Archive for 2021

“Free Speech, Scholarly Critique, and the Limits of Expression in Islam”
The 9th Annual AMI Contemporary Fiqhī Issues Workshop 1st – 2nd July 2021

Considering the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19, Al-Mahdi Institute (AMI) will host the Workshop virtually.
Many western liberal democracies uphold the right to free speech and expression as a fundamental freedom, which albeit not an absolute right, extends to the mockery of venerated figures. Critique of Islam and ridicule of the Prophet Muhammad have disconcerted some Muslim factions. As a result, some Muslim jurists condemn many expressions that fall under the rubric of free speech in liberal democracies as blasphemy, which they consider to be a punishable crime.

Considering ongoing tensions and the perception that critique of religion is not tolerated in Islam, the 9th Annual Contemporary Fiqhī Issues Workshop, hosted by the Al-Mahdi Institute, seeks to provide a virtual forum for discussions surrounding free speech, scholarly critique, and the limits of expression in Islam. The Workshop invites papers from seminarian trained jurists or those with an understanding of the traditional seminarian system that shed light on how freedom of expression and its limits are understood in the Muslim legal discourse and the extent to which it may be influenced by various socio-political factors.

These important contemporary questions at the intersection between political theory and jurisprudence are positioned within broader discussions regarding the parameters of expression within Islam. As such, the Workshop welcomes a range of papers from multidisciplinary backgrounds dealing with, but not limited to:

➢ Philosophical, theological, and ethical analysis regarding freedom of expression.
➢ Analysis of the scope and limits of free thinking and scholarly critique in Islam.
➢ Analysis of legislation in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries relating to the freedom of expression and blasphemy.
➢ Empirical research analysing the lived experiences of Muslims and the impact of the discourse on gender relations, intra and inter-faith relations, and societal relations.

The inclusive model of the Workshop is pleased to host presenters from diverse academic backgrounds, alongside relevant practitioners, from a range of disciplines. As has become an effective format in our previous annual workshops, fiqhī debate will be positioned alongside contributions from broader legal and social science approaches – thereby enriching a multidisciplinary understanding of contemporary outlooks dealing with expression and its limits in Islam.
Proposals for a single presenter should include the following:

– Contact information, and a brief bio of presenter
– Tentative title
– Abstract(s) (400-word limit)

The deadline for submission of proposals is 31st March 2021.
Proposals and queries should be sent by e-mail to: Mahdiyah Abdul-Hussain (mahdiya.abdulhussain@almahdi.edu)

1.ONLINE Lecture by Prof. Abbas Amanat (Yale University): “Kings and Clerics in Modern Iranian History”, Department of Middle East Studies, USC, 13 March 2021, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm PST

This is a part of the Iranian Studies Initiative Annual Distinguished Lecture Series arranged by the USC Department of Middle East Studies.

Information and registration: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yCHea1iwRly2ToYcyGp27g

 

 

 

 

2. ONLINE Workshop on “What Does Decolonizing Kurdish Studies Mean?”, Middle East Studies at Yale University and Brown University, 9 April 2021

Proposal should engage with the themes of decolonizing epistemologies and methodologies and its implications in the field of Kurdish studies. We welcome novel approaches, creative strategies, and emerging scholarship informed by first-hand data that brings in “the Kurdish voice and perspective” into discussion.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 February 2021. Information: https://cmes.macmillan.yale.edu/events/decolonizing-kurdish-studies-initiative

 

 

 

 

3. ONLINE 54^th Seminar for Arabian Studies, International Association for the Study of Arabia (IASA), Casa Arabe, Cordoba, Summer 2021 (Date to be Announced)

This is the only international forum that meets annually for the presentation of the latest academic research in the humanities on the Arabian Peninsula from the earliest times to the present day or, in the case of political and social history, to the end of the Ottoman Empire (1922).

Deadline for abstracts: 28 February 2021. Information: https://mailchi.mp/d561f3a9ad87/reminder-call-for-papers-2021-seminar-for-arabian-studies?e=18cf0337f7

 

 

 

 

4. International Conference: “Musical Sources and Theories from Ancient Greece to the Ottoman Period”, Ruhr-University Bochum, 10-12 June 2021

Papers will focus on Arabic, Persian and Byzantine music theory, instruments and ways of transmission, with their roots in Ancient Greece and an outlook onto Ottoman and Safavid music. Call for Papers closed. Guests are welcome!

Information: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/orient/aktuelles/index.html.en

 

 

 

 

5. International Colloquium: “Itinerant Prophets – Rewritings, Appropriations and Metamorphoses of Prophetic Figures in the Religious, Literary and Historiographical Texts of Pre-modern Islam”, Paris, 16-18 Septembre 2021

This colloquium will seek to grasp the itinerant figures: the prophets of the pre-modern Arab world, between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, between sacred model and familiar figure of popular literature, between mythical authority and historical hero. It will welcome proposals devoted to Islamic Studies, literary or historiographical approaches, as well as those that explore the continuities and discontinuities between these different fields.

Deadline for abstracts in French, English or Arabic: 26 March 2021. Information: https://f-origin.hypotheses.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/1460/files/2021/01/LES-PROPHETES-ITINERANTS-Appel-a-contributions.pdf

 

 

 

 

6. Third NEHT Workshop on “Environmental Histories of the Ottoman and post-Ottoman World: The Anthropocene: From Empire to Nation-States”, University of Vienna, 16-18 September 2021

The workshop will discuss the ways of integrating the concept of the Anthropocene into the field of Ottoman/post-Ottoman environmental history. It will open a space for analysing the role of human activities in transforming the Ottoman/post-Ottoman landscapes in the age of the Anthropocene.

Information: https://orientalistik.univie.ac.at/en/disciplines/turkish-studies/events/neht-2021/

 

 

 

 

7. International Workshop: “Religion as an Object of Historical and Social Scientific Study: Global Perspectives (Including Middle East)”, University of Leipzig, 4-5 November 2021

We are especially interested in the global presence and characteristics of religion as an object of study in the History of Religion; Comparative Religious Studies; Sociology; Anthropology and Political Science (excluding Theology and Philosophy). Central questions concern the place, status and history of research on religion in these disciplines.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 April 2021. Information: https://multiple-secularities.de/events/event/religion-as-an-object-of-historical-and-social-scientific-study-global-perspectives/

 

 

 

 

8. International Workshop: “Religion as an Object of Historical and Social Scientific Study: Global Perspectives (Including Middle East)”, University of Leipzig, 4-5 November 2021

We are especially interested in the global presence and characteristics of religion as an object of study in the History of Religion; Comparative Religious Studies; Sociology; Anthropology and Political Science (excluding Theology and Philosophy). Central questions concern the place, status and history of research on religion in these disciplines.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 April 2021. Information: https://multiple-secularities.de/events/event/religion-as-an-object-of-historical-and-social-scientific-study-global-perspectives/

 

 

 

 

9. W1 Assistant Professor (Juniorprofessor) with a W2 Tenure Track for “Islamic Philosophy”, Centre for Islamic Theology (CIT), University of Münster

The candidate must hold a university degree in Islamic theology or Islamic studies, pedagogical aptitude and special ability at pursuing advanced, independent research which is substantiated by a subject-relevant, above-average doctoral degree. Research and teaching experience in the field of Islamic philosophy with a focus on Islamic ethics and very good, subject-specific Arabic skills should be proven.

Deadline for applications: 19 February 2021. Information: https://universitoxy.com/juniorprofessur-fuer-islamische-philosophie,i10659.html

 

 

 

10. Post-doctoral Researcher for Project “The European Qur’ān: Islamic Scripture in European Culture and Religion (1150-1850)”, University of Nantes

Each candidate should propose an original, innovative research project on an important aspect of the role played by the Qur’ān in Medieval and Early Modern European culture and should be fluent in English and French and have strong skills in other languages appropriate to their research topics.

Deadline for applications: 31 March 2021. Information: https://mailchi.mp/mediterraneanseminar/postdoc-european-qurn-nantes?e=82aeb6c61d

 

 

 

 

11. Post-Doctoral Fellowship (History, Arabic, Islam Studies) in the Program “ReLRace – Religions, Lignages et ‘Race’”, Le Mans University

Qualifications: PhD in history (preferably) but also sociology, anthropology, Arabic philology; proficiency in Classical Arabic; good knowledge of ancient and contemporary Muslim sources; French and English fluent.

Deadline for applications: 5 January 2022.  Information: https://relrace.hypotheses.org/post-doctoral-fellowship-2

 

 

 

 

12. Online 4-Week Course: “Christian-Muslim Relations”, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, Commencing 15 February 2021

You’ll explore some of the key historical moments, compare the teachings of both the Bible and the Qur’an, will learn about the everlasting theological debates that concern the study, and will also decipher how politics and societies have been directly impacted by Christian-Muslim relations.

Information: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/christian-muslim-relations.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5myqlYXPPM

 

 

 

 

13. ONLINE Course: “Manuscripts in Arabic Script: Introduction to Codicology”, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University, London, 23-24 April 2021, 11:00 am – 15:00 pm GMT

This introductory course is intended for students, researchers and librarians who are working in the field of manuscript studies. The lecturers will cover a wide range of aspects for those who are acquiring basic knowledge in this field.

Information: https://www.aku.edu/events/pages/event-detail.aspx?EventID=1652&Title=Manuscripts%20in%20Arabic%20Script:%20Introduction%20to%20Codicology

 

 

 

 

14. ONLINE Course: “Manuscripts in Arabic Script: Introduction to Codicology”, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University, London, 23-24 April 2021, 11:00 am – 15:00 pm GMT

This introductory course is intended for students, researchers and librarians who are working in the field of manuscript studies. The lecturers will cover a wide range of aspects for those who are acquiring basic knowledge in this field.

Information: https://www.aku.edu/events/pages/event-detail.aspx?EventID=1652&Title=Manuscripts%20in%20Arabic%20Script:%20Introduction%20to%20Codicology

 

 

 

 

15. Chapters for Edited Book on “Muslims and Societies in Africa” (Including Arab Muslims of North Africa), University of Abuja

To what extent has the Muslim life been resilient or influenced by colonialism and globalisation? What is the extent of conformism or dissonance from the various constructs that determine Muslim identity. How does being a Muslim matter in the social, political and economic spheres of African societies.

Deadline for abstracts: 10 April 2021. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/7149932/muslims-and-societies-africa

 

 

 

 

16. Chapters for Edited Book on “Übersetzerforschung in der Türkei II” for Series “Germanistik in der Türkei”

In the chapters the life and / or works of translators who translate from Turkish to a foreign language or from a foreign language to Turkish are discussed.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 March 2021. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/7175074/cfp-%C3%BCbersetzerforschung-der-t%C3%BCrkei-ii

 

 

 

 

17. A call for submissions: Journal of Arab & Muslim Service, Tourism and Hospitality Research (https://www.jamsthr.com/) is a multidisciplinary, free of charge, peer-reviewed academic journal aiming at publishing a large variety of articles focused on consumer and organizational behavior in the Arab and Muslim world. JAMSTHR accepts qualitative and quantitative, theoretical and applied, articles focused on themes pertinent to the understanding of business and consumer phenomena related to Service, Tourism, Hospitality and related fields from the supply and demand perspective. The Journal also publishes case studies, literature reviews, and opinion pieces. The journal encourages researchers and academics to share their work and contribute to building a knowledge base focused on this important and yet invisible and misunderstood consumer and business market. Descriptive/exploratory and explanatory papers are welcome.

