Archive for November, 2024
Shii News – Academic Items
1. The Textile Museum Journal Volume 51
Guest edited by Dr. Myriem Naji, with Dorothy Armstrong, Jonathan Cleaver, Ludovica Matarozzo, and Anna Portisch, The Textile Museum Journal’s 51st volume will go beyond the classical canon of “Oriental” carpets developed in the West from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. They will examine less-studied sites of carpet weaving, and will highlight diverse analytical methods including immersive fieldwork, the impact of technologies, the participation of carpets at inflection points in global history, and the practice of contemporary weavers.
Learn more at https://museum.gwu.edu/textile-museum-journal
Table of Contents
New Approaches to Thinking with Carpets
Myriem Naji with Dorothy Armstrong, Jonathan Cleaver, Ludovica Matarozzo, and Anna Portisch
Reading Networks of Coloniality and Capitalism through “Oriental” Carpets
Dorothy Armstrong
The Contestable Pleasures of Industrial Carpet-Making Archives
Jonathan Cleaver
Unraveling the Threads: An Exploration of Hidden Aspects in the Carpet Productions of Faig Ahmed and Alighiero Boetti
Ludovica Matarozzo
Between Ornament and Structure Carpets in Modern Art and Architecture
Farniyaz Zaker
Designing without Design? Embodied and Situated Carpet Designing in the Sirwa, Southern Morocco
Myriem Naji
Research Notes
Embroidered Treasures of the Stuart Dynasty: Recent Discoveries in the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection
Rachel Pollack
Informing Provenience and Dating of Anatolian Kilims: Ongoing Research Using Technical Analysis
Callista Jerman
2. Open rank tenure-track faculty job at the Master Program of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
The Master Program of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies at National Chengchi University invites applications for an open rank full-time position in the field of “Central Asian Studies”. Preference will be given to candidates specialized in Central Asian languages, literature, history, society, and culture.
Qualifications:
- Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in a field related to Central Asian Studies from an accredited university, either in Taiwan or abroad.
- Applicants must demonstrate the ability to teach in English.
Start Date: August 1, 2025
Required Documents:
- Curriculum Vitae, a research statement clarifying the candidate’s proposed program of research, a teaching statement, a list of publications, and a list of proposed courses.
- A photocopy of the Ph.D. diploma. (For overseas degrees, the diploma must be authenticated by a Taiwanese representative office abroad.)
- Transcripts from master’s and doctoral programs. (For transcripts in languages other than English, please attach a Chinese or English translation.)
- The doctoral dissertation and up to five sample publications that are published in the past five years.
- Syllabi; one for the program’s mandatory course “Seminar on Central Asia” (3 credits) and three for other courses related to Central Asian Studies the candidate plans to teach.
- Two letters of recommendation, written in English or Chinese, to be sent directly to the ‘Recruitment Committee’ at 62746@nccu.edu.twor mailing address: Recruitment Committee, Master Program of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, National Chengchi University, No. 64, Sec. 2, ZhiNan Rd., Wenshan District, Taipei 116, Taiwan.
Application Deadline: February 3, 2025 (Monday)
Additional Information: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person or virtual interview and perform teaching demonstration.
Application Submission:
- Both hard copies and electronic files are required.
- Hard copies should be sent to: Recruitment Committee, Master Program of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, National Chengchi University, No. 64, Sec. 2, ZhiNan Rd., Wenshan District, Taipei 116, Taiwan. (Please indicate “New Faculty Recruitment Your Name” on the envelope. Applications postmarked after the deadline will not be accepted.)
- Electronic files should be sent to: 62746@nccu.edu.tw, with the subject line: “New Faculty Recruitment_Your Name” (Please ensure submission by 11:59:59 PM Taiwan time on February 3, 2025).
Contact:
Phone: 886-2-2939-3091 ext. 62746, ext. 62736
Email: 62746@nccu.edu.tw
3. Call for Submissions
Contesting Boundaries in Islamicate Multilingualisms
31st Issue of Absinthe: World Literature in Translation
Submission Deadline: January 15, 2025
Absinthe: World Literature in Translation invites submissions of original English-language translations of Islamicate literatures for its 31st issue, to be published in Fall 2025.
Absinthe publishes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Owned and operated by the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan, Absinthe is edited by graduate students. This issue will be edited by Razieh Araghi and Jaideep Pandey.
The 31st issue of Absinthe, “Contesting Boundaries in Islamicate Multilingualisms” invites submissions exploring notions of boundaries across genres, geographies and temporalities, post the introduction of print technology in Muslim societies 19th century. This special issue aims to contribute to the growing body of scholarship that interrogates the politics of multilingualism and lingua franca (such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu among others) and its intersections with literary production. We intentionally shift the focus away from dominant languages of the Islamicate world, such as Persian, Arabic and Urdu, and center lesser-represented languages (Dari, Pashto, Azeri, Kurdish, Tamil, Malayalam, Bangla, Punjabi, among others) deemed “local”, in order to highlight the rich, diverse tapestry of linguistic and cultural expressions within the broader Islamicate sphere. Through a focus on short genres as a flexible, adaptable form, we invite contributors to explore how different narrative genres traverse, resist, or reinforce the boundaries of linguistic and cultural identity, or between the religious and the secular. This approach allows us to probe the dynamic interplay between language and genre, as well as the ways in which such interactions destabilize conventional notions of multilingualism and genre-specific boundaries within Islamicate contexts.
We seek translations of previously untranslated prose texts from genres such as the short story, sagas, edifying or popular tales, fables, anecdotes, extracts from serialized fiction and novellas, periodicals columns, pocket book translations, life narratives, siyar, pilgrim narratives, travelogs, marginalia writing, prefaces, among others. The translations should be between 1500-7000 words, including extracts from longer works. We welcome works published from the long-19th century onwards, engaging in the most broad and diverse ways with notions of modernity.
Your proposals should include:
- 250 word abstract discussing the content of the work as well as its significance to the greater canon (we use “canon” with great flexibility) of Islamicate geographies
- 150 word translator bio
- 150 word author bio
If you have a translation in progress, you may also submit a portion along with your proposal.
Please submit proposals to araghi@umich.edu and jpandey@umich.edu by January 15 for consideration.
4. The Latin America and Caribbean Islamic Studies Newsletter
Vol. 4, no. 4 | Fall 2024
Senior Editor Ken Chitwood
Associate EditorsRahma Maccarone and Lucas Vicente
See: https://mailchi.mp/1497f79ea948/latin-america-caribbean-islamic-studies-newsletter-vol4-no4
Home page: https://www.lacisa.org/
5. DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 8TH DECEMBER! Call for papers: Woolf Institute Annual Conference 2025
Tuesday 11th-Wednesday 12th February 2025, Cambridge, UK
The deadline to submit papers for the Woolf Institute’s academic conference has been extended to 8th December.
The theme for the conference is Faith in a world of ‘unprecedented’ challenges, and we are delighted to be joined by keynote speaker Professor Mathew Guest, who will talk about his recent book, Neoliberal Religion: Faith and Power in the 21st Century.
We invite proposals from individual presenters who may apply with an individual paper where you will have 15-minutes to present your work followed by a five-minute Q&A, or, alternatively, to be part of a discussion panel where you will be put into a panel with other presenters with five minutes to present your research followed by a group discussion. Both of these options will require a 300-word abstract and a 50-word biography. We will do our best to allocate you appropriately. We also welcome submissions from multiple presenters (up to four) who are interested in delivering a 60-minute panel/workshop/activity. For this option we will require a 500-word abstract and a 150-word biography to include all presenters. Please specify which format you would prefer in the link below.
To apply to present, please submit your details, abstract, and bio at: https://tinyurl.com/woolf-conference.
The submission deadline has been extended to 23:59 on Sunday 8th December 2024. Successful applicants will be informed of their paper’s acceptance on Monday 16th December 2024. The conference will be held on the 11th-12th February 2025 at the Woolf Institute, Cambridge.
Conference registration will open on 1st December 2024 and is free to present and/or attend. We will be offering a limited number of small grants for doctoral researchers, PGRs, and ECRs for expenses to attend the conference. For further particulars or any queries please contact Dr James Sunderland at js2964@cam.ac.uk.
6. We are currently seeking to fill two postdoctoral positionsin the ALiDiM project at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
The successful candidates will contribute to the work package on the specialized linguistic lexicon in early Arabic linguistic works. One fellow will examine its interactions with other Arabic-Islamic disciplines, while the other fellow will explore connections with the Greek tradition.
The application deadline is December 20, 2024, 12:00 CET. For full details on the application and selection process, please refer to the call for applications published on the university website. The positions are scheduled to start February 1, 2025.
Simona Olivieri
Assistant professor of Arabic language
PI ERC project ALiDiM – Arabic Linguistic Discourse in the Making
Department of Asian and North African Studies
Ca’ Cappello
Calle del Magazen, San Polo 2035
30125 Venezia
- +39 041 234 8848
- simona.olivieri@unive.it
7. PhD Candidate or Postdoctoral Researcher in Ancient Central Asian (Tarim Basin) Contact Linguistics
Leiden University
Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) is looking for a PhD candidate (1,0 FTE) or Postdoctoral researcher (1,0 FTE) in Ancient Central Asian (Tarim Basin) Contact Linguistics to work on “Sogdian and Bactrian wanderers: Linguistic contacts of Sogdian and Bactrian in the Tarim Basin” as part of the ERC-funded project The Silk Road Language Web.
Deadline | 3 December 2024
8. Call for Applications | Stein-Arnold Exploration Fund 2024-25
Fund | The British Academy
The fund was established for ‘the encouragement of research on the antiquities or historical geography or early history or arts of those parts of Asia which come within the sphere of the ancient civilizations of India, China, and Iran, including Central Asia, or of one or more of these’. Applicants should be of postdoctoral status or have comparable experience. Research should be “so far as possible by means of exploratory work”. Funds are limited and normally grants will not exceed around £2,500, but in exceptional circumstances grants may be considered up to £5,000.
Deadline | 8 January 2025
9. Bridging Identities: The Cultural Odyssey of Kurdistani Jews
Event | Zoom | 2 December 2024
This event, as part of the LSE Middle East Centre’s Kurdish Studies Series, will present research findings from the online exhibition and research project ‘Bridging Identities: The Cultural Odyssey of Kurdistani Jews’.
More information
10. From Revolution to Exile: Arab Diaspora Politics in a Post-2011 Context
Conference | Paris (Hybrid) | 30 January 2025
The evolving role of diasporas necessitates a reevaluation of their conceptualization and the transnational dynamics affecting them. The proposed one-day international conference focuses on empirical case studies from the MENA region post-2011 to explore innovative political roles and strategies developed by diasporas in navigating their multifaceted identities and engagements in a post-uprising world.
More information
Fahimeh Saravani, Zekrollah Mohammadi and Hossein Sarhaddi-Dadian
Afghanistan 7.2 (2024): 120-133.
12. CfP: Displaced Arts:
Creative Practices and Geographies of Asylum
Symposium
June 24th 2025
Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH), University of Edinburgh
Supported by the Leverhulme Trust
Keynote Speakers:
Professor Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, UCL
Dr Esa Aldegheri, University of Glasgow
How have creative practices been used to inhabit, expose, navigate or contest global geographies of asylum in the twenty-first century? This interdisciplinary symposium will explore the potential of arts – including literature, life-writing, storytelling, poetry, community theatre, photography, and film – to illuminate geographies of asylum which have been reshaped by increasingly securitised border regimes, narratives of a ‘refugee crisis’, and a rapidly growing asylum-industrial complex. These evolving geographies encompass precarious infrastructures of asylum with a proliferation of camps, detention centres, and ‘contingency’ accommodation in hotels, military barracks, ships, and islands. Meanwhile, new dispersal policies have led to refugees and asylum seekers increasingly being settled away from urban centres in depopulated or rural areas in many places, including Europe, the US and Australia, sometimes in marginalised and remote localities. In these shifting geographies of asylum, displaced arts – creative practices defined at once by the absence or loss of place and their located nature in a new environment – can offer strategies of resistance, tools of documentation and mapping, or means to cultivate new senses of belonging, community, and integration.
Building on a burgeoning body of scholarship in the arts and humanities, as well as the social sciences, which has emphasised the importance of creative practices and methodologies in migration studies, the symposium will focus on the situated nature of displaced arts as it asks: How have displaced arts and indigenous knowledges been used as creative placemaking practices to navigate unfamiliar environments? How might they render obscured or hidden geographies of asylum more visible? How can creative initiatives facilitate integration in new (and sometimes unlikely) sites of refugee resettlement? What cross-cultural artistic practices have emerged from these evolving geographies? And how might these practices form new socialities and solidarities which transcend or challenge the sovereignty of national borders asserted through asylum regimes?
This will also be an opportunity to consider methodological questions and tensions around how we engage with the arts in migration studies. How might creative methodologies facilitate collaborative research practices in migration studies which disrupt hegemonic power dynamics and forms of knowledge production? What burdens do we place on these arts when using them to navigate geographies of asylum? And what can be gained by focusing specifically on representations of place in these arts?
Papers are welcome from scholars or creative practitioners working across disciplines relating to migration and the arts, including: migration studies, literary studies, the visual arts, film studies, cultural geography, and the environmental humanities. In addition to conventional academic papers, we welcome other presentation formats appropriate to the topic (such as practice-based outputs).
We especially welcome papers from PGRs, ECRs, and scholars working on Global South contexts or based at Global South institutions.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Creative encounters and exchanges between refugees and receiving communities in contexts of North-South and South-South migration.
- The relationship between artistic practices and infrastructures of the asylum-industrial complex.
- Representations of border crossings, border ‘spectacles’, and internal borders of exclusion.
- Creative initiatives emerging in the context of new dispersal policies extending across urban and rural/remote areas.
- Creative practices in response/relation to hostile environments.
- Arts and asylum advocacy.
- The spatial politics and aesthetics of displaced arts.
- Place-based creative initiatives for asylum seekers and refugees facilitated by local government, charities, and NGOs (e.g. community performances, exhibitions, art installations, festivals, and storytelling projects).
- Multilingualism, translation, and language acquisition in/through displaced arts.
- Evolving public policy on creative strategies of refugee integration.
- Collaborative and creative methodologies in migration studies.
- Connections between contemporary geographies of asylum and histories of colonialism, de-industrialisation, and austerity.
- Transnational creative solidarities across geographies of asylum.
- Technologies of asylum and forms of digital storytelling.
- Creative engagements with the temporalities of asylum.
- Future imaginaries of asylum.
Please submit abstracts (250 words) for fifteen-minute papers and a short bio (100 words) to displacedarts25@gmail.com by 15th January. Speakers will be notified by 31st January.
The symposium is being organised by Dr Annie Webster (University of Edinburgh) and will take place in-person at The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh.
Please send any queries to displacedarts25@gmail.com
13. Les études sur l’Asie centrale : pluridisciplinarité et connexions d’un champ (11-12 décembre 2024, Paris)
Nous vous prions de trouver ci-joint le programme de la journée d’étude consacrée à l’Asie centrale qui se tiendra les 11 et 12 décembre 2024, à Paris, à la Maison de la recherche de l’INALCO, 2 rue de Lille, Paris 7e, amphithéâtre G. Dumézil : https://www.inalco.fr/evenements/les-etudes-sur-lasie-centrale-pluridisciplinarite-et-connexions-dun-champ
Cet événement a pour ambition de promouvoir les études centrasiatiques en rendant compte de leur dynamisme et de leur diversité, de mettre en relation ses différentes disciplines et composantes, et de constituer un moment d’échanges entre les chercheuses et chercheurs impliqué-e-s dans les travaux sur la région. L’Asie centrale est entendue dans une acception géographique large, s’étendant de l’Iran à la Mongolie et de l’Afghanistan à la Russie.
La journée d’étude est organisée par le GIS Moyen-Orient et Mondes musulmans (MOMM) et le Centre de recherche sur le Monde iranien (CeRMI, UMR 8041), en collaboration avec l’Institut français d’études sur l’Asie centrale (IFEAC, UAR 3140), le Centre de recherche Europes-Eurasie (CREE, EA 4513) et ZooStan (ANR PaléoCALM).
Nous vous y attendons nombreuses et nombreux.
Le comité d’organisation :
Juliette Cleuziou, anthropologue, Université Lumière Lyon 2, LADEC ; Adrien Fauve, politiste, Université Paris-Saclay, IEDP ; Svetlana Gorshenina, historienne, CNRS, Eur’Orbem ; Isabelle Ohayon, historienne, CNRS, CERCEC ; Catherine Poujol, historienne, INALCO, CREE ; William Rendu, archéologie, CNRS, ZooStan ; Camille Rhoné-Quer, historienne, Aix-Marseille Université, IREMAM ; Julien Thorez, géographe, CNRS, CeRMI
14. Marc de Montalembert Prize for Research on the Arts of the Mediterranean World
The prize will be awarded to support a research project whose anticipated results will constitute an original contribution to the knowledge of the arts of the Mediterranean world from Antiquity to our day. The Foundation will also offer the prize holder the possibility of a residency at its headquarters in Rhodes, Greece. The candidate must be a citizen of a country bordering the Mediterranean, be under 36 years of age on November 30, 2024, and hold a PhD degree.
Deadline for applications: 15 December 2024. Information: https://www.ecoledulouvre.fr/sites/default/files/media/document/PrixMontalembert_callforapplicants_2024_2025%20%281%29.pdf
- November 30, 2024
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Shii News – Academic Items
1.Residency in Persian Lit. @ UW
The University of Washington recently concluded its week-long residency in Persian literature. Laura Catterson, Shahzoda Nazarova, and Asef Soltanzadeh took part in the inaugural cycle of the residency. Future cycles have not been announced.
Here is a brief write up with a few photos.
2. ONLINE 5th CARPO Research Forum: “Changing Patterns of Global Politics – The Middle East in a Multipolar World”, 27 November 2024, 15:00 – 18:00 CET The focus is on changes in global governance and the multipolar world, examining their implications for Middle Eastern actors. The discussions will highlight the evolving ties between the Middle East and regions of the so-called Global South, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia. Additionally, the forum will address Middle Eastern activities such as in conflict mediation, development cooperation, investment in sustainable technologies, energy diversification, etc. Information, programme and registration: https://carpo-bonn.org/en/5th-carpo-research-forum-changing-patterns-of-global-politics-the-middle-east-in-a-multipolar-world/
3. Colloque « Le Coran et le christianisme de l’Église d’Orient aux VIe et VIIe s. », MSH/EPHE Paris, 28-29 novembre 2024 Ces journées d’étude, se proposent de revisiter la question de l’arrière-plan chrétien du Coran, en examinant notam-ment les liens possibles entre la sphère d’influence de l’Eglised’Orient et le milieu coranique. Il s’agira notamment d’explorer comment cette institution religieuse, solidement implantée dans la péninsule Arabique depuis plusieurs siècles au moment de l’émergence de l’islam, a pu influencer le développement et la formation du texte coranique. Information et programme : https://lem-umr8584.cnrs.fr/IMG/pdf/coran_et_le_christianisme.pdf
4. Conference „The Authority of Silence. Constructing the Figure of the Salaf (7th – 15th Centuries)“, Études orientales & American University in Cairo, 2-3 May 2025 The conference will focus on the numerous areas where the Salaf are considered an authority: ḥadīṯ sciences, historical narrative, Quranic commentary, theology, law, spirituality… It will also look at the diversity of references to the first generations of Muslims, which are not confined to traditionalist circles. Deadline for abstracts: 15 January 2025. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2024/11/22/the-authority-of-silence.-constructing-the-figure-of-the-salaf-7th-15th-centuries
5. Symposium “Islamic and Jewish Law in the Modern Economy”, Villanova University, 5-6 May 2025 The symposium will explore the integration of pre-modern religious law and norms into the modern financial economy. Papers are welcome from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to legal studies, inclu-ding law, sociology, anthropology, politics, and history, from scholars based in law schools and other academic departments. Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 2025. Information: https://callingallpapers.law.uga.edu/2024-09-13_islamic_and_jewish_law_in_the_modern_economy
6. ONLINE Symposium “Survival, Resistance, Flourishing: Religion and Disability (Focus Islam)”, 17 May 2025 We welcome a wide variety of methodological and theoretical approaches including ethnography, historical, cultural, or textual analysis, personal narrative, and theological/philosophical investigation. Our aim is to move scholarship at the intersection of Religion and Disability forward. The essays emerging out of this symposium will be published in a Routledge volume on Religion and Disability. Deadline for abstracts: 1 January 2025. Information: heike.peckruhn@emu.edu
7. “15th Gulf Research Meeting”, Gulf Research Centre Cambridge (UK), 22-24 July 2025
The Gulf Research Meeting (GRM) offers a unique environment to explore matters of key importance to the Gulf region and provides a platform for discussion and dissemination of research in a wide variety of Gulf-related fields, including economic and financial issues, international relations, security, environment, energy and renewable ener-gy, as well as education, labour and social issues. Deadline for papers: 5 January 2025. Information: https://www.gulfresearchmeeting.net/
8. International Conference “Romance on the Nile: The Ancient Novel in Egypt – Egypt in the Ancient Novel”, Freie Universität Berlin, 10-12 September 2025 The aim of this conference is to bring together scholars from different disciplines (e.g., Egyptology, Biblical studies, Classics) who, in one way or another, deal with some facet of the phenomenon “the ancient novel in Egypt” or “Egypt in the ancient novel,” i.e., novelistic works produced by different cultures (Egyptians, Greeks, Jews) in Egypt and/or that transmit a literary concept of Egypt. Deadline for abstracts: 30 November 2024. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20050401/call-papers-romance-nile-ancient-novel-egypt-egypt-ancient-novel
9. Doctoral Student in the Project “Economic Cosmology: Ethics, Sustainability, and the Nonhuman in the Muslim World (EcoCos)”, Lund University This project examines various empirical, religious, philosophical, and historical manifestations of economic and environmental thought as they were conceptualized across the Muslim world. Pre-modern approaches to economic teachings and the nonhuman environment have called into question colonial and postcolonial imaginative circuits and political formations, creating new forms of ethical engagement and analysis. Deadline for applications: 22 December 2024. Information: https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:773316/
10. Postdoctoral Research Associate in Middle East Studies (2 Years), Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University Candidates are invited from across the social sciences, who are conducting research related to the Middle East and North Africa and/or their diasporas on issues that can be understood in a comparative global context. The selection process is open with regard to nationality and geographic area of research. Scholars who have received their Ph.D.s within two years of the application deadline are eligible to apply. Deadline for applications: 5 December 2024. Information: https://cmes.watson.brown.edu/news/2024-10-31/alomran-postdoc
11. Postdoctoral Research Associate in Middle East Studies (2 Years), Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University Candidates are invited from across the social sciences, who are conducting research related to the Middle East and North Africa and/or their diasporas on issues that can be understood in a comparative global context. The selection process is open with regard to nationality and geographic area of research. Scholars who have received their Ph.D.s within two years of the application deadline are eligible to apply. Deadline for applications: 5 December 2024. Information: https://cmes.watson.brown.edu/news/2024-10-31/alomran-postdoc
12. Winter School “Reading and Analysing Ottoman Manuscript Sources”, Institute for Mediterranean Studies/FORTH in Rethymno, Crete, 17-21 March 2025 MA students and junior researchers are invited to participate in an international winter school devoted to reading and analysing Ottoman manuscript sources, with a particular focus on archival documents in Ottoman Turkish and Arabic. The winter School is organised by Institute for Mediterranean Studies, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Ifpo, CETOBaC, IREMAM, University of Heidelberg, ASBÜ Ankara, Orient Institut Beirut and Rethmno. Deadline for applications: 15 December 2024. Information : https://www.ims.forth.gr/en/news-item/view?id=1753
13. Articles for “Hamsa: Journal of Judaic and Islamic Studies” We welcome proposals offering original analysis on the broad subject of Judaic and Islamic studies and their inter-sections. Deadline for abstracts: 31 March 2025. Information: https://journals.openedition.org/hamsa/4762
14. Articles on “Islamic Philosophy and Thoughts” for a Special Issue of the Journal “The Maghreb Review” We welcome original contributions in English or French on “Islamic Philosophy and Thoughts” from the earliest times to the present day. For example; original articles that combine philosophy and sufism and modernity: al-Fârâbî, Avicenna; Averroès; al-Kindi; Mohamed Abed Al-Jabri and Taha Abderrahmane. Deadline for contributions: 28 February 2025. Information: https://www.maghrebreview.com/
15. Resource: “Lifeworlds in the Quran – عوالم†الحياة†في†القران†”– a Thoughtful and Contemporary Quran Interpretation in Podcast Form This channel bridges the gap between the lives of modern Muslims and the experiences of the earliest listeners of the sacred text in German, English and Arabic language. Information: https://www.youtube.com/@sohaybmohamedalbashar/videos
16. Resource: “The Crusades Regesta” – Searchable Database of Charters, Letters and Other Docu-ments Relating to the Latin Kingdoms of the Eastern Mediterranean (1098 –1291) The project is an international collaboration between experts on the crusades, crusader states and medieval Mediterranean which began over twenty years ago, instigated by eminent historian Prof. Jonathan Riley-Smith. To-day, supported by the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East, a team of prominent historians continues to add new entries to the database. Information: http://crusades-regesta.com/
17. Routledge International Handbook on Global Islam and Consumer Culture
edited by Francois Gauthier (Université de Fribourg) and Birgit Krawietz (Freie Universität Berlin).
18. Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg – 6 * three-year PhD Positions (65% / 3 years) / Freiburg, Germany
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68233
Closing date 31.12.24
19. 2nd Annual Islamic Art History Research Network Conference
December 5th (online) and December 6th (hybrid) 2024
University of York, King’s Manor [K/G07]
DAY 1: Thursday 5th (15:30-18:00 GMT) – Online
https://york-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/92526110780?pwd=3MbmbrTJWs1psnaeryDkajrwNMu7b6.1
Panel 1 (15:30-16:30)
Chandini Jaswal
Becoming ‘Maryam’: Mothering in the Early Mughal World
Parshati Dutta
Charity, Criticality, Cosmopolitanism, and Colonialism: Examining contradictions in Lady Hardinge’s Caravanserai
Panel 2 (16:30-18:00)
Khadijeh Bakhtiari
A Comparative Study of the Art of Manuscript Illumination in the Works of Quran Scribes from the Timurid and Safavid Eras
Filiz Tütüncü Çağlar
Reframing Time and the Past: The Ottoman Imperial Museum as a Temporal Agent
Ahmad Rafiei
Exploring the Judgement of Solomon in the Context of Sabk-i Hindi
DAY 2: Friday 6th (9:00-18:00 GMT) – K/G07, King’s Manor, York
https://york-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/94630268456?pwd=Men5fwO2zPV0rP3d89FAeT32CUI4HK.1
Panel 3 (9:10-10:30)
Michael Marx
Carbon Dating of Qurʾān Manuscripts as a Contribution to the Chronology of Script Styles
Marcus Milwright
Technical and Aesthetic Change in Early Islamic Woodwork
Zarifa Alikperova
A Reassessment of the Shrine of Rumi in Medieval Konya
Panel 4 (11:00-12:30)
Richard Piran McClary
Between Rum Seljuqs and Ottomans: Re-Examining Beylik Architecture in Anatolia
Leila Danesh
Re-Examining the Ilkhanid Stucco at Bastam
Ahmad Yengimolki
Symbolism, Inscription, and Artistic Fusion: Analysing a Mamluk Basin
Panel 5 (13:30-15:00)
Fahimeh Ghorbani
Crafting Virtue: The Fusion of Futuwwa and Material Culture in Safavid Iran with a Focus on Futuwwatnama-yi Chitsazan
Sukaina Husain
Writing in Crisis: Making Power and Shaping Language in the Sixteenth Century Mughal World
Lauren Winch
Traversing Persia and India: Transcultural Encounters in the John Rylands Shahnameh (MS 933)
KEYNOTE LECTURE (17:00-18:00 GMT)
Melanie Gibson
Making a ‘Moorish Cosy Corner’: Displaying Islamic Art in British Homes in the Late 19th Century
20. Call for Papers
Online Lecture Series Program Spring 2025
Islam and Antiquity: Islamic art and culture and the ancient world across Europe, Africa and Asia
Convened by Bethany Simpson and Jochen Sokoly (Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar)
This online lecture series explores how Muslims across diverse geographies and chronologies have engaged with the material legacies of ancient and pre-Islamic societies, from the beginning of the Islamic era to the present. We seek to examine the diverse ways in which Islamic communities, including scholars, and religious and political authorities, have valued and interacted with the material, visual, and ideological culture of past civilizations. The contributions will explore a range of issues, from the preservation and collection of antiquities to the complex dynamics of iconography and iconoclasm, the transfer of methods and ideas, providing a deeper understanding of how Muslims have understood and engaged with ancient legacies over time.
We welcome papers from scholars at all levels of their careers that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- The Role of Ancient and Pre-Islamic Artifacts in Islamic Thought: How have material and immaterial remains, and the memory of ancient civilizations been preserved, studied, and integrated into Islamic intellectual traditions, from early Islamic historiography to modern archaeology?
- Iconography and Material Culture in Muslim Contexts: How have images, symbols, and material objects from ancient and pre-Islamic societies been interpreted, appropriated, or rejected in Islamic visual culture? What role does ancient iconography play in the making of Islamic art and architecture?
- Framing of Islamic Identity in Relationship to Dimensions of Antiquity: How have ancient histories, sites, and artifacts served to define and construct Islamic identity and historical consciousness?
- Islamic Archaeology and Heritage Preservation: A critical examination of the practices of collecting, preserving, and interpreting ancient material culture in Muslim-majority regions. How have these practices shifted over time, and what tensions exist between conservation, commercialization, and cultural preservation?
- The Destruction and Appropriation of Antiquities: How have Islamic movements—whether political, theological, or cultural—confronted the issue of destroying or preserving pre-Islamic material heritage? How can destruction be the basis for the creation of new forms and ideas? What are the implications of iconoclastic acts for broader cultural and religious narratives?
- The Politics of Collections and Museums: How have collections of antiquities in Islamic contexts shaped the understanding of ancient civilizations? What role have Islamic rulers, scholars, and institutions played in the creation and display of such collections? What tensions arise in the global circulation of these objects?
- Materiality and the Sacred: The significance of material objects, from relics to monuments, in creating connections between the past and the present in Muslim societies. How do material objects function as mediators of memory, spirituality, and historical continuity?
“Islam and Antiquity” aims to provide a multifaceted view of how Muslims have interacted with the legacies of the ancient world—seeing them not only as historical artifacts but as active agents in shaping Islamic intellectual and cultural life. In addition to this Spring 2025 online lecture series, we hope to develop a more lasting community of colleagues, the beginning of a research group that will provide the opportunity for interaction on an ongoing basis and in a multidisciplinary environment. We hope to organize physical meetings beyond these online lectures where we can discuss the subject in more depth. We are also thinking of an edited volume to disseminate our findings.
Submission Guidelines:
- Abstracts (300-500 words) should be submitted by 15 January 2025.
- Presentations are expected to be delivered online twice a month between March and May 2025 with dates to be announced. Each paper should be 40 mins in length with 20-30 min for discussion.
- Abstracts and inquiries should be sent to islamicartandantiquity@gmail.com.
We look forward to your contributions to this important and timely exploration of the intersections between material culture, history, and identity in the Islamic world.
Contact Information
Dr. Jochen Sokoly, DPhil MPhil (Oxon) MA (London) FRAS
Associate Professor, Art and Architecture of the Islamic World, Department of Art History
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar
PO Box 8095, Doha, Qatar
www.qatar.vcu.edu
jasokoly@vcu.edu | M +974 5570 9912
21. The Islamic College
Arabic Online Language Course
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 4 hours (2 sessions of 2 hours each week)
Fee: £220 (30% discount available for students (with valid ID), senior citizens (60+), and low-income art enthusiasts.
Starting from 10th December 2024
Registration Deadline: 5 December 2024
https://islamic-college.ac.uk/study-short-courses/learn-arabic/
- November 26, 2024
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Shii News – Academic Items
1.CfP: Oxford Middle East Review
for our upcoming issue, themed “Resistance”.
We are currently accepting submissions that reflect on the position of the MENA’s people, civil societies, organisations, and governments, within a broader context of hegemonic and subaltern powers, with a broad temporal theme (though typically the contemporary MENA world, from the mid-1800s onwards). Papers will be considered for the journal’s two sections: a policy section (shorter pieces up to 2,000 words in length) and a research section (in-depth articles from 7,500-10,000 words). We are also welcoming interest in individuals who would like to review some of the latest books on the MENA region, of which we have a selection. Students can enquire as to the book review at omerjournal@gmail.com, and can submit to editors@omerjournal.com.
Deadline for Submission: 3 January, 2025
Full Submission Guidelines: https://omerjournal.com/submit/
To submit, please email: submissions@omerjournal.com
For general queries, please email: editors@omerjournal.com
The Oxford Middle East Review (OMER), established in 2016 at St Antony’s College, Oxford, is a student-run, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal for discussion and debate on issues relating to the Middle East and North Africa. Our goal is to create an engaging forum that links academic work with contemporary social and political issues. We seek to bring a sense of urgency and wider societal relevance to the work of Middle Eastern Studies’ students and researchers.
2. Intellect is pleased to present Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research 17.2.
For more information about the journal and issue click here>>
https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-arab-muslim-media-research
3. Fellowship – Library of Congress Short-term Fellowship program
Sacred Soundscapes:
Music, Poetry, and Aurality within
African and Middle Eastern Religious Cultures
Short-term Fellowship Opportunities
The African and Middle Eastern Division (AMED) of the Library of Congress invites applications for short-term postdoctoral and senior fellowships on the theme of sacred soundscapes, defined in the broadest terms. There is no limitation regarding the time period covered but projects must relate primarily to the Library’s African, Middle Eastern, Hebraic and Central Asian collections. Researchers are encouraged to propose projects that utilize new methodologies, interdisciplinary approaches, or comparative perspectives to explore religious culture manifested in sonic traditions. Topics may include but are not limited to sacred music, poetry, spoken word, chanting, performance, mysticism and spiritual practices.
The fellowships are part of the Enhancing Public Understanding of Religious Cultures initiative, which aims in part to support innovative scholarship of some of the most understudied and misunderstood parts of the world through the collections of the Library of Congress. Four fellowships will be awarded each year on different annual themes through a competitive selection process.
This program is made possible through the generous support of the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative at the Lilly Endowment.
Eligibility:
Fellowships will be offered to individuals with doctoral degrees in the humanities or social sciences. To qualify for a Senior Scholar Fellowship, candidates must have held a doctoral or equivalent degree for at least seven years and have a strong record of publication. For an Emerging Scholar fellowship, individuals can be up to seven years beyond their doctoral or equivalent degree.
Applicants who are not U.S. residents but who otherwise meet the above academic qualifications may also apply and be considered for a fellowship, contingent upon the applicant’s visa eligibility.
Stipend & Tenure:
All appointments must start in 2025. Senior scholars are eligible for a stipend of $5,000 for a minimum residency of two weeks.
Emerging postdoctoral scholars are eligible for a stipend of $7,000 for a minimum residency of one month.
Deadline:
All application materials must be submitted by 11:59PM EST on January 20, 2025, including 2 letters of recommendation. Successful applicants will be notified by March 15, 2025.
Application
To apply, please visit: https://www.loc.gov/research-centers/african-and-middle-eastern/about-this-research-center/fellowship-information/
For questions or clarifications, please write to Nadine Sfarjalani at African@loc.gov
Specialists in the African and Middle Eastern division are available to discuss questions about the collections. Contact them at: https://ask.loc.gov/africa-middle-east
4. ONLINE Webinar: ‘Making Music in Iran from the 15th to the Early 20th Century’
with Amir Hosein Pourjavady
British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS), 4 December, 2024, 5:00 pm UK Time
This presentation focuses on Music Making in Iran from the 15th to the Early 20th Century, recently published by Edinburgh University Press in association with Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilization and Aga Khan Music Programme. The book provides a comprehensive study of music in Iran spanning from the Timurid period in the fifteenth century to the end of the Qajar period in the early twentieth century. It delves into various aspects of music making during this era, including the centers of musical patronage, the roles of patrons, music theorists, and musical treatises.
The book is structured into two parts, each comprising three chapters. Part I explores the historical and social contexts of music in Iran, examining aspects such as the social organization of musicians and the influence of courtesan and concubine culture. Part II delves into music theories and practices, addressing topics such as modal entities, court repertoires, rhythmic structures, and the evolution of genres and forms of composition.
Moreover, the study promises to illuminate the historical connections between Persian music and neighboring regions, such as the Azeri mugam. It also introduces methodologies that could be applied to the study of other large-scale ordered repertoires in the Middle East and Central Asia, including the Iraqi maqām, Tajik-Uzbek shashmaqom, and the Uyghur on ikki muqam.
Information and registration:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k6-_AdWKR0y_Zd9Jex4tDw#/registration
5. Applications Open for Spring 2025 in Kurdish and Critical Muslim Studies
Zahra Institute is delighted to announce the opening of applications for our M.A. and Certificate Programs in Kurdish Studies and Critical Muslim Studies. The deadline for applications for Spring semester is 15 December 2024. The online, two-year M.A. programs consist of 31 credits. We welcome full-time and part-time students.
The Master of Arts in Kurdish Studies is the first of its kind in the United States. Our courses offer insights into the lives and cultures of the Kurds, a Middle Eastern people living in Kurdistan and beyond, spread across the borders of several modern states and linguistic and cultural zones.
The M.A. Program provides excellent background preparation for a doctoral degree in any field related to the Middle East and for those interested in pursuing careers in media, government, and international organizations. Our liberal arts approach to Kurdish Studies is based on rigorous academic standards and strong commitment to scholarly freedom.
The Master of Arts in Critical Muslim Studies approaches Islam and Muslims in the context of lived experience and history. It takes Muslim life as its primary object of study and underlines the relevance of the humanities and social sciences, including sociology, anthropology, history, and comparative religion.
The M.A. Program provides a strong interdisciplinary understanding of diverse Muslim experiences in global terms. It equips students with critical knowledge and skills in demand for excellent service in politics, law, education, and public policy.
For the 2025 Spring semester courses, Zahra Institute offers the following: Kurds in the Middle East: History and Politics, Kurdish Intellectual Profiles: Ehmedê Xanî, Muslim Societies, and Kurmanji and Sorani Kurdish language courses, among others.
We also offer Kurdish language courses as electives in the M.A. programs, or as standalone courses. For application information, visit our website: www.zahrainstitute.org .
Zahra Institute, a research center and graduate school located in Chicago, intends to provide an open, collaborative environment for learning, teaching, and scholarship in the fields of Kurdish Studies and Critical Muslim Studies.
6. CALL FOR BOOK PROPOSALS; The IHF Modern Iran Series
I.B. Tauris, an imprint of Bloomsbury Academic, is seeking book proposals for a new Open Access peer reviewed academic book series: The IHF Modern Iran Series
The Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF) will support successful applicants with Open Access publication
To submit a proposal to the series, please contact Rory Gormley (rory.gormley@bloomsury.com ) and Hassan Hakimian (hh2@soas.ac.uk )
Deadline for submission of the first round of proposals is January 31 2025.
7. CfP: special issue in Middle East Critiqueon the conceptual confusion between ‘state’ and ‘regime’ in the scholarship on the modern MENA.
Information at:
8. CfP: Deadline 10 Jan 2025. Visual Arts in Arabic and Islamic Manuscripts
Fourth Abu Dhabi International Conference on Manuscripts
“Visual Arts in Arabic and Islamic Manuscripts: Artistic Heritage and Contemporary Influence.”
Wednesday 8 October – Tuesday 9 October, 2025
Location: Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi, UAE
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi is pleased to announce that it will host the Fourth Abu Dhabi International Conference on Manuscripts at The Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation in 2025. Organized in collaboration with McGill University in Canada, this conference invites scholars across several disciplines, including art history, Islamic and Arabic manuscripts studies, cultural preservation, and digital humanities, to engage with the theme “Visual Arts in Arabic and Islamic Manuscripts: Artistic Heritage and Contemporary Influence.”
Held in Abu Dhabi, this conference explores the aesthetic and cultural significance of Arabic and Islamic manuscripts, including their influence on contemporary art. We welcome papers that address the core themes listed below and related subjects aligned with the main theme. Proposals will be peer-reviewed, and accepted papers will be eligible for inclusion in a formally published volume of conference proceedings.
Conference Themes:
- Historical and Cultural Context of Visual Arts in Arabic and Islamic Manuscripts
Explore the evolution of visual arts across Islamic eras and the impact of Islamic art schools on manuscripts, examining the relationship between text and imagery. - East-West Cultural Exchange and its Impact on Visual Arts and Manuscripts
Analyse the mutual influences between East and West in Islamic manuscripts, tracing how they became instruments for cultural knowledge and exchange. - The Role of Visual Arts in Shaping Arabic and Islamic Manuscripts
Discuss distinctive visual arts such as calligraphy, illumination, miniatures, and examine their religious, cultural, and artistic value. - Artistic Excellence in Medical, Scientific, and Literary Manuscripts
Investigate creative elements in manuscripts across medical, astronomical, geographical, mathematical, and literary domains. - The Role of Digital Technology in Manuscript Preservation
Assess the importance of digital technology in the preservation of manuscripts and their artistic heritage, with a focus on digitisation, conservation, and archiving techniques. - Islamic Manuscripts in Contemporary Art and Future Directions
Examine how contemporary artists reinterpret Islamic manuscript art, integrating traditional elements into modern forms.
Important Dates:
- Abstract Submission Deadline: January 10th, 2025.
- Review of proposals by the Conference Committee: January 11 to February 2nd, 2025.
- Notification of Acceptance: February 3rd, 2025.
- Full Paper Submission Deadline: September 5th, 2025.
Submission Guidelines:
- Submit abstracts via conference submission form
- Abstracts should not exceed 500 words; full papers should be 4,000–6,000 words.
- Include an updated academic CV in Arabic or English.
- Papers must be original and unpublished.
- Ensure that submissions meet academic standards and offer scholarly value.
- Papers can be submitted in Arabic or English only.
Additional Notes:
- No registration fee.
- The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi will issue visas for accepted participants.
- Travel and accommodation for one author per accepted paper.
- Breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks provided for all invited participants.
- Both in-person and virtual participation options, with online streaming and recording.
For more details and inquiries, please contact: manuscript@dctabudhabi.ae
9. CFP for the 6th International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies, ‘Shifting Fortunes in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages’.
The deadline for submissions is 21st February, and applicants will be notified by 7th March.
Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages Edinburgh’s Centre for Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies (CLAIBS) is pleased to announce the call for papers for the 6th International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies, to take place on 24th-25th April, 2025, at the University of Edinburgh. We invite papers which approach the theme of ‘shifting fortunes’ in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, from a global perspective.
For more information: edibyzpg@ed.ac.uk
- November 23, 2024
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Shii News – CfP: IIS – ‘Devotion to the Prophet’s Family in Islamic Thought and Practice’ (London, May 2025)
- November 20, 2024
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Shii News – Academic Items
1.University of California Los Angeles – Assistant Professor, History, Languages/Literary Traditions, and Religions of Ancient Iran
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68185
“To assure full consideration, applications should be submitted by December 15, 2024.”
2. The American of Research in Amman 2025–2026 Fellowships
Applications are open for the American Center of Research 2025–2026 Fellowship Cycle! The deadline to apply is February 15, 2025. ACOR offers fellowships for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers (of all levels). Some of these fellowships are residential at our center in Amman, while others are for field/independent research conducted in Jordan. For the current cycle, we are offering:
- Two or more two- to six-month fellowships for postdoctoral scholars and scholars with another terminal degree in their field, pursuing research or publication projects in the natural and social sciences, humanities, and associated disciplines relating to the Middle East. U.S. citizenship is required. Maximum award is $34,200. Awards must be used between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, and fellows must reside at the American Center of Research. Funding for this fellowship is provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
- Two or more two- to six-month fellowships for master’s and doctoral students. Fields of study include all areas of the humanities and the natural and social sciences. Topics should contribute to scholarship in Middle East studies. U.S. citizenship required. Maximum award is $27,600. Awards must be used between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, and fellows must reside at the American Center of Research. Funding for this fellowship is provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
- Eleven or twelve Named fellowships for shorter research periods in Jordan, ranging from $500 to $3,000 each. Some of these fellowships provide the opportunity to reside and conduct research at the American Center!
- Four awards for Jordanian students, ranging from $1500 to $3000 each
- Two awards for Jordanian citizens to participate in international conferences
Applications should be submitted online at https://orcfellowships.smapply.org. Please direct any inquiries to fellowships@acorjordan.org. For further information, please visit our website: https://acorjordan.org/fellowships-2/
3. The ERC project Polymathy and Interdisciplinarity in Premodern Islamic Epistemic Cultures (KNOW) at Ghent University is looking to appoint one PhD student (4 years) and one postdoctoral researcher (3 years).
For details and instructions on how to apply:
PhD position: https://www.ugent.be/en/work/scientific/phd-student-37
Postdoc position: https://jobs.ugent.be/job/Ghent-Postdoctoral-Researcher-9000/807717802/
Project website: https://erc-know.ugent.be/en
Applications are due by 31 December 2024.
4. UCLA: Order and Disorder in the Ottoman Empire: A Book Roundtable
Co-sponsored by the Ibn Khaldun Chair in World History
Friday, November 22, 2024
12:30 PM PST
Bunche Hall 10383 & Online
To register:
https://www.international.ucla.edu/cnes/event/16801
5. UCLA: Women’s Political Imagination in the Kurdish Movement
Co-sponsored Event
Thursday, November 21, 2024
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM PST
Online
To register:
- November 19, 2024
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- November 18, 2024
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Shii News – Academic Items
1.William Morris & Art from the Islamic World
9 November 2024 to 9 March 2025
The William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, London presents the first exhibition on the influence of art from the Islamic world on William Morris (1834-1896), one of Britain’s most important 19th-century designers and thinkers. A principal founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Morris was responsible for producing hundreds of patterns for wallpapers, furnishing fabrics, carpets and embroideries, helping to introduce a new aesthetic into British interiors. While it has long been acknowledged that Morris was inspired by Islamic art, this will be the first exhibition to explore this important aspect of his artistic journey in depth.
https://www.wmgallery.org.uk/event/william-morris-art-from-the-islamic-world/
The exhibition is accompanied by a new publication, Tulips and Peacocks: William Morris and Art from the Islamic World (Yale University Press).
William Morris & Art from the Islamic World is curated by Rowan Bain, principal curator of the William Morris Gallery, and Qaisra M. Khan, Curator of Islamic Art, The Khalili Collections.
2. Events with Shahzoda Samarqandi
The major Uzbekistan-born Tajik novelist Shahzoda Nazarova Samarqandi is on a US tour for the release of the English translation of Zamini Modaron/Zamin-e Mādarān, previously published in Tajik, in Arabic-script Persian, and in Russian, as Mothersland (trans. Shelley Fairweather-Vega). It’s a postcolonial gothic novella in which a girl, cast as her Soviet labor hero mother in a Russian-directed film about the ecological violence of the Uzbek cotton crop, loses her mind in the hall of mirrors of historical representation and reenactment. Zamin-e Mādarān is a dense, formally original work, and I highly recommend it.
Samarqandi is in Seattle now, with a book launch with Fairweather-Vega and UW’s Professor Aria Fani scheduled for tomorrow 7pm at Thirdplace Books.
Next Monday 11/18 in Washington DC, Prof. Erica Marat and George Mason University will host an event at 7pm at Busboys and Poets.
Next come two events at Yale, both of which will be accessible on Zoom. Tuesday 11/19 at noon, our MacMillan Center Writer in Residence, the brilliant Homeira Qaderi, will host a webinar conversation in Persian with Samarqandi (register here), continuing her speaker series that has previously included talks by Aliyeh Ataei, Prof. Fatemeh Shams, Mujib Mehrdad, and Reza Mohammadi.
Wednesday 11/20 at noon, Samarqandi will read from the English translation of the book, and discuss it with me and my colleague, Prof. Claire Roosien (you can attend in person at 320 York St, rm. 131, New Haven, or register online here).
3. ASPIRANTUM’s Persian language summer school will start on June 22, 2025, in Yerevan, Armenia.
45% BLACK FRIDAY DISCOUNT if students apply till November 30, here: https://aspirantum.com/courses/persian-language-summer-school
4. Muslim Materialities Lecture Series
University of Toronto
Department of Historical Studies
Timur Hammond
November 21, 2024
3–5pm EST
Fluid Geographies: Water, Mediation and Infrastructure in an Istanbul Shrine
As scholars of Islam know, water occupies a key devotional position for Muslims. This includes everything from sacred wells to fountains established through pious endowments to the provision of water for one’s ablutions. This talk, drawing on my recently published book, focuses on the fluid geographies built into the Istanbul mosque-shrine complex of Eyüp Sultan. Following water’s overlapping infrastructures and the debates and desires that surround water’s use, I offer one way to consider the broader geographies of Islam.
https://utoronto.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3Y3AI0TmTnSslzcSjIyGcQ#/registration
5. Call for papers for the international conference Badr – Writing and remembering the battle of Badr (7th-21st century)
Conference dates: 13-14 November 2025
Venue: University of Strasbourg, France
Organisers: Nourane Ben Azzouna (Unistra, Faculty of History, ARCHIMEDE), Anne-Sylvie Boisliveau (Unistra, Faculty of History, ARCHIMEDE), Adrien de Jarmy (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO), Clarck Junior Membourou Moiméchème (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO), Renaud Soler (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO), Moussa Abou Ramadan (Unistra, Faculty of History, DRES) et Éric Vallet (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO)
Conference funded by the French Institute of Islamology (IFI)
Summary of the project
The Battle of Badr (2/624), the first major victory of the Muslims led by Muḥammad and the only battle explicitly named in the Qur’an, is a key event in early Islam. Mentioned in Sura 3, verse 123, and associated with the exegesis of Sura 7 al-Anfāl (The Booty), the Battle of Badr has been the subject of numerous memorial constructions over the centuries. Used in various historical conflicts, it serves as a repertoire of actions and discourses in different contexts of confrontation. The BADR project aims to study the evolution of accounts of this battle and their use in Islamic societies, from their earliest traces in texts to their contemporary reinterpretations.
This project has led to the organisation of the ‘Islamology and Digital Humanities’ research seminar at the University of Strasbourg during the academic year 2024-2025. Led by Adrien de Jarmy and Clarck Junior Membourou Moiméchème, the first sessions of the seminar will be devoted to presenting the development of a TEI-XML database of texts relating to the Battle of Badr, as well as the creation of an encoding standard for ancient Arabic texts. The second part of the seminar will welcome international researchers who will discuss the impact of digital humanities on their work in Islamology. The full seminar programme is available at https://islamologie.unistra.fr/actualites/seminaire-de-recherche-islamologie-et-humanites-numeriques/.
The aim of the colloquium is to broaden reflection beyond the strictly technical aspects addressed in the seminar and within the restricted project team, to focus on the reception of accounts of the Battle of Badr up to the 21st century.
We particularly encourage contributions from researchers working on regions outside the Arab world, notably in the Turkic, Persian, Asian and African worlds.
Themes of the conference
- Development and transmission of accounts of the Battle of Badr
The study of the Battle of Badr begins with a detailed exploration of the way in which its narratives have been elaborated, transmitted and reworked over the centuries. This battle, often regarded as the first military triumph of the Muslim community under the leadership of Muḥammad, has given rise to a multitude of oral and written traditions. Researchers are invited to examine the anecdotes, poems, lists of combatants and other traditions, which have been integrated to form a coherent narrative. Analysis will focus on how these narratives were compiled in historical works and biographies of the Prophet (sīra, maghāzī). Particular attention will be paid to the integration of these traditions into different genres of Islamic scholarship, such as Qur’anic commentaries (tafsīr), Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), prophetic traditions (ḥadīth), theology (kalām) and genealogy, in order to show how these traditions reinforce each other to legitimise various religious authorities, associating the event of Badr with a divine intervention in favour of the Prophet. Contributors are also invited to explore how these narratives have circulated throughout the different eras and regions of the Islamic world. Contributions may address the reception of the Badr narratives in various cultural and political contexts and analyse how they have been adapted to meet the needs and expectations of different Muslim communities.
- Badr in contemporary political and religious contexts
The Battle of Badr continues to resonate strongly in modern and contemporary Islamic history. Researchers are encouraged to examine the mutual influences between the Badr narratives and the socio-political contexts in which they have been reproduced, particularly in periods of religious conflict or reform, in order to show how the Battle of Badr has been used to legitimise or challenge the powers that be. This theme will look at the political and religious uses of Badr in the Ottoman era, in modern and contemporary contexts, as well as during the Iran-Iraq war, in propaganda and in various inter-state conflicts. Researchers are invited to explore how the memory of Badr is mobilised in current political discourse and practice, and how it is used to legitimise contemporary politico-religious causes. This theme will also address the way in which the Badr narratives are reinterpreted in the light of the current challenges facing Muslim societies, through the analysis of continuities and breaks with traditional interpretations.
- Materiality and visual culture of the Battle of Badr
The aim of this theme is to study the Battle of Badr through the various archaeological materials, epigraphy and iconographic supports, in order to verify the existence of a possible gap between the written sources and the existing material traces. Researchers will be invited to examine the contribution of these sciences, which shed new light on this high-profile event. The study of illuminated Ottoman and Persian manuscripts, such as the Siyar-i Nabī (1595) commissioned by Sultan Murad III and preserved in the library of the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul, also offers a possible field of investigation, which would enable us to renew our knowledge of this famous confrontation. Analysing the illustrations of the Battle of Badr not only provides an opportunity to analyse the differences in treatment between the written word and the image, but also to see how different artistic traditions treated the event. In addition to printed works, the study of manuscripts should finally make it possible to highlight the many interactions between the account of Badr and its readers, materialised by the various notes they left in the margins of the chapters devoted to the battle.
Submission of proposals
Proposals should include a title, a 300-500 word abstract, a short biography of the author (200 words maximum) and full contact details. Proposals should be sent by e-mail to the following address: projetbadr2025@gmail.com before 15th March 2025. Papers may be presented in French, English or Arabic. Applicants will be informed of the acceptance of their proposal at the beginning of June. The proceedings of the conference will be published as a collective volume in 2026.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact the project managers at the same address: projetbadr2025@gmail.com.
Contact Email
URL
https://islamologie.unistra.fr/actualites/appel-a-contributions-pour-le-colloqu…
6. Kurdish Women Through History, Culture and Resistance
Shahrzad Mojab
Mazda, 2024
http://www.mazdapublishers.com/book/kurdish-womenthrough-history
7. Colloque international « Sur les routes d’Arabie : itinéraires terrestres et maritimes » — IMA Paris, 12-14 décembre 2024
Le colloque international se propose d’étudier les routes de la péninsule Arabique, qu’elles soient terrestres ou maritimes, et les échanges qu’elles ont favorisés via l’archéologie, les sciences historiques, philologiques et religieuses mais aussi les sciences de la vie.
Information : https://iismm.hypotheses.org/106050
8. “4th International Conference on the Military History of the Mediterranean Sea” (Focus Turkey and Greece), Ibn Haldun University & University of Ioannina, Greece, 9-11 June 2025
This conference aims to offer a vertical history of war in the Mediterranean from the early Middle Ages to the Early Modern period (c. AD 1700), putting the emphasis on the changing face of several of war’s aspects and contexts over time. This is a collaboration between academics from Turkey and Greece that aspires to bring together scholars of military history and stimulate academic discussion in different aspects of the military history of the Mediterranean Sea.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 December 2024.
Information: https://hist.ihu.edu.tr/en/4th-international-conference-on-the-military-history-of-the-mediterranean-sea
9. 3rd Kurdish Studies Conference, London School of Economics, 11-12 June 2025
The conference welcomes paper submissions with social sciences and humanities disciplinary approaches to any aspect of Kurdish studies. These might include but are not limited to: history; political movements; social movements; gender; political representation; governance; displacement; anthropology; nationalism; ethnography, ecology, politi-cal economy; international relations; cultural studies; diaspora; security; and religion.
Deadline for abstracts: 21 November 2024.
Information: https://www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-centre/news/kurdish-studies-conference-2025
10. University Assistant Predoctoral in Turkish Studies (4 Years), University of Vienna
Qualification: MA or Diploma in Turkish Studies (Ottoman History and Culture) or a related discipline. – Interest in DH and Ottoman Studies, Armeno-Turkish Texts, Cultural Heritage, Environmental History. – Excellent knowledge of Turkish and knowledge of Ottoman Turkish. – Excellent command of written and spoken English (C1).
Deadline for application: 29 November 2024.
Information: https://jobs.univie.ac.at/job/University-assistant-predoctoral/1137021301/
11. Tenure-track Assistant Professor on the History of the Modern Middle East, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Requirements: A PhD in History, or a related field by the start date of the appointment. Candidates will be considered based on their scholarly research as well as strong potential for effective undergraduate and graduate teaching.
Deadline for applications: 25 November 2024. Information:
- November 16, 2024
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