Archive for 2021
Shii News – Academic Items
1.ARCHNET NEXT is here!
The Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT (AKDC@MIT) and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) are pleased to invite you to explore the new iteration of Archnet, now available at next.archnet.org. ARCHNET NEXT, aka Archnet 3.0, is the first major revisioning of the site since 2013, and the second major update since Archnet was originally conceived in the late 1990s.
ARCHNET NEXT will be launched on October 12th. Current users of Archnet will be delighted to know that all resources will still be available on ARCHNET NEXT, and access URLs will remain the same. For example, the collection containing issues of Muqarnas. An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World can be previewed on ARCHNET NEXT at https://next.archnet.org/collections/43 from now until October 12; then it will be available at its permanent URL: https://www.archnet.org/collections/43, the same URL used to access the journal currently. The old website will be accessible at https://archive.archnet.org until October 19th.
The fundamental principle that guided this revision can be summarized in two words: accessibility and usability.
Consistent with our mission to make resources available to those without access to large research libraries, ARCHNET NEXT will be more responsive to users in all corners of the world, and on all sorts of devices. A Globally Distributed Content Delivery Network positions content on servers that are closer to Archnet’s end users, allowing for content to reach them without complicated routing across networks of servers. This will improve the experience for users on slower connections, including rural areas and in the developing world.
ARCHNET NEXT is also designed in conformity with W3C accessibility guidelines to allow equitable access for all visitors.
While Archnet will continue to deliver a first-class experience to desktop users, it has been designed to work equally well on tablets and mobile phones. Mobile users can find their way to sites near them by using the “Near Me” to locate nearby sites, both historic and contemporary.
New browsing features will make it easier for all users to get to sites, authorities and collections directly from the home page. Quick filters and a robust search engine allow users to find precisely what they are looking for more quickly and easily.
ARCHNET NEXT was developed in collaboration with Performant Software Solutions LLC, based in Boston, MA and Charlottesville, VA. Specialized in Digital Humanities projects, the firm updated the back end and front end technologies to greatly increase the efficiency with which Archnet can process queries of the Archnet database, now the largest online library focused on the built environment of Muslim societies.
We continue to improve Archnet to better serve our users. Accordingly, we welcome your comments and feedback, which can be sent directly through the Feedback button at the bottom of all pages. Users can use this button to request features or to report bugs.
Archnet is an Open Access, scholarly resource focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, visual culture, and conservation issues, particularly as they relate to societies in which Muslims are or have been a significant cultural presence. Our mission is to provide ready access to unique visual and textual material to facilitate teaching, scholarship, and professional work of high quality.
For additional inquiries contact: archnet@mit.edu.
2. The Oxford Interfaith Discussion on Abraham and His Children with the participation of Professor Anna Abulafia and Dr Zeyneb Sayilgan.
Discussion topic: Abraham and His Children
Date: 12th October 2021
Time: 19:30-20:30pm BST | 20:30-21:30pm CEST |11:30am-12:30pm PDT | 14:30-15:30pm EST | 21:30-22:30pm IST
Welcome address: Revd Fr Jan Nowotnik, Direction of Mission and National Ecumenical Officer at the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
Chair: Revd Dr John Goldingay, Oxford.
Speakers:
- Professor Anna Sapir Abulafia, Professor of the Study of Abrahamic Religions, University of Oxford. UK
- Dr Zeyneb Sayilgan, Muslim Scholar, the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies, Baltimore, MD. USA
Followed by a Q&A session
Here is the registration link:
3. Columbia University – Bulliet Chair of Islamic History– Assistant Professor
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=62053
Review begins Nov. 05, 2021 and will continue until the position is filled.
4. Reflections of Identity on Silk: Towards a Re-Reading of the “Islamic” and the “Secular” in Greek Orthodox Church Fabrics
Wednesday, 13 October 2021, 19:00 (Turkish time, GMT+3)
Lecture by Nikolaos Vryzidis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
Abstract: Many historical vestments and church fabrics of the Greek Orthodox rite survive today in monastic sacristies and museums. Until now, textile and dress scholars have primarily focused on their ultimate origin, historic evolution, and dogmatic meaning. In my view, these important material remnants inform us on underexplored dynamics in the society that produced them and illuminate the ways in which trends originating from different milieus were appropriated within clerical context. As reflections of cultural, religious, and artistic identity, ecclesial fabrics can offer insights on the Church’s association to religious otherness and profane, or better, court aesthetics. Focusing on liturgical textiles and vestments, the lecture will discuss how the “Islamic” and “secular” elements were negotiated by the Church during Byzantine and Ottoman times. Essentially, our discussion will be centered on the tension between the usefulness and the limitations these taxonomies present when studying premodern church material culture.
This lecture is part of the lecture series “Fabrics of Devotion: Religious Textiles in the Eastern Mediterranean”, convened by Esther Voswinckel Filiz (Orient-Institut Istanbul)
Program: OII-Fabrics-of-Devotion-Program-1.pdf (oiist.org)
Lecture poster: Nikolaos_v2.jpg (802×468) (oiist.org)
Registration Information
The lecture will be held online via Zoom. To attend, prior registration is necessary. Please send an email specifying your name and academic affiliation to events@oiist.net two days before each lecture, i.e., by Monday (11 October 2021). For technical reasons, the number of participants is limited. You will be informed about the organizational and technical procedure a day before the lecture start.
5. Authority Records and Manuscripts in Libraries and Research
27 October 2021: Evening lecture
Columba Stewart, OSB, Professor of Theology at the Saint John’s School of Theology and executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) speaks about:
The Digital Dawn of Comparative Manuscript Studies: How Authority Control Has Become the Critical Link
You will find the invitation to the evening lecture here.
