary of the research questions, goals, and methodological approaches of current and future projects, and a sample of scholarly writing, and a sample syllabus for an undergraduate-level introduction to digital humanities course. The cover letter should not exceed 2 single-spaced pages. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled, but priority will be given to those received by October 31st, 2019. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.
Salary and benefits are competitive at an international level.
21. The University of Religions and Denominations (Qom, Iran) is the sole specialized university of religions in Iran which has been active for
more than two decades and with the goal of creating peace, peaceful
coexistence and mutual understanding and dialogue has connected with
several institutions and universities across the world.
The International Department of the university has a successful
history of organizing academic conferences and short courses in which
many professors and students from across the world have participated.
For more information regarding the university please visit the
following site: www.urd.ac.ir
The International Short Course Center of URD organizes courses twice a
year in summer and winter. We are proud to announce the following
courses for winter 2020:
Winter 2020 Courses
Course Dates
The 10th International Intensive Course on Shi‘a Studies
13-17 February 2020
Cultural Tour
18 -21 February 2020
The 1st International Intensive Course on Mysticism and Sufism in Islam and Iran
22-26 February 2020
For more information please contact us at: iisc@urd.ac.ir
22. The 17th Annual South Asia Graduate Student Conference at the University of Chicago is pleased to invite submissions to the 2020 graduate student conference Reception, Tradition, and Canonization: Pasts and Presents in South Asia to be held on March 5th-6th, 2020 in Chicago.
We invite graduate students at all levels to submit abstracts for consideration. The the online submission form can be found via this link. We would appreciate it if you would forward this email to students in your department and colleagues who may be interested
If you have any questions please write to us at sagsc2020@gmail.com
22. Postdoctoral Research Associate – Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran/Persian Gulf Study, Princeton University
The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University invites applications for a postdoctoral or more senior research position in the relevant fields of Iran and the Persian Gulf studies in the 19th – 21st century.
The position, starting in September 2020, is open to scholars of all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. This full-time twelve-month position may be renewed for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance and funding. The Center promotes interdisciplinary approaches to advancing understanding of Iran and the Persian Gulf, with special attention to the region’s role and significance in the contemporary world. The goal of the program is to support outstanding scholars of Iran and the wider Persianate world at an early stage of their careers and thus to strengthen the field of Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies in the United States and abroad.
In addition to their salary, postdoctoral researchers receive funding (up to $4,000 per academic year) for research related expenses (books, conferences, travel expenses, etc.). The Center provides office space and staff support but the research associates are responsible for their travel and moving arrangements and expenses, and for accommodation in Princeton.
Applications are reviewed both by specialists in the candidate’s academic discipline and by an interdisciplinary group of scholars. All committee deliberations and decisions are confidential.
Candidates are required to apply online at https://www.princeton.edu/acad-positions/position/14301 and submit the following documents: (1) cover letter with title and summary of proposed research project (200 words); (2) research proposal (max. 1500 words), including description of project, bibliography, timetable, explicit goals, and the reason it is proposed to be pursued at Princeton; (3) curriculum vitae and list of publications; (4) sample chapter (in English) of dissertation or other recent work; (5) contact information for three references.
DEADLINE: All materials must be received by December 15, 2019, 11:59 p.m. EST. Preferred start date is September 1, 2020. This position is subject to the University’s background check policy.
Essential Qualifications: PhD required. Postdoctoral Research Associates may not pursue another degree while in this appointment, nor may they hold any other fellowships or visiting positions concurrently. Appointment cannot be deferred to a later term. Postdoctoral Research Associates are expected to be on campus most weekdays and be active contributors to the intellectual life of the Center.
Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have less than three years of postdoctoral experience, but more senior candidates may be considered.
Candidates within Princeton University will not be considered. Please contact iran@princeton.edu for further clarifications.
Instructions for Applying: Complete the online application and click “Apply to this Posting” at the top of the posting details page.
Documents that can be associated with this posting: Cover letter, Statement of Research Interest, Resume/CV, Bibliography/Publications List, Writing Sample, Other Document 1
Proposed Start Date: 09-01-2020
End date, if a Term Appointment: 09-01-2021
Comments related to end date: This twelve-month position may be renewed for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance.
EEO Statement: Princeton University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
- October 22, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘le chiisme contemporain’ (Paris, 15.11.19)
4e Journée d’études sur le chiisme contemporain
Avec le soutien du Laboratoire d’études sur les monothéismes (LEM), du Groupe Sociétés Religions Laïcités (GSRL) et de l’EPHE. Organisateurs : Constance Arminjon (EPHE – GSRL) et Rainer Brunner (CNRS – LEM). Lieu : Maison des sciences de l’homme – École Pratique des Hautes Études, 54 boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris, salle 33.
- October 21, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment