Archive for May 25th, 2026

Call for Papers

‘Shi`i/Sunni Relations in the Persianate World’
The University of Edinburgh
8-10 December, 2026

A research project funded by the British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS).

In the wake of the Iranian Revolution and, especially, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, whose toppling of Saddam Hussein resulted in the rise of the dominance of Iraqi politics by Iraqi Shi`i groups, Arab Sunni governments voiced concerns about Shi`i/Iranian expansion across the region. Some of these states, such as Saudi Arabia, were well-known for the active intolerance of their own Shi`i minorities. The supposedly inherent sectarian nature of Islam, a notion further fuelled by such later events as the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’, has been widely echoed in the West.

The present project envisions holding a workshop of 8 to 10 speakers to examine the nature of Shi`i-Sunni relations in the Persianate world, from the early Islamic period to the mid-18th century, to explore the extent to which sectarian hostility was the norm or the exception.

The intent is to discuss all forms of Shi`i/Sunni relations and discourse, the former including the Zaydi, Isma`ili, Twelver Shi`i faiths, in this period. The term ‘Persianate’ encompasses reference to such relations as they could be examined across the region, potentially from the Anatolian plateau and Greater Syria in the West to the Indian Subcontinent, at least, in the East, into the Caucasus and Central Asia to the North, and South at least to the Persian Gulf.

Conference Deadlines:
• Monday, 13 July, 2026: Please RSVP by this date, simply to let us know if you can participate – we are eager to have you attend: anewman@ed.ac.uk
• Monday, 14 September, 2026: Send Abstracts (250–300 words), which should include the title of the proposed paper, a brief introduction to the topic, and a well-developed thesis with objectives and preliminary arguments clearly expressed. Include a biography (up to 100 words).
• Monday, 2 November 2026 Pre-conference draft papers for your talk (approx. 3,000–3,500 words for a 20-25-minute presentation) and PowerPoint slides (if using and ready) to be sent

Practical Details:
The conference will cover meals from dinner on 8 December to lunch on 10 December.
Depending upon final numbers, further, if limited, funding support for travel, accommodation, and other expenses may be available, especially for PhD students, Early Career Researchers (ECRs), and unaffiliated scholars.

Publication Guidelines – Looking Ahead:
Thinking longer term, the following information will be helpful to you:
• Final Paper Submission Deadline: Thursday, 30 July, 2027
• Length: ~7,000–10,000 words (excluding citations)
• Software Format: MS-Word, .docx
• Transliteration and Foreign Languages:
o Transliterate. Do not use Arabic script unless it is necessary for the argument.
o Use ALA-LC Romanization Table for Arabic (which also covers Persian and other Arabic-script characters).
o Use ʿ and ʾ for ʿayn and hamzah
o Passages in foreign languages must also be translated into English.
• Review: All papers will undergo peer review and editorial revision. Please ensure your submissions are review-ready. Papers that do not pass peer review cannot be included in the volume.

Further publishing information will be available closer to the time.

For further information, please contact
a.newman@ed.ac.uk