28 and 29 October 2021
The two-day workshop consists of six panels focusing on how libraries and projects of different sizes deal with authority records, the limits and challenges of authority control, opportunities for automation and use and re-use of authority data.
You will find the full programme of the workshop here.
You will find the abstracts of the workshop here.
The workshop will take place online and on-site. Seating is limited. If you wish to attend in person, please contact: orientabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de
The evening lecture will take place online.
Please take note of the current Covid-19 regulations [link: https://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/aktuelles/covid-19-hygienekonzept].
Webex links for online attendance:
Evening Lecture: https://spk-berlin.webex.com/spk-berlin/j.php?MTID=meb226c6af79a7f86993d001caeebb72f
Workshop Day 1: https://spk-berlin.webex.com/spk-berlin/j.php?MTID=meb6b8091cdb6e3c563266ff8b92788c1
Workshop Day 2: https://spk-berlin.webex.com/spk-berlin/j.php?MTID=mb8e7d5d7e8c20130ca07b495f6b88aac
Please take note that all times are CEST.
6. Webinar – Manufacturing the Sacred: Objects of Veneration in the Modern Islamic World – NYU, Silsila: Center for Material Histories – October 15
Hala Auji, American University of Beirut
Elizabeth Rauh, American University in Cairo
Anissa Rahadiningtyas, Cornell University
Alya Karame, American University of Beirut
Nur Sobers-Khan, Aga Khan Documentation Center MIT
Friday, October 15th, 12:00pm ET
[Webinar] Silsila Fall 2021 Lecture Series
In what ways have concepts, methods, and technologies of modernity, since their rise in the late seventeenth century to their present-day manifestations, intersected with the production of sacred art and material culture in Islamic societies? Unlike artworks created prior to the Industrial Revolution, which were typically hand-crafted in medium-specific artist workshops, more recent visual practices in the Islamic world were transformed by and widely dispersed through modern technologies and tools. Among these are lithography, mechanized printing, silkscreen artworks, digital interfaces, and even felt-tip markers. This webinar will critically examine sacred objects across different media and Muslim communities—from the Middle East to Southeast Asia—to explore the changing continuities in popular veneration engendered by modern technologies of the Islamic world.
While discourses on modernity have often been associated with notions of secularism and rupture, the papers will demonstrate how some modern artworks produced in the Islamic world maintain strong connections to ritual, sacrality, divination, and other still-common quotidian practices through these new material and technological matrixes. Qur’an manuscripts written in marker, lithographed cosmological charts, hand-tinted pilgrimage prints, and glass paintings of religious figures demonstrate ongoing ties to ritual and tradition. These artworks, often marginalized in Islamic art history due to their mechanical modes of production, allow for discussions of everyday piety and its modern complexities. Concurrently, such works challenge notions of modernity in Islamic societies that favor post-Enlightenment discourses on rationalism and secularism at the expense of the sacred. In highlighting the continued importance of religious and ritual practice in Islamic artistic productions, this webinar will demonstrate how these objects connect to the realm of the sacred in as much as they also belong to practices and visualizations of modernity.
Full details of the event and a link to register as an attendee can be found at:
Only registered attendees will be able to access this event
7. Prince Baysunghur, Before & After: Timurid Manuscripts in Context: Online Symposium, November 5-6, 2021
The inaugural symposium of the Persian Manuscripts Association, celebrates the 600th anniversary of the first manuscript produced at the royal library-atelier of the Timurid Prince Baysunghur (1399-1433) in Herat. Prince Baysunghur, Before and After: Timurid Manuscripts in Context, is a two-day international symposium, held on 5-6 November 2021, and hosted by the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.
Baysunghur’s patronage of manuscript production is significant for exhibiting a high artistic refinement in the arts of the book, but the patron was also actively involved in the scholarly aspect of the works to be reproduced. He commanded editions and the preservation of texts in a variety of fields, notably history, ethics and literature.
This symposium brings together scholars and international experts in a number of disciplines to explore the connoisseurship and patronage undertaken by the prince, the aesthetic of his atelier’s output, their antecedents in the Jalayirid period, and the production of literary editions in his library.
The full program for this event can be seen here. Register in advance for this webinar here. After registering, you will receive an email containing information about joining the webinar.
For additional information please contact Shiva Mihan at smihan@ias.edu.
8. Visual Resources of the Middle East
Part of Yale University Open Community Collections
9. Do you know of any collections that are currently at risk and need preserving?
The Endangered Archives Programme is now accepting preliminary applications for the next annual funding round – the deadline for submission of preliminary applications is Monday 15 November 2021 at 12 noon GMT. Full details of the application procedures and documentation are available on the EAP website (https://eap.bl.uk/applicants).
The Programme has funded over 430 projects in 90 countries and has helped preserve manuscripts, rare printed books, newspapers and periodicals, audio and audio-visual materials, photographs and artwork. The programme aims to digitise archives at risk of loss or decay and, where appropriate, to relocate the material to a safe local archival home. The digital copies are deposited with the local archival partners, and are all available for researchers to access freely through the British Library website.
This year, we are accepting applications through our online portal between 1st and 15th November. However, in the meantime, we are providing Word and PDF documents for applicants to perfect their preliminary applications before the online submission.
If you know of an archive in a region of the world were resources are limited, we really hope you will apply. If you have any questions regarding the conditions of award or the application process, consult our website (https://eap.bl.uk) or contact us at endangeredarchives@bl.uk
10. Invisible East announcements
Announcement of our post-doc vacancy for people with skills in classical Persian reading and translation into English, and Digital Humanities. Details can be found on our website here (application deadline: 22 October 2021 at 12 noon UK time).
New Vacancies | Invisible East (ox.ac.uk)
Announcement of our IMaT colloquium on fascinating subject of Letter-writing, every Tuesday, starting from next Tuesday, 12 October (flyer with details for registration and timings attached).
