Publication details:
Title: 波斯中国风: 13世纪蒙古帝国治下的伊朗艺术 (Islamic Chinoiserie: The Art of Mongol
Iran)
Author / Translator: Yuka Kadoi (transl. Fan Wu)
Publisher: Shanghai: Zhongxi Book Company, 2025
ISBN: 9787547521755
Pages: 407 pp.

3. CFP (ONLINE SEMINAR / PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITY): Borders and Sustainability: Mapping Landscapes, Resources, and Spatial Traditions from Antiquity to the Contemporary Era — Entangled Histories Seminar Series 2026–2027

Call for Papers Entangled Histories Seminar Series 2026–2027 Theme: Borders and Sustainability: Human and Natural Resources across Time and Space

Following the success of the previous edition, the Entangled Histories Seminar Series invites abstracts for its 2026–2027 cycle.

This entire seminar series will be held fully online and will offer a publication opportunity with a leading global academic publisher for a selection of the most significant contributions.

We warmly welcome contributions centred on the History of Cartography, Historical Geography, Spatial Humanities, Philology, Material Culture, and Environmental History, adopting an interdisciplinary, diachronic perspective that spans a wide chronological trajectory from antiquity and the medieval world, through the early modern era and the milestone cartographic shifts of the 18th century, up to colonial mapping, national state-building, and contemporary digital geographies. In alignment with H-Maps’ mission, this series encourages proposals that investigate how the making, circulation, use, and preservation of maps negotiated, represented, and shaped ecological limits, resource management, and the fluid dynamics of territorial, political, and conceptual boundaries (borders).

Mapping the Limits: Cartography, Resource Management, and the Visualisation of Borders

This edition explores sustainability and borders not merely as modern environmental or political frameworks, but as historical concepts deeply intertwined with the development of cartographic literacy, imperial expansions, and indigenous spatial resistance. The series investigates these dynamics across several interconnected dimensions:

The Cartography of Frontiers, Boundaries, and Environmental Limits: The graphic and mathematical drawing of imperial, national, and internal boundaries on maps (with a strong interest in cartographic transitions and reforms before and after 1725); how the lines traced by cartographers conditioned resource exploitation, access to water basins, pastoral mobility, and the enclosure of common lands from the Mediterranean to the Americas.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Spatialities in Visual Archives: The historical study of how indigenous, vernacular, and non-Western spatial traditions—such as Mesoamerican codices, Andean khipus, or local North African oasis charts—visualised ecological micro-climates, communal resource management, and agricultural topographies; how these alternative modes of mapping survived, resisted, or were absorbed by Western geometric cartography.
Global Elemental Theory, Cosmological Mapping, and Humoral Geographies: Intellectual and visual approaches to how environmental elements (earth, water, air, fire), climate zones, and bodily humours were mapped in ancient, medieval, and early modern cartography. We welcome proposals addressing the representation of the elements in medieval mappae mundi, early modern portolan charts, and geographical treatises where the physical environment and human health were bound together through spatial icons.
Textual and Material Reuse, Palimpsests, and the Overwriting of Maps: The material and philological history of cartographic recycling, alteration, and reuse. We invite studies on the physical modification of copper printing plates, the erasure and overwriting of toponomastic layers, the translation and adaptation of ancient geographical texts (such as Ptolemaic models or Islamic maritime manuals) across linguistic frontiers, and the cartographic erasure of sacred indigenous landscapes through the systematic overwriting of colonial administrative grids.
Material Cartography, Exploitation, and the Extraction Landscape: How maps served as primary instruments for resource extraction, tracking the material history of mining (e.g., Andean silver, European coal), timber management for naval fleets, and the layout of plantation complexes; the use of cadastral mapping to enforce taxation and evaluate the carrying capacity and ecological sustainability of subjected lands.
The Epistemological Status of Marginal Cartographies and Vernacular Lore: Methodological reflections on how oral traditions, local navigational folklore, and vernacular climate knowledge left traces on formal map margins, travelogues, and geographical glossaries, serving as alternative archives of environmental shifts and community resilience against state-imposed spatial boundaries.
Socio-Environmental Shocks, Crises, and Cartographic Evidence: The role of cartography in documenting, predicting, or reacting to ecological crises, such as major desertifications, coastal erosions, river diversions, locust plagues, and famines; how shifting borders in times of resource stress were recorded by military and civil engineers.
Symbolic, Visual, and Cinematic Receptions of the Mapped Landscape: Representations of the grid, the compass rose, and the frontier in literature, iconography, and historical drama; the theatrical staging of territorial disputes; and the modern cinematic, media, or digital artistic engagement with historical maps, counter-mapping, and the visualisation of historical eco-trauma.

At the heart of the series lies the concept of borders, understood as dynamic, conflictual thresholds—whether geographic barriers, political dividers, imperial lines, or the lines drawn on parchment and paper separating the wild from the cultivated—that have historically mediated access to resources, triggered negotiation, and shaped the shared, entangled histories of global societies.

Topics of Interest

We welcome contributions from a wide range of academic disciplines, including:

History of Cartography: The making, circulation, use, and preservation of maps, globes, and charts from antiquity to the 21st century.
Philology, Textual Studies, and Toponymy: Philological analysis of maps, the translation of geographical texts, manuscript studies, and the rewriting of space through place-names.
Environmental History and Historical Geography: Spatial history of landscape transformation, water management, climate impacts, and deforestation as evidenced through cartographic sources.
Archaeology and Material Culture: Cartographic archaeology, the study of architectural reuse (spolia) as documented in early town plans, and the material culture of map-making instruments.
Folklore, Anthropology, and Indigenous Studies: Counter-mapping, vernacular geographies, oral spatial traditions, and the anthropological analysis of community-based territory demarcation.
Ancient and Medieval Spatial Studies: Classical geography, Roman land surveying (agrimensura), medieval world maps, Islamic cartography, and the visual reuse of ancient geographical paradigms.
Colonial and Imperial Studies: Vice-royalties, maritime trade networks, boundary commissions, global extraction mapping, and the cartographic rewriting of indigenous spaces.
Art History, Architecture, and Visual Culture: Map aesthetics, landscape iconography, architectural drawings, and the intersection between fine art and technical mapping.
Media Studies, Cinema, and Digital Humanities: The representation of maps and frontiers in cinema and theatre, critical GIS, digital preservation of cartographic heritage, and the media history of spatial surveillance.

Seminar Format & Schedule

Format: Online seminar via Zoom (Approx. 30-minute presentation followed by discussion). Scheduling will take international time zones into account as much as possible.
Schedule: October 2026 – Summer 2027.

Submission Guidelines & Selection Rules Proposals must be submitted in English and include the following details:

Title of the proposed paper.
Abstract (250–300 words).
Short biographical note (100–150 words).
Institutional affiliation (if any) or independent scholar status.
Contact email.
Preferred months of availability (between October 2026 and Summer 2027).

⚠️ MANDATORY ABSTRACT CRITERIA: The abstract submitted MUST clearly explain how the proposed paper intends to address and integrate the central core topics of the series: Borders (confini) and Sustainability(sostenibilità) through the lens of cartographic history, map production, circulation, or spatial analysis. Proposals that fail to explicitly address this conceptual intersection will not be considered.

⚠️ CRITICAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT: All submission materials (title, abstract explaining the approach to borders and sustainability, bio, affiliation, and availability) MUST be compiled and submitted into a SINGLE file(either .doc, .docx, or .pdf). Multiple attachments will not be considered.

Please submit your single-file proposal to: entangledhistories.seminars [@] outlook.com

Important Dates

Deadline for abstracts: 31 August 2026
Notification of acceptance: By 30 September 2026

Publication Opportunity A selection of the most significant contributions will be published in a special issue or in a dedicated edited volume with a major, world-leading academic publisher.

Contact Information

Organised by:

Dr Maria Pia Ester Cristaldi (Üsküdar University)
Dr Elisa Ramazzina (University of Insubria)

Under the patronage of:

The Faculty of Communication and the Master’s Programme in Media and Cultural Studies at Üsküdar University.

Contact Email

entangledhistories.seminars@outlook.com

URL

https://sites.google.com/view/entangledhistories/home

4. Cartorient,published by the Research Center on the Iranian World (CeRMI, CNRS, Paris), is pleased to share with you theAtlas of Iran in the Mid-Twentieth Century, which has recently been published online at CARTORIENT.

This cartographic study is the result of a collaboration between the Faculty of Geography of the University of Tehran and CeRMI, conducted by Bernard Hourcade, Abbas Rajaei, and Hossein Mansourian.

It constitutes the first comprehensive cartographic analysis of Iran based on data from the First national population census of Iran, conducted in 1956, at the detailed administrative scale of the 119 shahrestan(districts). The Atlas comprises 34 maps, accompanied by analytical commentaries in both French and English, depicting the social and economic characteristics of Iran during the 1930s–1950s. By providing a detailed picture of the country’s past, it offers valuable insights for a better understanding of contemporary Iran.

5. Reuters: How 5 weeks of war shattered some of Iran’s cherished monuments

6. Muslim Writing, Writing Muslimness in Europe: Transcultural Perspectives, edited by Carmen Zamorano Llena, Billy Gray, Carolina León Vegas, and Carles Magrinyà Badiella (Routledge, 2026)

https://www.routledge.com/Muslim-Writing-Writing-Muslimness-in-Europe-Transcultural-Perspectives/ZamoranoLlena-Gray-LeonVegas-MagrinyaBadiella/p/book/9781032733449

Posted in: Academic items

June 30, 2026
by Andrew Newman
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Shii News – Academic Items

1. Lecture – “The Lives of Mughal Artists” by Yael Rice – July 23

Thursday July 23, at 6:30—7:30 pm (EST), Cheek Theater, VMFA:

“The Lives of Mughal Artists” by Yael Rice

The lives of the Mughal emperors often overshadow those of the many painters they employed. And yet it was precisely these individuals who helped to amplify and sustain Mughal dominance over the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries. In this richly illustrated talk, Dr. Yael Rice addresses the roles that Mughal manuscript paintings, murals, and designs for translation into other media played in broadcasting the imperial court’s and the artists’ own aspirations. Focusing on a number of the objects displayed in the VMFA exhibition India’s Great Mughals: Art, Power, and Opulence, Rice’s lecture considers the construction of Mughal sovereignty from an artist-centered lens.
To watch from the comfort of home, visit our livestream page.
URL

https://www.vmfa.museum/events/talk-the-lives-of-mughal-painters-8077

2. CSMBR Upcoming Lecture:

Staying Fresh in Early Byzantium

Scented Care Products in Aetius of Amida’s «Libri Medicinales»

Maciej Kokoszko
Zofia Rzeźnicka

07 July 2026 – 5 PM (CET)

The lecture will focus on a selection of recipes for body cleansers and powdered deodorants taken from Book VIII of Aetius of Amida’s medical encyclopaedia, Libri medicinales, which was written in the 6th century. As many of the formulas for these care products were borrowed by Aetius from earlier authors, primarily Titus Statilius Crito (active in the 2nd century AD), exploration of the transmission and adaptation of ancient medical knowledge during the early Byzantine period is also included.

This analysis aims to contextualise the topic by demonstrating the value of medical texts in social and economic historical research. Consequently, the speakers will discuss the gendered nature of Byzantine cosmetology.

Furthermore, the presentation will attempt to specify the social groups for whom these care products were intended. To this end, myrrh will serve as an indicator of social status, and the speakers will analyse factors such as its place of origin, varieties, supply routes, trade routes, and the types of preparations to which it was added in order to sketch a picture of the intended users of both myrrh-based and myrrh-free recipes. The issue of aromatic substance adulteration and substitution in the Byzantine Empire will also be discussed along the way.

Thus, the lecture will demonstrate how cosmetic recipes preserved in medical compilations can provide valuable evidence for reconstructing everyday life in the Byzantine world.

To register for this event, please click here.

Kindest regards,

Andreas Hylla

Centre for the Study of Medicine and the Body in the Renaissance (CSMBR) – Assistant Coordinator

Domus Comeliana, Via Cardinale Maffi 48, 56126 Pisa, Italy

Tel.: +39.02.006.20.51 – Mobile: +39.333.13.12.203

Email: ah@csmbr.fondazionecomel.org

3. MARGARET S. GRAVES: Invisible Hands: Fabrication, Forgery, and the Art of Islamic Ceramics. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2026. 344 pp. ISBN 978 0 69127974 9

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691279749/invisible-hands?srsltid=AfmBOoqa5edCxi-VN8G72o8peV1b5xBZLM_x9fstsgWKAZHNS5kj5GZy

4. ‘Comparative Shari‘a: measuring support for Islamism cross-nationally’

Politics and Religion, June 2026

Sam Dunham, et al.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-religion/article/comparative-sharia-measuring-support-for-islamism-crossnationally/BD789B986D5BFD8FDCAC89999EFA3AB8?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Article&utm_campaign=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles&WT.mc_id=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles

5. ‘Portuguese handheld firearms in Asia in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries’

Asian Studies, June 2026

Roger Le de Jesus, et al

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-asian-studies/article/portuguese-handheld-firearms-in-asia-in-the-sixteenth-and-seventeenth-centuries/E01EB6ADDE3162E2B6B9580E03FAFAE6?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Article&utm_campaign=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles&WT.mc_id=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles

6. ‘The waqf al-dashīshah of Mamluk sultan Qāʾitbāy’

T Ito

JRAS, 2026,

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/waqf-aldashishah-of-mamluk-sultan-qaitbay/29352EA10B658E5C75AE2684FFBA2A6B?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Article&utm_campaign=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles&WT.mc_id=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles

7. Treasures from the Golestan Film Studio

The Iran Heritage Foundation is delighted to announce the forthcoming release of Treasures from the Golestan Film Studio, a landmark box set showcasing the pioneering work of filmmaker, writer and cultural figure Ebrahim Golestan.

At its heart is Secrets of the Jinn Valley Treasure (1974), Golestan’s brilliantly inventive and sharply satirical masterpiece, newly restored in 4K through a collaboration between the IHF and the Cineteca di Bologna. Following its international premiere at the prestigious Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in June, the film will receive its first-ever home-video release this September as part of a major collection from Radiance Films.

The beautifully curated box set brings together some of the most important productions of Golestan Film Studio, including The House Is Black, the celebrated documentary directed by Forough Farrokhzad, alongside a wealth of newly commissioned supplementary material. Exclusive video introductions and visual essays provide fresh insight into the films and their enduring significance within Iranian and world cinema.

This release offers a rare opportunity to rediscover the artistic vision of Ebrahim Golestan and the extraordinary legacy of one of the most influential creative institutions in modern Iranian cultural history.

The box set is available to purchase here.

8. Beyond Rumi: Sufi Art and Practice – New Smithsonian Online Initiative

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is proud to announce the launch of an exciting new online initiative, Beyond Rumi: Sufi Art and Practice.

Beyond Rumi introduces the complexity of Sufi Islam through a unique and accessible multimedia experience. Sufism, generally defined as Islamic mysticism, is a rich religious tradition that is remarkably diverse, dynamic, and complex but also amorphous. Its multisensory rituals have also continuously changed and evolved as traditions flourished—and sometimes vanished—across the Islamic world and beyond.

Use an interactive map to explore eight sites associated with Sufism from Morocco to Indonesia. Watch performances and presentations by scholars, listen to music, and delve into Sufism’s wide-ranging forms of artistic expression, from poetry to the visual arts and architecture.

Beyond Rumi is part of The Arts of Devotion, a six-year initiative at the National Museum of Asian Art dedicated to furthering civic discourse and understanding of religion. This initiative is made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Citation:

Rettig, Simon, Massumeh Farhad, and Sana Mirza, Beyond Rumi: Sufi Art and Practice. Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art, 2026.
10.5479/si/NMAA/2026.0004

Contact Information

Freer Research Center

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art

Contact Email

FreerResearchCenter@si.edu

URL

https://beyondrumi.asia.si.edu/

9. HYBRID Seminar “Making Ancients Modern: Coptic Experts, Pharaonism, and the Search for Egyptian Origins” by Amy Fallas, CEDEJ, Cairo, 30 June 2026, 16:00 CET

In the journal for the Association of Coptic Art in 1935, Coptic doctor Georgy Sobhy endeavored to answer a burning question: did Muslims and Christians in Egypt share physiological characteristics with ancient Egyptians? This talk considers the work of Sobhy and other early 20th century Coptic profes-sionals and explores how their scholarly contributions informed sectarian notions of pharaonism and shaped circuits of knowledge production on Egyptian origins.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/3swknkdd

10. Conference “On the Orientalists’ Divan: Questions of Reflexivity from the 18th to the 21st Centuries”, Inalco, Paris,15-16 March 2027

The academic aim of this conference is to highlight the explicit and conscious relationship between the scholar and their subject of study, and to capture the reflexivity of Orientalists – that ‘close, intimate and entirely personal bond they maintain with their work’. Researchers are invited to catch Orientalists in the act of explaining, as historians, the link between the history we have made and the history that has made us.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 September 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3u2jeyd5

11. Postdoctoral Researcher (3 Years), Focus on Muslim Feminities in the UAE, HAIR Project, Ghent University

Qualification: Doctorate a relevant field (e.g. Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies or related disciplines) obtained max. 6 years ago. – Strong research including publications and/or a developing book project.

Expertise related to the Gulf region and/or the UAE. – Experience with ethnographic and/or qualitative research methods. – Excellent academic writing and communication skills in English. –Etc.

Deadline for applications: 31 July 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3rws92jk

12. Doctoral Fellow (4 Years), Focus on Muslim Feminities in Egypt, HAIR Project, Ghent University

Qualification: Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies or related disciplines). – Exceptional MA dissertation on an aspect of the contemporary Middle East. – Strong interest in gender, embodiment, literature and Muslim societies. – Excellent research and writing skills. – Excellent com-munication skills in Arabic (spoken and reading). – Excellent academic writing and communication skills in English. – Etc.

Deadline for applications: 31 July 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4uazmywz

13. Doctoral Fellow (4 Years), Focus on Muslim Feminities in Lebanon, HAIR Project, Ghent University

Deadline for applications: 2026. [ed. – sic] Information: https://tinyurl.com/yuuxbnm7

14. Research Associate (1 Year +) in Cairo, Orient-Institut Beirut (OIB)

Only Egyptian nationals or other nationalities with a work permit for Egypt may be employed. Require-ments: MA in a subject relevant to the work of the OIB. – Research in the OIB’s academic areas. – Knowledge of the Egyptian academic and higher-education landscape. – Experience in academic or cultural management in Egypt. – Excellent written and spoken Arabic and English.

Deadline for applications: 31 August 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdxsf5a9

15. Visiting Professorship (1Year) in the Political Economy of the Middle East (Open Rank), American University of Beirut

We encourage applications from scholars trained in political science, economics or international affairs, with a specialization in Political Economy, Peace Studies, State-Building, and Post-Conflict Reconstruc-tion with demonstrated policy professional experience in the Middle East with and particularly the Le-vant/Mashriq.

Deadline for applications: 30 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdh3t3ch

16. Postdoctoral Scholar/Lecturer (2 Years), Bita Daryabari Fellow in Persian Language and Literature, University California Davis

Qualification: PhD within the humanities or humanistic social sciences field. – Persian serving as a primary research language and the applicant’s scholarship focusing on the Persianate world. – Strong and well-developed research program. – Ability to teach an undergraduate seminar in Persian language and literature.

Deadline for applications: 31 August 2026. Information: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07717

17. New Volume: “Muhammad Nejatullah Siddiqi: A Mujaddid and Pioneer of Islamic Economics and Finance”, Edited by Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi & Imtiyaz Yusuf, Center for Islam in the Contemporary World, 18 June 2026, 448 Pages

Professor Mohammad Nejatullah Siddiqi (1931 – November 2022) was a pioneering thinker and devel-oper of the concept of Islamic Economics, Banking, and Finance in the modern age. The memorials and articles in the book highlight the lasting impact of Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi’s pioneering works on the operations, development, and global growth of Islamic economics, banking, and finance, both in aca-demia and in the practical world of finance and commerce.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/mtafj3z5

18. New Book: “Religion and the Invisible World – Sanctity and Spiritual Transformation in Egypt from Pharaonic Times to the Present” by El-Sayed El-Aswad, American University in Cairo Press, 2 June 2026, 252 Pages

Drawing on forty years of research as an anthropologist, historian, and Egyptologist, the author shows how concepts of sacredness and invisibility have been core elements in the spiritual transformations in Egypt as embodied in the early pharaonic religion, Egyptian-Hellenistic religion, Christianity, and Islam, and how these practices of spirituality and cosmology cut across many divides of ethnicity, gender, region, religion, language, and social class.

Information and reading sample: https://aucpress.com/9781649033710/

Posted in: Academic items

June 27, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. The Colour of Dreams

The Physiology of Oneiric Experience in Greek, Arabic, and Latin Traditions

Marco Signori

25 June 2026 – 5 PM (CET)

This talk explores the concept of dream colour as it appears in a selection of medieval Arabic and Latin philosophical and medical texts. Lying at the intersection of psychophysiology, medicine and the doctrine of the rational soul, this subject draws on ancient humoral theory to explain an intriguing aspect of the dream experience.

The idea of a correlation between the colour of oneiric images and the predominance of one of the four humours originates from a concise yet highly significant doxographic passage attributed to Galen, as recorded in the only surviving manuscript, Arabic MS Baġdād (Awqāf 9763), and is referenced in notable resources such as Avicenna’s (Ibn Sīnā, d. 1037) writings and the Persian Book of Science for ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla.

Curiously, however, while other Arabic students of this Galenic excerpt on humoral oneirology, such as Abū l-Faraǧ ibn al-Ṭayyib (d. 1043), omitted references to colour when addressing related topics, this connection reemerges in the Latin tradition, as demonstrated by Albert the Great and, most notably, Boethius of Dacia.

Building on previous scholarship and analysing various intermediary channels, the contribution will discuss the possible historical and doctrinal links between these authors, tracing hypothetical lines of transmission from Greek-Arabic medicine to 13th-century Latin philosophy.

To register for this event, please click here.

Please note the change of date from 23 June to 25 June.

Kindest regards,

Andreas Hylla

Centre for the Study of Medicine and the Body in the Renaissance (CSMBR) – Assistant Coordinator

Domus Comeliana, Via Cardinale Maffi 48, 56126 Pisa, Italy

Tel.: +39.02.006.20.51 – Mobile: +39.333.13.12.203

Email: ah@csmbr.fondazionecomel.org

2. Conference in London: Before “The Pursuit of Happiness”
https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/british-academy-conferences/before-pursuit-happiness-emotional-flourishing-early-judaism-christianity-islam/
Before “The Pursuit of Happiness”: emotional flourishing in early Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Tue 7 – Wed 8 Jul 2026 , 09:00 – 17:00
The Aga Khan Centre, 10 Handyside Street, N1C 4DN
What emotions have been understood to shape human wellbeing?
Today, many in the English-speaking world would readily point to happiness, a concept now both positively felt and positively valued. Yet this association is historically contingent. The meaning and moral status of happiness have long been subjects of debate, especially in early religious discussions of the relationship between virtue, the state of being good, and pleasure, the feeling of goodness. Surprisingly, there have been few comparative investigations of emotional flourishing before the ideal of pursuing happiness became dominant, and none that examine this theme across the major religious traditions of the western world.
This conference brings together leading international scholars of early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to explore the ideals that shaped emotional and moral life in these traditions. Participants will consider how these ideals developed over time, how they intersected across communities, and what social functions they served. In doing so, the conference offers a significant contribution to the study of human happiness, flourishing, and wellbeing, illuminating a rich and understudied intellectual history.

Please register to attend

Posted in: Academic items

June 23, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. Fons Vitae has just published: KANZ AL-ASRAR: A TREASURE OF MYSTERIES – ‘Mulay al-‘Arabi al-Darqawi and some of his goodly companions as seen through the eyes of a loving disciple’ by Muhammad Buziyan al-Gharisi al-Ma’askari (d. 1271/1854). Translated by Mohamed Fouad Aresmouk & Michael Abdurrahman Fitzgerald. Pages: 266

MULAY AL-ARABI al-Darqawi (ca. 1743 to 1823) was the gifted spiritual master whose teachings inspired a Sufi order and movement that attracted tens of thousands of followers in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and beyond. Among those who were able to visit the Shaykh in his remote zawiya in the mountains of northeast Morocco was a young man named Muhammad Buziyan al-Gharisi, who arrived with a caravan in 1803 from his native Algerian town of Maʻaskar.

The resulting work, which he entitled Kanz al-asrar fi munaqib Mawlana al-Arabi al-Darqawi wa ba‘di as·habihi ’l-akhyar (“A Treasure of secrets concerning the lives of Mulay al-Arabi al-Darqawi and some of his goodly disciples”) became a much-quoted reference for many later writings about the order. Purchasing details- Now Available…

2. The Fons Vitae Quranic Commentaries Series

NOW AVAILABLE in PDF & eBook formats: Up until now, these fundamental tafasir texts have remained out of reach for many English speaking Muslims (and non-Muslims). Among the most important sources for understanding the Qur’an are the tafsir works, commentaries on the Qur’an, which help to properly explain and contextualise the Revelation. VIEW ALL COMMENTARIES…

3. AMECYS 2026 Senior Scholar Award

The Association of Middle East Children and Youth Studies invites nominations for the inaugural AMECYS Senior Scholar Award

The Association of Middle East Children and Youth Studies (AMECYS) is a 501 (c) (3) private, non-profit, international membership-based association for scholars with an interest in the study of children and youth in the Middle East, North Africa, Gulf and their diasporic communities. Through interdisciplinary programs, publications, and services, AMECYS promotes innovative scholarship, facilitates global academic exchange, and enhances public understanding about and by Middle Eastern, North African and Gulf children and youth in diverse times and places from any disciplinary and methodological approach.

The AMECYS Senior Scholar Award recognizes an outstanding scholar whose career has advanced the study of children and youth in the Middle East, North Africa, the Gulf, and their diasporic communities. In keeping with AMECYS’s mission, the award honors sustained contributions that strengthen the field through innovative scholarship, interdisciplinary exchange, and the expansion of public understanding about and by children and youth in these regions.

Nominations for the award can be self-made or made by anyone who can speak to the credentials of the senior scholar, given they meet the following criteria:

Open to senior scholars (e.g., associate/full professor or equivalent, including independent scholars).
Nominees may come from any disciplinary or methodological approach.
The nominee’s record must demonstrate sustained engagement with children and youth studies in MENA/Gulf and/or diasporic contexts.
Nominee must be an AMECYS member at the time the nomination is made.

Selection Criteria

Nominees will be evaluated on the following:

Substantial Scholarly Contribution–A significant body of work that has shaped knowledge and debate on children and youth in the Middle East, North Africa, the Gulf, and/or diasporic communities; evidence of impact (e.g., influence on the scholarship, teaching, methods, or research agendas of others).
Innovation and Interdisciplinarity–Scholarship that is conceptually, methodologically, ethnographically or archivally innovative; work that advances interdisciplinary dialogue and helps build children and youth studies as a shared scholarly space across fields.
Global Academic Exchange and Field-Building–Contributions that facilitate scholarly exchange across regions, institutions, and disciplines such as conference programming, collaborative network development, center/institute leadership, editorial leadership, academic association and other organizational leadership, or other forms of infrastructure-building.
Mentorship and Support for Emerging Scholars–Demonstrated commitment to mentorship, especially toward graduate students and early-career scholars; concrete evidence may include teaching, advising, mentoring collaborative projects, co-publication, sponsorship, and community-building that expands participation in the field.
Public Understanding and Engagement–Work that enhances public understanding about and by Middle Eastern, North African, and Gulf children and youth, whether through public scholarship, community partnerships, policy work, educational programming, and/or media engagement.

What nominators should send appended as one pdf:

1 Nomination letter– mapping the nominee’s contributions based on the criteria
1 Supporting recommendation – mapping the nominee’s contributions based on criteria
A comprehensive CV
Optional: up to 2 representative items (e.g., article, chapter, public essay, project link) that demonstrate contributions.

The winner of the AMECYS Award will receive $300 and a certificate of award. In the event of co-winners, prize money will be divided evenly among the winners. Honorable mentions also receive a certificate of award. Winners will be announced during the 59th MESA Annual Meeting in Boston. The results will also be posted on the AMECYS website and in other publications as deemed appropriate by AMECYS.

Nominations must be received by September 1, 2026 and be sent to the chair of the Awards Committee, Dylan.Baun@uah.edu

Reviewers

Dylan Baun, Department of History, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Heidi Morrison, Department of History, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse

3.Hilary Falb Kalisman, Endowed Professor of Israel/Palestine Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder

For any questions, can email Dylan.Baun@uah.edu

To learn more about AMECYS, visit www.amecys.org

To become an AMECYS member, visit https://www.amecys.org/membership

URL

https://www.amecys.org/

4. Celebrating 1,000 Years of Avicenna’s al-Shifaʾ
The year 2027 marks 1,000 years since Avicenna completed al‑Shifāʾ(The Cure), his encyclopedic summa of philosophy and the sciences. The Avicenna Study Group (ASG, https://avicenna-study-group.org/) sees this milestone as reason for celebration and a timely opportunity to highlight the The Cure’scontinuing relevance, engage wider audiences, and stimulate new research.

We would be delighted if you and your institution would consider hosting an event in 2027. This could take the form of a multi‑day conference or symposium, a one‑day workshop or roundtable, a lecture series or reading group, an exhibition or manuscript showcase, a public talk, an online or hybrid event, or even a small, focused meeting with, for example, three speakers.

The ASG will support organizers with promotion and listing on a global calendar, coordination with other hosts and potential partners, shared visual assets and suggested messaging, and an option to publish outcomes in our peer‑reviewed series Avicenniana: Publications of the Avicenna Study Group (https://www.degruyterbrill.com/serial/pasg-b/html).

If you are interested, please send a brief expression of interest by 01 August 2026 – a short note outlining your initial idea for the event (format, prospective date(s) and location, and intended audience). We will then follow up with an organizer pack, clarify details with you, and add your event to the global calendar. If you would like more information about the 2027 commemoration activities or encounter any issues in planning your own, please do not hesitate to contact the ASG (https://avicenna-study-group.org/contact).

Contact Information

Shahrzad Irannejad

Avicenna Study Group Communications Officer

Contact Email

contact@avicenna-study-group.org

URL

https://avicenna-study-group.org/

5. CfP: 10th meeting of the International Society for Arabic Papyrology (ISAP) in Leiden, 22–25 March 2027

The International Society for Arabic Papyrology (ISAP) invites submissions for its tenth congress, to be held in Leiden from 22 to 25 March 2027.

The congress aims to bring together scholars wording on (Arabic, Coptic, Greek, Pahlavi, …) papyri and related documentary sources from the Islamic period (6th-16th centuries CE) to foster dialogue between philology, papyrology, and historical research. The tenth ISAP congress will be dedicated to showing how papyrological materials can be used to illuminate broader historical questions and debates in Islamicate history.

For updated information on the congress, see the congress website.

Paper Proposals (20 minutes)

We invite proposals for 20-minute papers that engage directly with papyrological (and related documentary) sources for historial inquiry in Islamicate history. Contributions should clearly demonstrate how such sources illuminate our understanding of historical processes, structures, or experiences across the Islamicate world from the sixth to sixteenth centuries CE.

We welcome papers addressing themes such as, but not limited to, administration, economy, law, religion, social history, and material culture.

It will also be possible to present collaborative (co-presented) papers, in which one presenter focuses on the edition and philological aspects of a text, and the other discusses its historical and historiographical significance.

Short Presentations: Editions In Progress (10 minutes)

The programme will also include a dedicated session for the presentation of text editions or parts of editions. These 10-minute presentations are designed as a forum for discussion and feedback on ongoing work, including new texts, re-editions, or methological issues.

Submissions Guidelines

Proposals should be approximately 300 words (for both full papers and short presentations).
Please include your name, affiliation, and contact details.
Fo co-presented papers, please indicate clearly the roles of each contributor.
Please send your proposal by the deadline to: p.m.sijpesteijn@hum.leidenuniv.nl.

Deadline And Notification

Submission deadline: 1 September 2026
Notification of acceptance: 15 September 2026

Please note that there will be limited number of grants available to support the participation of scholars whose institutions provide no or insufficiant financial support. Information on how to apply for a grant will be provided after a paper has been accepted.

Jelle Bruning and Petra Sijpesteijn

Contact Information

Dr Jelle Bruning

Contact Email

j.bruning@hum.leidenuniv.nl

URL

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/institute-for-area-studies/arab…

6. Islamic Art, Games/XR & GLAM – Digital Lab Days Edinburgh, 2-3 July 2026

The Digital Lab for Islamic Visual Culture & Collections annual Digital Lab Days event will take place in Edinburgh on 2–3 July 2026. The event brings together scholars, curators, developers, educators, and heritage professionals working across Islamic art & architecture, history, video games/immersive media, and GLAM. The programme is designed to foster conversation across Islamic art, games/entertainment/XR, and GLAM sectors and to share new approaches to research, representation, and public engagement.

Speakers and workshops will engage with topics including:

Digital tools for Islamic architectural heritage
Al-Andalus in Arabic television
Game design as art historical methodology
Self-Orientalism in games and popular media
Art and MENA representation in contemporary digital media

This event is particularly relevant to scholars and practitioners in:

Islamic history and art history
Medieval and Middle East studies
Digital Humanities
Museum/Heritage studies
Games, Entertainment, & Creative Industries
Game Studies

Contact Email

info@digitallabivcc.com

URL

https://www.digitallabivcc.com/digital-days-islamic-art-games-xr-glam-edinburgh…

7. New book in open access: Philip Bockholt, Türkische Übersetzungen aus dem Arabischen und Persischen. Akteure, Adaption und Rezeption in der Frühen Neuzeit[Empires in Translation, vol. 1], Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2026

In the monograph “Türkische Übersetzungen aus dem Arabischen und Persischen”—the first volume of the series “Empires in Translation: Intersections of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish in the Eastern Mediterranean”—Philip Bockholt demonstrates that early‑modern Ottoman elites deliberately commissioned Turkish renderings of Arabic and Persian historiographical and advisory texts in order to appropriate the established Islamic scholarly tradition and thereby embed themselves within it. Treating translation as a cultural practice rather than a purely linguistic operation, the study maps the network of translators, patrons, and readers; it documents multiple recensions of the same work and analyses marginalia, colophons, and decorative elements that reveal the production and circulation contexts. By foregrounding the trilingual Ottoman scholarly world (elsine‑i s̱elās̱e—Arabic, Persian, Turkish), the research shows how translation functioned as an instrument of patronage, self‑positioning and imperial consolidation. Consequently, the monograph fills a significant lacuna in Ottoman intellectual history and underscores translation’s central role in early‑modern empire formation.

Contact Information

Prof. Dr. Philip Bockholt

Juniorprofessor für Geschichte des turko-persischen Raumes

Institut für Arabistik und Islamwissenschaft

Schlaunstr. 2

Raum 359

48143 Münster

Germany

Contact Email

philip.bockholt@uni-muenster.de

URL

https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783112219751/html?fbclid=I…

8. Racializing the Ummah

Muslim Humanitarians beyond Black, Brown, and White

Rhea Rahman

https://mngbookshop.co.uk/9781517920272/racializing-the-ummah/

20% Discount code*: LSMNGUPS26

*Valid until 11:59 BST, 30st December 2026. Discount only applies to the MNG website

9. The Islamic College

Qur’anic Arabic Certificate-Starting in June

Designed as a foundation for students wishing to pursue further studies in Islamic disciplines — or simply to gain proficiency in classical Arabic — this programme focuses on the language of the Qur’an and the classical scholarly tradition, rather than the Modern Standard Arabic used in contemporary contexts. No prior knowledge of Arabic is required..

The complete course is divided into three parts, each comprising 12 sessions held twice per week.

Modules offered: Part 1 – Reading, Writing & Morphology

Entry requirement: No prior knowledge of Arabic required

Duration: 12 weeks per part (36 weeks for all three parts)

Fees: £ 125 for Reading & Writing, £125 for Morphology, or £200 for both modules

Location: In-person and online

Part 1 start date: 30th June 2026
Part 1 — Reading and Writing & Morphology. An introduction to Arabic script and word patterns, exploring how Arabic words are formed and change.
Part 2 — Listening and Speaking and Syntax. A focus on correct sentence construction alongside the development of listening and reading skills.
Part 3 — Qur’anic Recitation & Analytical Grammar. Applied reading of Qur’anic texts with deeper engagement in grammatical analysis.

The instalment plan for the full fee is also available.

Questions? Contact The Islamic College at admissions@islamic-college.ac.uk

Posted in: Academic items

June 20, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. International Journal of Islamic Architecture 15.2

Special Issue: ‘Gender in Islamic Architecture’

Real and imagined spaces are inherently gendered. This relates to widely accepted heteronormative and patriarchal ways of living, and affects how buildings and cities are accessed, used, and experienced. Yet, women and marginalized peoples have found innovative ways to claim their right to experience and shape cities. Against these complex yet urgent ongoing questions, the contributors to this special issue of the International Journal of Islamic Architecture interrogate the past and present relationship between gender and architecture through an interdisciplinary approach.

Including ‘Tactics of Resistance: Palestinian Women and the Reclamation of Space in the Old City of Hebron, Palestine’ by Rana Abughannam and Nuha Dandis and ‘Chlorine, Concrete, and Coquette: Women at the Pool in Egypt, 1930–69’ by Alexandra Camille Schultz.

For more information about the journal and issue click here:

https://www.intellectbooks.com/international-journal-of-islamic-architecture

Issue 15.2

Table of Contents

Editorial

Women as Agents of Social Change and Disruptors of Normative Structures

GÜL KALE

Design in Theory Articles

Mother of Abundance, Queen of the Ill: Bezmiâlem Sultan and the Architectures of Tahaffuz

SHARON MIZBANI

Tactics of Resistance: Palestinian Women and the Reclamation of Space in the Old City of Hebron, Palestine

RANA ABUGHANNAM AND NUHA DANDIS

In a Double Bind Between the Harem and the Museum: Institutionalizing a Book Collection in the Court of Nasir al-Din Shah

SELİN ÜNLÜÖNEN

Chlorine, Concrete, and Coquette: Women at the Pool in Egypt, 1930–69

ALEXANDRA CAMILLE SCHULTZ

Fluid Boundaries, Liminal Identities: The Chhatri Tomb of Mughal Princess Shah Begum

SRINANDA GANGULY

Design in Practice Articles

Unveiling Sacred Boundaries in Qatar: Al-Mujadilah Center and Women’s Spatial Experience
FATEMA SHUBBAR, AMINA AL- KANDARI AND GÖZE BAYRAM

Book Reviews

Riyadh: Transforming a Desert City, Yasser Elsheshtawy (2022) and Making Space for the Gulf: Histories of Regionalism and the Middle East, Arang Keshavarzian (2024)

HARVEY MOLOTCH

Architecture of Migration: The Dadaab Refugee Camps and Humanitarian Settlement, Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi (2024)

ASLIHAN GÜNHAN

The Struggle for Development in Iran: The Evolution of Governance, Economy, and Society, Pooya Azadi, Mohsen B. Mesgaran, and Matin Mirramezani (2022)

ASMA MEHAN

The Palimpsest of the House: Re-Assessing Roman, Late Antique, Byzantine, and Islamic Living Patterns, Ed. Inge Uytterhoeven and Alessandra Ricci (2022)

SUNA GÜVEN

Islamic Architecture through Western Eyes, Volume 1: Spain, Turkey, India and Persia, Michael Greenhalgh (2023)

NADER SAYADI

Exhibition Review

23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory, Hrant Dink Foundation, Istanbul, Permanent Exhibition, Opened April 23, 2019

SIBEL ZANDI-SAYEK

Contact Information

Alex Dika Seggerman

Contact Email

alex.seggerman@rutgers.edu

URL

https://www.intellectbooks.com/international-journal-of-islamic-architecture

2. The production of material culture in the Islamic world (EHG 21st Colloquium)

The 21st colloquium of the Ernst Herzfeld Society for Islamic art and archaeology at the Goethe-University Frankfurt discusses the Islamic world from a materiality perspective. The colloquium focuses on craftsmen, production techniques or ‘know how’, production centers and workshops and the transfer of knowledge and highlights social and economic dynamics that often go unnoticed. It hosts Islamic art historians and Islamic archaeologists in addition to scholars from the fields of manuscript studies, museology, archaeometry, and anthropology. Through this interdisciplinary discussion we hope to better understand social dynamics in the Islamic world during different eras.

All lectures takes place in Frankfurt. They are not livestreamed and not recorded.

Contact Information

Registration to the colloquium until 25.6.26 by Mustafa Ahmad

Contact Email

m.ahmad@em.uni-frankfurt.de

URL

https://www.fb09.uni-frankfurt.de/186610338/EHG_Program_Poster_Draft_01.pdf

3. ARS APODEMICA

From the Sadberk Hanım Museum and Ömer Koç Collections

Curator: Makbule Merve Uca

8 May 2026-23 May 2027

Ars Apodemica constructs its narrative around journeys to Ottoman territories across a broad time span, from the late fifteenth century to the first quarter of the twentieth century, approaching these travels through the motivations behind them. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Koç Group, the exhibition, composed of a selection of works from the Sadberk Hanım Museum and the Ömer Koç Collections, centers on travelogues that consider travel not merely as a change of place, but as a deliberate practice of selection and recording. Beyond these travelogues, paintings reflecting the world of the period and objects related to the Ottoman geography also appear in the exhibition as integral parts of this visual and intellectual process of production.

Contact Email

info@mesher.org

URL

https://mesher.org/en

Posted in: Academic items

June 16, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. IHF Modern Iran Book Series 2026

We are pleased to announce the third round of our call for book proposals under the IHF Modern Iran Series, a new Open Access, peer-reviewed academic book series published by Bloomsbury Academic. The Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF) is supporting successful applicants with Open Access publication costs.

Please submit your proposal to Hassan Hakimian, Series Editor, and Rory Gormley, Senior Commissioning Editor at Bloomsbury Academic.

The deadline for submission for this round is 31 August 2026.

The IHF Modern Iran Series publishes innovative Open Access books with a broad thematic focus on modern and contemporary Iran. The chronological scope of the series covers the late nineteenth century to the present day with thematic areas ranging from cultural and social to political and economic issues.

The full announcement can be read here.

2. Registration Now Open: A Historical Journey through the Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH

🌟 In the Light of the Prophetic Radiance
A Historical Journey through the Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Join us for a truly unique and comprehensive exploration of the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This summer, we will journey through the sands and stories of Arabia, uncovering the historical, social, and spiritual landscape that gave rise to one of the most transformative figures in human history.

This intensive 15-session program offers a rigorous exploration of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), examining the historical context of 7th-century Arabia, the Meccan and Medinan periods, and the lasting impact of the Prophetic mission.

📅 August 5–27, 2026
🖥 Live on Zoom (recordings available)
🎓 Certificate provided (upon request)
🌍 Open worldwide
🎓 Partial scholarships available

🔗 Learn more and apply:
[Course Website Link]

We hope you will join us for this unique journey through the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

With warm regards,

Hikmat International Institute
📧 info@hikmat-ins.com
🌐 www.hikmat-ins.com

3. The Islamic College

Monthly Talk: Reading the Qur’an as a “Discourse of Signs”

Reading the Qur’an as a “Discourse of Signs”

Speaker: Professor William A. Graham

Date: 19 June 2026
Time: 6:00-7:30 pm (London time)

Location: Online

This talk will argue that the Qur’an taken as a whole is best understood as a text offering first and foremost a rehearsal of God’s many signs given freely for the purpose of instruction and guidance of human beings in their behavior in this world. In other words, the qur’anic notion of ‘ibrah (instructive example or lesson), âyah (sign), and other concepts such as bayyinah, mathal, or burhân, when considered together form a web of didactic and paranetic material that dominates the qur’anic text. In considering the prominence of these categories, God’s message clearly emerges as a call above all to note and consider His signs in nature, in human history, and in His Word itself and then to live and order one’s life accordingly.

William A. Graham is the Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Emeritus, and University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus, at Harvard University. He taught in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences from 1973 to 2018, serving also as Dean of Harvard Divinity School from 2002-12. His scholarly work has focused on early Islamic religious history and textual traditions and problems in the history of world religion.

https://islamic-college.ac.uk/registration-for-reading-the-quran-as-a-discourse-of-signs/

4. CSMBR Upcoming Lecture:

The Colour of Dreams

The Physiology of Oneiric Experience in Greek, Arabic, and Latin Traditions

Marco Signori

23 June 2026 – 5 PM (CET)

To register for this event, please click here.

5. ONLINE International Symposium “The Cultural Impact of Janissaries in the Ottoman Periphery”, Forum Tauri, Istanbul, 14 June 2026, 12:00 – 18:00 CET

Focusing on the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Egypt, and North Africa, the symposium invites reflection on how Janissary communities operated within provincial societies. In these regions, Janissaries were not only soldiers; they were urban actors, participants in local economies, members of devotional networks, and agents of institutional transmission. Through ritual practices, brotherhood structures, musical and ceremonial traditions, and social integration, they contributed to the shaping of local cultural land-scapes.

Information, program and registration: https://tinyurl.com/54pkua37

6. HYBRID International Conference “Lost in a Forest of Signs: Describing and Understanding Graphic Variation in Ancient Writing Systems” (Including Middle East), Liège University, Belgium, 15-17 June 2026

One of the main aims of this meeting is to bring together scholars working on undeciphered writing systems with those studying deciphered ones, fostering dialogue and shared insights – particularly through a more precise and nuanced description of the diverse phenomena encompassed by what we term graphic variation.

Information, program and registration: https://tinyurl.com/45zyhrj9

7. Articles on “Gender, Sexualities, and Middle Eastern Matricultures” for a Special Issue of ” Matrix: A Journal for Matricultural Studies”

Authors are encouraged to explore the symbols and meaning relating to women, mothers, and the feminine in a Middle Eastern society and how these symbols and meanings shape sexual behaviours and gender identities – or vice versa.

Deadline for abstracts: 29 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ynyvz6k7

8. ONLINE New Article “The World Cup and the Politics of Football in the MENA Region” by André Bank, Idriss Jebari, Hamid Talebian, Eckart Woert, GIGA Focus Middle East, No. 3, 9 June 2026, 10 Pages

A record-high nine men’s national teams from the MENA will take part, testifying to the region’s in-creased role in global football. In this region, the World Cup is stirring up debates over nationalism, sportswashing, and social protests.

Link: https://tinyurl.com/frt8rkaz

9. ONLINE New Issue on “Female Health Professionals and Colonial and Imperial Medicine in the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire” of the “Journal of Women`s History”, Vol. 38, No. 2, June 2026, 112 Pages

Themes: Representing (Some) Jewish Midwives in the Re-formation of the Ottoman State. – Charity and Social Networks: The Haifa Infant Welfare Association During the British Mandate in Palestine. – From Mobility Restrictions to a Modern Health Center in Baqa Al-Gharbiyyeh: Arab Women Under the Military Government in Israel, 1949-1966. – Doctoring Empire: American Women Physicians and the Politics of Professional Identity in Iran, 1888-1971. – Reproductive Justice: From the Local to the Global.

Link: https://muse.jhu.edu/issue/56910

10. ONLINE Annales islamologiques 60, Dossier « Symbolismes et représentations de la Kaʿba », IFAO, “Annales islamologiques 60”, juin 2026, 367 Pages

The collected contributions analyse both processes of historiographical sacralisation and the symbolic, visual, and speculative elaborations associated with the sanctuary, from the early period of Islam to Sufi and Shiʿi traditions. By bringing together historical, iconographic, and hermeneutical perspectives, the dossier situates the Kaʿba at the centre of a nexus of practices, narratives, and symbolic construc-tions constitutive of classical Islam.

Information and links to articles : https://tinyurl.com/3bdw5wuv

11. New Book: “The Yezidis in Kurdish Nationalist and Islamic Discourses after the 2014 Geno-cide” by Qader Saleem Shammo, Yezidi Studies, vol. 4, Berlin: Frank and Timme, 2026, 282 Pages

In the aftermath of the 2014 genocide perpetrated by ISIS against the Yezidis, one critical issue has been largely overlooked: How are the Yezidis represented in Kurdish nationalist discourse within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq? And how are they portrayed in Kurdish Islamic religious discourse beyond Iraq’s borders? This book examines how the Yezidi genocide has been appropriated for political, symbolic, and strategic purposes.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/3yc9685k

12. New Book: “From Fatwa to Genocide: Historic and Contemporary Manifestations of the Islamic Genocide against the Yezidis” by Qader Saleem Shammo, Yezidi Studies, vol. 5., Berlin: Frank and Timme, 2026, 348 Pages

What is the history and the present-day reality of the Yezidis? Are there enduring patterns of discrimi-nation and persecution by Islamic communities and political authorities? And how did and do they affect women and children? This research pays particular attention to the enslavement of Yezidi women and children and to the sûq al-sabâyâ, the slave markets established for their sale.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdfv9szc

13. New Volume “From Cairo to Jerusalem and Beyond: Studies of the Later Islamic Middle Period in Honor of Linda Stevens Northrup” Edited by Mustafa Banister and Fadi Ragheb, Brill, Islamic History and Civilization Series, 8 June 2026, 573 Pages

This volume is a collection of essays dedicated to the esteemed Middle East historian Linda S. Northrup. It presents thirteen original contributions authored by international scholars from diverse fields such as pre-modern history, architecture, and Middle Eastern studies. The first section examines Crusader-era historiography, the second focuses on the “Mamlūk” period, the third explores late medieval medical science, and the fourth investigates urban history and material culture.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/39bhkvvw

Posted in: Academic items

June 13, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. New online Persian literature courses: Farrokhzad, Hafez, Rumi, etc.

Ghand-e Parsi Academy of Persian Language and Literature:
I. Forugh Farrokhzad’s Life and Works: A Deep Dive into Forugh’s Feminist Poetry
The sessions are designed for readers of Persian of all levels (basic, intermediate, advanced, and native speakers) as well as students who have no prior experience with this language and are interested in accessing Farrokhzad’s poetry in English translation. Readings and assignments, both in Persian and English, will be adapted to the individual needs and expectations of each student.
Schedule: Mondays, 22 June – 7 September, 2026
Time: 10:30–11:30 AM (US Pacific), 1:30–2:30 PM (US Eastern), 8:30–9:30 PM (Central European)
More info: https://www.ghandeparsi.com/summerschool/forugh
II. Rumi and Hafez: An Introduction to Persian Mystical Poetry
This course is designed for intermediate and advanced students of Persian as well as readers who are interested in discovering Rumi’s and Hafez’s mystical poetry in English translation.
Schedule: Mondays, 22 June – 7 September, 2026
Time: 9:00–10:00 AM (US Pacific), 12:00–1:00 PM (US Eastern), 6:00–7:00 PM (Central European)
More info: https://www.ghandeparsi.com/summerschool/rumihafez
III. How to Read Persian Poetry: From Iranian Epic Cycles and Omar Khayyam to Safavid and Indo-Persian Poets
(intermediate and advanced)
Schedule: Tuesdays, 23 June – 8 September, 2026
Time: 9:00–10:00 AM (US Pacific), 12:00–1:00 PM (US Eastern), 6:00–7:00 PM (Central European)
More info: https://www.ghandeparsi.com/summerschool/how

2. Deafness in the Premodern Mediterranean

17 – 18 November 2026

This VivaMente conference will explore the topic of deafness and the role of deaf people in Mediterranean antiquity and the pre-modern era, examining it from historical, medical and socio-cultural perspectives.

Despite its historical significance, this topic remains underexplored; however, academic interest in disabilities in the ancient world has undergone a significant renewal in recent years. In light of new research perspectives that move beyond the traditional, pathology-centred approach to encompass a broader consideration of social and cultural dynamics, the history of deafness and deaf individuals represents a field of study requiring an interdisciplinary approach.

Set within the increasing recognition of Deaf culture at public and academic levels, the conference is intended to situate deafness within the broader framework of the history of ideas. Rather than treating deafness solely as a social condition or an object of modern Deaf cultural studies, the conference will examine the evolving intellectual categories through which deafness was defined, explained and categorised in ancient and medieval societies. Particular attention will be paid to the historical transformation of concepts such as hearing, speech, silence, impairment, education, communication and disability, and to the ways in which these categories were shaped by philosophical, theological, legal, linguistic and medical discourses.

A central goal is therefore to promote dialogue between scholars of various disciplines to create the most comprehensive and multifaceted picture possible of deafness in premodern history. Beyond shedding light on specific aspects of ancient and medieval culture, this reflection also aims to encourage critically examining the persistence of certain historical conceptions in contemporary perceptions of deafness and disability as a whole.

Organisation

Scholars working on any area relevant to the conference are invited to submit a proposal consisting of a title and an abstract. Proposals should not exceed 250 words and should be accompanied by a short biographical note. Contributions may address any aspect relevant to the conference’s theme (ancient, medieval, and early modern), as well as broader comparative or methodological approaches.

The deadline for submission is 10 September 2026.

The organisers will select the proposals with a view to both the conference programme and the publication of the proceedings. Selected speakers will be invited to complete the registration process after acceptance. The conference proceedings will be submitted for peer-reviewed publication in the series Palgrave Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Medicine.

For further details and to register for this event, please click here

Andreas Hylla

Centre for the Study of Medicine and the Body in the Renaissance (CSMBR) – Assistant Coordinator

Domus Comeliana, Via Cardinale Maffi 48, 56126 Pisa, Italy

Tel.: +39.02.006.20.51 – Mobile: +39.333.13.12.203

Email: ah@csmbr.fondazionecomel.org

3. Exceptionally rare 1948 recording of the Tehran Conservatory Choir. Conducted by the Persian-Armenian musician Roubik Grigorian, the choir performs the beloved folk songGolom Ey Golom:

https://youtu.be/l4AeUM3q1OU

Founded in the 1920s, the Tehran Conservatory Choir was the first choir to perform a repertoire in the Persian language.

4. CfPs:

Navigating Fragmented Legal Systems: Women, Agency, and Access in the Middle East

ScienceDirect special issue
https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/333965/navigating-fragmented-legal-systems-women-agency-and-access-in-the-middle-east

Mobilizing Sharīʿa, Law, and Gender Justice in Contemporary Muslim Societies: Legal Pluralism, Lived Islam, and Social Change

Springer Nature special collection in Contemporary Islam
https://link.springer.com/collections/cdgbhehfcj

International Symposium “Healing in Anatolian Culture”, Cappadocia, 24-26 September 2026
International symposium “Healing in Anatolian Culture,” to be held at Cappadocia University in Mustafapaşa, Cappadocia (Türkiye), on 24–26 September 2026.

Anatolia, at the crossroads of millennia of successive civilisations, developed a richly layered culture of healing. The knowledge of figures such as Aretaeus of Cappadocia and the pharmacologist Dioscorides of Anazarbus (Cilicia) converged, along the routes of the Silk Road, with the learning of Ibn Sina of Bukhara, shaping both medical practice and cultural life across the region. From antiquity to the present, healing practices in Anatolia have served as carriers not only of medical knowledge but also of belief systems, gender roles, ritual performance, and cultural memory.

The symposium examines the epistemological and practical dimensions of healing knowledge in Anatolia within a rigorous, interdisciplinary framework, bringing together the history of medicine, art history, archaeology, history, architecture, literature, gastronomy, folklore, and cultural studies. Particular attention is given to the visual and material culture of healing, to questions of identity, image, and cultural continuity, and to the central role of female healers — saints, folk midwives, herbalists, and ritual practitioners — in the transmission of healing knowledge.

The symposium is organised within the framework of an Erasmus Staff Week. Colleagues affiliated with a university may apply for Erasmus+ staff mobility support through their home institution to fund their participation.

Languages: Turkish and English.

Abstract deadline: 15 June 2026. Abstracts (maximum 300 words, with title and keywords) should be sent to sifainanatolia@kapadokya.edu.tr. Participation is free of charge; pre-registration is required.

Full details: https://sifainanatolia.kapadokya.edu.tr/en/home-page/

5. ONLINE Webinar: Mehmandari: Hosting and Minding Foreign Visitors in Safavid and Qajar Iran, with Rudi Matthee

British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS), 30 June, 2026 5:00 pm UK Time
Mehmandari, the practice of having foreigners visiting in an official capacity welcomed, accompanied, and provided for by the host country, is very old in Iran. My presentation traces the historical roots of the practice and follows its development through the Safavid period and until late Qajar times. I next examine the responsibilities of the officer in charge, the mehmandar, to argue that, aside from serving as a court-appointed host, this official functioned above all as a minder, tasked to monitor the movements of envoys and to find out the real reasons for their visit. I further discuss the practice of accommodating visitors and their entourage and of providing them with victuals, the per diem official visitors were entitled to, and the burden this put on the local population, with all the corruption and graft it involved.

Information and registration:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8817805722380/WN_OtlBeUE4R4ixVSBvAbYk8Q#/registration

6. Summer 2026 funding: Laura Bassi Scholarship

The Laura Bassi Scholarship was established in 2018 with the aim of providing editorial assistance to postgraduates and junior academics whose research focuses on neglected topics of study, broadly construed. The scholarships are open to every discipline and the next round of funding will be awarded in Summer 2026:

Summer 2026
Application deadline: 12 July 2026
Results: 24 July 2026

All currently enrolled master’s and doctoral candidates are eligible to apply, as are academics in the first five years of full-time employment. Applicants are required to submit a completed application form along with their CV through the application portal by the relevant deadline. Further details, including previous winners, and the application portal can be found at: https://editing.press/bassi

7. CFP: Early Modern Maps and Materialities (RSA Philadelphia March 2027)

We seek proposals for papers for one or more panels about early modern maps and their materialities at the Annual Meeting of the Renaissance Society of America, Philadelphia, 11-13 Mar 2027.

How does the material character of the map shape its capacity to communicate? How can the interrogation of format, support, media, techniques, modes of storage and display, marks of classification, ownership and origin add meaning and context to the information on its surface? Do different types and characters of materials and formats shape reception of geographical information? What evidence do we have of the value or valence of materials to mapmakers? Particularly in an age of expanding global awareness, how might materials have connected mapping processes to specific sites? How did materiality signify to Indigenous map traditions? In its consideration of these questions, this session will highlight the importance of the form and format of the early modern map as integral components of its interpretation.
Submissions must include:
Paper title (15-word maximum)
Paper abstract (200-word maximum)
CV (.pdf or .doc)
PhD or other terminal degree completion year (past or expected)
Full name, current affiliation, and email address.

Participants must be members of RSA to present at the conference.
Submission deadline: July 15, 2026.
Notification date: August 1, 2026.

Contact Information

Hayley Cotter, UMASS, Amherst, hcotter@umass.edu

Camille Serchuk, Southern CT State University, serchukc1@southernct.edu

8. CFP: ISHMap 2027 Barcelona – Symposium and Workshop: Mapping Outside the Metropole

Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, Barcelona 24-28 May 2027

We are delighted to welcome proposals to participate in the International Society for the History of the Map (ISHMap) Symposium and Workshop that will take place in Barcelona. The Symposium is organized in collaboration with the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya.

Spain—as an empire, kingdom, and nation—has been known for its diverse regional cultures, politics, and topographies. In hosting this conference in Barcelona, ISHMap builds on this history through the theme of Mapping Outside the Metropole to think about centers of cultural production outside of the imperial capital. We welcome submissions that highlight national, regional, colonial, post-colonial maps and cartography.

The Symposium is open to everyone working in the history of cartography. The Workshop welcomes applications from professionals at the early stages in academic and public careers. To present or attend a workshop, you must be an ISHMap member by the date you register for the symposium and workshop.

Applications will be accepted until 30 September 2026 for individual papers, panels and roundtables or other proposed sessions. The review and acceptance will occur by 14 December 2026. Additional details about the symposium program and associated activities are forthcoming.

A two-day Workshop (24-26 May 2027) for early career professionals (scholars, curators, archivists, and librarians) working in the history of cartography, will precede the Symposium. Hands-on activities led by experts in the field may include sessions focusing on data, machine learning, and historical maps, Cold War mapping, early sea charts, and the materiality and production of the maps.

The Symposium (26-28 May 2027) will include paper and posters on all aspects of the history of maps and mapping. We particularly welcome proposals that address issues related to mapping outside of the metropole and the central sites of colonial and state power as well as proposals that bring comparative or cross-cultural perspectives to the history of maps and mapping.

This will be an in-person conference with all presentations and papers delivered. The keynote address may be available as a hybrid lecture.

EVENT CALENDAR

30 September 2026: Application deadline for Symposium and Workshop.
14 December 2026: Acceptances delivered.
1 March 2026: Registration for participants closes.
15 March 2026: Final program available online
26 April 2027: Registration for non-participants (attendees) closes.
24-26 May 2027: ISHMap Workshop (in person)
26-28 May 2027: ISHMap Symposium (in person)
29 May 2027: Post-Symposium Trip

Co-Chairs:

Noelia Ramos Espinosa, Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya
David Sánchez. Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya
David Weimer, Newberry Library

Contact Email

ishmap.society@gmail.com

URL

https://ishmap.com/ishmap-2027-barcelona/

9. Online: Women, Life, Freedom in the Mirror of Scholarship: Responses from the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Bilingual Lecture Series

A lecture by Pooyan Tamimi Arab (Utrecht University)

Co-organized by the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies and the UCLA Iranian Studies

Monday, June 8, 2026

11:00 AM – 12:30 PT

https://forms.international.ucla.edu/cnes/event/17649

10. HYBRID Archaeology Conference “Poles on the Nile”, University of Warsaw, 9-12 June 2026

Information, program and registration: https://tinyurl.com/mr4x9j87

11. ONLINE Webinar “Abd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī’s Indebtedness to al-Suyūṭī” by Matthew B. Ingalls (AUD), Series “The Heirs of Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī (d. 1505 AD)”, OIB/Universities of Bamberg and Göttingen, Beirut, 10 June 2026, 18:00 – 19:30 CET

Though only briefly acquainted, al-Suyūṭī profoundly influenced ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī’s (d. 1565) intellectual development. This paper explores their biographical and intellectual connections, focusing on al-Suyūṭī’s role in shaping al-Shaʿrānī’s affiliation with the Shādhilī order, his justification for writing a spiritual autobiography, and his integration of Sufism into Islamic legal discourse.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/3snfnyfd

12. HYBRID Book Talk “Cities in Fragments: Modernism, Memory, and the Making of the Contemporary Arab City” by Yasser Elsheshtawy (Arab Gulf States Institute), Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin, 11 June 2026, 17:00 – 18:30 CET

This talk introduces Elsheshtawy’s book “Arab Modernism(s): Cities, History and Culture”, exploring how architecture and urban transformation shaped – and were shaped by – the social, cultural, and political trajectories of Arab cities. Moving across a range of cities, it examines modernism not merely as an architectural style but as a lived condition marked by aspiration, memory, displacement, and everyday life.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/z73nx7d7

13. ONLINE International Symposium “The Cultural Impact of Janissaries in the Ottoman Periphery”, Forum Tauri, Istanbul, 14 June 2026, 12:00 – 18:00 CET

Information, program and registration: https://tinyurl.com/54pkua37

14. HYBRID Book Talk “Social Anthropology in the Arab World. The Fragmented History of a Contested Discipline” by Daniele Cantini, Berlin Anthropology Seminars, Freie Universität Berlin, 17 June 2026, 16:15 – 18:00 CET

This book examines the history and institutionalisation of anthropology in the Maghreb, the Mashreq and the Gulf, in an open and collaborative manner and from various perspectives. Its primary focus is two-fold: first, to reorient the anthropological focus towards studies conducted in the region, particularly on the conditions conducive to the institutionalisation of anthropological knowledge; second, to shed light on anthropological studies in languages other than English. offering different theoretical and epistemological perspectives.

Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/fr2xfes9

15. Journée d’étude « Étudier les langues orientales. Sciences et politique », Inalco, Paris, 19 juin 2026, 9h00 – 17h30 CET

Désigner et nommer des langues, les qualifier d’« orientales vivantes », « d’une utilité reconnue pour la politique et le commerce », en faire des objets d’enseignement, en « composer la grammaire » : voilà des gestes simples en apparence, lourds pourtant d’implicites et de conséquences.

Information et programme : https://tinyurl.com/ykn4bc9t

16. 9th International Symposium “Politics and Society in the Islamic World”, University of Lodz, Poland, 21-23 October 2026

We invite case studies from across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia, Europe, and other global contexts. Contributions may adopt national, regional, comparative, or transnational perspectives and combine insights from multiple disciplines.

Deadline for abstracts: 20 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/phbmrsfb

17. Workshop “Imperial Transformations – Comparative Strategies in Empires of Salvation Religions” (Focus Middle Eastern Salvation Religions), Center for Comparative Empire and Transcultural Studies (RomanIs-lam), University of Hamburg, 11-14 November 2026

The Roman, Islamic, and Spanish empires all seem paradigmatic for our understanding of a transformative imperialism. Their imperial missions were driven by Middle Eastern salvation religions. Subsequent empires and political regimes until today have all drawn, in one way or another, on the common heritage of Roman, Islamic, and Hispanic imperial legacies.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/43tms8mk

18. “International Qard Symposium: Theory, History and Contemporary Applications”, Istanbul University, 14-15 November 2026

Throughout Islamic civilization, the institution of qard has historically served as an important mechanism of mutual assistance, justice, and social welfare. The symposium aims to examine qard from its classical jurisprudential foundations to its contemporary financial applications through a multidimensional perspective. It will discuss historical experiences, modern financial systems, participation banking, civil society practices, digital finance models, and contemporary economic challenges within an interdisciplinary framework.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yc3edrw5

19. Workshop “Identifying as Woman in Transnational Religious Spaces: Contemporary Dynamics of Lived Religion, Femininity, and Womanhood”, Department of the Study of Religion with a Focus on Islam, University of the Bundeswehr, Munich, 18-20 November 2026

Main questions: How are femininity and womanhood negotiated, lived, and embodied in transnational religious spaces. – What does this tell us about current discourses on femininity and womanhood and their intertwining with other global, including colonial and postcolonial, political and social discourses? – What is the lived reality of women in these transnational spaces, and how does it relate to their practice of religions? – How does being in transnational spaces affect women’s lived religion? – Etc.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4mmwffsr

20. Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai Visiting Fellowship (1 Academic Year), Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies

We welcome fellowship applications from scholars conducting research on a diverse range of topics:  _Muslim Societies Past and Present  _Identity and Citizenship: Muslims in Britain and the West  _Classical Islamic Sciences  _Economic and Human Development and Islamic Finance  _Science, Technology, Environment and Muslim Societies

Deadline for applications: 15 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/375mtbwe

21. “Gwenn Okruhlik Dissertation Award” of the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS)

We welcome dissertations from across the disciplines and a variety of perspectives. They must primarily focus on the Arabian Peninsula but can be inclusive of the transnational flows of people, material and ideas across the Gulf, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean. PhD dissertations accepted for the degree of PhD between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 are eligible.

Deadline for submissions: 15 July 2026. Information: https://agaps.org/awards-2026/

22. “Graduate Paper Prize” of the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS)

We welcome graduate papers from across disciplines and a with variety of perspectives. They must primarily focus on the Arabian Peninsula but can be inclusive of the transnational flow of people, goods and ideas across the Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The research paper must be unpublished and must have been written between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.

Deadline for submissions: 15 July 2026. Information: https://agaps.org/awards-2026/

23. Summer Course “Reading and Analysing Persian Archival Sources from Afghanistan”, Oriental Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 7-11 September 2026

Participants will work primarily with Persian documents from the 19th and 20th centuries. The summer school will introduce participants to basic archival and palaeographical skills, including reading Nastaʿlīq and Shikasta scripts, identifying document types and seals, and understanding administrative terminology, text structure, and content.

Deadline for applications: 30 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/47md9ur4

24. Chapters on “Alternatives to the Nation-State: Federalism, Autonomy, and Post-Imperial Imaginaries in the Mediterranean Long Nineteenth Century” for Book Edited by Erkjad Kajo & Alexandros S. Balatsoukas

Themes: Imperial decentralization as a design problem (Algerian decentralization debates, khedivial Egypt, the Mount Lebanon mutasarrifiyya as mixed sovereignty). – Constitutional moments and their Mediterranean circulation (Ottoman 1876 and 1908). – Religious internationalisms as political alternatives (pan-Islamism, the Alliance Israélite Universelle). – Mountain and local autonomies (Druze, Maronite, Kabyle) as working models behind larger federalist projects. – Etc.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 July 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4nshrjac

25. ONLINE Article on “Baraka and Thermodynamics: Migrant Work, Lawful Income, and Economic Growth” by Samuli Schielke in “Ethnos: Journal of Anthropology”, 4 May 2026, 14 Pages

Based on fieldwork with Egyptian workers in the Dubai metropolitan area, I seek to understand the tension between a search for moral and economic stability and processes of growth and mobility that destabilise the foundations and shape of a viable life. I argue that there is a productive tension between the idea of non-destructive thriving expressed in the Islamic concept of baraka (divine blessing) and hydrocarbon-based capitalist growth.

Link: https://tinyurl.com/y2emdud3

26. New Book “Islamist Political Thought in Turkey” by Michelangelo Guida, IB Tauris, 28 May 2026, 248 Pages

This book provides an intellectual history of Islamism in Turkey, tracing the thought of key figures from the late Ottoman Empire to the contemporary period. Covering also the rise of Islamism as a political movement in the late 20th century, it provides important insight into the intellectual background of Islamism in contemporary Turkey.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/537w2vk9

27. New Book: “Libya’s Struggle and Unfinished Transformation: Monarchy, Dictatorship, the Reform Dilemma, and the Betrayal of R2P”by Youssef Mohammad Sawani, Palgrave, 1 July 2026, 356 Pages

This book offers a de-colonial examination of Libya’s political evolution and societal dynamics. Analysing the monarchy, the Gaddafi era, and the NATO intervention, it explores the interplay between internal agency and external influences. The book provides essential insights into Libya’s state-building challenges, the 2011 uprising, and its persistent political fragmentation.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/59zamhem

Posted in: Academic items

June 06, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. Online: Cluster of Excellence Lecture Event: Imperial Infrastructures of Communication across Eurasia

Convened by

Tijana Krstic (Central European University) and
Nina Mirnig (University of Vienna)

Date and Time
Monday 8th June 2026, 5:00 PM CET // 8:00 AM PST

Venue
Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies,
University of Vienna, Seminar Room 1, Spitalgasse 2, Hof 2, Eingang 2.7, 1090 Vienna

For online participation, please register below:

https://univienna.zoom.us/meeting/register/je5EJPt-TrWu2f1AthAXVg#/registration

17:00

Welcome

Tijana Krstic (Central European University) and Nina Mirnig (University of Vienna)

17:05

Introduction

Sebastian Fink (University of Innsbruck)

17:10

Lecture

Assyrian Imperial Communication: Messengers, Animals, and Royal Roads

Sanae Ito, Associate Professor, Research Center for Cultural Heritage and Texts, Nagoya University

17:40

Panel Discussion

Transregional Perspectives on Imperial Communication

Ancient Iran

Respondent: M. Rahim Shayegan, Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Professor of Iranian, Director of the Pourdavoud Institute & Yarshater Center, Chair of Global Antiquity, UCLA (online)

Ancient India

Respondent: Upinder Singh, Professor of History, Ashoka University (online

Ottoman Empire

Respondent: Tolga Esmer, Professor at the Department of Historical Studies, Central European University

Moderated by Tijana Krstic and Nina Mirnig

2. Stoning as Punishment in Early Islam

Syed Atif Rizwan

OUP, 2026

https://academic.oup.com/book/62316

3. The Cambridge Handbook of Islam and Environmental Law

We are pleased to share the publication of The Cambridge Handbook of Islam and Environmental Law (Cambridge University Press, 2026).

We have a post on Cambridge’s Fifteen Eighty Four blog, What Climate Law Has Been Missing for 1,400 Years, so you can learn more about the project.

TRT World covered the book ahead of COP 31 in Antalya on May 27: link.

On Friday, Mohamed Arafa presented at the Law and Society Association CRN 23 International Law and Politics Multibook Launch in San Francisco.

Please use code TCHIEL26 for 20% off through May 2027 on the publisher’s site. If you can request your library to order a copy, we would appreciate it.

We welcome thoughts and feedback on this project.

Kind regards,

Saba Kareemi, Nadia Ahmad, Erum Sattar, Oluwakemi Ayanleye

3. Elements Series: Life Forms in Premodern Philosophy

Six Lectures on Aristotle’s “De Anima”

organised by

Fabrizio Bigotti

01 July – 6 August

Few texts in history have enjoyed the centrality of Aristotle’s De Anima. The work presupposes and at the same time coordinates the entire structure of Aristotle’s inquiry on the living world and remained vital long after other parts of Aristotle’s natural philosophy ceased to command obedience in the academic world. This vitality was due also to the fact that Aristotle posed a question that few others in history have tried to address: what is life?

His answer stirs a middle ground between vitalism and materialism. Condensed into six lectures, these encounters will explore the nuances and complexities of Aristotle’s theory of the soul. Participants will read selected passages of Aristotle in English. Knowledge of Greek is not mandatory, but it would be an advantage as some technical terms are introduced and explained.

For further details and to register for this event, please click here.

Kindest regards,

Andreas Hylla

Centre for the Study of Medicine and the Body in the Renaissance (CSMBR) – Assistant Coordinator

Domus Comeliana, Via Cardinale Maffi 48, 56126 Pisa, Italy

Tel.: +39.02.006.20.51 – Mobile: +39.333.13.12.203

Email: ah@csmbr.fondazionecomel.org

4. Mathhee, R., ‘Bloody Hands: Shāh Ṣafī Ṣafavī’s Ascent to Power, 1038–44/1629–34’

2026, Journal of the American Society for Premodern Asia (JASPA, formerly JAOS), 146:2 , 339-63

https://lockwoodonlinejournals.com/index.php/jaos/article/view/3119

5. Call for Workshop Abstracts

Iraq: The State of the Field since 2003

The Center for Arab and Islamic Studies (CAIS) at Villanova University invites you to submit abstracts for consideration in a workshop on “Iraq: The State of the Field since 2003” to be held virtually on 12 – 13 February, 2027 organized by Zainab Saleh (Haverford), Sara Farhan (University of Northern British Columbia), and Pelle Valentin Olsen (Lund University).

The American invasion of Iraq in March 2003 constitutes one of the most consequential ruptures in the history of the modern Middle East. Nearly twenty-five years later, the ramifications of the invasion continue to reverberate across the humanities and social sciences. Despite the voluminous literature generated in the wake of the invasion, critical and systematic reflection on intellectual trends, how these trends were formed, the archives and forms of retrieval and collection that enabled them, and who has been authorized to produce knowledge on Iraq remains fragmentary. The Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (JSAMES) invites scholars across the humanities and social sciences to interrogate these foundational questions under a unifying rubric of ‘Iraq: The State of the Field since 2003.’

Structured by an insistence on interdisciplinarity, ‘Iraq: The State of the Field since 2003’ proceeds with the conviction that the Invasion of Iraq marked an epistemological watershed. The invasion and ensuing occupation fundamentally reshaped the conditions of scholarly inquiry: pillaged archives, hollowed out universities, murdered and exiled academics in Iraq and the simultaneous emergence of new repositories, institutions, and conferences in the West. To take stock of scholarship on Iraq since 2003 is therefore an exercise in gauging the barometers of the material and ideological conditions under which that scholarship has been produced. We invite scholars to engage rigorously with this double task while foregrounding the following:

Knowledge Production, Methodology, and Positionality

What is the location and positionality of knowledge about Iraq? Who gets to produce knowledge about Iraq, under what conditions, for what audiences and in what languages? What theoretical and methodological paradigms have dominated Iraq studies since 2003, and what intellectual possibilities have they foreclosed? The forum invites critical interrogation of the epistemological frameworks governing the field since 2003, meta-scholarly reflections on paradigmatic tendencies and their consequences, and substantive research presentations in areas that remain underrepresented or invisible.

Public, Collective Memory, and Commemorations

What does it mean to write the history of a society whose relationship to its own past has been consistently contested? What do acts of commemoration mean? And who gets to perform them, and what actors, past and present, do they exclude? The sedimentary layers of competing remembrance that continue to shape how Iraqi communities understand themselves and their obligations to their past are an important interdisciplinary concept. The erection and demolition of monuments, the establishment of museums and memorials, the designation of communal or national days of remembrance, the performance of communal rituals, and the official canonization of martyrs and heroes are acts of political will with a long and contentious history that cannot be reduced to the post-2003 moment.

Iraqi Archives

The history of Iraq’s archives enacts the colonial logic that Edward Said identified as the aggregation of the right to govern is, therefore, the right to narrate. The use of plundered records reproduces an asymmetry in which the imperial power that precipitated archival destruction simultaneously becomes the privileged custodian and the interpreter of the Iraqi past. The field cannot be adequately assessed without confronting the structural deficiency that has shaped it since at least 2003: the systematic underutilization of archives in Iraq and the corresponding marginalization of scholarship produced by Iraqi scholars working in Iraqi institutions. The forum presses upon contributors the importance of engaging seriously with these materials and the substantial body of scholarship produced by Iraqi academics, many of whom continue to work under severe institutional constraints.

The Case for Interdisciplinarity

History, anthropology, political science, sociology, literary and cultural studies, law, gender studies, geography, and the environmental humanities each illuminate different facets of a reality that resists disciplinary enclosure. The forum is explicitly interdisciplinary in its ambitions. We invite scholars to bring their distinctive disciplinary competencies into conversation with one another, to reflect on what is gained and what is lost in such crossings, and to model forms of collaborative inquiry that move beyond the additive inclusion of multiple methodologies as we work toward engaged intellectual synthesis.

Social History

The 2003 U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq profoundly reshaped and reconfigured everyday life. Iraqis not only endured the destruction of infrastructure and the erosion of access to basic needs, but also navigated new realities marked by checkpoints, militarization, displacement, crackdowns on protest movements, and increasing restrictions on women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. The institutionalization of a sectarian quota system further transformed social relations, political belonging, and access to resources and opportunities. How did the invasion and occupation reshape gender relations, senses of belonging, public spaces, and everyday life chances? How were class, sect, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality renegotiated in post-2003 Iraq? In what ways have Iraqis resisted, adapted to, or memorialized these transformations over the past twenty-five years?

Submission Guidelines and Key Dates:

All accepted papers will be considered for publication in a forum of the Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (JSAMES), a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the CAIS and published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. The JSAMES is interested in interdisciplinary scholarship that explores that unique political, social, and economic formations and their historical antecedents that contribute to region-making in our contemporary age. The JSAMES is edited by Samer Abboud (Villanova University). Further journal information, including a list of editorial board members can be found here.

For submissions, please fill out this form.

If you have any inquiries, reach out to the managing editor of JSAMES, Dina Baslan at dina.baslan@villanova.edu with the following subject heading: “CFP Iraq: The State of the Field since 2003”.

The workshop timeline is as follows:

September 1, 2026 Submission of abstracts (~250 words)

Late September 2026 Notification of acceptance

Mid November 2026 Virtual participants’ meeting

January 8, 2027 Submission of paper drafts (~4000 words)

February 12 – 13, 2027 Workshop

May 11, 2027 Submission of final papers for review (4000 words)

Contact Information

Dina Baslan

Contact Email

dina.baslan@villanova.edu

URL

https://www.villanova.edu/university/liberal-arts-sciences/scholarship/journals…

Posted in: Academic items

June 02, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. Hybrid Conference: Health and the Environment in the Preindustrial World: Multidisciplinary Approaches

Our upcoming conference “Health and the Environment in the Preindustrial World: Multidisciplinary Approaches” that will take place on 23-24 July 2026 in a Hybrid format, with in-person attendance at Monash University, Caulfield Campus in Victoria, Australia. Registration closes on the 26 June.

This international and interdisciplinary conference brings to a close the activities of the grant team “Pursuing Public Health in the Preindustrial World, 1100-1800.” Beyond the team itself, it involves a dozen scholars working across health history, history of science and technology, religion, archaeology and landscape in areas covering Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and East and Southeast Asia.

Convener

Guy Geltner, Monash University
Keynote Speaker
Pamela H. Smith, Columbia University

For further details of the conference check out our website click here or program click here.

Both remote and in-person attendance is free. To register, please click the following link (note: if you responded to the pre-registration form, you do need to fill out this registration form to confirm your attendance): https://forms.gle/osAuopLawo9a3e5U6

For any questions, please direct them towards Lucy Moloney (lucy.moloney1@monash.edu)

2. Prochaine séance du séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du monde iranien”, jeudi 4 juin 2026, 17h, à l’INALCO
Le CeRMI a le plaisir de vous convier à la prochaine séance du séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du Monde iranien”, qui se tiendra jeudi prochain, 4 juin 2026, 17h-19h, en salle 4.06 à l’INaLCO(65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII, 4^eétage).

Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir Mme Ekaterina Nechaeva, Professeure à l’Université de Lille, historienne de l’Antiquité tardive, spécialiste en particulier des relations entre Rome et la Perse sassanide, pour une conférence intitulée :Le destin des captifs d’Amida au début du VIe siècle.

Résumé :

Amida, l’une des principales villes de Mésopotamie romaine, se trouve au cœur de la guerre entre Kavadh et Anastase (502-506). Le siège de la ville par les troupes iraniennes, long de plusieurs mois, compte parmi les épisodes les plus dramatiques du conflit et s’achève par sa prise en janvier 503, dans des circonstances que les sources expliquent de manière divergente, entre défaillance, négligence et récits de trahison. La chute de la ville s’accompagne d’une capture massive de la population, touchant à la fois des groupes urbains, des communautés religieuses, ainsi que des figures de rang plus élevé.

À partir d’un dossier de sources, en particulier grecques et syriaques, cette conférence se propose d’examiner les circonstances de ces captures, puis le devenir des captifs tel qu’il peut être reconstitué : leur sélection et leur dispersion, le maintien d’une partie d’entre eux sous occupation perse, la libération alléguée de certains, ainsi que la captivité prolongée d’autres après la reprise de la ville par les Romains. Une attention particulière sera portée à leurs trajectoires individuelles – qu’il s’agisse de captifs de haut rang ou de figures plus ordinaires – afin de restituer, au plus près des sources, la diversité de ces parcours.

Orientations bibliographiques :

– Azarnouche, S., Petitjean, M. « Sasanian Warriors in Context: Historical and Religious Commentary on a Middle Persian Chapter on Artēštārān (Dēnkard VIII.26) », HiMA : revue internationale d’histoire militaire ancienne, 2022, p. 331–384.

– Berriah, M., Petitjean, M. « La théorie militaire sassanide : regards croisés », Antiquité Tardive 30, 2023, p. 181–199.

– Debié, M. « Du grec en syriaque », Byzantinische Zeitschrift 96 (2), 2003, p. 601–622.

– Greatrex, G. Rome and Persia at War, 502–532. Leeds, 1998.

– Greatrex, G. « Procopius and Pseudo-Zachariah on the siege of Amida and its aftermath (502–506) », in Börm, H. (éd.), Commutatio et Contentio: Studies in the Late Roman, Sasanian and Early Islamic Near East. Düsseldorf : Wellem Verlag, 2010, p. 227–251.

– Lenski, N. « Two sieges of Amida (AD 359 and 502–503) », in Lewin, A., Pellegrini, P. (éd.), The Late Roman Army in the Near East from Diocletian to the Arab Conquest. Oxford : Archaeopress, 2007, p. 219–236.

– Petersen, L. I. R. Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400–800 AD): Byzantium, the West and Islam. Leiden – Boston : Brill, 2013.

– Shahbazi, A. Sh., Kettenhofen, E., Perry, J. R. « Deportations », Encyclopaedia Iranica, 1994. URL : https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/deportations (consulté le 22/01/2026).

Vous retrouverez l’intégralité du programme 2025-2026 du séminaire mensuel de recherche “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du Monde iranien” en ligne sur le site du CeRMI: https://cermi.cnrs.fr/seminaires-de-recherche/societes-politiques-et-cultures-du-monde-iranien-2025-2026/

Dans l’attente du plaisir de vous retrouver à l’occasion de cette dernière séance de l’année, qui se déroulera comme toujours en présentiel sur le site de l’INaLCO (65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII).

Bien cordialement,

Les organisateurs –

Simon Berger et Justine Landau

Contact: justine.landau@sorbonne-nouvelle.fr

3. Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Colloque international

Turco-Persianate Popular Romances from Southeast Asia to the Balkans:

Composition, Transmission, and Reception of Historical-Legendary Epics over the Longue Durée in a Multilingual Space

les 1-2 juin 2026, Paris

Lundi/Monday, 01/06/2026, 9:00–17:45
Auditorium Georges Dumézil, Maison de la Recherche de l’INaLCO (2 rue de Lille, 75007 Paris)
Mardi/Tuesday, 02/06/2026, 9:30–12:00
Maison de la Recherche de la Sorbonne Nouvelle(4 rue des Irlandais, 75005 Paris)

Le colloque explore les modes d’expression des communautés du monde musulman oriental à travers la composition, la transmission et la réception de récits populaires centrés autour de protagonistes héroïques, notamment les figures des débuts de l’Islam, ainsi que la culture matérielle associée à leur vénération. Il fait suite au colloque Amir Hamza and Beyond: Historical Narratives and Romances across the Muslim World qui s’est tenu en septembre 2023 à l’Institut de recherche sur les langues et cultures d’Asie et d’Afrique (ILCAA) de la Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

Entrée libre dans la limite des places disponibles.
Information, programme détaillé et abstracts : https://cermi.cnrs.fr/turco-persianate-popular-romances-from-southeast-asia-to-the-balkans/

Ce colloque a été organisé avec le soutien de:

-NIHU Global Mediterranean at the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA)
-Kyoto University
-Centre de recherche sur le monde iranien (CeRMI, UMR8041 du CNRS)
-Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INaLCO)
-Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
-Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (DAFA)
-Fondation Max van Berchem
-Institut d’études de l’islam et des sociétés musulmanes (IISMM)
-Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

Organisation scientifique:
Sacha Alsancakli, The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research and Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University
Yui Kanda, ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Maria Szuppe, CNRS, CeRMI UMR8041

Contact:

alsancakli.sacha.6s@kyoto-u.ac.jp

kanda@aa.tufs.ac.jp

maria.szuppe@cnrs.fr

4. Séminaire « L’Afghanistan à travers les âges » – séance de mercredi 3 juin 18h-19h30N

Nous avons le plaisir de vous convier à la séance du séminaire « L’Afghanistan à travers les âges », qui se tiendra mercredi 3 juin 2026, 18h-19h30, entièrement en distanciel. Voici le lien de connexion: https://zoom.us/j/96136711428?pwd=jqZ3lotYx6re8bpoU4uAYPl9GRM1CF.1

Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir M Muhammad Ali Dinakhel, Cermi, pour une conférence intitulée : Pashto Across Borders: Language Planning and Identity in Afghanistan and Pakistan (20th–21st Centuries).

Résumé:

This lecture explores the trajectory of Pashto language planning and identity across Afghanistan and Pakistan from the late 19th century to the present. Situated within the broader framework of language planing policy (status, corpus, and acquisition planning), it examines how the Durand Line (1893) shaped linguistic development, publication practices, and orthographic unity. In Pakistan, Pashto’s role evolved through constitutional debates, literary movements such as the Khudai Khidmatgar and Pukhtun Resala(1928), and institutional initiatives including the Pashto Academy at the University of Peshawar, alongside recent policy directives mandating Pashto in schools. In Afghanistan, shifting regimes from Amir Sher Ali Khan to the Taliban era demonstrate varying approaches to Pashto’s status, from nation-building projects and compulsory policies under Zahir Shah to bilingual compromises and constitutional recognitions in 1964, 1976, 1987, and 2004. Through a comparative lens, the lecture highlights the tensions between politics, identity, and pedagogy in shaping Pashto’s development, illustrating how one language has been molded by two states, two policies, and multiple narratives.

Orientations bibliographiques:

Ahady, Anwar-ul-Haq (1995) The Decline of Pashtuns in Afghanistan. Asian Survey 35/7.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2012) Pashto as Official Language in the Swat State Pashto. Bilingual Quarterly Research Journal, Pashto Academy 40-41/642s, pp. 23-35.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2018) Analysis of Conflict Between Pashto and Dari Languages of Afghanistan. Central Asia Biannual Research Journal 83, pp. 79-99.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2019) A Study of Pashto Folklore: Its Aspects and Nation-building in Pakistan. PAKISTAN 55, pp. 61-76.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2021) An Introduction of Pashto Manuscripts in the State Library Berlin, Central Asia Biannual Research Journal88, pp. 57-72.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2023) An Overview of The Development of Novel in Afghanistan (1913-1940). PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt / Egyptology 20/1, pp. 422-432.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2023) An Analysis of the Themes of Identity and Sense of Belonging in the Pashto Literary Works of Afghan Refugees from 1979 to 1989. Khair Ul Ummah 3/1, pp.1-19.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2023) Linguistic, Literary and Cultural Impact of Afghan Refugees on Pashto language, literature and culture in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan 8/2, pp. 14-34.

Dinakhel, M.A. (2023) Reflection of Pak-Afghan Border in Pashto Literature, Its Impacts on Pashto Language and Linguistic Research. Khair Ul Ummah 2/2, pp.53-59.

Dvgryankov, N.A., Pashto Dialects and the Literary Language in Afghanistan, XXVI International Congress of Orientalists, Papers presented by the USSR Delegation.

Henderson, M.M.T. (1983) Four varieties of Pashto. Journal of the American Oriental Society 103/3.

Mackenzie, D.N. (1959) A Standard Pashto, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 22/1-3.

Morgenstierne, G. (1925) Report on a Linguistic Mission to Afghanistan. Oslo.

Morgenstierne, G. (1932) Report on a Linguistic Mission to North-western India. Oslo.

Schiffman, H.F. (2012) Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Neighbors. Leiden-Boston.

Shinwari, M.M. (1968) Da Afghanistan Milli Jaba aw Adab [National Language and Literature of Afghanistan], Pashto Tolana.

Bien cordialement,

Arezou Azad et Matteo De Chiara

——————————————————–
CeRMI – CNRS UMR 8041
Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien
Campus CNRS Ile-de-France Villejuif
7, rue Guy Môquet – 94800 Villejuif – FRANCE
cermi@cnrs.fr – https://www.cermi.cnrs.fr

5. Conference “Mecmuas in the Ottoman World: Interdisciplinary Approaches and Current Research”, Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of Vienna, 4-6 June 2026

The conference is dedicated to the study of manuscript miscellanies (mecmuas) as a key yet insufficiently theorised format of knowledge organisation across the Ottoman world and Eurasia. By examining mecmuas as dynamic sites of intellectual, religious, and practical exchange, the conference foregrounds their significance for understanding processes of communication and transformation across regions and periods.

Information, program and registration: https://mecmuaconference.univie.ac.at/

6. ONLINE Meeting of the “Forum for the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) in Arabic Scripts”, Harvard University and University of Strasbourg, 25 June 2026, 17:00 – 18:00 CET

The Forum seeks to establish a collaborative space for: • Centralizing researchers working on TEI in Arabic-script materials (Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, Persian, Urdu, and related corpora). • Sharing existing resources for encoding and editing practices. • Discussing various workflows and pipelines, as well as possibilities for automation of annotation, data extraction, and visualizations, including the use of large language models (LLMs) and other computational methods. • Identifying opportunities for shared infrastructures and future collaborations.

Zoom Link: https://tinyurl.com/5eyvsxtc. Meeting ID: 934 9867 7303.

Passcode: 391302. Information: Adam Mestyan (mestyan@fas.harvard.edu)

7. Workshop “Identifying as Woman in Transnational Religious Spaces: Contemporary Dynamics of Lived Religion, Femininity, and Womanhood“, Department of the Study of Religion with a Focus on Islam, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, 18-20 November 2026

We want to draw attention to the interrelation between women’s everyday religious practices and transnational dynamics that come with performative discourses of femininity and womanhood. We speak of femininity and womanhood as social and cultural discourses of material, aesthetic, and performative social and cultural impact and frameworks that may shape both the spaces we study and our own analytical gaze.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4mmwffsr

8. Workshop for Edited Volume: “A Seat at the Table: Making Space for the Middle East and North Africa in Global Food Studies”, Center for Middle East Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, 20 November 2026

All submissions should aim to demonstrate, on the one hand, the theoretical and empirical im-portance of MENA to global food studies, and, on the other, how the lens of food and foodways can help us rethink key themes and metanarratives in Middle East studies. The workshop seeks to feature diverse methodological perspectives, including those originating in less-represented disciplines such as art history, architecture and musicology.

Deadline for abstracts: 1 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4a6jd6kw

9. “7e congrès des études sur le Moyen-Orient et les mondes musulmans”, Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry, 14-18 juin 2027

Les propositions peuvent relever d’un ou plusieurs domaines des sciences humaines et sociales (anthropologie, archéologie et histoire de l’art, droit, économie, géographie, histoire, islamologie et sciences religieuses, linguistique, littérature, philosophie, sociologie, science politique…), dans une perspective globale ou régionale. Les langues dans lesquelles le programme du congrès est présenté sont le français et l’anglais.

Proposition au plus tard le 30 juin 2026. Information : http://majlis-remomm.fr/74126

10. World Congress of the Society for Global Nineteenth Century Studies: “Global Imagi-naries, Maritime Power, and Intercontinental Circulations: The Ambivalent Legacies of the Long Nineteenth Century”, Valparaíso, Chile, 20-23 July 2027

Themes: • Visions of international order and global geopolitics in nineteenth-century thought. • Imaginations of post-imperial possibilities for the organization of power and society. • The devel-opment of maritime power in its military, institutional, technological, and commercial dimensions. • The creation of intercontinental and transnational networks of circulation of knowledge, ideas, goods, and practices, and their impact on power structures.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 July 2026. Information: https://www.global19c.com/congress2027

11. Post-Doc Position (30 Months) for the Critical Edition with Annotated English Translation of Musky Aromas, MOSAIC Project, UCLouvain, Belgium

Qualification: – PhD in Islamic Studies, in Middle Eastern Studies, or related fields. – Excellent command of Classical Arabic (the knowledge of additional languages such as Persian and Turkish is considered an advantage). – Academic writing and presentation skills in English (the working language of the project). – Ability to work both individually and as part of a team.

Deadline for applications: 10 June 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2axtd8uf

12. Academic Career Development Fellow (3 Years) in the Global Politics/International Relations of the MENA, University of Cambridge

Candidates should have a proven academic profile in global politics and international relations in the Middle East and North Africa or South Asia. They will have a PhD in a relevant field already and be able to demonstrate an outstanding research record for their career stage.

Deadline for applications: 4 June 2026. Information: https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/55579/

13. New Book: “The Birth of British Islam – Multiculturalism and the Localisation of Muslim Debates” by Masooda Bano, Edinburgh University Press, May 2026, 304 Pages

This book is based on in-depth ethnographic studies within British Muslim communities, including mosques and dar ul ulooms, to provide real-life insights. It documents young British imams and second- and third-generation Muslims actively working to align Islamic teachings with British val-ues. It highlig hts the crucial role of Muslim women as mothers, educators, and preachers in shaping debates about future of British Muslim communities. And it demonstrates how religious teachings can prevent youth radicalization.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/yfk3sd98

14. New Book: “Christians in Middle Eastern History: Strangers No More”, Edited by John-Paul Ghobrial, Michael A. Reynolds, Christian C. Sahner, Jack Tannous, Edinburgh University Press, May 2026, 336 Pages

This volume offers a series of case studies by leading scholars that offer different answers to the question of what histories of the region might look like if this demographic situation were taken seriously. Critiquing dominant narratives that conflate the history of the Middle East and the history of Islam, they show how integrating Christian actors, experiences and sources can enrich our understanding of the region.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/yuk3645k

15. New Book: “Sovereignty in Iran – Challenges to Eurocentrism from Ancient Iran to the Islamic Republic” by Shabnam J. Holliday, Edinburgh University Press, May 2026, 376 Pages

This book contains the first comprehensive exploration of sovereignty that considers many as-pects of Iran. It explores sovereignty from ancient Iran to the Islamic Republic including the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. It also provides an inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary ap-proach that moves beyond periodised understandings of history contributes to better understand-ing Eurocentrism.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/yvsbhrbr

16. New Book: “Islamic Apocalypticism in the Twentieth Century and Beyond: Society, Pol-itics and Technology in a Century of Change” by Waleed Rikab, Edinburgh University Press, May 2026, 272 Pages

This book contains an unprecedented and comprehensive discussion of Islamic apocalyptic and messianic thought in the 20th-century Middle East. Bringing to light numerous unstudied Arabic texts and considering previously undiscussed debates, this book corrects misconceptions about Islamic apocalypticism and enables a better understanding of the variety of thought that appears in apocalyptic materials published throughout the Arab World.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdha4zzt

Posted in: Academic items

May 30, 2026
by Andrew Newman
0 Comment

Shii News – Academic Items

1. Call for contributions:

Workshop: The Theft of Art? Art Theories in Light of Global Art History

(University of Strasbourg, 8 January 2027)

Building on Jack Goody’s (2007) highly influential thesis of The Theft of History, this workshop aims to address an “institution” that this critique of the Eurocentric historiographical model imposed on “the rest of the world” left largely unaddressed: the institution of art. By asking why art has escaped this ambitious and coherent theory in terms of its self-reflexivity and decentring, the workshop intends to put forward the hypothesis of a theft of art in the sense of a process of conceptual capture through which the authoritative, hegemonic, European theorising and historicising doxa has normalised its own, situated, artistic experience while obscuring its minority, or “provincial”, status, thus “stealing” the plurality of artistic concepts, terminologies, languages, and narratives produced by other cultures. Despite its heuristic value, Goody’s theft thesis, along with his work on the image—particularly his theory of the cognitive contradiction caused by representation (Goody, 1997; Chevalier & Mayor, 2009)—paradoxically appears to be a case in point of the cognitive contradictions embedded in discourses on art that purport to be self-reflexive and decentred, yet which perpetuate Eurocentric, asymmetrical and hierarchical frames of reference and teleological narratives. This workshop proposes to scrutinise this paradox.

Despite significant efforts toward decentering, particularly through translation (e.g. Art in Translation), and circulation and “fragment” studies (e.g. Cooke, 2022; Kaufmann et al. 2015; Saint-Raymond, 2022), Eurocentric paradigms continue to shape both art theories and art history, including world art history (Summers, 2003) or global art history (Elkins, 2007). Art theories that incorporate discourses based on non-European artistic and visual experiences remain extremely rare (e.g. D’Souza and Casid, 2014). For example, Emmanuel Alloa’s (2010–2017) anthology of thirty texts by philosophers, theorists, and art historians unfortunately features only three contributors from non-Western fields, none of whom are art historians. In his hypothesis of four forms of “worlding” (mondiation) and ontological inferences, Philippe Descola (2021) groups the entire world into three categories (animism, totemism, analogism), assigning “modern” Europe a category of its own (naturalism). He also approaches world cultures holistically while viewing Europe from an evolutionary perspective (moving from analogism to naturalism). In this view, Europe appears not only as the only region in the world with a history, but also as the culmination of history. Although Descola denies having such an intention, he shows “a respect tinged with humility” only towards Western art historians, but makes no room for discourses on naturalism, realism, or comparable concepts developed within other cultures, which challenge his categories (e.g. Weiss, 2020). As for world or global art history, it is still typically written from the West. It is even common for specialists in Western art to be entrusted with the task of representing the discourses on art (in translation) and mediating the arts of non-Western cultures (e.g. Belting 2012; Elkins 2015), while specialists in non-Western arts and non-Western voices all too often remain in the “margins” (e.g. Gupta & Ray 2007; Juneja 2023), without this peripheral position being sufficiently recognised as a potential source of critical renewal. This creates a situation of cognitive dissonance. Although art theory and history increasingly claim global scope, their conceptual apparatuses and modes of knowledge production remain deeply grounded in Western frameworks that merely reinforce the “Great Divide” (Latour, 1983) and its hierarchies, between European, especially “modern”, and non-European and “pre-modern” or “traditional” artistic productions. This is particularly due to the scarcity of effective collaboration between specialists trained in different theoretical and historiographical traditions.

This workshop seeks to scrutinize this dissonance with a view to contributing to moving beyond it. Adopting the alter-globalist approach to art history initiated by Piotr Piotrowski (2015), it proposes to continue to explore its two main axes of research: on the one hand, “dissection” of Eurocentrism and Occidentalism and both their “repressive practices” and denial mechanisms in art theories and art history; on the other hand, “resistance to centralistic and exclusive art-historical activities” through “inter-epistemological dialogue” from a horizontal and comparative perspective. The workshop format aims to encourage in-depth discussion at the intersection of art theory and global art history, drawing on multi-situated research across a variety of geographical areas, historical periods, textual and visual sources, and artistic and sensory experiences. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

The manifestations of Eurocentrism and the Great Divide in theories of art and the image; the forms of epistemic violence embedded in these theories and in global art history; art history as an imperial resemanticization of non-Western art.
The impact of normative and Eurocentric theoretical frameworks and narratives on the interpretation of artistic practices and regimes of the image that fall outside these frameworks.
The relevance and limitations of major Western theories of art and the image (e.g. philosophy of art, Kunstwissenschaften, Bildwissenschaften, Visual Studies, Gaze studies, as well as anthropological theories with a universalist aim (e.g. Goody, 1997; Belting, 2004; Descola, 2021)), for the analysis of non-Western arts and images.
Alternative conceptions of art and the image that challenge binary oppositions (e.g. iconic/aniconic, realism/imagination, exteriority/interiority) by shifting the focus to other culturally and historically situated spectra, following the models of Jean-Pierre Vernant’s research on figurative representation in ancient Greece (Vernant, 1990), Jean-Claude Schmitt’s work on medieval European images (Schmitt, 2023), as well as research in ethno-aesthetics and multimodal ethnography (Collins et al., 2020).
Comparative approaches to discourses on art and the image situated within diverse geographical, historical, cultural and artistic contexts.

Organisation and contact details:

Nourane Ben Azzouna, Associate professor, UMR 7044 Archéologie et histoire ancienne : Méditerranée – Europe, University of Strasbourg, Fellow, University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Studies, benazzouna@unistra.fr

Scientific committee:

Nadia Ali, Associate researcher, Institut de Recherches et d’Études sur les Mondes Arabes et Musulmans, Aix-Marseille Université

Monica Juneja, Professor, Center for Transcultural Studies, University of Heidelberg

Julie Ramos, Professor, UMR 3400 ARCHE Art, civilisation et histoire de l’Europe – University of Strasbourg

2. KNOW workshop: Polymathy and Problem-Solving in the History of Islamic Knowledge; 2-4 June 2026
I’m pleased to announce the upcoming workshop Polymathy and Problem-Solving in the History of Islamic Knowledge, which will take place at Ghent University on 2–4 June 2026. This is an in-person event and registration is required. The full programme is available on the KNOW project website: https://erc-know.ugent.be/en

The workshop brings together researchers working on the history of Islamic knowledge, with a particular focus on how Muslim scholars engaged with concrete intellectual problems across disciplinary boundaries. Rather than approaching disciplines as fixed and isolated domains, the workshop explores the dynamic ways in which scholarly practices, methods, and concepts travelled across different fields of knowledge. Through a series of pre-circulated papers and discussion-based sessions, participants will reflect on polymathy, problem-solving, and the practical organisation of knowledge in Islamic intellectual history.

The workshop is organised within the framework of the ERC project KNOW: Polymathy and Interdisciplinarity in Premodern Islamic Epistemic Cultures (1200–1800 CE) at Ghent University.

If you wish to stay informed about forthcoming events and publications, please consider joining our mailing list (via the link above).

With best wishes,

Islam Dayeh

3. UCLA

Woman Life Freedom in the Mirror of Scholarship: Responses from the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Pooyan Tamimi Arab

Utrecht University

English Lecture

Monday, June 8, 2026 at 11:00 am Pacific Time

Online via Zoom

Registration Required:

https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y6a-WJxYTX-wwqBuhAYndg