The Journal’s website: https://www.jamsthr.com/

Send your paper (and/or) interest to join our Editorial Board to:

Editor-in-Chief Dr. Omar Moufakkir at: moufakkir.o@gust.edu.kw

Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait.

 

 

 

 

18. Women of Faith and the Quest for Spiritual Authenticity
Comparative Perspectives from Malaysia and Britain

Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

Routledge 2021

https://www.routledge.com/Women-of-Faith-and-the-Quest-for-Spiritual-Authenticity-Comparative-Perspectives/Crabtree/p/book/9780367436759

 

 

 

 

19. Events at Cambridge this week:

Wed 3 Feb

2:00pm – 3:00pm – Qatari Women and the Labour Market- Towards an Empowering Alternative

(Dr. Mawahib Abubakr (Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics))

 

2:00pm – 3:00pm – Equality and difference: some reflections on religion, ethnicity and the pandemic in South Asia

(Radhika Coomaraswamy (Former Under-secretary General of the United Nations))

 

7:00pm – 8:30pm – A Christian Insurgency in Islamic Syria: The Jarajima (Mardaites)between Byzantium and the Caliphate

(Christian Sahner (University of Oxford))

 

Fri 5 Feb

5:00pm – 6:30pm – The Place of Religion After the Uprisings

(Shadi Hamid (Brookings) and Nadia Oweidat (University of Kansas) Chair: Dr Usaama Al-Azami (Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford))

 

https://www.degruyter.com/view/title/304672?tab_body=overview

1. Half-day workshop on Islam in Southeast Asia (Wednesday March 3rd, 9.30 am – 12.30 pm)

The Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World (University of Edinburgh)

Please join us at the Alwaleed Centre for this special half-day workshop on Islam and Inter-Religious Relations in Southeast Asia, which will comprise an opening plenary lecture on the history of Islam in the region, by Professor Michael Feener of Kyoto University, followed by a panel event showcasing some of the interesting and creative Islamic thought in the region on the themes of The Study of Religion, Gender, and the Environment.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/islam-and-inter-religious-relations-in-southeast-asia-tickets-137959032179

 

 

 

 

2. As part of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies’ Wednesday Seminar Series for Hilary Term 2021, we’re delighted to be joined by Professor Scott Redford (Nasser D. Khalili Professor of Islamic Art & Archaeology, SOAS) and Professor Sussan Babaie (Professor in the Arts of Iran and Islam, The Courtauld Institute of Art):

Wednesday, 3 February 2021 at 5pm GMT: Scott Redford, Writing as Talisman in Medieval Islamic Art

Wednesday, 17 February 2021 at 5pm GMT: Sussan Babaie, Isfahan and Istanbul: European views before the long shadow of ‘Orientalism’

Talks will take place via Zoom. Please register here. All welcome!

 

 

 

 

3. Roundtable on the 100th Anniversary of the 1921 Coup and Reflections on the Reza Pahlavi Period

Monday, February 22, 2021 at 10:00am Pacific via Zoom

https://nelc.ucla.edu/event/pahlavi-workshop-panel-1/

The first panel of the Iranian Studies workshop, “History and Historiography of Pahlavi Iran, 1921-1979: A Workshop” will feature a round table discussion centered on the 100^th anniversary of the coup that initiated the Reza Pahlavi Period in Iran.

This panel will be chaired by workshop organizer Dr. Robert Steele, the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Post-Doctoral Fellow in Iranian Studies at UCLA.

Featured panelists of the round table discussion include:

Camron Michael Amin, Professor of History, University of Michigan-Dearborn

Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History, University of St Andrews and Senior Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute

Stephanie Cronin, Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Research Fellow, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford

Afshin Marashi, Professor of Middle Eastern History, University of Oklahoma

 

To register for this event and receive the Zoom webinar information, please click here.

 

 

 

 

4. Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Cultures of the Islamic World invites submissions for the forthcoming volume 39, to be published in 2022.

Muqarnas is a scholarly journal that publishes articles on art, architectural history, and archaeology, as well as all aspects of Islamic visual and material cultures, historical and contemporary. Full-length articles are accompanied by shorter submissions grouped under a separate section titled “Notes and Sources,” for which we particularly welcome studies that introduce textual and visual primary sources.

 

Deadline for submissions: March 1, 2021.

 

Manuscripts should be submitted by email to the Managing Editor of Muqarnas at muqarnas@fas.harvard.edu.

 

A complete submission includes five elements:

 

1. Microsoft Word document of the main text file. Submissions should be double-spaced throughout in 12-point typeface. Use endnotes rather than footnotes; no bibliography is required. Articles should be no longer than 50 pages (not including endnotes).
2. Images. All submissions must be accompanied by images, with an upper limit of approximately 30. Low-resolution images are acceptable for initial consideration, with the expectation that authors will provide high-resolution TIFFs or JPEGs (at least 300 dpi at 4 x 6 inches) and secure all necessary permissions if the article is accepted for publication.
3. Captions file. Each image should be clearly labeled and have a corresponding caption that provides identifying information and appropriate image credits.
4. Abstract and keywords. Submit a 150- to 200-word abstract and 12 keywords for publication in the online version of the journal.
5. CV, stating the author’s institutional affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number, as well as academic status and a list of publications.

 

Any submission that does not include these five elements will be returned to the author, as will articles that do not conform to the Muqarnas style sheet.

 

Articles must present original research that has not been published in any language previously. Authors must properly credit previous scholarship on the subject and cite the source of each quotation, with full bibliographic details given in the endnotes (no additional bibliography is required).

 

All articles are subject to review by the Editorial Committee and anonymous external readers, whose comments will be sent to the author only if the article is accepted for publication. Authors may be expected to make revisions based on the feedback of the readers and editors.

 

Muqarnas follows the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. For further specifications on preparing text and images for publication, see the Muqarnas style sheet (available to download from our website: https://agakhan.fas.harvard.edu/submission-guidelines).

 

Contact Info:

Managing Editor, Muqarnas

History of Art and Architecture Department, Harvard University

485 Broadway, Office 411

Cambridge, MA 02138  USA

Phone: 617-495-3774

E-mail: muqarnas@fas.harvard.edu

 

 

 

 

5. Spring 2021 AKPIA Lecture Series – A Forum for Islamic Art & Architecture

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University presents

February 4, 2021, 5:30pm

“The Intellect of the Hand: Making and Thinking the Medieval Islamic Art of the Object”

Margaret Graves

Associate Professor of Islamic Art, Department of Art History, Indiana University

Co-sponsored with the Standing Committee on Medieval Studies at Harvard University

 

March 25, 2021, 5:30pm

“The Visual and Material Culture of Rayy, as Revealed through the Excavations Headed by

Erich Schmidt in the Late 1930s”

Renata Holod

College of Women Class of 1963 Professor in the Humanities, History of Art Department; Curator, Near East Section of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania

 

April 22, 2021, 5:30pm

“Imagining a World: Selfhood and Empire in Safavid Iran”

Kishwar Rizvi

Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture, Department of the History of Art, Yale University

 

 

Lectures are held via Zoom session; time listed is Eastern Standard Time; registration is required. Register here: https://agakhan.fas.harvard.edu/news-events. All lectures will be recorded and made available from the AKPIA website, after the event date.

 

THE AGA KHAN PROGRAM FOR ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY

For further information, email agakhan@fas.harvard.edu, or visit https://agakhan.fas.harvard.edu/news-events

 

Contact Info:

Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture

Harvard University

Sackler 415

485 Broadway

Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

Tel 617-495-2355

agakhan@fas.harvard.edu

 

https://agakhan.fas.harvard.edu/news-events

 

 

 

 

6. An Online Course in Persian Calligraphy

Nasta’liq Script

12 February – 16 April, 2021

The Iran Heritage Foundation is delighted to offer once again a course in Persian Calligraphy, with teaching provided online.

 

This ten-week exercise-based course is suitable for all levels, from beginners to advanced. It is based on a one-to-one teaching method, so everyone will be given the instructions based on their own level and previous experience.

 

You will learn the writing techniques of the Nasta’liq script during the course, and the first session will start with a general introduction to the traditional tools, materials, and various Islamic calligraphy styles.

 

Although previous knowledge of Persian language is not necessary, you will enjoy the course more if you have familiarity with the alphabets and particularly the language, as the materials are constantly engaged with Persian language and literature.

 

The course will be taught online and remotely. Each week the student will submit photographs of their practice; the teacher will record personal videos of comments and advice, along with further practice. For those requiring materials, a special pack including a traditional reed pen cut and prepared by the teacher, paper and ink, can be posted to the student at an additional charge of £25 for UK and £35 for International shipment.

 

Keramat Fathinia is a Persian calligrapher born in Iran who has been teaching calligraphy for over 17 years. He received a distinguished certificate in both Nasta’liq and Shikasteh Nasta’liq styles from the Iranian Calligraphers Association (ICA) in Iran, and has had several exhibitions, workshops, and demonstrations in both Iran and London, including at SOAS, Cambridge University, BIPS (British Institute of Persian Studies), and the Courtauld Gallery.

 

Price: £300 for ten classes

 

Pack of materials (sent by post): £25 UK, £35 International

 

To register click here. The registration deadline is Friday 12 February 2021

​

For any enquiries please contact leonard@iranheritage.org, Tel: 020 3651 2124

 

Organised by: Iran Heritage Foundation.

 

Forthcoming Events

What’s On

 

 

 

7. The Indo-Persian Confluence Symposium Three:

“Indo-Persian Musical Hybrids in Afghanistan”

Sunday, January 31, 2021

10am PST, Zoom

https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/event/indo-persian-confluence-indo-persian-musical-hybrids-in-afghanistan

RSVP: https://ucla.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpcuutrjIiHdV4WsLZhCyRQGsssq-uH1Fk

Join us for our third event in the Indo-Persian Musical Confluence series, featuring a panel of eminent ethnomusicologists on Indo-Persian musical hybrids in Afghanistan and a performance by Homayun Sakhi on the rubab.

Panelists

John Baily (Goldsmith University of London)
Lorraine Sakata (UCLA)
Mark Slobin (Wesleyan University)

Chair and Discussant

Richard Wolf (Harvard University)

Performance: Indo-Persian music on the rubab by the renowned Afghan musician Homayoun Sakhi

https://festival.si.edu/2016/sounds-of-california/homayoun-sakhi/smithsonian

 

For more information on The Indo-Persian Music Confluence project:

https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/indo-persian-musical-confluence

Details of subsequent events will be forthcoming soon.

Project leader: Mohsen Mohammadi

Event Sponsors:
UCLA Mohindar Brar Sambhi Chair of Indian Music
UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology
UCLA Center for Musical Humanities (Robert U. Nelson Fund)
UCLA Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Chair in Iranian Studies
UCLA Iranian Studies program
UCLA Center for India and South Asia (CISA)
UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies (CNES)

 

 

 

 

8. Waikato Islamic Studies Review – Call for Papers

http://www.waikato.ac.nz/fass/UWISG/review.shtml

On behalf of the University of Waikato Islamic Studies Group, I warmly invite submissions of papers which examine Islam in the widest sense to the Waikato Islamic Studies Review for publication consideration.

Articles can be as short as 2000 words and up to a maximum of 5000. For full details regarding paper guidelines and submissions and the Waikato Islamic Studies Review please see:http://www.waikato.ac.nz/fass/UWISG/review.shtml

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me asap if you think that you might like your work considered; the next edition is due for publication in March 2021.

Kind regards,

Abdullah Drury

Editor: Waikato Islamic Studies Review

Email: abdullah@xtra.co.nz

 

 

 

 

9. Call for Papers

CALL FOR PAPERS: JOURNAL OF THE CONTEMPORARY STUDY OF ISLAM

The newly established, fully open-access Journal of the Contemporary Study of Islam is now accepting submissions.

The Journal of the Contemporary Study of Islam was launched by the Institute for the Contemporary Study of Islam, based in the UK, to promote and disseminate research related to Islam and Muslims in the contemporary world. Although we may consider any submissions that fall within the scope of JCSI, we are keen to publish research articles that deal with some of the most pressing issues that Muslims face in the contemporary world, such as new approaches to Islamic law, new religious trends in the Muslim world (e.g. new atheism, deism, and agnosticism), Islam and politics, sectarianism in the Muslim world, Islam and social change, Islam and human rights, Islamophobia, Muslim-Christian relations, new methodological developments in Quranic studies, and hadith studies.

JCSI aims to reach a wider readership beyond academia, and thus we suggest authors use accessible language in their submissions. The journal is open-access, free of cost for authors and readers alike, and provides unrestricted online access to its readers.

JCSI is a member of Crossref, an independent membership association for building shared technologies. Crossref was launched in early 2000 as a cooperative effort among publishers to enable citation linking in journals using the Digital Object Identifier, or DOI. Our DOI prefix is 10.37264 and our ISSN is 2633-7282 (online). We are in the process of applying for membership to the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and CLOCKSS archival service.  

JCSI has a prestigious advisory board and will be covered by the leading relevant indexing services.

Interested scholars are invited to submit their articles for consideration at https://contemporarystudyofislam.org/index.php/jcsi/about/submissions 

Manuscripts will undergo a process of blind peer review. Author guidelines are available at https://contemporarystudyofislam.org/index.php/jcsi/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

 

 

 

10. Harvard University – NELC – TENURED PROFESSOR IN ARMENIAN STUDIES

http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=60958

 

 

 

11. CALL FOR PAPERS International Journal of Islamic Architecture (IJIA)

Special Issue: Rupture and Response

 

Thematic volume planned for July 2023

Abstract submission deadline: April 5, 2021

 

This special issue of the International Journal of Islamic Architecture addresses urban and architectural responses to rupture. Prompted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this issue understands and investigates rupture as a state of emergency which may reveal systemic inequalities through the moment of crisis. Such rupture can be caused by events including epidemics, explosions, fires, episodes of armed conflict, and earthquakes or other natural disasters – events which all have myriad and wide-reaching effects on buildings, cities, urban environments, and the communities that inhabit them. While not directly addressing the current pandemic disrupting many of our lives, this special issue aims to explore moments like these and responses to them through built environments. In line with the mission of the IJIA, which aims to encourage dialogue between practitioners and scholars, this special issue hopes to be strongly interdisciplinary. Contributions will be drawn from fields ranging from urban design, history, architecture, planning, and art and architectural history.

 

Rupture can take the form of a physical rending, manifesting itself in the tearing apart of our built environment. For example, an earthquake might tear down a building important for the social life of a community or level a town. In the first instance, therefore, such moments of rupture themselves may have an effect on the built environment – they may cause direct damage or other change to buildings. However, such an event might also rend the social, economic, or political structures around it. All too often, the damage done by events such as epidemics, natural disasters, or explosions is exacerbated by, while also exacerbating, pre-existing social inequalities. Such moments can place extra strain on political, social, economic, and personal crises. In addition, aspects of culture, such as the production of art or the performance of music and theatre, are also impacted, as they are often deemed secondary needs and neglected at such times of crisis. These two aspects – the urban/architectural and the social/cultural – are, thus, frequently affected in parallel. A moment of sudden disruption might be made manifest in the built environment, as well as the social structures which inhabit and support it.

 

Further, subsequent to these initial moments of change, the urban and built environment is a medium in which responses to rupture are frequently made material. The environment we build around us is so often the space on and in which we make our preoccupations manifest. The buildings affected by moments of rupture are in many ways extensions of the people who call them home, and the economic and social structures which shape their lives. In light of this, contributors are encouraged to approach these moments as catalysts for architectural and urban change, but also for other, wider forms of change within society. Moreover, as this special issue will have a focus on the built environment, it may also address acts of commemoration and the architectural memorialisation of the loss of life that is often a consequence of the moments investigated by this special edition.

 

Indeed, rupture and the response to it can take myriad forms and the past year provided many examples. In 2020, the world has been unexpectedly disrupted in many ways by the spread of COVID-19. Iran, for example, one of the countries dramatically impacted by the pandemic, has already seen effects caused by this outbreak made manifest on its architecture and urban environments. Many of the most significant religious sites in the country have had their doors shut for months, with the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim in Rayy even being repurposed as a mask factory. The past year also saw the explosion in the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020 which devastated the city and its inhabitants in many ways, one of which was the widespread damage to the urban fabric. Homes, work spaces, places of worship, museums, and many other sites felt the full force of the blast. In the days that followed, many of the responses were embedded within and emerged from the damaged cityscape, whether in the shape of the clean-up effort or anti-government protests.

 

The changes that take place after rupture affect not only physical spaces, but also social relationships. In response to COVID-19, for example, buildings are used differently and space is managed in new ways. Interior spaces look different – they bear the paraphernalia of social distancing enforcement and increased sanitisation. Many of us are inhabiting spaces differently – frequenting them less; distancing ourselves from others when we do. In addition, new technologies might be developed to guard against further damage. Legislative adjustments, as well as changes to social norms brought about in response to the moment of rupture will have their own effects on the built environment. Thus, the changes can range from repurposing or renovation to reconstruction or relocation. Through studies of the manifestation of rupture and such responses to it in architecture and the wider built environment, this issue aims to explore not only the rending of urban, but also social, fabrics and the conjunction between these two aspects.

 

Paper proposals should work from the framework outlined above and offer insights relevant to the IJIA’s remit, which is defined broadly as ‘the historic Islamic world, encompassing the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, but also the more recent geographies of Islam in its global dimensions’. In this vein, we encourage contributors to address Islamic architecture in less-frequently represented geographies such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. Equally, papers addressing groups often under-represented in the study of Islamic architecture such as women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities are very welcome. Papers can address past or present moments of rupture and the responses to it.

 

Contributors might range from an architectural historian investigating a mosque built in the early-modern period to commemorate the damage wrought by a fire, or an historian working on the impact of pandemics on hospital design, to an urban planner designing a new town in southern Iran after a major earthquake, or an entrepreneur trying to design a prototype shelter for Syrian refugees in Iraq, etc. Contributions are welcomed from individuals at any stage of their careers, and advanced graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals. Questions that might be addressed by contributors to this special issue are unlimited but could include:

 

1. How are the social and political ramifications of these events reflected in architecture? After rupture, how are new and changing societal or political needs expressed through art, architecture and urban design?
2. In what ways are societies’ responses to rupture reflected in the worlds they build around them? Are there responses which are distinctive to particular regions? How do religious practice and cultural traditions play a role in the response? Have marginalised communities produced distinctive responses through architecture?
3. What role do architecture, urban design, planning etc. play in recovery from rupture? How is architecture used to mend tears in the social fabric?
4. What are the consequences of the lack of an architectural response to rupture?
5. What effect do such moments have on social justice and disparity? How do they exacerbate pre-existing patterns of inequity and marginalisation? How can responses to these moments build toward a more equal society?
6. How might architectural studies help us understand moments of rupture more clearly? What are the benefits or challenges of working with buildings as sources in these cases?
7. How have planners, architects, and designers understood their role in providing responses to pandemics, earthquakes, etc.?
8. How is architecture used to memorialise such moments? How are urban spaces used for the making of memory? In what ways does damaged or otherwise altered architecture stand in testament to the moment of rupture?

Articles offering historical and theoretical analysis (DiT papers) should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words, while those on design and practice (DiP papers) between 3,000 and 4,000 words. Urbanists, art historians, anthropologists, geographers, political scientists, sociologists, and historians are also welcome. Practitioners from all relevant fields (i.e., architecture, urban planning, landscape design, art) are welcome to contribute insofar as they address the critical framework of the journal. Please send a title and a 400-word abstract to the guest editor, Fuchsia Hart, University of Oxford (ijia.rupture@gmail.com), by April 5, 2021. Authors of accepted proposals will be contacted soon thereafter and will be invited to submit full papers by January 2022. All papers will be subject to blind peer review. For author instructions, please consult: www.intellectbooks.com/ijia.

 

 

 

 

12. Research Fellow, ‘Science and the Transmission of Islamic Knowledge in Britain’, Department of Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham

Part time 80% FTE, fixed term for 24 months

This position is for a post-doctoral Research Fellow to work on the new Templeton Religion Trust-funded research project, ‘Science and the Transmission of Islamic Knowledge in Britain’. This project will investigate how the relationship between Islam and science is understood and discussed by those involved in the transmission of Islamic knowledge and the establishment of Islamic authority in Britain. It will examine: if, and how, scientific concepts are used by Muslim religious leaders to legitimise their arguments; if Islamic education centres and religious leaders oppose any scientific theories, and if so what movements influence them; and how Muslim leaders’ answers to questions about science and Islam are affected by UK policy context and Muslims’ position within British society. It will provide one of the first in-depth portraits of whether, when and how Muslim religious leaders interact with scientific concepts and popular narratives about science.

The post holder will work with the Principal Investigator and external Co-investigator to conduct ethnographic observation of women’s and co-educational Islamic educational institutions as well as interview research with current and in-training Muslim religious leaders. They will also assist in research by carrying out literature reviews, conducting data analysis and writing up research findings. The post holder will be expected to engage in, and support, aspects of project dissemination, team meetings and international networking activities, including contributing the project-related websites, workshops and seminars. They will also be expected to effectively contribute to the presentation and dissemination of research outputs, including developing academic and non-academic publications/presentations.

Some of the responsibilities of this role are outlined below.

• With the PI and Co-I, negotiate access to research sites and interviewees.
• Conduct ethnographic and interview research at two case study sites, as well as interviews at a variety of settings around the UK.
• Undertake research administration and support the PI and Co-I in research management.
• Analyse and interpret data gathered for the project.
• Co-ordinate the collaborative preparation of findings for dissemination to academic and non-academic audiences both in the UK and internationally.
• Present research outputs at UK-based and international conferences and contribute to academic publications.
• Actively contribute to public reports based on the data collected and related public/media engagement activity.
• Work with Muslim educational and community organisations to set up forums for the discussion and dissemination of the research.
• Provide guidance to support staff and any students and colleagues who may be assisting with research.

For informal inquiries, please contact Dr Stephen Jones (PI) at s.h.jones@bham.ac.uk.

As this vacancy has limited funding, the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £30,942.

Closing date: 24^th Feb 2021 Reference: 12098

COVID-19

1. Online Indian Ocean Studies Conference , 28-20 January, 2021

As the new field of Indian Ocean Studies grows in both scope and ambition,
we would benefit from a regular conference – in part to foster
collaborations between different scholars working on the area and in part
for all us to see how the field is growing and changing. To this end, as
scholars of the region, we announce an inaugural meeting to take stock and
look ahead. Bringing together scholars at various stages in their careers,
including doctoral students, the sessions of this conference are meant to
allow us to develop collaboratively a sharper sense of what the stakes are
in our shared enterprise as researchers and teachers.

The meeting will take place between January 28-30, 2021 on Zoom, and will
feature a series of roundtables on the state of the field in various
thematic areas, along with more informal breakout sessions following each
roundtable. Registration is open to anyone interested in participating.
Details and registration links can be found at http://iowconference.org/ .
We look forward to what will be a stimulating conversation, and the first
of many more to come.

Fahad Ahmad Bishara
Associate Professor of History and of Arabian Peninsula and Gulf Studies
University of Virginia

Ananya Chakravarti
Associate Professor of History
Georgetown University

 

 

 

 

2. Historians of Islamic Art Association at the College Art Association’s Annual Conference, February 10-13, 2021

The schedule for the HIAA Business Meeting and Majlis, held in conjunction with CAA Annual Conference next month:

The HIAA Business Meeting will be virtually on Thursday, February 11 at 12.30pm (EST). To register for the meeting, please sign up here: https://ucr.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEufuihqDkoH9H8pZ-g2v6Dmev6szJI0Sv2

The HIAA Majlis, will take place virtually as a webinar on Thursday, February 11 from 3:30 to 5:30 pm (EST). To attend, please register using the following link: https://yale.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OLkc7lbMTgiuwIat8hCCMw

 

** Andrea Luigi Corsi, Sapienza University of Rome, “The Development of Stucco Decoration During the Early  Abbasid Period: the ‘Miniaturistic Style’ as a Transregional  Artistic Koine.”

** Ariel Fein, Yale University, “Kufic Epigraphy between  Ifriqiyya and Norman Sicily.”

** Holley Ledbetter, University of Michigan, “Gender, Race,  and ‘Ajab: Automata of the Enslaved in al-Afdal’s Drinking  Room.”

** Alison Tendrup, Boston University, “Picture-in-Picture:  Representations of Ottoman-Balkan Princely Identities in  Nineteenth Century Portraiture.”

** Amanda Lanzillo, Princeton University, “Electroplating as  Alchemy: Making metalsmithing Islamic in colonial India,  1870-1920.”

 

The live Q&A for HIAA’s sponsored panel at CAA will be held on Friday, February 12 at 4:00 pm (EST). Please see the CAA website for attendance details.

Digital Humanities + Islamic Visual Culture

** Lyla Halsted, Institute of Fine Arts, NYU, “Animating an  Amulet: 3D Modeling, Materiality, and a Medieval Arabic Amulet Scroll.”

** Hussein Keshani, The University of British Columbia, “Soft  Eyes: Software’s Visualities and Islamic Art History in the Digital Age.”

** Yasaman Lotfizadeh, The University of British Columbia,  “Visualizing Creative Collaboration in the Shah Tahmasp  Shahnameh.”

** Michael A. Toler, Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT  Libraries, “Digital Sustainability in DH Projects: The Case  Study of Archnet.”

 

There are a number of other panels and single papers for those interested in Islamic Art and material culture, the most relevant of which are listed below. Note: this is not an exhaustive list.

 

For a full schedule of the conference, please see: https://caa.confex.com/caa/2021/meetingapp.cgi

 

Please note that registration is required to attend CAA. There are several options: https://www.collegeart.org/programs/conference/conference2021/registration

 

 

 

3. Ceramics of Iran: Islamic Pottery in the Sarikhani Collection,

by Oliver Watson with contributions by Moujan Matin and Will Kwiatkowski.

Yale, October 2020; 528pp.; £50 / $60

https://yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300254280

 

 

 

 

4. ONLINE National Conference on “Rahma and Karuna – Compassion as Common Ground for Building Understanding between Islam and Buddhism”, International Islamic University Malaysia, 27 January 2021, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm (GMT+8)

Registeration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVpwHoAe3Vd08o70jFdXyh7OJq-j6IrOEGlSCyyyIgmj_wFA/viewform

 

 

 

 

5. ONLINE Seminar: “The Bitter Harvest of Lebanon’s Sectarian Politics”, Arab Center Washington DC, 2 February 2021, 10:00 am – 11:30 am ET

Speakers will discuss the serious problems inherent in Lebanon’s politics and will consider the chances for a breakthrough from the current stalemate, including the prospects for compromise. They will explore how political paralysis affects the country’s economy and development.

Information and registration: http://arabcenterdc.org/events/the-bitter-harvest-of-lebanons-sectarian-politics/

 

 

 

6. ONLINE Seminar by Aili Mari Tripp (University of Wisconsin): “Seeking Legitimacy: Why Arab Autocracies Adopt Women’s Rights”, SOAS Middle East Institute, 9 February 2021, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm GMT

Aili Mari Tripp explains why autocratic leaders in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria embraced more extensive legal reforms of women’s rights than their Middle Eastern counterparts. The study challenges existing accounts that rely primarily on religiosity to explain the adoption of women’s rights in Muslim-majority countries.

Information and registration: https://www.soas.ac.uk/smei/events/cme/09feb2021-seeking-legitimacy-why-arab-autocracies-adopt-womens-rights.html

 

 

 

7. ONLINE Seminar by Aili Mari Tripp (University of Wisconsin): “Seeking Legitimacy: Why Arab Autocracies Adopt Women’s Rights”, SOAS Middle East Institute, 9 February 2021, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm GMT

Aili Mari Tripp explains why autocratic leaders in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria embraced more extensive legal reforms of women’s rights than their Middle Eastern counterparts. The study challenges existing accounts that rely primarily on religiosity to explain the adoption of women’s rights in Muslim-majority countries.

Information and registration: https://www.soas.ac.uk/smei/events/cme/09feb2021-seeking-legitimacy-why-arab-autocracies-adopt-womens-rights.html

 

 

 

 

8. Postdoctoral Position (Kurdish Studies) and Doctoral Position (Berber/Amazigh Studies), Heidelberg University

We are looking for candidates with a background in Political Science / Middle East Studies with a particular focus on modern Kurdish or Berber/Amazigh politics. For the position as postdoctoral researcher, spoken and written Kurdish is required; for the position as doctoral researcher, a Berber/Amazigh language is required (knowledge of the neo-Tifinagh script is an advantage).

Deadline for applications: 15 February 2021. Information: https://adb.zuv.uni-heidelberg.de/info/INFO_FDB$.startup?MODUL=LS&M1=1&M2=0&M3=0&PRO=29731

 

 

 

 

9. Arcapita Visiting Professor Modern Arab Studies, Middle East Institute, Columbia University

This is a one-semester position for the fall 2021 or spring 2022 semester. We are interested in candidates whose field of research and teaching is in history, culture, or social sciences of the modern Arab world.

Application deadline: 21 April 2021. Information: https://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/6940

 

 

 

 

10. Books for New Series “Unsettling Colonialism in Our Times” (I.B.Tauris)

This is the principal venue for research at the intersection of settler colonialism studies, decolonization, and critiques of neoliberalism. . It provides a framework for experts to deconstruct history and present contemporary struggles for freedom and human rights in new ways. Series editors: William Gallois (Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies) and Ilan Pappe (Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies), both at the University of Exeter.

Information: Contact Sophie Rudland sophie.rudland@bloomsbury.com

 

 

 

 

11. New Website Launched: “Digital Ottoman Studies Platform”

This website is designed as a hub for digital projects, tools, events, publications, and platforms to contribute to Digital Humanities from the perspective of Ottoman and Turkish Studies.

Information: https://www.digitalottomanstudies.com/

 

 

 

 

12. Researchers, teachers and librarians at Leiden university joined forces to create this very innovative free online ‘ textbook’.

Mouse&Manuscript is a collection of interactive lessons on codicology and oriental manuscripts. Its aim is to stimulate teaching on codicology in and outside of the classroom, and to contribute to the disclosure of Leiden University’s rich collection of oriental manuscripts. The lessons are centered around fully digitalised manuscripts from the oriental collection of Leiden University Libraries. They include samples in Arabic, Persian and Coptic, from cultures ranging from the Maghrib to Mughal India. The lessons can be read in any order.

With lock-downs around the world and teachers struggling to give shape to their teaching online, this tool could not have been more timely:

https://mouse.digitalscholarship.nl/

https://mouse.digitalscholarship.nl/lessons

 

 

 

13. CfP : We invite submissions for an international conference on the language of kinship in Islamic(ate) societies before the modern period (622–1500 CE).

The Embedding Conquest (EmCo) team has been investigating the social, political, administrative, religious, and economic ties that sustained strategies and mechanics of protection and dependency in the early Islamic empire, contributing to shaping imperial rule under the Umayyads and the Abbasids. As part of our project, we study how writers and document producers expressed vertical and horizontal relationships, including the use of family terms. We now invite other researchers to join in our conversation focusing on relational ties that were expressed primarily through or as kinship. This international meeting will be a venue for presenting new studies about practices, categories, and discourses through which kinship might

(i) connect individuals and groups to one another

(ii) contribute to binding an empire (or other large political entity) together.

For the full description of the conference and details on sending in your proposal, please check the upcoming events page on our website: https://emco.hcommons.org/events/event/call-for-papers-ties-of-kinship-and-the-early-islam…

N.B. Note that this is a different conference from the one advertised on H-net several weeks ago by the Embedding Conquest research team and for which we are still accepting proposals as well.

For additional information/ questions you can contact us at emco@hum.leidenuniv.nl