Archive for 2022

1. IFRI Webinar SERIES : Regards sur les arts du monde iranien / Insights into the Art of the Persianate Societies

Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer que la première séance 2022 du Webinaire de l’IFRI (IFRI Webinar SERIES)

Regards sur les arts du monde iranien / Insights into the Art of the Persianate Societies

coorganisé par l’Institut Français de Recherche en Iran (IFRI) et le CeRMI,

aura lieu

le mardi 25 janvier 2022, de 15h à 17h (heure de Paris) / 17h30-19h30 (heure de Téhéran).

Cette première séance s’articulera autour du thème “Regards sur les arts du métal / Insights into Metalwork“, avec les interventions suivantes :

• Metalwares from the Medieval Iranian World: Archaeometallurgy, Actors and Systems of Production

Annabelle Collinet (Musée du Louvre, Paris), David Bourgarit (Centre de recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France, Paris/UMR 8068 TEMPS)

• Medieval Metalwork from Afghanistan: Preserving the Memory of Lost Collections

Valentina Laviola (University of Bologna)

Pour suivre cette séance online (sur Skyroom), inscrivez-vous avant le 22 janvier sur le lien suivant : https://webquest.fr/?m=111505_regards-sur-les-arts-du-monde-iranien-periodes-islamiques

>> Pour plus d’informations sur le Webinaire

N’hésitez surtout pas à faire circuler l’information !

Au plaisir de vous retrouver nombreux ;

Sandra Aube (CNRS, CeRMI)

pour le comité d’organisation

Centre de Recherche sur le Monde iranien (CeRMI), CNRS UMR 8041

27 rue Paul Bert – 94204 Ivry-sur-Seine

——————————————————–
CeRMI – CNRS UMR 8041
Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien
27 rue Paul Bert – 94204 Ivry-sur-Seine – France
cermi@cnrs.fr  – https://www.cermi.cnrs.fr

 

 

 

 

2. Smith College – Lecturer in Modern Middle East History
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=62862

Closing date: 4.14.22

 

 

 

3. Workshop series: Afghanistan through Afghan Voices: Society, Literature & the Arts

https://www.international.ucla.edu/apc/centralasia/article/251182

Afghanistan through Afghan Voices: Society, Literature & the Arts

Talks | Conversations | Readings | Visual Inspirations

 

Organizers: Aria Fani (University of Washington), Domenico Ingenito (UCLA), Mejgan Massoumi (Stanford University)

 

Afghanistan through Afghan Voices is a series of virtual workshops that highlights and critically engages with recent scholarship on one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world. It aims to open an inclusive and multidisciplinary space where Afghan scholars and artists come together in conversation with broad audiences to publicly reflect on their research endeavors and creative trajectories. Monthly programs include Afghan artists from around the globe in dialogue with scholars of literature, art, and history; panels featuring conversations on visual culture and media; and poetry readings in Persian/Dari, Pashto, and English.

 

The monthly series is hosted via Zoom by the UCLA Program on Central Asia and co-sponsored by the University of Washington’s Persian and Iranian Studies Program, Stanford University’s Center for South Asia and Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, CMRS Center for Early Global Studies, as well as the Center for India and South Asia.

 

Schedule

Each meeting is held on the listed date from 9:30 to 11:00 AM Pacific time.

 

Session 1 | Mr. Blinken’s “Play List”: War, the State, and Empire in Afghanistan in the Age of Neo-liberal (Dis)Order

Thursday, January 27

Wali Ahmadi (UC Berkeley)

Discussant: Munazza Ebtikar (University of Oxford)

 

Session 2 | Invisible Persons, Invisible Texts: Translation and Translators in Medieval and Modern Afghanistan and the West

Thursday, February 17

Book Panel on Zrinka Stahuljak’s Les Fixeurs au Moyen âge – Histoire et littérature connectées

Zrinka Stahuljak (UCLA), Jawanshir Rasikh (University of Toronto), and Arezou Azad (University of Oxford)

Discussant: Domenico Ingenito (UCLA)

 

Session 3 | What is the Value of the Persianate to Afghanistan Studies?

Friday, March 11

Panel with Marjan Wardaki (Yale University), Neelam Khoja (University of Pennsylvania), and Nicolas Roth (Harvard University)

Discussant: Aria Fani (University of Washington)

 

Session 4 | Media, Feminism, and Resistance in and Beyond Afghanistan

Thursday, April 7

 Panel with Wazhmah Osman (Temple University), Helena Zeweri (University of Virginia), and Hosai Qasmi (University of Ottawa)

Discussant: Mejgan Massoumi (Stanford University)

 

Session 5 | How to (Not) Read Afghan Literature?

Thursday, May 5

Panel with Ahmad Rashid Salim (UC Berkeley), Zuzanna Olszewska (University of Oxford), and Samuel Hodgkin (Yale University)

Discussant: Aria Fani (University of Washington)

 

Session 6 | Inside/Outside the Line: Reading and Translating Afghan Poetry

Thursday, June 2

Panel with Parwana Fayyaz (University of Cambridge), Rahman Arman (Indiana University), Elyas Alavi (Adelaide, Australia), Julie Ershadi (UCLA), and Domenico Ingenito (UCLA)

 

https://www.international.ucla.edu/apc/centralasia/article/251182

 

 

 

 

4. Online Talk – “Islamic Ceramics: Archaeology, The Art Market and the Creation of Taste,” with Scott Redford (SOAS) – February 1

Online Talk Announcement:

The 52 William Cohn Lecture, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford – Tuesday 1 February 2022, 5-6pm

Islamic Ceramics: Archaeology, The Art Market and the Creation of Taste 

With Professor Scott Redford, Nasser D. Khalili Professor of Islamic Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

In the West, the collecting of Islamic ceramics has traditionally taken a back seat to east Asian ceramics. Why is this so? This lecture explores the roles played by dealers, collectors, and museums in creating a body of material known as “Islamic ceramics.” What constitutes this body, and how did it come to be? How might it have been different? 

BOOKING:

Please book by emailing eastern.art@ashmus.ox.ac.uk

This free event will take place on Zoom and a link to join will be shared in advance by email.

 

 

 

 

5. Postdoctoral position at the UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) as part of the FNRS Incentive Grant for Scientific Research “Prisca Alchimia. The Beginnings of Arabic Alchemy in the East (8^th-10^th centuries) and its Transmission to al-Andalus and to the Latin World” conducted by Prof. Sébastien Moureau.

Prisca Alchimia is a two-year F.R.S.-FNRS project to start in January 2022 at the UCLouvain (UCL) under the supervision of Prof. Sébastien Moureau. This research project focuses on the history of the Arabic alchemy of the first centuries (8^th-10^th centuries) approached as the starting context of the alchemical ideas that were transmitted to al-Andalus in the 10^th century and then to the Latin West in the 12^th and 13^th centuries. The aim is to study the first of the three stages in the transfer of alchemy from the Arab-Muslim East to the Latin world through al-Andalus. In order to do so, research will be oriented towards the sources of alchemical literature of al-Andalus and Latin Europe.

As part of this project, a postdoc position of two years (to start before 1 July 2022) is offered for the second sub-project, i.e. a profound re-evaluation of the manuscript tradition of the corpus of alchemical texts attributed to Jābir b. Ḥayyān, the creation of an inventory of witnesses and the acquisition of copies of the most important manuscripts. This position will involve numerous stays in countries where little or poorly catalogued Arabic alchemical manuscript collections are found (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, etc.).

The qualifications required are:

• a PhD in Islamic Studies, in Middle Eastern Studies, or related fields, granted within the last 6 years (i.e. after 1/7/2016);
• an excellent command of Classical Arabic;
• excellent skills in codicology, Arabic paleography, and manuscript tradition studies;
• a first-rate track record and research experience;
• publications of articles in peer-reviewed international journals or monographs with recognised academic publishers;
• academic writing and presentation skills in English;
• the ability to work both individually and as part of a team.

This postdoc position is full-time equivalent. It is offered initially for a period of 12 months, renewable for another 12 months (two years in total) upon good performance. The postdoc retained will be required to reside in Belgium for the whole period of the fellowship, with many trips and stays abroad, and will be asked to contribute to the intellectual life of the project and of the UCLouvain.

How to apply?

Applications should be made via PDF files and contain the following:

(1) a cover letter setting out the candidate’s qualifications and motivation for applying for the position (maximum 2 pages);

(2) a curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages);

(3) a list of publications;

(4) two samples of published work (articles, chapters) in pdf (preferably in English or French);

(5) a transcript of grades and/or copy of the PhD certificate;

(6) the name (with title, affiliation and email) of three people having accepted to be contacted as potential referees.

Applications should be made electronically (PDF files only) and sent to the following address:

sebastien.moureau@uclouvain.be

The application deadline is 28 February 2022.

Candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted by March 4 and asked to write a short research design on a topic to be announced at that moment.

Online interviews will be arranged between 14 and 18 March 2022.

Employment must become effective before 1 July 2022.

 

 

 

6. Lecture Series – NYU, Silsila: Center for Material Histories – Spring 2022

Silsila: Center for Material Histories

Spring 2022 Series

We are delighted to announce the spring 2022 program of New York University’s Silsila: Center for Material Histories. The full details of our spring program are listed below and can also be found on our website:

https://as.nyu.edu/silsila/events.html

Only registered attendees will be able to access the events. Links to register for each event can be found on the webpage for each, accessed through the website.

 

Silsila Spring 2022 Series

 

Feb 2nd (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“ILLUMINATING THE HISTORY OF PRIVATE DEVOTION IN THE MUSLIM WEST” Hiba Abid, Silsila/NYU

 

Feb 9th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“SILSILAS FROM THE ISLAMIC EAST: MIRACLES AND MATERIAL LIFE” Teren Sevea, Harvard University

 

Feb 23rd (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“THE FABRIC OF THE CITY: SPACES OF SILK WEAVING AND MASS PRODUCTION IN EARLY MODERN KASHAN” Nader Sayadi, Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

Mar 2nd (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“REVISITING THE GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS” Alain George, University of Oxford

 

Mar 9th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“THE THEATRE-CARAVANSERAI OF TBILISI. A HETEROTOPIA FROM THE CAUCASUS” Luka Nakhutsrishvili, Ilia State University, Tbilisi

 

Mar 30th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“MODERN MEN AND AMATEURS OF ANTIQUITIES: COLLECTING PRACTICE IN 19th OTTOMAN TUNISIA” Ridha Moumni, Harvard University

 

Apr 6th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“ARCHIVE WARS: THE POLITICS OF HISTORY IN SAUDI ARABIA” Rosie Bsheer, Harvard University

 

Apr 13th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“‘ABOU FARID’S WAR’ AND OTHER LOVE STORIES – ARTIST OMAR MISMAR IN CONVERSATION WITH JOAN RETALLACK” Omar Mismar, American University of Beirut & Joan Retallack, Bard College

 

Apr 20th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“THE QUR’AN IN PRACTICE” Anouk Cohen, CNRS Paris

 

Apr 27th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“BLOCK-PRINTED AMULETS FROM THE QUBBAT AL-KHAZNA IN DAMASCUS: DISCOVERY, TECHNIQUE AND TEXTS” Arianna D’Ottone Rambach, La Sapienza University, Rome

 

May 4th (Wed), 12:30-2:30pm

“SLAVES AND MATERIAL CULTURE IN THE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN MEDITERRANEAN” Lamia Balafrej, UCLA; M’hamed Oualdi, Sciences Po-Paris & Meredith Martin, NYU

 

 

 

7. New Publication – Epidemic Urbanism: Contagious Diseases in Global Cities

Epidemic Urbanism: Contagious Diseases in Global Cities, edited by Mohammad Gharipour and Caitlin DeClercq, is available as an ebook, paperback and hardback.

The recent pandemic has put into perspective the impact of epidemic illness on urban life and exposed the vulnerabilities of societies. Interdisciplinary case studies from across the globe explore what insights from the outbreak, experience, and response to previous epidemics might inform our understanding of the current world.

This book seeks to explore the profound and complex ways that architecture and landscape design were impacted by historical epidemics around the world, from North America to Africa and Australia, and to convey this information in a way that meaningfully engages a public readership. The chapters analyse the development of urban infrastructure, institutions and spaces in western and eastern societies in response to historical pandemics. They also demonstrate how epidemic illnesses, and their responses, exploit and amplify social inequality in the urban contexts and communities they impact. The contributors to this new study are historians, public health experts, art and architectural historians, sociologists, anthropologists, doctors and nurses. In researching their contributions, all have spoken to an audience that includes the public, practitioners and academic readers; the resultant case studies reveal a diverse range of urban interventions that are connected to the impact of epidemics on society and urban life, as well as the conceptualization of and response to disease.

 

 

 

8. The Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World

University of Edinburgh/IASH (Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities)

IASH-Alwaleed Research Fellowship

The application deadline for the 2022/23 IASH-Alwaleed Research Fellowship is 25th February 2022.

The Fellowship includes a stipend of up to £3500 to enable a scholar to visit Edinburgh for up to four months during the 22/23 academic year. Further details can be found here: https://www.iash.ed.ac.uk/iash-alwaleed-research-fellowship

Especially for those whose research fits with the Alwaleed Centre’s focus on the contemporary/globalised Muslim world.  IASH are particularly keen to welcome scholars whose work links to their Institute Project on Decoloniality.

 

 

 

 

9. Teaching Fellow – Languages for All (Arabic)
University of Birmingham
Languages for All in the Department of Modern Languages is looking to appoint a Teaching Fellow in Arabic. As part of the University’s strategic vision for Languages for All, the Teaching Fellow will contribute to an innovative digital-first year-round programme which maximises the opportunities of digital language learning through a curriculum aligned with the University’s global community.

Deadline | 6 February 2022

More information

 

 

 

 

10. Call for Papers – Post-Millennial MENAWA Conference
Online conference | 21-22 June 2022 | MENAWA
Papers are invited for this multidisciplinary conference which seeks to examine MENAWA (Middle East/North Africa/West Asia) creative expression through innovative lenses and new critical paradigms. The organisers aim to identify emergent trends across literature and visual media as well as networks of production, reception, and circulation (pedagogy, literary translation & criticism, publishing) in order to illuminate new approaches to understanding creative cultural expression from these regions.

Deadline | 28 February 2022
More information

 

 

 

 

11. British Yemeni Society Research Grant
As part of its educational mission, the British–Yemeni Society offers a £500 grant annually to assist with academic study related to Yemen. Applications are invited from anyone carrying out research in, or on Yemen, at a British or Yemeni University. Applicants’ nationality is irrelevant. Applications may be made to assist with study in any subject or field, so long as it is concerned with Yemen, and is for a specific qualification (e.g., BA, MA, PhD etc.). Post-doctoral researchers may apply but will only be considered should no more junior applicant approach the Committee.

Deadline | 31 May 2022
More information

 

 

 

 

12. NES Lecture: FROM COMPILATION TO INDEXING: TRACING THE PRACTICE OF EARLY MODERN ORIENTALIST SCHOLARSHIP, February 16, 12:00 PM

Near Eastern Studies Lecture

February 16,12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

From Compilation to Indexing: Tracing the Practice of Early Modern Orientalist Scholarship

 

Paul Babinski (University of Copenhagen)

Hosted by Sabine Schmidtke (School of Historical Studies, IAS).

How did orientalists read, learn languages, and produce dictionaries, editions, and other works? Annotated manuscripts in particular offer a glimpse into the orientalist’s study, showing the sources they used, their methods of deciphering texts and comparing manuscripts, and their collaboration with amanuenses. Annotations also afford us a view of development over time, charting practices of early modern orientalist scholarship through shifting patterns of note-taking. This talk will trace that history in the early modern period, giving an overview of the conventions of orientalist annotation and focusing on a comparison between manuscripts from the two premier Western European Arabists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, respectively: Jacob Golius and Johann Jacob Reiske. Both scholars’ libraries remain largely intact, and, viewed broadly, offer a perspective onto questions of scholarly specialization, the character of philological progress, and the changing social contexts of orientalist learning.

Register in advance here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

 

 

 

13. Storey Online– Persian Literature: A Bio-Bibliographical Survey

C.A. Storey’s Persian Literature: A Bio-Bibliographical Survey is the most authoritative reference work on the Persian written tradition, offering the names of authors and the titles of those of their works that have survived in the Persian language.

“Charles Ambrose Storey’s (1888-1968) Persian Literature: A Bio-bibliographical Survey is a standard reference work about the Persian literary tradition. Storey’s Survey originally consisted of 5 volumes (1.1; 1.2; 2; 3; and 4), but not all volumes were actually published. A new volume (no. 5) was published later by François de Blois. Based on Storey’s handwritten legacy preserved by the Royal Asiatic Society, Brill has published the missing volumes, completing the Survey in 2020 and 2021.

Explicitly intended as a counterpart to Carl Brockelmann’s Geschichte der arabischen Litteratur, Storey’s Survey offers entries on Persian authors as well as their works, listing their manuscripts and editions.

Storey Online makes available all 6 volumes of Persian Literature: A Bio-bibliographical Survey, as well as the new cumulative index volume, as an online resource. Its publication in Open Access was made possible by the Persian Heritage Foundation.”

 

 

 

14. The 8th Yemen Exchange Conference (Online), February 28 – March 11, 2022

The Eighth Yemen Exchange February 28-March 11 (Monday-Friday, 16:00-19:000 Sana’a Time) is an intensive online version of the Yemen Exchange organized by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies and The Exchange Foundation since 2017. The conference is designed to provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates and analyses on Yemen for both those seeking to develop a working background on the country as well as those already thoroughly versed in its dynamics. During the ten-day program conducted via Zoom, participants from around the world will listen to Yemeni analysts, academics, politicians, bureaucrats, business leaders and international experts to gain insight and rare first-hand knowledge about the country from a wide range of perspectives. Participants will have the chance to both virtually engage with speakers during the sessions and connect with speakers individually after the Exchange.

The sessions themselves – totaling more than 30 hours – will dive into several specific areas, including but not limited to: Yemen’s multifaceted conflicts, socio-political dynamics, internal divisions and alliances among parties to the conflict, developments in the southern governorates and the Red Sea, military and political developments on the ground, the status of various armed groups, gender issues, the Yemeni diaspora, the regional battle for Yemen, the humanitarian response, the state of the economy, the UN-led peace process and a variety of other topics.

All information at: https://sanaacenter.org/event/the-eighth-yemen-exchange

 

 

 

15. Lecture on “The Metaphysical Dimension of the Prophet in Avicenna’s Thought” at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London

This upcoming lecture is the eighth in the ‘Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series’ convened by The Institute of Ismaili Studies, and the first to be hybrid. Scholars are warmly invited to register to attend online via Zoom, or in person at the Aga Khan Centre in Kings Cross, London.
Date: 3 February, 2022
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm GMT
Speaker: Dr Meryem Sebti (CNRS)
The prophet has a major metaphysical function. This is a fundamental thesis of Avicenna’s prophetology, and one of the main theses that will be explored in this lecture. The Metaphysics of the Kitāb al-Šifā’ closes with a treatise on prophetology, and one must give a reason for that. The prophet is not only the one who transmits the revealed Law to mankind, nor merely the one who ensures the best possible government of the city: he is also a model of perfection for men. This exemplarity of the prophet has its foundation in the very structure of Avicenna’s metaphysics. The intellect, soul and body of the prophet – in their mutual relationship – present a perfect correspondence with the intellect, soul and body of the ten celestial entities that structure the cosmos according to Avicenna.
Find out more and register (in person or online): https://bit.ly/3nBHM9w
About the lecture series: https://bit.ly/31VxnLb
Subscribe to The Institute of Ismaili Studies academic newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gqvLlz

The University of Religions and Denominations (URD) – Qom, Iran- has organized the 12th intensive Course on Shi’i Studies (24 February to 4 March 2022) for scholars, professors, and students from various academic backgrounds, who are interested in expanding their understanding of Islam and Shiism.
Shi’i Intensive Course gives you the chance to develop your skills and knowledge, expand your international experience, and study unique and interesting subjects on Shiism and Iran.
Studying at URD Shi’a Intensive Course is the perfect way to broaden your academic and cultural horizons at an Iran-leading university and is a fantastic option to enjoy one of the world’s most unique cities. Our social programs let you experience the best of the city, while our class schedule gives you plenty of opportunities to explore Shi’i Islam in Iran. The course also includes a 5-day cultural tour (Matin-Abad, Isfahan, Shiraz) to truly immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere that Iran has to offer.
For further information and to apply:
http://shiacourse.urd.ac.ir/application-form/
Last day to register: 29 January.

The Islamic College

‘Vistas to the East’
Friday 28th of January 2022
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (UK Time)
on Zoom
(3rd Online Webinar)
‘Mulla Sadra’s Philosophy: Continuity and Novelty’
Prof. Mohammad Fanaei
Prof. David B. Burrell

Professor Mohammad Fanaei Eshkevari studied both at the Qom seminary in Iran as well as McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he received his PhD in philosophy. For the past two decades, he has been lecturing on comparative philosophy, mysticism and theology in Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute in Qom. He has published more than fifty books and articles in Persian on different areas of Islamic thought.

Professor David Bakewell Burrell is an American educator, theologian, writer and translator. He is the Theodore Hesburgh Professor emeritus in Philosophy and Theology at University of Notre Dame, USA. He has written and published extensively on Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions.

For more information and to register, see:
https://www.islamic-college.ac.uk/2022/01/3rd-webinar/

IMES Research Seminar Series
University of Edinburgh, Spring 2022
“De-centring (the study of) Shiʿism”

This Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES) Research Seminar Series builds on recent calls to “de-centre Shiʿism” (M. Künkler and M. Clarke, 2018). It brings together a range of perspectives on historical and contemporary topics that move beyond the cores and hierarchies within Shi‘ism – whether temporal, geographical, textual or sociological – which have long been assumed and given prominence in the field of Shiʿi studies. The Series also explores avenues to open up the field beyond its Shiʿi-centric confines and encourage more dialogue with the fields of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies more broadly.

The Monday seminars take place at 5.15pm UK time on Zoom. All welcome. To register, https://ed-ac-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlcuyvqjgvHdaSodYsuXt5D9W4T3lim0DW.

7 February Edmund Hayes (Radboud University)
Decentring the Imamate: Did the Imams Create Shiʿism, or Did the Shiʿa Create the Imams?

21 February Lucy Deacon (UoE)
Karbala from Canvas to Stage: The Influence of Traditional Storytelling on the Iranian Taʿziyeh
Carlos Mendez (UoE)
Exploring the Intra-Shiʿi Moral Panic behind the Controversial Film “The Lady of Heaven”

7 March Siti Sarah Muwahidah (UoE)
Carving an Inclusive Online Learning Space Under Constraints: A Study of Minority Shiʿi Women’s Digital Da’wa_in Indonesia

21 March Jeroen Gunning (Aarhus University/London School of Economics) & Morten Valbjørn (Aarhus University)
Where Have All the (Sunni) Islamists Gone? Bridging Studies of Sunni and Shia Islamism

4 April Songül Mecit (UoE)
Transnational Lives and Transnational Politics: The Alevis in Germany

For enquiries, please contact the convenor of the Series, Elvire Corboz (elvire.corboz@ed.ac.uk)

Rights groups urge the US to call for the release of Bahraini hunger striker Dr Abduljalil AlSingace

For ADHRB Weekly Newsletter #429, click here.

1. ONLINE Lecture: “From Victims to Survivors: Violence, Memory and Social Reconstruction in Rizgari, Kurdistan Region of Iraq” by Karin Mlodoch (Sigmund Freud University Berlin & HAU-KARI e.V.), Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg, 18 January 2022, 6:00 pm MET

In 1988 the Iraqi Baath-regime destroyed thousands of Kurdish villages in Northern Iraq. Since 2009, a group of women survivors in the town of Rizgari have engaged for the construction of a self-designed memory site, which shall represent their specific gendered experience of violence and serve as a platform for bringing the survivors’ claims for justice into the public debate.

Information and registration: https://www.asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de/fileadmin/Pictures/Events/2021/Jewish__Kurdish_and_Amazigh_Life_-_Poster_-_FINAL.pdf

 

 

 

 

2. ONLINE Rencontre avec Adam Baczko ( CNRS – CERI Sciences Po): « Le gouvernement des Taliban en Afghanistan, de l’insurrection à l’administration du pays », Halqa Association des jeunes chercheurs et chercheuses en sciences sociales sur les mondes musulmans mo-dernes et contemporains, 18 janvier 2022, 18:00 h

Information: https://halqa.hypotheses.org/5033 .

Inscription : halqadesdoctorants@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

3. ONLINE Lecture on “Sharīʿa Genres and their Writers in Imamic Yemen” by Dr. Brinkley Messick, Columbia University, 1 February 2022, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

The historical instance in question comprises the twentieth-century decades of an imam-led polity in the uncolonized, late agrarian-age society of highland Yemen. With the support of ethnographic photography, Messick surveys the relations between the main roles in sharīʿa governance, and between the main types of sharīʿa writings in the textual formation of the period.

Deadline for registration: 25 January 2022 at abw2163@columbia.edu

 

 

 

 

4. ONLINE Seminar: “Sketching/Scripting Women – Women and Comics in the Arab World”, In-stitute of Modern Language Research, University of London, 4 March 2022, 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm GMT

The seminar will explore the work of Francophone female graphic novelists from the Arab World, with contri-butions from academic speakers focusing on different historical and socio-political contexts spanning from the Maghreb to the Middle-East, and a talk by prize-winning Beirut-born bande dessinée author Michèle Standjofski.

Information and registration: https://modernlanguages.sas.ac.uk/events/event/25230

 

 

 

 

5. Conference: “Red Sea Project X: Red Sea Horizons, Edges and Transitions”, Rethymno, Crete, Greece, 6-9 July 2022

Conference themes will include: Lines of sight, shores, and islands in the maritime experience; Archaeology and material culture of forelands, hinterlands, and contact zones; Movement, dependencies, and enslaved lives across geographic and temporal borders; Traditional maritime technologies; the transition from the age of sail to the age of steam; Religion and the sea; etc.

Information: Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/11419/discussions/9015868/cfp-reminder-red-sea-project-x-conference-rethymno-crete-july-6-9

 

 

 

 

6. Conference: “Assessing the Ethnic Groups of the Late Ottoman Empire through a Decolonial Lens (1900 – 1922)”, University of Florida, Gainesville, 9-11 September 2022

The goal of the symposium is to marshal decolonial theory in order to understand how the dynamics between the Ottoman Empire’s ethnic groups can provide insights for contemporary knowledge production for Arme-nia, Greece, Cyprus, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey and the United States.

Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 2022. Information: https://ogus.oral.history.ufl.edu/events/fall-2022-symposium/

 

 

 

 

7. Postdoctoral Fellows/Research Associates (2 Years) for Project “Interactive Histories, Co-Produced Communities: Judaism, Christianity and Islam”, Princeton and University of Bern

Applicants must have graduated with their PhD in a relevant field (History, Religion, Art History, Interreligious Studies, Theology, etc.); An appropriate number of publications depending on the candidate’s experience; A general interest in the historical relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims as manifest in the candi-date’s track record.

Deadline for applications: 31 March 2022. Information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=62833

 

 

 

 

8. Postdoctoral Fellow in the Modern and/or Contemporary History of the Arab World, Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, Moscow, Russia

Candidates should have a strong background in the Modern and Contemporary History of the Arab World, ability to teach for the Arab World Programme and to conduct research in the relevant field; Fluent English and Arabic; Knowledge of other Oriental and/or Russian languages will be an asset.

Deadline for applications: 31 January 2022. Information: https://iri.hse.ru/ru/pd2223_HistoryoftheArabWorld

 

 

 

 

9. International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) Programme for Graduates from Arab Countries of the German Bundestag, Berlin, 1-20 September 2022

The programme 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 programme includes a one-week work placement with a Member of German Bundestag and aims at bringing German politics closer to its participants.

Extended deadline for application: 20 January 2022. Information: https://www.bundestag.de/en/europe/inter-national/exchange/ips/arabian-250618

 

 

 

10. Grants for Research in the Emirate Ras Al Khaima, UAE

The research grants are awarded in the following categories: 1) Doctoral Research Grants; 2) Faculty Re-search Grants; 3) Seed Research Grants. This is an excellent opportunity for PhD students and faculty mem-bers from all nationalities at recognized tertiary institutions from across the world, seeking to conduct field-work in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

Deadline for application: 1 March 2022. Information: https://www.alqasimifoundation.com/grants-research

 

 

 

11. Fully-funded PhD position in Islamic Studies at Lund University in Sweden.

Closing date for applications: 15.2.22

https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:463766/type:job/where:4/apply:1

 

 

12. Events on Islam and the Middle East around Cambridge

Tue 18 Jan

5:00pm – 6:00pm

The Contribution of Hanafi Jurists to the Urban Domain of the Islamic City.

(Meriem Ben Ammar (University of Cagliari))

 

Wed 19 Jan

6:00pm – 7:00pm

Palestine: Memories of Western Palestine –1948 Memory, Geography and Distanciation

(Various speakers – Director and Convener: Dr Makram Khoury-Machoo)

 

Thu 20 Jan

5:30pm – 6:30pm

Marginal Words: The Local and the Cosmopolitan in an Eighteenth-century Indian Dictionary in Persian

(Dr Arthur Dudney, University of Cambridge)

 

Fri 21 Jan

5:00pm – 6:00pm

Book launch: Islam and the Arab Revolutions

(Usaama Al-Azami (St. Antony’s College, Oxford))

 

Sat 22 Jan

2:00pm – 5:00pm

Ottoman Music Workshops with Baha Yetkin

(Baha Yetkin )

 

And don’t forget that next Monday (Mon 24 Jan) the Persian Poetry Reading Group start their fortnightly meetings and the first CIS Public Talk is Thurs 27 Jan (Conquered Populations in Early Islam (Elizabeth Urban)).

 

 

 

13. Islamic History Geodata Initiative

The Islamic History Geodata Initiative (ihGeo) seeks to stimulate scholarship on the role of places and spaces in the history of the Middle East during the Islamic period. Established by a research unit at the University of Tübingen, it provides a forum for international exchange and envisages collaborative projects in the Spatial Humanities. Another aim is to develop novel research tools for use in the public domain.

Learn about the endeavour of ihGeo to link history, geoinformatics, and cartography for a new understanding of how the region’s societies have been geared to the making and re-making of human landscapes.

https://www.ihgeo.org/

 

 

 

14. Hikmat International Institute

Only three days remain to register for the fifth learning and sightseeing tour of Iran that will take place on May 8 – 25, 2022. This special tour is perfect for any travel passionate, especially those who want to explore the beautiful Iran and learn more about its people, culture, ancient and modern history, politics, public life, etc.
In this tour, the participants will see Iran’s most important tourist attractions in six major cities. They can also attend three informative workshops about religion and politics in Iran. There will be friendly meetings and discussions with academics, religious leaders, scholars etc. The tour will be held with high standards and is an amazing opportunity. The group will include 15 to 20 participants. Most seats are already taken, so register soon before it is too late! Deadline for registration is January 20, 2022.

Hikmat Institute organizes this tour only once a year. We hope you can join us in this exciting program.
Please check the webpage of the tour for more information and let us know if you have any questions.
Contact us any time at info@hikmat-ins.com

The 1st AMI Graduate Islamic Studies Conference: Call for Papers

The Al-Mahdi Institute is pleased to announce the launch of the 1st AMI Graduate Islamic Studies Conference. The conference is aimed at graduate students at the masters level working in the field of Islamic studies with the aim of providing those intending to pursue a career in research and academia with an opportunity to gain experience presenting at a conference and to network with like minded peers.

Students enrolled on a masters programme (taught or research) in any discipline at the time of the conference at any university or institution in the United Kingdom are invited to submit abstracts on any topic in Islamic studies, broadly conceived as the study of Islam and Muslim societies.

The conference will be held in-person at the Al-Mahdi Institute between Saturday the 28th May and Sunday the 29th May 2022. Provisions are in place should the conference be required to move online due to changes in public health guidance.

The deadline for submissions is 23.59 GMT on the 4th March 2022. Abstracts sent after this date will not be considered.

Travel, accommodation, and food
There are arrangements in place for accommodation. Further information on this will be provided when the abstracts have been selected. The cost and arrangement of travel is the responsibility of each person attending. Participants are encouraged to speak to their respective universities who often offer financial support for attending conferences. For those selected to speak but who will face financial difficulties attending, please email the conference convenor. Lunch and dinner will be provided for each conference participant thanks to the hospitality of the Al-Mahdi Institute.

1.New Podcast – ART Informant: A Podcast on Islamic Art History

Dear Colleagues,

I am glad to introduce a new podcast dedicated to the actuality of Islamic Art History.

Every other Mondays, I welcome historians, curators, conservators, experts and other actors of Islamic Art History, who made this field so vibrant and dynamic.

You can already listen to four episodes on Spotify, Amazon music, Apple music, and via the link below.
In the latest episode, I welcome Dr Negar Habibi, lecturer in Iranian art history at the University of Geneva and who recently started the huge task of cataloguing Jean Pozzi’s collection of Islamic art, supported by a fellowship of the Soudavar Foundation.

If you are interested in this new format, please consider subscribing on your favourite podcast platform, and share to help grow the ART Informant community!

Listen to the ART Informant here.

Isabelle Imbert

 

 

 

 

2. IHU Summer Language School 2022 program (Modern Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, and Spanish)

27 June – 19 August 2022, IHU Campus

27 June – 19 August 2022, Online via Zoom

The Ibn Haldun University (IHU) Summer Language School Program offers intensive instruction in Modern Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, and Spanish for students and professionals. This is a full Summer Term that over seven weeks offers the transferable credits. A wholly immersive experience is designed to comprise co-curricular and extra-curricular activities such as conversation tables and study hours, seminars by top scholars on history, politics, literature, and arts, cultural events including movie screenings and field trips to historical sites and archives.

• Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels are available
• 20 hours per week for 7 weeks (140 class hours) – Fully credit-transferable, equivalent to two normal semesters
• 10 hours per week for 7 weeks (70 class hours) – Fully credit-transferable, equivalent to a normal semester

For information on fees, financial aid and housing you canvisit our website: summer.ihu.edu.tr

To apply, please fill out the online application form, submit the following documents, and pay the application fee via credit cards at https://iber.ihu.edu.tr/PrivatePay.

• CV
• Copy of an official transcript (signed or with barcode), if you are still a student
• Copy of passport ID page
• A passport size photo
• A recommendation letter (if you are planning to apply for a tuition fee discount)

The IHU Summer School Language Program is coordinated and developed in collaboration with the IHU School of Languages and the Department of History.

If you have questions about the program, please feel free to e-mail the IHU Summer School Deputy Directorate at summerschool@ihu.edu.tr

 

 

 

 

3. Launch of ‘The Dinner Table Prejudice: Islamophobia in Contemporary Britain’, 25 January, 6pm GMT

In ‘The Dinner Table Prejudice: Islamophobia in Contemporary Britain’ Stephen H. Jones (University of Birmingham) and Amy Unsworth (University College London) present the findings of one of the most detailed surveys conducted on Islamophobia and other forms of racism and prejudice in modern Britain. Uniquely, the research investigates both prejudice against Muslims as a group of people and Islam as a belief system, and shows how these two varieties of Islamophobia appear differently in British society. The report speaks directly to questions about racism, religion, free speech and discrimination, and will be a vital resource for anyone interested in prejudice and how to counter it.

At this event, the lead author will discuss the survey findings and their implications for British public policy and politics. The event will be chaired by Professor Peter Morey and will feature a response by Zara Mohammed, the General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launch-of-the-dinner-table-prejudice-islamophobia-in-contemporary-britain-tickets-239316380737

 

 

 

 

4. AKU-ISMC

1-22 March 2022 The Qur’an in Muslim Practice – Online short course

How do Muslims use the Qur’an? 
The course attempts to answer this question by exploring the use of the Qur’an in various Muslim contexts, both religious and social. The course will be delivered over four weeekly online sessions using zoom.

The introductory session will discuss the Qur’an as a religious text, situating it within the contexts of Muslim beliefs and perceptions. Its recitation and writing will be explored in the second session, focusing on the culture of writing the Qur’an (including the skill and art of calligraphic writing). The third session will consider activities that draw on the Qur’an as a source of comfort, healing, protection, divination and ritual. The final session will examine Sufi beliefs and practices as derived from the Qur’an. The course convenors are Dr Walid Ghali and Professor Farouk Topan.

The course will be delivered online via zoom. Log in details and reading lists will be shared on registration.
The course will not be recorded.
Date and Time 

1, 18, 15 and 22 March 2022, 1:00-3:00pm (London Time).
Tickets and Booking

Tickets: £75 professionals | £45 students, AKU alumni and staff.

For more information and to book, see:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-quran-in-muslim-practice-short-course-tickets-232079464927

 

 

 

5. Call for Papers :

Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture 

Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture is a peer reviewed international scholarly journal. The journal is dedicated to the scholarly study of all aspects of Islam and of the Islamic world. Particular attention is paid to works dealing with history, geography, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, law, literature, religion, philosophy, international relations, environmental and developmental issues, as well as ethical questions related to scientific research. The journal is committed to the publication of original research on Islam as culture and civilization. It particularly welcomes work of an interdisciplinary nature that brings together history, religion, politics, culture and law. The Journal has a special focus on Islam in Africa, and on contemporary Islamic Thought. Contributions that display theoretical rigor especially work that link the particularities of Islamic discourse to the enterprise of knowledge and critique in the humanities and social sciences, will find Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture to be receptive to such submissions.

The journal is published by the American Research Institute for Policy Development that serves as a focal point for academicians, professionals, graduate and undergraduate students, fellows, and associates pursuing research throughout the world.

The interested contributors are highly encouraged to submit their manuscripts/papers to the executive editor via e-mail at editor@aripd.net, editor.aripd@gmail.com

Please indicate the name of the journal (Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture) in the cover letter or simply put ‘Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture’ in the subject box during submission via e-mail.

The journal is Abstracted/Indexed in CrossRef, CrossCheck, Cabell’s, Ulrich’s, Griffith Research Online, Google Scholar, Education.edu, Informatics, Universe Digital Library, Standard Periodical Directory, Gale, Open J-Gate, EBSCO, Journal Seek, DRJI, ProQuest, BASE, InfoBase Index, OCLC, IBSS, Academic Journal Databases, Scientific Index.

E-Publication First^TM

E-Publication First^TM is a feature offered through our journal platform. It allows PDF version of manuscripts that have been peer reviewed and accepted, to be hosted online prior to their inclusion in a final printed journal. Readers can freely access or cite the article. The accepted papers are published online within one week after the completion of all necessary publishing steps.

DOI^® number

Each paper published in Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture is assigned a DOI^® number, which appears beneath the author’s affiliation in the published paper.

JISC is inviting papers for Vol. 10, No. 1. The online publication date is February 28, 2022. Submission Deadline: January 31, 2022.  

For any additional information, please contact with the executive editor at editor@aripd.net, editor.aripd@gmail.com

Regards,

Dr. Mohammad Reza Iravani, Azad University of Khomeinishahr & Islamic Azad University, Khomeinishahr branch, Khomeinishahr, Esfahan, Iran.

Editor-in-Chief

Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture

Website: www.jiscnet.com

Email: editor@aripd.net, editor.aripd@gmail.com

 

 

 

6. “On Pedagogy: Islamic Art and Architecture in the Classroom,” International Journal of Islamic Architecture Dialogues Series – January 21

Join the International Journal of Islamic Architecture (IJIA) for its Dialogues Series, an annual webinar that brings together scholars and practitioners from across varied disciplines for a discussion of critical contemporary issues that interrogate the boundaries between architecture, art, anthropology, archaeology, and history. Just in time for the beginning of the spring semester, the 2^nd annual session, “On Pedagogy: Islamic Art and Architecture in the Classroom,” features series host, Emily Neumeier, joined by Christiane Gruber, Stephennie Mulder, and Fernando Luis Martínez Nespral for a virtual discussion (via Zoom) on a number of pressing issues surrounding the teaching of Islamic art in a wide range of classroom settings, including:

• The impact of the pandemic and frequent pivoting between online and in-person instruction,
• The demands for anti-racism and DEI initiatives within the field and intersections with decolonial studies
• And what’s on the horizon for new and ongoing pedagogical initiatives such as Khamseen, the #StudentsofIslamicArt Wikipedia edit-a-thon, and GAHTC (Global Architectural History Teaching Collaborative).

Date and Time: Friday, January 21, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm US EST

Register in advance for this session: https://temple.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErde2orTkrGtyn2BG5bvkVVij_WrjJvxxa

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session. The discussion will appear in print as part of the journal’s new “Dialogues” section.

ABOUT THE DISCUSSANTS

Christiane Gruber is Professor and Chair of the History of Art Department at the University of Michigan.

Stephennie Mulder is Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin.

Fernando Luis Martínez Nespral is Professor of Architectural History and a Researcher at the American Art and Aesthetic Studies Institute, based in the School of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Emily Neumeier is Assistant Professor in the Art History Department at Temple University.

 

 

 

7. Launch of the Khamseen Graduate Student Presentation Award

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. While the PhD has been a requirement for submission until now, Khamseen is pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative: the Khamseen Graduate Student Presentation Award.

We invite PhD candidates (ABD) to submit short (10-12 minute) video presentations for consideration. The winning applicant(s) will work with our team to revise and publish their short video presentation(s), which then will be featured on the Khamseen website. In addition, each awardee will receive a $500 honorarium upon the presentation’s official launch. Applications are due March 1, 2022 and decisions will be announced on April 1, 2022.

Submission Guidelines:

Applications due: March 1, 2022

Notification of decisions: April 1, 2022

Eligibility: PhD candidates (ABD) enrolled in a degree-granting program in Islamic art and allied fields. We do not accept applications from undergraduate or Masters students.

Application procedures: Candidates submit a short-form presentation, whose format must follow the production guidelines provided here. Additionally, applications should include: a 3-5 sentence summary, a 2-page CV, and a note of support from a PhD advisor or dissertation committee member.

Please submit the short-form presentation as an MP4 and the application materials as a single PDF to TeamKhamseen@umich.edu; notes of support by advisors and queries by candidates also should be sent to TeamKhamseen@umich.edu.

Sincerely,

Team Khamseen

 

 

 

8. UCLA Bilingual Lecture Series – The Collective for Black Iranians

On the Importance of Centering Erased Black and Afro Iranian Histories from Iran and the Diaspora

Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 11:30am Pacific Time via Zoom

Panel in Persian

Registration Required

 

 

 

 

9. 2-Year Visiting Assistant Professor of Islamic Art http://apply.interfolio.com/101082

Washington and Lee University: Art and Art History Department

 

Open Date

Jan 11, 2022

Description

The Art and Art History Department of Washington and Lee University invites applications for a two-year Visiting Assistant Professor position in Islamic Art (July 1st, 2022-June 30th 2024). Area of specialization is open. This position carries a 6-course teaching load distributed over Fall and Winter terms (12 weeks each), and the University’s signature 4-week Spring Term. The course load will be 2-3-1 or 3-2-1, depending on the needs of the department in a given academic year. The successful candidate would teach an introductory course that emphasizes the trans-regional interactions of the Islamic world, several intermediate courses (focused on theme, period, and/or region), and upper-level course/s related to the candidate’s specialization. The candidate’s course offerings and research would benefit from and contribute to Washington and Lee University’s rich disciplinary focus on Islamic cultures as demonstrated through the Middle East and South Asia program, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program, Religious Studies, and Politics Department. Of particular interest are candidates whose teaching can support other dynamic interdisciplinary programs such Africana Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Candidates will also demonstrate an ability to support the University’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

W&L is ranked among the top liberal arts institutions in the U.S. and the Art and Art History Department is one of the largest in the College. The University promotes a dynamic and inclusive environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in teaching and scholarship. In keeping with the University Strategic Plan, we welcome applications from underrepresented minority candidates and members of other communities that are traditionally underrepresented in academia. The University’s commitment to supporting faculty research will provide the successful candidate the opportunity to apply for summer research and conference funds.

Qualifications

A PhD in Art History or Visual Studies at the time of appointment is preferable.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin February 1, 2022, and continue until the position is filled. To be considered, applicants should submit the following materials to the Interfolio portal: http://apply.interfolio.com/101082

• Cover letter describing their teaching interests and experiences, as well as addressing their recent research projects and agenda
• Sample Syllabus
• Curriculum vitae
• Three confidential letters of recommendation

Contact Information

For more information, please contact the head of the search committee, Prof. Melissa Kerin at kerinm@wlu.edu

 

Anthony Edwards, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Arabic
Middle East and South Asia Studies Program
**Check out @WLUMESA on Instagram**

Washington and Lee University
Center for Global Learning 238
204 West Washington Street
Lexington, Virginia 24450-2116
Email: EdwardsA@wlu.edu
Office Phone: 540.458.8396

 

 

 

10. 2 PhD Positions in Digital Islamic History, University of Hamburg

Dear colleagues, I am advertising for two PhD positions in my project “The Evolution of Islamic Societies (c.600-1600 CE): Algorithmic Analysis into Social History” (EIS1600). Each position is 2+2 years. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2022. Successful applicants will work on one of the case studies of the project and will write and defend a PhD thesis on the topic of their choice, within a selected case study. Descriptions of both positions and detailed information on the application process can be found at the following links: https://tinyurl.com/PhD01; https://tinyurl.com/PhD02. Feel free to email me, if you have any questions (maxim.romanov@uni-hamburg.de). The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the framework of the Emmy Noether Program (https://tinyurl.com/EIS1600). It is hosted at the Institute of Asian and African Studies (Islamic Studies Division) of the University of Hamburg.

Best regards,
Maxim Romanov

Description of the EIS1600 project: Arabic chronicles and biographical collections preserve a plethora of information on long-term environmental and societal processes that shaped and molded Islamic society. Numerous and extensive, these written sources are the richest “mine” of information and are particularly valuable for the period before the 15th century, for which exceptionally few documents and archives are available. The EIS1600 project undertakes a study of “The Evolution of Islamic Societies (c. 600-1600 CE)” through the computational analysis of these historical texts, which will be treated holistically as a unified corpus of historical information (c.300 titles; 100 million tokens; c.500,000 biographical records). The project’s team will work on identifying and analyzing long-term historical trends through three closely connected case studies: 1) of major ethnic, religious, and professional groups—and how they shaped the development of local communities and fused them into what we call the Islamic world; 2) of dynastic cycles through the patterns of the rise and fall of regional powers, their conflicts with rivals, and interactions with local communities; 3) of environmental factors—plagues, famines, droughts, pest infestations, earthquakes, and climate change—and their effect on the life of local communities. These case studies will be the foundation for a robust synthesis of the evolution of the Islamic world over the period under study. In order to overcome the complexity and sheer volume of medieval Arabic historical sources, as well as to analyze them in an effective and reproducible manner, the EIS1600 project employs a series of advanced computational methods of text analysis and data modeling that are the key to discovering, evaluating, and modeling all relevant textual evidence at an unprecedented scale. Among other deliverables, the EIS1600 project will produce an open and expandable online research ecosystem, MasterChronicle, which will allow scholars in the field to engage in various modes of close and distant reading of the Arabic historical corpus.

 

 

 

11. New issue of Quaderni di Studi Arabi

Volume 16 (2021): Issue 1-2 (Dec 2021): Issue 1: History Writing as an Inter-confessional Enterprise, edited by Martino Diez

https://brill.com/view/journals/qsa/16/1-2/qsa.16.issue-1-2.xml

 

 

 

12. Lecture series: ‘Rethinking Social Contention’

We’re delighted to invite you to our new online lecture series, ‘Rethinking Social Contention: Rebellion, Banditry and Martyrdom in the Pre-Modern Islamicate World’. The series is organised by our Hamburg-based research group, ‘Social Contexts of Rebellion in the Early Islamic Period’ (SCORE), and starts next Tuesday (18 Jan), 4 pm CET. Our first speaker is Andrew Marsham (Cambridge), who will talk about “Rebels, Rhetoric and Reality in the Umayyad Era: Violent Conflict and Contention in the Early Islamic Empire”.

The programme for the first term can be found here: https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/voror/forschung/score/news/2021-12-lecture-series.html. To register and receive the Zoom link, simply contact us at score.aai@uni-hamburg.de. Please share widely with colleagues and students as well. We’re looking forward to ‘seeing’ you there, and to a lively, stimulating discussion!

 

The Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre invites scholars and postgraduate students to participate in the upcoming seminar series: Approaching Safavid Majmū‘a(s) and Jung(s): History, Philology, Palaeography, and Arts of the Book. The seminar series will take place in the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Oriental Institute, on a fortnightly basis starting from January 2022.

The seminar series are convened by Dr Mahroo Moosavi and Gennady Kurin and coordinated by the Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford.

Seminar Series Outline and Aims: The archives of Persian manuscripts in libraries across the world are filled with the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Safavid Majmū‘a(s) and Jung(s); these collections of texts cover a wide range of genres and themes and compile them in ways which have hardly been explored. These themes and genres include chancellery inshā, personal epistles, royal decrees, seals, contracts, occult texts, poetry, non-chancellery prose, tales, riddles, treatises on art, medical texts, cooking recipes, dream interpretations and much more. The Oxford Nizami Ganjavi seminar series: Approaching Safavid Majmū‘a(s) and Jung(s): History, Philology, Palaeography, and Arts of the Book will focus on several such collections, and a handful of texts contained within them, while probing these on the historical, art-historical, urban, philological and literary aspects.

The seminar series will be particularly concerned with identifying and discussing potential methodologies through which this corpus may be approached, analysed, and studied. How and why were these texts collected, curated and assembled in such majmū‘a(s) and Jung(s)? What do these mechanisms of assembly and production reveal about the psychological, cultural, religious, and political currents within the Safavid society? Where in memory and through what collective networks do these diverse, seemingly unrelated, and at times fragmentary texts may intersect? And finally, is it possible that the Safavid archive, allegedly destroyed by the Afghans during their occupation of Isfahan, may in fact be contained within these thousands of collections? Through reading and translation of a selection of texts, drawn from several collections, and elaborating on questions outlined above, the seminar conveners hope to initiate scholarly discussion on the Safavid majmū‘a(s) and Jung(s) and move it beyond the normative discourse.

Format: The meetings will take place every two weeks, starting from Thursday January 20, 2022, 5-6:30 pm (GMT), at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford.

Scholars and postgraduate students with upper-intermediate and/or advanced proficiency in classical Persian are welcome to join the seminar series.

For every session, a participant will volunteer to prepare a text, or an extract, from the pre-selected set of texts. The volunteers will be expected to read, transcribe, and translate the respective texts – to the extent they are able to – which will be followed by a group reading, analysis and discussion from historical, art-historical, literary, or any other potential perspectives. A week prior to the session, the participants will be provided with a PDF copy of the text and a limited number of key English and Persian articles relevant to the topic (These sources are recommended but not mandatory to read).

Registration: Participants are required to email mahroo.moosavi@balliol.ox.ac.uk or gennady.kurin@orinst.ox.ac.uk with a brief information on the level of their classical Persian language proficiency.

About the conveners:
Mahroo Moosavi is Bahari Fellow in the Persian Arts of the Book at University of Oxford, Oliver Smithies Lecturer at Balliol College at University of Oxford, and Lecturer in Architectural History at the University of Sydney. Her research is concerned with the intertext of architecture/art and poetry/prose, with a focus on the early modern Safavid Iran, through an interdisciplinary study of architectural/art history, literature, and post-structuralist philosophy. Her current project analyses the interpretations of form and structure of rhetorical devices in the chancellery writings of sixteenth and seventeenth century Iran to identify possible resonances within the artistic and urban system of the new city of Isfahan.
Gennady Kurin is a DPhil candidate at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. His research interests lie at the intersection of manuscript studies, history, and philology with a particular focus on West Asia.

‘Portraits of fear and loss
Taliban rule through the eyes of four women in Afghanistan’
Washington Post, 12 January 2022