Notice about conference, “From Badakhshan to Zarang” (https://archeorient.mom.fr/formations/seminaires/From-Badakhshan-to-Zarang).
11. The website Open Art Images offers a broad scope of images including many images on Islamic Art. These images can be used freely in presentations but also on websites. OAI is a SEARCH AND VISUALIZATION ENGINE FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES OF ARTWORKS – from all around the world and from every period in history – that belong to the public domain or to a type of Creative Commons license which allows their reuse. All Images come with detailed information, relevant to the understanding of their historical and cultural context and which informs the user about their current location, source and license.
OAI respects the privacy of its users by adopting completely anonymous tracking technologies.
12. CfP: Stucco Decoration in the Architecture of Iran and Neighbouring Lands: New Research – New Horizons (University of Bamberg, 5-7 May 2022)
Islamic Art and Archaeology Professorship at the University of Bamberg is pleased to announce the forthcoming conference dedicated to innovative research of stucco decoration in Iran and the neighbouring lands. The aim of the international conference is to generate further scholarly interaction and to communicate the latest research finds and innovative methodology for research of stuccos.
The event will take place in a hybrid form at the University of Bamberg, May 5-7, 2022.
We warmly invite you to submit paper abstracts for the participation at the conference by no later than: December 1, 2021
For more information about the conference, the full CfP, about stucco as an object of scientific research and about our research project, please refer to the following link: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/en/islamart/events-and-cooperations/stucco-conference/
13. Assistant Professor of Modern Persian Literature and Culture,
Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia
The deadline for receipt of applications is December 3, 2021. The anticipated start date of employment is July 1, 2022. All application materials should be submitted online at http://asia.ubc.ca/careers.
Inquiries may be sent to asia.jobsearch@ubc.ca
- October 09, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Bomb Blast in Shii Mosque in Kunduz
KABUL, Oct 8 (Reuters) – A blast tore through a mosque in Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunduz province on Friday, killing and wounding many people, Taliban officials said.
Video footage showed bodies surrounded by debris inside the mosque that is used by people from the minority Shi’ite Muslim community.
See also alJazeera.
- October 08, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Grand Imam of Al-Azhar set for historic meeting with top Shiite cleric in Iraq’
Amwaj Media:
Daily Briefing | Exclusive: Grand Imam of Al-Azhar set for historic meeting with top Shiite cleric in Iraq Amwaj.media has learned that the top Sunni scholar will meet with the Shiite supreme religious authority and pray at the holy shrine in Najaf.
See: <https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?e=c16528989a&u=bad46ac1df2d13e609949e861&id=5f37ed5e00>
- October 07, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
- October 06, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.ONLINE Lecture on “The Iraqi Uprising and the Political Imagination” by Zahra Ali, Crown Cen-ter for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University, 6 October 2021, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm EDT
Since October 2019, Iraq has been experiencing an unprecedented movement of popular protests that is mobilizing a new generation to demand radical political change. What do uprisings and mass protests tell us about power in the contemporary world? How do protesters both challenge and assert dominant power struc-tures?
Information and registration: https://brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JmJCQxzDRNqny1ZgSDLyKg
2. ONLINE Lecture: “Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway”, Department of Middle East Studies, University of Southern California, 6 October 2021, 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm PST
Completed in 1938, the Trans-Iranian Railway connected Tehran to Iran’s two major bodies of water: the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf in the south. In this talk, Mikiya Koyagi discusses the case of travelers to illustrate how the railway project reshaped local, national, and transnational experiences of space.
Information and registration: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/09/21/iran-in-motion-mobility-space-and-the-trans-iranian-railway
3. ONLINE Book Launch: “Routledge Handbook on Contemporary Egypt”, Edited by Robert Springborg, Amr Adly, Anthony Gorman, Tamir Moustafa, Aisha Saad, Naomi Sakr, Sarah Smierciak, Simon Frazer University, 6 & 13 & 20 & 27 October & 10 November 2021, 1:00 pm EST
The School for International Studies at SFU will be hosting a series of panels exploring the central themes of each section of the book, including history, politics, economy, law and human rights, and media and popular culture.
Information and registration: http://www.sfu.ca/internationalstudies/news-events/events/upcoming-events/egypt-handbook-launch.html
4. Colloque IREL : « La Formation des cadres religieux musulmans en France et en Europe », MSH Paris-Nord, Saint-Denis, 7-8 octobre 2021
Le colloque portera sur la formation des cadres religieux musulmans. Cette question est loin d’être spéci-fique à la France et à son modèle de relations entre État et religions : le problème se pose dans tous les pays européens, à partir du moment où il faut satisfaire les besoins cultuels et spirituels des Européens de confession musulmane.
Information : https://irel.ephe.psl.eu/actualites/colloque-formation-cadres-religieux-musulmans
5. ONLINE Webinar: “The Making and Unmaking of Borders and the State”, UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, 8 October 2021, 9:30 am PT
Panelists: Dr. Dilan Okcuoglu is a postdoctoral fellow in Global Kurdish Studies at the American University, School of International Service in Washington, DC; Dr. Ahmad Mohammadpour is a socio-anthropologist from Eastern Kurdistan, Iran; Dr. Basileus Zeno is Karl Loewenstein Fellow and Visiting Lecturer in Political Science at Amherst College.
Information and registration: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/10/01/the-making-and-unmaking-of-borders-and-the-state
6. ONLINE Webinar: “The Making and Unmaking of Borders and the State”, UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, 8 October 2021, 9:30 am PT
Panelists: Dr. Dilan Okcuoglu is a postdoctoral fellow in Global Kurdish Studies at the American University, School of International Service in Washington, DC; Dr. Ahmad Mohammadpour is a socio-anthropologist from Eastern Kurdistan, Iran; Dr. Basileus Zeno is Karl Loewenstein Fellow and Visiting Lecturer in Political Science at Amherst College.
Information and registration: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/10/01/the-making-and-unmaking-of-borders-and-the-state
7. ONLINE Discussion: “From the Middle East to Afghanistan: The Evolution of the Islamic State in Khorasan Province”, Middle East Institute NUS, Singapore, 9 November 2021, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm SGT
Dr Antonio Giustozzi, author of the books “The Taliban at War” and “The Islamic State in Khorasan”, will discuss the role of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, following the fall of Kabul. Alongside him will be Raffaello Pantucci, a researcher at RSIS whose work looks at security dynamics in the Eurasian heartland.
Information and registration: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/from-the-middle-east-to-afghanistan-the-evolution-of-the-islamic-state-in-khorasan-province/
8. HYBRID “3rd Annual Islamic Philosophy Conference of the American Society of Islamic Philosophy & Theology”, Harvard and Brandeis Universities, 3-5 December 2021
The aim of the conference is to promote the study of Islamic Philosophy, broadly conceived, in its historical and contemporary context.
Deadline for Abstracts: 25 October 2021. Information: https://asipt.org/conferences/
9. ONLINE Conference: “Migration Methodologies: Challenges, Innovations and Conceptual Im-plications for Asian Migrations”, National University of Singapore, 20-21 January 2022
Papers will focus on innovative methodological approaches while drawing on substantive findings relevant to “Asian migrations” (broadly defined to refer to migration flows within, as well as in and out of Asia) in order to grapple with the challenges and possibilities in conducting migration research.
Information: https://ari.nus.edu.sg/events/mime/
10. International Conference: “Silk Roads by Land and Sea”, GUtech German University of Technology, Muscat, 9-12 March 2022
The conference will be organised by the RIO Research Centre Indian Ocean (www.rio-heritage.org). It seeks to contribute to the emerging field of “mobility studies”, shedding new light on the overland and sea networks stretching from the Eastern Mediterranean and East Africa to East Asia from the earliest times to the present day.
Information: http://silkroads.rio-heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/210729_Call-for-Papers_v2.pdf
11. International Conference: “Body, Medicine, and Feminism: The Life and Work of Nawal El Saadawi”, Duke University, 21-22 March 2022
Papers will focus on the role of the body and medicine in Dr. El Saadawi’s oeuvre while other papers will be dedicated to the spirit of her work and thought. A special issue of the Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies will be devoted to the memory of Dr. El Saadawi.
Information: https://middleeaststudies.duke.edu/call-papers-nawal-conference-2022
12. International Conference ““Ruling the Waves”: Transnational Radio Broadcasting in the Mid-dle East and the Mediterranean between Production and Reception”, 1920-1970, German His-torical Institute etc., Rome, 22-24 June 2022
The conference re-examines the history and experiences of transnational radio broadcasting by analyzing its production, reception, and impact in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions between the early 1920s and 1970.
13. Full-time PhD Scholarship (4 Years) for Research on Islamic Eco-Theology, “South African-German Research Hub on Religion and Sustainability (SAGRaS)”, University of Pretoria, Uni-versity of the Western Cape, Humboldt-University Berlin
SAGRaS will focus on the impact of religious ecological tenets and teachings (eco-theologies) on collective and individual ecological actions, and will explore these fields through studies focusing on different religious communities and traditions in South African-German comparative perspective..
Deadline for applications: 1 November 2021. Information: https://www.rcsd.hu-berlin.de/de/aktuelles/sagras-callforapplications-phd.pdf
14. Faculty Position in Modern Middle Eastern History, American University of Sharjah
Successful candidates will have a PhD in History or related discipline; a record of excellent teaching, ideally of at least one year; a proven record of scholarship; and an active research agenda.
Deadline for applications: 1 November 2021. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/09/28/faculty-position-in-modern-middle-eastern-history
15. Non-Core Faculty Position in Arabic Language and Linguistics Assistant Professor, Georgetown University in Qatar
This is a full-time, three-year position that is eligible for renewal. The teaching load is nine credits per semes-ter. We are particularly interested in hearing from colleagues with previous experience teaching Arabic to heritage as well as foreign language learners.
Deadline for applications: 15 October 2021. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/92287
16. Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Middle Eastern History, Loyola Marymount University, CA
The successful candidate will be expected to teach lower-division courses in Middle Eastern history and world history, as well as upper-division courses in the area of specialization.
Deadline for application: 15 October 2021.
Information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=61695
17. Assistant Professor in the History of the Middle East/Islamic World, Tulane University, New Orleans
The field of research is open, teaching experience preferred. Candidates should have a working knowledge of at least one language appropriate for research in the Middle East and/or Islamic World and should be prepared to offer classes in both the History of the Modern Middle East and the Premodern Islamic World.
Deadline for application: 15 October 2021. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/92896
18. Postdoctoral Research Associate (12 Months) for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies in the 19th-21st Century, Princeton University
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.
Deadline for application: 10 December 2021. Information:
https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply/application.xhtml?listingId=22703
19. Assistant or Associate Professor for Early Modern Ottoman History, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Applicants` research should cover events occurring between the 15th and 18th centuries with regional specialization open. We are particularly interested in candidates whose research makes broad connections and/or spans multiple regions and communities, as well as those who engage with both Ottoman Turkish and other relevant languages.
Deadline for applications: 15 November 2021. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/94351
20. HYBRID “Trans-Med Fall School: New Narrations about Diversities”, Università degli studi Roma Tre, 14-16 October 2021
The free seminar cycle, in English, provides a multidisciplinary framework on the theme of diversity in the Mediterranean area, with particular attention to how it has been and is expressed by the younger generations. It also provides cultural and technical tools to narrate and communicate the linguistic, cultural, social and religious diversity.
Deadline for applications: 8 October 2021. Information: https://studiumanistici.uniroma3.it/didattica/post-lau-ream/transmed/
21. Notice of UC-Irvine’s programmatic and funding resources for pursuing a PhD in the history of art, architecture and archaeology of the pre-modern Persianate World, with a focus on South Asia.Students apply to the PhD Program in Visual Studies, and once enrolled, pursue theinterdisciplinary Graduate Specialization in Ancient Iran and the Premodern Persianate World.
All accepted students are guaranteed five years of funding. In this regard, the newly endowed Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Graduate Fellowship program will award one five-year PhD fellowship each year in the Study of the Pre-Modern Persianate World, providing a competitive stipend, summer funding and a first year free from teaching duties.
For more information please contact: matthew.canepa@uci.edu and/or alkap@uci.edu. Faculty and current students can be found here: https://www.humanities.uci.edu/persianstudies/program/grad_program.php
22. Online Symposium – The Environment and Ecology in Islamic Art – November 8-15, 2021
The Environment and Ecology in Islamic Art and Culture, the 9th Biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art, takes place live online on Zoom from November 8 – 15, 2021. Nasser Rabbat, the Aga Khan Professor and Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, gives the keynote address on November 8, titled “The Quest for Thermal Delight.” Presenters on November 9-12 include Rebecca Zorach, Farid Esmaeil, T.J. Demos, D. Fairchild Ruggles, Yusen Yu, Stephane Pradines, Alexander Brey, Anna Gade, Nada Shabout, Huma Gupta, Rachel Winter, Amanda Boetzkes, Elizabeth Rauh, Pamela Karimi, Michelle Apotsos, and Nisa Ari with a roundtable conversation on November 15 with the artists Tarek Al-Ghoussein and Camille Zakharia. All presentations are followed by an opportunity for attendees to ask questions. This event is free but advance registration is required. For more information, please visit the event website, https://islamicart.qatar.vcu.edu/.
23. Extended: Call for Contributions to 6th IDHN Conference
Dear friends and colleagues,
I would like to remind you of our upcoming 6th IDHN Conference that will take place on Wednesday, November 17, 2021.
We are calling for contributions from both members and guests, who are developing or deploying digital methods and tools in the study of Islam and Muslim communities and Islamicate languages. Our conference is open to participants from both humanistic and scientific disciplines. We would also like to encourage Master’s and Ph.D. students to share their Digital Humanities research with us.
If you wish to participate in the conference, please send an email to team@idhn.org with a preliminary title, abstract (150-300 words), and your academic affiliation. The deadline has been extended to Friday, October 15, 2021.
We will select four to six presentations for our conference. Each presentation will be 20 minutes long and followed by Q&A for 10 minutes.
We will hold the meeting online on ZOOM; the access code and link will be sent to you in the network’s newsletter. We will schedule our conference to accommodate presenters from all time zones. This schedule will correspond with the morning hours in the Americas and evening hours in Europe and the Middle East.
Please share our announcement with your colleagues and students, and please forward this call to your networks and listservs as well.
Best wishes to all,
Irene Kirchner (Georgetown University)
24. CLS Program Application Now Open for Fully-Funded Summer Study Abroad
We are pleased to announce that the application for the 2022 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is now open! We welcome your students to apply now to study Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Russian, or Azerbaijani next summer on a fully-funded study abroad program.
The application is now live and available online at: https://www.clscholarship.org/apply
Applications are due Tuesday, November 16, 2021 by 8:00pm EST.
The CLS Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. Most languages offered by the CLS Program (9 of 15) do not require applicants to have any experience studying critical languages.
CLS, a program of the U.S. Department of State, is part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. CLS plays an important role in preparing students for the 21st century’s globalized workforce and increasing national competitiveness.
The CLS Program offers instruction in the following languages: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu. Resources for advisors are available on our web site at: https://clscholarship.org/advisors
The CLS Program will host frequent webinars, Q&A sessions, and alumni panels for students and advisors throughout the fall. A full calendar of these events and corresponding registration links is available on our web site at: https://clscholarship.org/events
If you have any questions, please contact us at: cls@americancouncils.org
Sincerely,
Jonathan Poser
Program Officer
Critical Language Scholarship Program
American Councils for International Education
1828 L Street N.W., Suite 1200
Washington, D.C. 20036
T 202 833 7522
www.americancouncils.org
25. Join a Discussion on Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
We Are All Afghanistan: Afghan Women Leaders Reflect on the Past and the Way Forward
Description
Join Former UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid and WLP Founder and President Mahnaz Afkhami for a conversation with Former Minister for Women’s Affairs in Afghanistan Sima Samar and Former Governor of Bamyan Province Habiba Sarabi. Their discussion will focus on their experiences as women leaders and human rights advocates in Afghanistan and what can be done to support women and girls in Afghanistan.
Time: Oct 15, 2021 10:00 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register at:
- October 05, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Webinar: ‘Le cheikh Qutb b. Muyhī Lārī (m. après 1503) était-il un crypto chiite?’ – D. Aigle (Paris, 7.10.21)
La première séance du séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du monde iranien” aura lieu le jeudi 7 octobre 2021 de 17h à 19h.
Vous pourrez suivre la séance :
– en présentiel : Salle 5.05, INaLCO, 65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris, [Attention : le “passe sanitaire” sera demandé]
– ou en visioconférence (lien de connexion ci-après).
Nous serons heureux d’y accueillir Denise Aigle (directrice d’études émérite, EPHE), pour une conférence intitulée :
« Le cheikh Qutb b. Muyhī Lārī (m. après 1503) était-il un crypto chiite ?
Un saint homme du Fārs à l’aune des sources épistolaires »
Résumé
Fondateur au xve siècle d’une communauté de mystiques, Quṭb al-Dīn Muḥammad b. Muḥyī al-Dīn est considéré comme l’un des soufis sunnites les plus influents du Lāristān à la veille de la conquête safavide. Alors que Quṭb b. Muḥyī jouit d’une importante notoriété dans les écrits des penseurs des époques postérieures, aucun texte hagiographique n’a été rédigé par ses compagnons pour préserver sa mémoire. On sait très peu de choses sur la vie de Quṭb b. Muḥyī hormis l’importante correspondance qu’il rédigea à l’adresse de ses compagnons. On dispos également des témoignages peu diserts de deux historiens qui vivaient dans le Fārs à la fin du xve siècle.
Faute de pouvoir restituer la memoria hagiographique de Quṭb-i Muḥyī par l’analyse des anecdotes et des récits qui constituent la vie de tout saint homme, l’objectif ici est de présenter, les autorités textuelles sur lesquelles il s’appuie pour délivrer ses enseignements. Puis, à partir du contenu allusif aux autorités politiques, je chercherai à mettre en lumière sa vision du pouvoir et quel fut son rôle politique et social. Enfin, je tenterai d’émettre quelques hypothèses sur les raisons qui ont conduit les savants chiites, depuis la période safavide, à intégrer Quṭb b. Muḥyī dans les dictionnaires biographiques de savants chiites. On trouve en effet dans certaines lettres, des théories qui pourraient s’interpréter selon les concepts du chiisme imamite, notamment en termes eschatologiques.
Orientations bibliographiques
• M. B. Wuthūqī, « Makātīb-i Quṭb al-Dīn Muḥammad b. Muḥyī al-Dīn Kushknārī Lārī wa ta’thīr-i ān dar ta’sīs-i shahr-i Qubṭābād », Tārīkh wa Jughrāfiyya : Kitāb-i Māh, Téhéran, Sāzmān-i Chāp wa Intishārāt-i Wizārat-i Farhang wa Irshād-i Islamī, 1380sh./ 2000, p. 130-138.
• S. Subrahmanyam, « Du Tage au Gange au xvie siècle : une conjoncture millénariste à l’échelle eurasiatique », Annales. Histoire, Sciences sociales, vol. 1, 2001, p. 51-84.
• S. Bashir, Messianic Hopes and Mystical Visions. The Nūrbakhshīya Between Medieval and Modern Islam, Columbia, University of South Carolina Press, 2003.
• O. Mir-Kasimov, « Connaissance divine et action messianique : la figure de ‘Alī dans les milieux mystiques et messianiques (du Ve/XIe au Xe/XVIe siècle), dans Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, Ali, le secret bien gardé. Figures du premier Maître en spiritualité shi’ite, Paris, CNRS Editions, 2020, p. 325-352.
Participer à la réunion Zoom :
https://zoom.us/j/98929895002?pwd=TUFnMTlrK1dXWlFXcFZldG9aN2F1QT09
ID de réunion : 989 2989 5002
Code secret : CeRMI
- October 04, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Oklahoma State University (OSU) is accepting applications for a tenure-track faculty member in the School of Global Studies and Partnerships (SGSP). We are seeking excellent teachers and scholars with an interdisciplinary focus and whose work is related to international development, defined broadly. The appointed professor will teach up to four courses per year in the graduate program in the School’s Global Development and Leadership concentration in one or more of the following or related topics: global leadership, economic development, human rights, migration/refugee issues, food security, impact of climate change, or other relevant areas. We are particularly interested in candidates with the background and interest in serving as the Inaugural Iranian and Persian Gulf Program Chair to manage the IPGS program, which examines critical issues related to the Iranian and Persian Gulf region, such as food security, water issues, and sustainability. Here is the posting: https://okstate.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=8&id=9938
Interested parties are encouraged to submit their materials by November 15, 2021.
2. Arab Translation Association (ArTa) is pleased to invite you to enroll in our Course
titled “Arabic for Non-Arab Speakers”, date and time of the course shall be announced
at a later stage. Mrs Nada Ghannam, experienced and qualified in teaching shall manage
this Arabic course for Non-Arab speakers
The fees: $200
Duration: 20 hours
Contact for registration: Mrs Nada Ghannam
Email address: nadaghannam@outlook.com
Or via whatsapp : +27 82 788 2788
—
Please visit our pages and youtube channel below:
https://www.facebook.com/ArabTranslatorsAssociation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArTACourses
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSdhuPN8G050I_IyqxoAQA
3. The Umayyad Mosque of Damascus: Art, Faith and Empire in Early Islam
Alain George
University of Chicago/Ginko, 2021
4. Webinar – Orientalist Photography – October 4
In celebration of the opening of the “Between Science and Art: Early Photography in the Middle East” exhibition at the Heritage Library, we are happy to take you on a journey through the early history of photography in the Middle East.
This special discussion will feature two speakers who are pioneers in the field of Orientalist photographic collections:
Giulia Martini: Archivist in charge of the photographic collection at Qatar National Library and curator of the exhibition “Between Science and Art: Early Photography in the Middle East”
Mathilde Falguiere: Head of photographic collections in “Architecture and Heritage Library” (Médiathèque de l’architecture et du patrimoine), Paris – Fort de Saint-Cyr.
The event will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation in Arabic and in French.
The event will be conducted online via Zoom.
Date: 4 October 2021
Time in Doha : 5:00 – 6:00 PM ; 4pm in Paris, 3pm in London etc.
To register (it is free) : https://events.qnl.qa/event/nKPY5/EN
Stephane IPERT
Director of Heritage Library, Qatar National Library
5. New Resource – Launch of the Khamseen Glossary
It is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online’s new Glossary, accessible here. This multimedia lexicon features fully captioned short-form videos—each lasting five to seven minutes—on terms relating to Islamic art, architecture and visual culture. The Glossary is conceived as a series of dynamic and informative “flash” talks that explore the etymology, use, and relevant examples of terms that are both central to, and expansive of, the discipline.
Under the direction of Khamseen team member Michelle Al-Ferzly, the Glossary features presentations by experts in the field. These presentations not only discuss sites, monuments, paintings, images, objects, and concepts considered “canonical” in the field, but they also aim to broaden the range of material, geographical, and temporal examples as well. For optimal accessibility, all Glossary term presentations are provided with closed captions.
At present, we have a selection of terms available on our website, and we wish to thank our contributors for this first round of presentations. Since we now are actively building the Glossary, we welcome further contributions from Ph.D. holders who wish to craft multimedia definitions of terms of their selection, or any of the available terms listed here.
If you are interested in contributing to Khamseen, please contact us at teamkhamseen@umich.edu.
Sincerely,
Team Khamseen
Christiane Gruber, Founding Director
Sandra Williams, Managing Director
Yasemin Gencer, Content Coordinator
Michelle Al-Ferzly, Glossary Coordinator
Mira Xenia Schwerda, Production Manager
Bihter Esener, Digital Technologies Coordinator
Ani Kalousdian, Social Media Manager
6. Baskerville Institute Lecture: “The Shuster Mission to Iran: Leaving Something Worthwhile Behind” Oct. 11
We are pleased to inform you that our next 2021-2022 Baskerville Institute Lecture “The Shuster Mission to Iran: Leaving Something Worthwhile Behind” by Joan Gaughan will be on October 11th at 12 PM (MT).
This is a historical account of the effort of Morgan Shuster, a young American accountant who, in May 1911, during a period of democratic revolution, went with his family to Persia (Iran) to put its chaotic finances on a sound footing. Less than eight months later, under Russian and British pressure, he was forced to leave, his task unfinished.
The book describes Shuster’s efforts to help a crippled nation-the men and women with whom he worked and struggled for the right to rule themselves. There were some scoundrels among whom he worked. There were others, however, who believed that the dignity and honor of their country were worth working for and, in many cases, dying for.
The book raises an ethical question: while dignity and honor and the love of freedom for one’s country or, as in Shuster’s case, the desire to lift a burdensome yoke from a nation’s neck may be worth working for, even dying for, does that justify placing the lives of hundreds or even thousands of other people in jeopardy? In posing this question, the book asks if Shuster’s experience has any relevance in our present-day relations with Iran.
After taking a B.A. at the College of Saint Teresa in Winona, Minnesota, Joan Gaughan taught history and English to eighth-graders in Beloit, Wisconsin. The year was 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy that November prompted her to enlist in the Peace Corps and serve in Rasht and Lahijan, Iran. A trip to India during that service led to a life-long love of that country as well as love for the people of Iran. Her Peace Corps service was followed by a year of study at Columbia University, where she studied under Professor Ainslee Embree, who deepened her love for India, and Professor Ehsan Yar-Shater, who introduced her to the beauties of classical Persian literature. She transferred to the University of Michigan, where obtaining a doctorate in the British Empire allowed her to indulge her passion for both countries. After a thirty-year career teaching Western Civilization, Humanities, and English at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she has been able to reinvigorate her two youthful passions, study of Iran and India.
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OTERgMf0TX2fP3vihwjnXw
- October 02, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘ A Versified History of Shah Abbas the Great’ – Nozhat Ahmadi, Mohsen Mohammadi Fesharaki
A Versified History of Shah Abbas the Great [Futūḥāt-i Gītīsitān]
Nozhat Ahmadi, Mohsen Mohammadi Fesharaki
Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2021.
This book is a critical edition of a versified history of Shah Abbas I attributed to Sayyid Aḥmad Ḥusaynī Khalīfah. It narrates the life of Shah Abbas I from before his ascension to the throne in 1588 until his death in 1629, and includes a brief history of his maternal ancestors, the Mīr-i Buzurg notables of Mazandaran. The majority of the work consists of accounts of Abbas I’s military campaigns and expeditions, and in these parts the poet narrates the history in the style of a heroic epic.
- October 01, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. ONLINE Lecture Series: “Fabrics of Devotion: Religious Textiles in the Eastern Mediterranean”, Orient-Institut Istanbul, 29 September, 13 and 20 October 2021
The aim of this lecture series is to enquire into the intricacies of religious history and local forms of devotion in the Eastern Mediterranean through the medium of textiles. What insights can be gained by exploring tex-tiles – their making, their use and ritual, and their multi-layered meanings – as a source for the study of religion?
Information and registration: https://www.oiist.org/fabrics-of-devotion/
2. ONLINE Webinar: “Activism in Exile: Diasporic Communities in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings”, Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University Qatar, 30 September 2021, 12:00 pm ET
This panel of scholars, activists, and practitioners seeks to explore the demography of the recent diasporas, their forms of community organization, and modes of political mobilization. This panel asks what is “new” about these recently formed exiled communities, especially in light of the historical legacies of political or-ganization by diaspora communities since the latter half of the twentieth century.
Information: https://www.thearabuprisings.org.
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9ZRegLibQhilNrV3DYE_qw
3. ONLINE Lecture: “Different Forms of Othering: Arab Diaspora Social Media in Sweden: Site of Information or Site of Struggle?”, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, 30 September 2021, 5:15 pm CEST
The lecture focuses on platforms where one can examine the identities of migrants and critically analyse the discourses and ideologies emerging in the texts in commentary sections.
Information and registration: https://ccrs.ku.dk/calendar/2021/different-forms-of-othering/
4. ONLINE Lecture Series on “Middle Eastern Media, Diaspora and Politics Post-Arab Spring”, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, 30 September, 7, 14, 21 October 2021, 5:15 pm CET
Information and registration: https://ccrs.ku.dk/research/centres-and-projects/mediatizeddiaspora/lecture-series/
5. “Tenth Islamic Legal Studies Conference” by the International Society for Islamic Legal Studies (ISILS), Aga Khan University, London, 19-21 May 2022
The conference will be open topic – abstracts on all aspects of Islamic law, from earliest to most recent times, are welcome.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 October 2021. Information: https://isils.net/isils/call-for-papers/
6. Lecturer (Education Focused) in Arabic Language and Culture, School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews
Qualification: Previous teaching experience, full professional competency in Arabic and English, and exper-tise in the delivery of classes/lectures in modern standard Arabic and modern/contemporary Arabic culture for a fixed-term (one year) position.
Deadline for applications: 19 October 2021. Information: https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/5534/0/314610/889/lecturer-education-focused-in-arabic-language-and-culture-ao1745sb
7. Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track) in Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory University
Disciplinary, regional, and chronological parameters are open; a focus on material culture and excellent rel-evant language skills are strongly preferred. Applicants should be able to teach survey courses in Ancient Near Eastern Studies and introduction to Middle Eastern Civilizations.
Deadline for applications: 1 November 2021. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/94849
8. New Series: Routledge Studies in Islam and Human Rights
The critical events in the Arab countries and the ongoing discussion of the compatibility of Islamic teachings and institutions with modern human rights norms and the place of Sharia in public life inside and outside Muslim-majority countries underscore the need for rigorous, critical research focusing on Islam and human rights.
Information: https://ahmed.souaiaia.com/research/routledge-studies-in-islam-and-human-rights/
9. The British Library: The art of small things (4): Juz’ markers in Qur’an manuscripts from Southeast Asia
10. Mejlis Institute Fall 2021 Intensive ONLINE Persian Courses
Mejlis Institute, Armenia-based NGO, is inviting applications for semester-long intensive online Persian courses for Beginner/Lower Intermediate and Upper Intermediate/Advanced level students. The courses, lasting for twelve weeks between October 4 and December 23, 2021 are designed for students who would like to make fast progress in Persian and become acquainted with different aspects of the culture and society of modern Iran.
For more information, please visit https://mejlisinstitute.org/semester-persian-courses.
11. The Portrait of Abu l-Qasim al-Baghdadi al-Tamimi
E. Selove, et al., eds.,
12. Islamic Matters in Africa and the Colonial Atlantic
The Launch of the Islam, the Humanities, and the Human Working Group
Featuring Prita Meier (NYU) and R.A. Judy (University of Pittsburgh)
Friday, October 1, 2021 at 11:30 AM EST on Zoom
The Islam, the Humanities and the Human Working Group seeks to contribute to the development of a transformative Humanities at Rutgers-Newark by offering a space for faculty and students to engage with the breadth and depth of Islamic history and Muslim societies. During the 2021-2022 year, the faculty seminar will hold a series of readings, conversations, and invited lectures around the inaugural theme, “Islamic Matters in Africa and the Colonial Atlantic.” This theme brings together the study of material culture with intellectual history and humanistic expression. Through a focus on Africa and the colonial Atlantic, the theme seeks to displace “the Muslim question” from its geographic confinement in the Middle East and its ethnic association with Arab identity. This geographical focus will also create links between African studies and Middle Eastern studies, two fields traditionally separated by the historical boundaries of area studies. The theme will focus on material objects, from manuscripts and devotional objects to photography and fine art, forging interdisciplinary connections between the historians, literary scholars, and art historians in the group. Bridging these disciplinary divides and unsettling conventional representations of Islam will invite new reflection on what diverse human experiences and how Islam, as a global phenomenon, teach us about what it means to be human.
For more information, visit our website: https://sites.rutgers.edu/islam-humanities/
To register for the event: https://rutgers.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qJJlN58SQPauANlmrvoWZg
13. Great Lakes Adiban 2021 Workshop – Schedule and Registration
We are pleased to announce the schedule for the 2021 Great Lakes Adiban Workshop, hosted by the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor! The workshop is free and open to all, and participants can attend either in person or via Zoom. Click here for the flyer (feel free to redistribute), and read on for the full schedule. If you have any questions, please email greatlakesadibansociety at gmail.com.
- Dates and Times:
Saturday, October 9, 9:00am–3:30pm EDT
Sunday, October 10, 9:00am–4:00pm EDT - Physical Location:
2022 South Thayer Building
202 South Thayer St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [link to map] (street parking readily available) - Remote Participation:
Click here to register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
14. News from the ‘Invisible East’ Project
We are hiring: If you have (or know someone who does): a PhD or near-PhD, classical Persian skill, and savviness in Digital Humanities, and want to work with our fantastic team in Oxford, please apply and/or share with your network. Details and application form are
here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CJL461/research-associate-persdoc-project
Our first conference this week: Digital humanities and textual research in medieval languages will be the focus of the presentations delivered by colleagues working on 15 DH projects, starting in two days’ time, and running this Thursday and Friday (30 September and 1 October 2021). Participation is free, but registration is required. To register, please click here.
New tools: we have added two innovative graphics on our website this week: 1) a story map through which you can explore the documents we are studying in the programme, and a timeline of the earliest Persian writing. Both can be accessed through our home page!
- September 28, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Performing Iran: Culture, Performance, Theatre’ – B. Rahimi, ed.
Performing Iran: Culture, Performance, Theatre – B. Rahimi, ed.
Bloomsbury, 2021
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/performing-iran-9781784535612/
Chapter 3 on Taziyeh maybe of interest to colleagues working on Muharram studies.
Chapter 3. The Question of Audience in Abbas Kiarostami’s ‘A look to Taziyeh’ –
Babak Rahimi (University of California, San Diego, USA)
- September 27, 2021
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment