Archive for December, 2022
- December 08, 2022
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.ONLINE Lecture “The Ethics of Weeping: The Case of Islam” by Prof. Paul Heck (Georgetown University), University of Haifa, 6 December 2022, 12:00 pm GMT
This talk considers pre-modern traditions of pious weeping in Muslim society, which long interacted with other traditions of weeping in the Mediterranean and its hinterlands. Specifically, we ask how we are to read references to weeping in historical texts – as responses to societal expectations or as expressions of spiritual states that one pursues in private and only then displays in public?
Information and registration: https://hcmh.haifa.ac.il/2022/11/22/the-ethics-of-weeping-the-case-of-islam/
2. HYBRID Lecture “The Ottoman-Christian Churches in Anatolia as a Case Study to Investigate Cultural Heritage Politics in Turkey” by JP Dr. Aude Aylin de Tapia (Universität Freiburg), University of Hamburg, 7 December 2022, 18:15 – 20:15 h CET
Information and registration: https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/tuerkeieuropa/veranstaltungen/aktuelle-veran-staltungen.html
3. ONLINE Seminar “Saharanism: Intellectual and Literary Histories of a Desert-focused Imagination”, Conversation of Brahim El Guabli with Samia Henni, Crown Center, Brandeis Univer-sity, 7 December 2022, 5:00 pm CET
Whether in the Sahara, Arabian Desert or in the US-Mexico border, Brahim El Guabli’s work argues these desert imaginaries have eclipsed deeper connections and exchanges that have existed between the desert and its inhabitants for millennia, thus justifying policing and extractive practices. He will explore how raciali-zation, extraction, and emptiness have been central to this powerful desert imaginary.
Information and registration:
https://brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QN2puut7QSe8HlwDyWcIkg#/registration
4. ONLINE Symposium “Legal Orders under Pressure: Non-Western Experiences of Legal Transformations in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries (Focus MENA)”, University of Vienna and Max-Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Philosophy, Frankfurt, 7-9 December 2022
The symposium offers a platform for gaining a better understanding of the features of legal translations and transformations underwent under Western imperial pressure in not (formally) colonized spaces like the MENA region.
Information, program and registration:
https://www.lhlt.mpg.de/3184144/event-22-12-07-translations-and-transitions-online-symposium
5. ONLINE Conversation „On the Creative Imagination in Persian Architecture“ with Nader Ardalan, American Friends of Sufi Arts, Culture and Knowledge, 8 December 2022, 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm CET
The significance of balance and harmony as well as their relationship to the ‘self’ will be discussed. From enhancing contemplation to highlighting spaces that poetically respond to and nurture our soul, Persian ar-chitecture has been a source of inspiration and wisdom for centuries – architecture that transcends the tan-gible.
Information and registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/on-the-creative-imagination-in-architecture-tick-ets-479008375947?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb
6. International Workshop “Muslim Minorities and Questions of Secularity in China and Beyond”, Leipzig University, 9-10 June 2023
This interdisciplinary workshop investigates the role of secularity – that is, conceptual distinctions and institutional differentiations between “religion” and its others – in the formation and normalization of Muslim minorities, with a focus on China. Papers should be based on empirical work.
Deadline for abstracts: 16 January 2023. Information: https://www.multiple-secularities.de/events/event/call-for-papers-international-workshop-muslim-minorities-and-questions-of-secularity-in-china-and-beyond/
7. Workshop Panel on “The Mediterranean as a (De)Colonial Border Zone: Socio-Economic Disparities in the Context of Historical and Political Responsibilities” at the Conference of the German Anthropological Association, Munich, 25 – 28 July 2023
The workshop will discuss how anthropology (and related research) should position itself in the study of the Mediterranean as a border zone. How do we produce knowledge in a space where different normative as well as socio-economic foundations of human togetherness collide so conflictive? How do we deal with the political dimension of our research? Which models of decolonial, activist and participatory research do critically engage with this?
Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2022. Information: https://ethnologie.uni-koeln.de/media/pdfs/Dow-nloads/Lange/CfP%20DGSKA%202023%20The%20Mediterranean%20as%20a%20(De)Colonial%20Bor-der%20Zone.pdf
8. Joint Workshop of the “Trajectories of Slavery in Islamicate Societies“ and the “Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies“, Murtensee (Bern Canton, Switzerland), 30 August – 1 September 2023
The main research questions of the workshop are: What can one learn about slaveries and strong asym-metrical dependencies from legal sources, and to what extent can legal sources can shed light on the relevant social practices? How can intersectionality shed light on different forms of slavery? Both English and Arabic papers are welcome.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 January 2022. Information: https://trasisblog.unibe.ch/?p=108
9. Post-doctorat (2 ans) dans le cadre du projet Alter-citoyens au Moyen-Orient. Inventer les résistances en temps de violence
Une candidature portant notamment sur le Maghreb, l’Égypte, la Syrie, l’Irak, l’Iran, les régions kurdes, sera particulièrement appréciée. Une très bonne maîtrise orale et rédactionnelle de l’anglais et du français comme langues de travail est requise de même que la pratique d’une des langues des pays considérés par le projet (arabe, turc, kurde, grec) est fortement recommandée.
Date limite de candidature : 16 décembre 2022.
10. International Parliamentary Scholarships (IPS) of the German Bundestag for 24 Arab Graduates, 1-30 September 2023
The program is intended for talented Arab graduates who are interested in politics and who are keen to play an active role in promoting core democratic values in their home countries. The program includes a one-week work placement with a Member of German Bundestag.
Deadline for applications: 15 December 2022. Information: https://www.bundestag.de/en/europe/interna-tional/exchange/ips/arabian-250618
11. “Spring School Mediterranean History: Explore the Liquid Continent “, University of Konstanz, 28-30 March 2023
The Spring School is primarily aimed at advanced BA students from various disciplines (e.g. History, Islamic, Jewish or Ottoman studies, Arabic or Romance studies) who are interested in the planned new Master’s programme Mediterranean History at the University of Konstanz, which is expected to start in the winter term 2023/24.
Deadline for applications: 15 December 2022. Information: https://www.mittelmeer.uni-konstanz.de/en/spring-school-28-31-march-2023/
12. ENIS Spring School “Shifting Boundaries in Muslim Worlds”, University of Catania, Sicily, 13 -16 June 2023
The study of Islam is unthinkable without taken into consideration the dynamics of boundaries. Be it the study of state-formation, minority policies, discrimination or repression, sectarian divides and merges, inter and intra-religious interaction and community building, or acts of religious self-making and identification. We wel-come work that address these and adjacent topics and themes.
Deadline for abstracts and applications: 28 February 2023. Information: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/75231
13. Summer School: “The Archives of Islam in the Russian Empire (16th-early 20th Centuries)”, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, 26-30 June 2023
By offering hands-on reading sessions and lectures, which are based on material in Russian, Church Slavonic, Eastern Turkic (Tatar and Chaghatay), and Ottoman Turkish, the summer school offers a wide range of activities to familiarize students with writing, documentary, and archival practices in Tsarist-ruled Central Eurasia. Special attention will be given to records crafted in Cyrillic handwriting as well as in the Arabic script.
Deadline for applications: 28 February 2023. Information:https://www.oeaw.ac.at/sice/events/summer-school
14. Chapters for Edited Book on “Art Against Authoritarianism: Aesthetic Activism in Post-Arab Spring Middle East and North Africa” (IB Taurus)
Chapters are invited on Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Palestine. The book examines the roles that art can play in the collective labor of creating and defending “another aesthetics” and social reality in the contemporary MENA. The book elucidates the vitality and creativity of anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian artistic production whose praxis is enmeshed with grassroots movements across MENA.
Deadline for chapters: 31 January 2023. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announce-ments/11850771/call-chapters-book-ib-tauris-art-against-authoritarianism
15. The Historian of Islam at work. Essays in honor of Hugh N. Kennedy
Edited by Maaike van Berkel and Letizia Osti
Brill, 2022
https://brill.com/display/title/63422?rskey=52HhNw&result=1
16. Islamic Architecture Today and Tomorrow: (Re)Defining the Field,
edited by M. Gharipour and D. Coslet.
Intellect, 2022
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/I/bo186918478.html
17. 2nd Annual Khamseen Graduate Student Presentation Award – Applications due 1 March
Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online offers short-form presentations and glossary term definitions to support teaching, learning, and research in Islamic art and related fields. Since the website’s launch in Fall 2020, we have regularly added new presentations. Last year, we successfully launched the first annual Khamseen Graduate Student Presentation Award; Sylvia Wu’s winning contribution on the Ashab Mosque in Quanzhou, South China, can be viewed here. While the PhD is a requirement for general submissions, Khamseen’s Graduate Student Presentation Award enables advanced PhD students to feature their expertise and contribute to Khamseen.
We invite PhD candidates (ABD) to submit a polished script of ca. 2,000 words and an accompanying PowerPoint slide show for a 10-12 minute video presentation for the 2nd Annual Khamseen Graduate Student Presentation Award. The winning applicant will work with our team to revise and then record their presentation; the awardee also will receive a $500 honorarium upon their presentation’s launch on the Khamseen website. Applications are due March 1, 2023 and decisions will be announced on April 1, 2023.
Submission Guidelines:
Applications due: March 1, 2023
Notification of decisions: April 1, 2023
Eligibility: PhD candidates (ABD) and advanced PhD students in their third year or above (for doctoral programs without candidacy) enrolled in a degree-granting program in Islamic art and allied fields. We do not accept applications from undergraduate and Masters students.
Application procedures: Candidates should submit a polished script of ca. 2,000 words and an accompanying PowerPoint slide show for a short-form presentation. Additionally, applications should include a 3-5 sentence summary of the presentation, a 2-page CV, and a note of support from a PhD advisor or dissertation committee member.
Please submit materials to TeamKhamseen@umich.edu; notes of support by advisors and queries by candidates also should be sent to TeamKhamseen@umich.edu.
Submission Guidelines:
Applications due: March 1, 2023
Notification of decisions: April 1, 2023
Eligibility: PhD candidates (ABD) and advanced PhD students in their third year or above (for doctoral programs without candidacy) enrolled in a degree-granting program in Islamic art and allied fields. We do not accept applications from undergraduate and Masters students.
Application procedures: Candidates should submit a polished script of ca. 2,000 words and an accompanying PowerPoint slide show for a short-form presentation. Additionally, applications should include a 3-5 sentence summary of the presentation, a 2-page CV, and a note of support from a PhD advisor or dissertation committee member.
Please submit materials to TeamKhamseen@umich.edu; notes of support by advisors and queries by candidates also should be sent to TeamKhamseen@umich.edu.
18. Barakat Oxford Masters Studentship
One studentship to cover one year’s fees for a Muslim student already accepted on the MSt or MPhil in Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of Oxford. Renewal for the second year of the MPhil may be granted to candidates who perform well in the qualifying examination, but the grant may not be extended to cover doctoral studies.
For further details, please visit:
https://barakat.org/grants/type-of-grants/
19. AN OTTOMAN EROTIC MANUSCRIPT FROM THE 1790s
İrvin Cemil Schick, École des hautes études en sciences sociales
Online talk, Wednesday, December 7th, 12:30pm EST
SilsilaFall 2022 Series, Body and Senses
Received opinion holds that Ottoman miniature painting was moribund by the early eighteenth century, Levnī (d. 1732) being its last great exponent. This is a misconception due in large part to the unwillingness of many art historians to give erotica the attention it deserves. An Ottoman manuscript recently acquired by the David Collection (Copenhagen) and produced in Shumen (in present-day Bulgaria) around the turn of the nineteenth century contains some eighty-five high-quality illustrations, many of which are of an erotic nature. The text brings together a number of well-known erotic works of both poetry and prose, and the degree of accomplishment exhibited by the miniatures suggests that the manuscript may not have been an isolated case.
Full details of the event and a link to register as an attendee either online or in person can be found at:
Only registered attendees will be able to access this event.
20. Recording of the 8th IDHN Conference
Dear friends and colleagues,
The recording of our 8th IDHN Conference on November 17, 2022 is online: https://youtu.be/hnWwg3N5PFY
It is also posted on our IDHN forum: https://idhn.org/forums/topic/8th-idhn-conference-recording/
Please note that the presentation by Prof. Maya Shatzmiller is not included in the recording upon her request.
We are immensely grateful to our presenters for their generosity in sharing their inspiring research with the IDH Network!
Thank you and best wishes,
Irene Kirchner (Georgetown University)
21. La troisième séance du séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du monde iranien” aura lieu le jeudi 15 décembre 2022 (de 17h à 19h, salle 5.28).
Nous serons heureux d’y accueillir Alberto BERNARD (Doctorant, allocataire de recherche EPHE-PSL/CeRMI) pour une conférence intitulée : “« Passe-moi le sel » : serments et diplomatie chez les rois sassanides“.
Résumé
Les pratiques du serment dans l’Iran ancien nous sont encore mal connues et une étude dédiée à ses aspects sociaux et religieux fait encore partie des desiderata des études iraniennes. Chez les historiens tardo-antiques tels que Procope (Guerres 1.4.9-10), ps-P’awstos (Histoires épiques 4.53) et ps-Sebēos (Histoire des Arméniens 11, 12, 39, 40), on trouve une allusion remarquable au fait que des rois sassanides comme Šābuhr II (IIIe s.), Pērōz (Ve s.) ou Kawād II Šīrōe (VIIe s.) prêtaient serment en « scellant du sel ». S’agit-il ici d’une fiction des sources littéraires ou d’une réalité historique ? En analysant ce dossier jusqu’à présent négligé et en mobilisant de nombreux témoignages sur la symbolique du sel dans le monde iranien, je propose d’y voir le reflet d’une pratique communicative royale, qui prenait sa forme dans la diplomatie interétatique et servait à garantir non seulement l’engagement du roi mais aussi l’immunité de la contrepartie. À cet effet, le sel était employé comme gage symbolique de bonne foi, d’hospitalité et d’amitié.
Orientation Bibliographique
- G. Garsoïan, « Armenian Sources on Sasanian Administration », in R. Gyselen (éd.), Sources pour l’histoire et la géographie du monde iranien, 224-710, Bures-sur-Yvette, 2009, p. 91–114.
- K. Patkanian, « Essai d’une histoire de la dynastie des Sassanides, d’après les renseignements fournis par les historiens arméniens », in Journal Asiatique, 7 (1866), p. 101–238.
- Nechaeva, Embassies – Negotiations – Gifts : Systems of East Roman Diplomacy in Late Antiquity, Stuttgart, 2014.
Au plaisir de vous retrouver à l’occasion de cette séance, qui se déroulera en présentiel sur le site de l’INaLCO (65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris).
Ci-joint le programme 2022/2023 du séminaire mensuel de recherche “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du monde iranien” en format pdf. Retrouvez également les détails sur le site web du CeRMI : https://cermi.cnrs.fr/seminaires-de-recherche/societes-politiques-et-cultures-du-monde-iranien-2022-2023/
22. An American Martyr in Persia, The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard Baskerville
R Aslan,
Norton, 2022
https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324004479
23. Call for Papers: Slavery in Islamicate Societies (TraSIS and the BCDSS)
Conference date: 30 August – 1 September 2023
Location: Murtensee (Bern Canton, Switzerland)
Abstract deadline: 15 January 2023 (with notification of which papers have been accepted for presentation in February)
N.B. travel, accommodation and all expenses related to the conference will be covered by the organisers.
Overview
Recent scholarship on various forms of dependency has demonstrated that a straightforward freedom/slavery binary does not help to account for how slavery operates in different historical and social contexts. In this workshop, we aim to contribute to discussions on the necessity of transcending this binary, focusing in particular on legal sources from Islamicate contexts.
We invite scholars working on any aspect of slavery and law (both normative texts and legal practices) to join us for a workshop convened jointly by the TraSIS project (Trajectories of Slavery in Islamicate Societies) and the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS).
Contributions should contribute to the main research questions of the workshop, namely what one can learn about slaveries and strong asymmetrical dependencies from legal sources, and the extent to which legal sources can shed light on the relevant social practices. We are interested in papers focusing on both normative sources and sources shedding light on legal practices related to slavery and strong asymmetrical dependencies. In particular, we are interested in papers reflecting on how intersectionality can shed light on different forms of slavery and/or papers pursuing a comparative approach between different legal schools. We are also open to other methodological approaches.
The contributions to this conference will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Abstracts should be no more than 500 words, and should be submitted to serena.tolino@islam.unibe.ch
Further information on the conference and the TraSIS research project can be found here.
24.Pourdavoud Center Videos Available: The World of Ancient Iran and the West Panel IV
We are pleased to share with you the recorded lectures from the fourth panel of the conference, The World of Ancient Iran and the West, “Iran and Rome in Late Antiquity and Beyond,” hosted at UCLA on May 20, 2022.
The Pourdavoud Center for the Study of the Iranian World and the J. Paul Getty Museum convened an international symposium on the exchanges between ancient Iran and the Classical world. Held at UCLA over two days (May 19 and 20, 2022), it marked the launch of the exhibit, Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World, at the Getty Villa in the spring of 2022. The symposium included invited speakers, UC faculty, and Getty scholars, whose research pertains to the nexus between ancient Persia and the West. The overarching themes covered by the symposium were: Achaemenid Persia and the West; Iran and the Hellenistic World; and Eastern and Western Entanglements in the Post-Hellenistic and Late Antique Periods.
25. Apply Now: The Yemen and Gulf Exchange Conference, January 16 – 27 (Online)
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26. digitalSSM, a tool created by the Sakıp Sabancı Museum, provides “open access” to the museum’s collections and archives for academics, researchers, and students from all over the world.
A pioneering project in Turkey, digitalSSM has digitalized the entirety of the museum’s collections and archives, including the Arts of the Book and Calligraphy Collection, the Painting Collection, the Abidin Dino Archive, and the Emirgan Archive; with over 77,000 high-resolution images. In addition to the dates, dimensions, materials, and technical information of each work, digitalSSM also contains the results of academic research conducted on these collections. Moreover, with its 200% zoom feature, the software allows researchers to examine artwork details such as brush strokes, paint layers, and craquelure, usually invisible to the naked eye.
Accessed by 200,000 users so far, digitalSSM is a resource for academics, researchers, museum professionals, collectors, art history students, and anyone interested in Turkish and Islamic arts. It is also a significant digital art archive for future academic studies and aims to contribute to the recognition of Turkey’s cultural heritage.
The collection and archives of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum are available at digitalSSM.
27. Kamran Talattof, Demystifying the Mystic: Nezami Ganjavi and Classical Persian Literature. Monday Majlis on the 12th of December, 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Monday the 12th of December. 17:00-18:30 (UK time)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrce-tpzwrG9xdL1jQGTez9SGf97yILHdd
28. 2023 BRAIS Prize in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World: Call for Submissions
The 2023 round of the BRAIS Prize in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World is now open for submissions.
This international prize is awarded annually to the best doctoral thesis or unpublished first monograph based on a doctoral thesis. The award includes a cash prize of £1000 which will be officially presented at the Annual Conference of BRAIS.
For further information about the Prize, including all terms and conditions,
click here: http://www.brais.ac.uk/prize/brais-prize-2023
29. Website for UCLA’s ‘Minorities in the Middle East and North Africa’ Project
https://www.international.ucla.edu/cnes/minorities-program
6.12.22
- December 06, 2022
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.In 2023 the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations inaugurates the “Franklin Lewis Lecture Series” in Persian Literature. This series is made possible by a generous gift to NELC and the Humanities Division and will support two lectures per year on Persian literature to honor the legacy of the late NELC Professor, Franklin Lewis.
The first two speakers are:
February 16th, 2023 – Paul Losensky, title tbd.
May 4th, 2023 – Asghar Seyed-Gohrab, title tbd.
Please see below the link to the page where the information about the upcoming talks is posted. The events will be in person and on zoom. The zoom links will be posted on this page before each talk.
https://nelc.uchicago.edu/news-events/franklin-lewis-lecture-series
2. CFP Culture and Global Responsibility: Rethinking Habitability in the Age of the Anthropocene
Conference at the University of Warwick
May 12-14, 2023
Organisers:
Stefano Bellin (University of Warwick)
Guido Bartolini (Ghent University)
Michael Niblett (University of Warwick)
Deadline to submit a paper proposal: February 10, 2023
Conference webpage: Rethinking Habitability in the Age of the Anthropocene (warwick.ac.uk)
3. Muslim Philanthropy in Latin America & Latinx U.S. (Dec. 7-8 | Online Colloquium)
- The second annual LACISA colloquium, in partnership with the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative.
** REGISTER: Muslim Philanthropy in Latin America & the Latinx U.S.
————————————————————
While the literatures on Muslim philanthropy and on Latinx philanthropy are continuously expanding, they lack perspectives on how Latinx Muslims and Muslims in Latin America are part of a wider matrix of generosity, volunteering, and mutual aid within, and beyond, both constituencies. On the one hand, Muslims give to organizations and participate in philanthropic activism at local, national, and global levels, hoping to make the world a better place in accordance with Islam. On the other hand, people who identify as Latinx or who live in Latin America have historically engaged in acts of solidarity and mutual assistance among vulnerable populations, addressing issues related to poverty, education, health, and culture.
The presentations below — and the resulting special edition of the Journal on Muslim Philanthropy and Civil Society (https://fu-berlin.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=218987e5c8b20ce72c5e7da24&id=eb18236511&e=f70992245e) — will help move research on the intersections between these fields that much further.
We welcome you to REGISTER (https://fu-berlin.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=218987e5c8b20ce72c5e7da24&id=a3b95832b3&e=f70992245e) and join us for the following events. A specialized Zoom link will be sent ahead of the event for all those who register.
NOTICE: All times are Central European Time (GMT +1). Please adjust for your own time zone.
4. The Muslim Difference
Defining the Line between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present
Y Patel
Yale, 2022
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300248968/the-muslim-difference/
5. Announcement: The Best Article Award in Kurdish Studies
This award, sponsored by Kurdish Political Studies Program at the University of Central Florida, recognizes the best article in Kurdish Studies by a rising scholar during the previous calendar year. In this year’s competition, social science and humanities articles published in English language peer-reviewed journals in 2021 were considered. The winning articles share the prize of $800. The selection committee was composed of Michiel Leezenberg (University of Amsterdam), Zozan Pehlivan (University of Minnesota), and Güneş Murat Tezcür (University of Central Florida).
The committee has decided to split the award between two articles:
Özgür Sevgi Göral (2021).Waiting for the disappeared: waiting as a form of resilience and the limits of legal space in Turkey. Social Anthropology, 29(3), 800-815.
Classical accounts of the counterinsurgency campaign pursued by the Turkish state in Kurdish lands discuss how the law became an instrument of domination to discipline, punish, and subdue political dissent. Göral’s argument offers an alternative reading of the role of law in shaping the encounters between Kurdish citizens who lost their loved ones to enforced disappearances. Focusing on a legal case about the high-ranking military officer accused of executing 21 individuals in the early 1990s, she reveals how novel forms of political subjectivities and activism have emerged among the relatives of the disappeared. Her study is based on rich fieldwork involving dozens of in-depth interviews and participant observation in court settings magnifies the voices of these individuals whose long encounters with the state bureaucracy inform their political resilience and resistance. While the trial ended as expectedly (i.e., all defendants acquitted), the very practice of using Turkey’s court system has exposed the fabricated nature of the state narratives, reinforced a sense of belonging among the activists, and validated their lasting loyalty to their family members victimized by the state. By transcending the binary framework between the state and insurgency that often characterizes the study of the “Kurdish question” in Turkey, Göral gives the struggles of ordinary people directly affected by the conflict the attention they deserve.
Nicola Degli Esposti (2021). The 2017 independence referendum and the political economy of Kurdish nationalism in Iraq. Third World Quarterly, 42(10), 2317-2333.
The referendum organized by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in September 2017 was the latest bid for sovereignty that remains central to Kurdish political aspirations. Yet it ended in failure and the loss of a significant amount of territory for the KRG. Taking a different approach than the burgeoning literature on the subject, Degli Esposti critically argues that the decision to hold the referendum was not a strategic miscalculation but an attempt to deflect popular unrest. By focusing on the long-neglected political economy of the KRG, Degli Esposti cogently identifies how a non-transparent, unaccountable, and corrupt fiscal system fostered new hierarchies and dependencies that were increasingly sustained by repression. The rise of the self-styled Islamic State, the conflict with the central government of Iraq in Baghdad regarding the budget reallocation, and the global decline in oil prices by 2014 exacerbated social tensions and generated direct threats to the political elite. In this context, the decision to hold the referendum aimed to stoke nationalist sentiments and sustain the political status quo. Degli Esposti’s article brings analytical clarity to this crucial aspect of the referendum and will stimulate much needed discussion about the relationship between Kurdish elites and ordinary people in a time of continuing uncertainty and precariousness in Kurdish lands.
The committee has also found the following article worthy of an honorable mention:
Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky (2021). Becoming Armenian: religious conversions in the late imperial South Caucasus. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 63(1), 242-272.
In this rich and elegantly written article, Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky studies voluntary conversions to Armenian Christianity during the late nineteenth century South Caucasus under the rule of the Russian Tsar. These converts included Muslims, Yezidis, Assyrians, and Jews who sought to improve their social standing and material wellbeing in a sociopolitical environment embodying entrenched hierarchies. While the conversions were a slow-moving process subject to approval by the Russian authorities who wielded their power capriciously, they were also emblematic of a social order with relatively fluid identities across the borderlands. This order would be swept away with the outbreaks of intercommunal violence and the rise of ethno-nationalism by the early 20th century. By focusing on a neglected historical dynamic indicating the transmutability of religious identities, Hamed-Troyansky’s article brings a fresh perspective to Kurdish Studies and fosters greater intellectual synergy with other fields of inquiry.
6. History of Islamic Art Association- prize, fellowship, grant
The Margaret B. Ševčenko Prize in Islamic Art and Culture
Deadline: December 15, 2022
Every year the Historians of Islamic Art Association (HIAA) sponsors a competition and awards the Margaret B. Ševčenko Prize for the best unpublished essay written by a junior scholar (pre-dissertation graduate student to three years after the Ph.D. degree) on any aspect of Islamic visual culture. This competition is open to HIAA members only. The Ševčenko Prize recipient receives an award of $500 and a citation, generally presented at HIAA’s annual business meeting. The Prize is named in memory of Margaret Bentley Ševčenko, the first and long-serving Managing Editor of Muqarnas, a journal devoted to the visual culture of the Islamic world and sponsored by the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard and at MIT. The winning essay will be considered for publication by the Muqarnas Editorial Board.
Submissions must include the paper in both Word and PDF format, and a separate sheet with the author’s contact information (address, telephone number, and email address). Papers should not exceed 10,000 words in length (including footnotes) and can be accompanied by up to 15 low-res illustrations.
Please note that submissions cannot be in press or under review with any publisher
A letter of recommendation for the paper should be sent separately by the author’s adviser or referee to the Ševčenko committee chair (sevcenko.hiaa@gmail.com).
All materials should be submitted by email to the Ševčenko committee chair (sevcenko.hiaa@gmail.com) by December 15, 2022. Files exceeding 5 Mb should be transferred by FTP.
For further details, please visit: https://www.historiansofislamicart.org/opportunities/hiaa-prizes/the-margaret-ševčenko-prize-in-islamic-art-and-culture
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Grabar Post-doctoral Fellowship
Deadline: December 15, 2022
The Grabar Post-doctoral Fellowship is intended to support post-doctoral scholars at an early stage of their careers in advancing their research. Fellowship funds may be used in one of two ways:
* To spend up to two months in residence as a visiting professor or fellow/research scholar at a university, museum, research institute or similar institution outside their usual country of residence or employment.
OR
* To support additional research to aid in preparing the dissertation for publication.
Applicants should have completed their PhD within the last five years or have submitted their dissertations by the start of the fellowship.
The Grabar Post-doctoral Fellowship will provide up to $2000 US per month, for a maximum of two months. An additional $1000 may be requested for travel or for supplies.
All materials should be submitted by email to the chair of the Grabar post-doctoral fellowship committee chair (grabar.hiaa@gmail.com) by December 15, 2022. Files exceeding 5 Mb should be transferred by FTP.
For further details and to apply, please visit: https://www.historiansofislamicart.org/opportunities/hiaa-prizes/grabar-grants-and-fellowships
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Grabar Travel Grant
Deadline: December 15, 2022
This competition is open to graduate students (doctoral candidates) who have been invited or accepted as participants in a scholarly conference or other professional meeting for the purpose of presenting papers, chairing sessions or moderating discussions.
Applicants must be HIAA members in good standing at the time of application. Grabar Travel Grants must be used within 12 months of the award date.
Applications must include the following components and be submitted in a single pdf to the Grabar Travel Committee Chair (grabar.hiaa@gmail.com) by December 15, 2022:
- Application cover sheet, available here
- A cover letter explaining the applicant’s purpose in participating in the conference, the expected benefits of participation, and an itemized travel budget
- Curriculum vitae
- Letter of acceptance from the conference/session organizer(s)
- Abstract of the paper to be presented
Additionally, a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s primary supervisor should be sent directly to the Grabar Travel Committee chair (grabar.hiaa@gmail.com) by the deadline.
Applicants from outside the United States are responsible for meeting the requirements for and obtaining any visas necessary for visits to or residence and research in the United States. Upon request, HIAA will supply documentation of the grant and/or fellowship award, the dates of the award, and financial support.
For further details and to apply, please visit: https://www.historiansofislamicart.org/opportunities/hiaa-prizes/grabar-grants-and-fellowships
7. Call for Applications: 2023-2024 PIL–LC Research Fellowship
In collaboration with the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.
In collaboration with the *John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress,*the *Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School *is pleased to invite applications for the 2023-2024 PIL–LC Research Fellowship <https://harvard.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8b92c9ea0db629b61c0751b0d&id=c4c15c7a5e&e=83b705019c>(*due: January 31, 2023*). <https://harvard.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8b92c9ea0db629b61c0751b0d&id=10090d2503&e=83b705019c>This newly offered fellowship is designed to provide an intellectual home to promising young scholars in Islamic legal studies, to advance their research, and to contribute to the intellectual life of the Program, the greater Harvard community, and the Library of Congress community. The unique opportunity afforded by this joint fellowship award allows the selected fellow to pursue independent research on Islamic law and history that utilizes the extensive collections of the Harvard Libraries and the Library of Congress. The PIL–LC Research Fellowship award is a full-time residential fellowship at Harvard Law School (for nine months, during the academic year) and at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress (for three months, the following summer).
Successful applicants will have completed an advanced degree (JD, PhD, SJD, or the equivalent) before the start of the fellowship, and plan to pursue a scholarly research agenda in Islamic law that engages legal history, law and society, or comparative law approaches. Fellows will receive a stipend for the duration of the fellowship.
To apply for this fellowship, please submit the following materials via the research fellowship online application form <https://harvard.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8b92c9ea0db629b61c0751b0d&id=82dd531709&e=83b705019c>by *January 31, 2023*:
1. a curriculum vitae
2. a research proposal consisting of
* a single-paragraph abstract of your proposed research
* a research statement, not to exceed 1500 words (3 single-spaced pages), and
* a bibliography of works you have consulted that describes the proposed work during the fellowship period.
The proposal should outline research in your area of expertise or interest related to contemporary or historical issues of Islamic law that can be accomplished during the fellowship term; projects are to utilize the Harvard and Library of Congress collections to advance a novel contribution to scholarship through research in Islamic law, with a legal history, comparative law, or law and society approach.
3. an explanation of why Harvard/PIL and the Library of Congress are the required venue for your research (e.g., identification of specific Harvard/PIL resources and Library of Congress collections that are necessary to pursue the research project)
4. a writing sample of no more than 25 pages in length, in English (which can be a recent publication or unpublished work; works-in-progress are especially welcome)
5. 3 reference letters from recommenders who are to upload letters directly at the referee link <https://harvard.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8b92c9ea0db629b61c0751b0d&id=bf296965ca&e=83b705019c>.
A panel of scholars at both Harvard and the Library of Congress will review your application materials. The panel will consider your application in relation to numerous other proposals. Evaluation criteria will include:
* The significance of the contribution that the project will make to knowledge in the field
* The quality or the promise of quality of the work
* The quality of the conception, definition, organization and description of the project
* The likelihood that the applicant will complete the project
* The appropriateness of the research for Harvard/PIL resources and the Library of Congress collections
Please ensure that your references have ample time to consider and comment on your proposal. Letters of reference are more highly regarded if they address the specific proposed activity and how well the candidate is suited to undertake it, as opposed to letters that verify character, limit comments to previous work, or make only general observations on the topic.
Following a process of committee review, applicants will be notified of decisions in March 2023.
<https://harvard.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8b92c9ea0db629b61c0751b0d&id=048915d6cd&e=83b705019c>
- December 03, 2022
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Discussion Forum on Divine Scriptures’ (5.12.22, 8.30 EST)
⚜️An International Conference (online) on:
“Intratextuality in the Bible and the Qur’an” (DFDS 3rd &1st pre meeting)
Organized by:
🔹 Discussion Forum on Divine Scriptures(DFDS)
🔹World Religions World Church Program (Notre Dame University)
🔹 Center for International Religious Studies (Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran)
Presenting by:
💠Gabriel said Reynolds, University of Notre Dame
💠 Mohammad Kazem Shakir, AT University
💠 Mohammad Hasan Ahmadi, University of Tehran
◇Monday Dec. 5 , 2022 – 8:30 New York time
Meeting link:
http://vroom.ut.ac.ir/fws3
More info and Registration: info@zabanshenasitarikhi.ir
https://chat.whatsapp.com/GSaHZjoRnZ5JNHRh18O2AV
🔹 Discussion Forum on Divine Scriptures (DFDS)
http://zabanshenasitarikhi.ir/p/52/DFDS3/1Meeting/
- December 02, 2022
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment