Categories : Academic items

1.ONLINE Research and Training Workshop /  Atelier de recherche et de formation

Reading Sources in Area Studies

Contribution of biographical data for the social and cultural history

of Turko-Iranian societies (9th-18th c.)

Lire les sources en études aréales

L’apport des données biographiques pour l’histoire sociale et culturelle

du monde turko-iranien (IX^e-XVIII^e s.)

 

Panel 2: Tuesday 20 April 2021 / mardi 20 avril 2021:

Epigraphy and craftsmanship in the Iranian world / L’épigraphie et l’artisanat du monde iranien

 

PhD candidate students and advanced MA students are invited to apply for participation

Doctorants et étudiants de Master sont encouragés à participer

 

To register to get the Zoom link / inscription à la visioconférence

http://www.inalco.fr/webform/ateliers-sources-etudes-areales

 

Full details and program: https://cermi.cnrs.fr/reading-sources-in-area-studies-contribution-of-biographical-data-for-the-social-and-cultural-history-of-turko-iranian-societies-9th-18th-c/

Contacts: maria.szuppe@cnrs.fr  / camille.rhone@univ-amu.fr

 

 

 

 

2. Arabic with Jordan Language Academy – Summer 2021

Jordan Language Academy (JLA) is pleased to offer its full Arabic courses this summer 2021 in person (in campus) or virtually depending on the student’s choice. You can learn Arabic online or in person with our flexible and engaging programs to help you improve your Arabic and reach your language goals.

 

Students can join our group classes or have personal tutoring. JLA is also ready to work with the institutes/students on designing a tailor-made program that fits students’ needs and the current circumstances.

For registration and more info please contact us at:

Email: info@jordanla.com

Mobile: +962-779502220

www.jordanla.com

www.youtube.com/user/JordanLangAcademy

www.facebook.com/jlaarabic

 

 

 

 

3. Open Access Books:

Open Access E-Book: Sufi Masters and the Creation of Saintly Spheres in Medieval Syria

Author: Ephrat, Daphna

Publisher: Arc Humanities Press, 2021

 

 

Practices of Commentary

URL: https://globalcommentary.utoronto.ca/?p=654. Direct download of the book: https://globalcommentary.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Practices-of-Commentary-Zeitspru%CC%88nge-Forschungen-zur-Fru%CC%88hen-Neuzeit.pdf.

Stefanie Brinkmann, “Marginal Commentaries in Ḥadīṯ Manuscripts.”
Walid Saleh, “The Place of the Medieval in Qur’an Commentary: A Survey of Recent Editions.”
Jeannie Miller, “Commentary and Text Organization in al-Jāḥiẓ’s Book of Animals.”
Suzanne Akbari, “Ekphrasis and Commentary in Walter of Chatillon’s Alexandreis.”
Jennifer Gerber, “About Form and Function of German Vernacular Commentaries.”
Christina Lechtermann, “Commentary as Literature: The Medieval ‘Glossenlied.’”
Philip Stockbrugger, “Mirroring Authorization in Torquato Tasso’s Rime Amorose.”

 

 

New Open Access Journal: Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World

 

 

Open Access Journal: Journal of Islamic Ethics

 

 

Open Access E-book: Transregional and Regional Elites – Connecting the Early Islamic Empire

Volume 1

Edited by: Hannah-Lena Hagemann and Stefan Heidemann

De Gruyter | 2020

ISBN 9783110669800 (ebook)/ 9783110666489 (hardcover)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110669800

 

 

Open Access E-Book: The Hajj and Europe in the Age of Empire

Editor: Umar Ryad
Leiden, The Netherlands : Brill, [2014]

Series: Leiden Studies in Islam and Society, Volume: 5

 

 

 

 

4. PhD position in research project on social contexts of rebellion in the early Islamic period based at Universität Hamburg.

The successful applicant will work on early ‘Alid/proto-Shī‘ī revolts. It’s 2+2 years, deadline for applications is 1 May and preferred start date is 1 August. For more information, please go to https://www.uni-hamburg.de/stellenangebote/ausschreibung.html?jobID=ada1df62a39c324fa8a1e9c61ccef7abce0d0616.

You can also email hannah-lena.hagemann@uni-hamburg.de.

 

 

 

 

5. Book Launch: Fada’il-i Balkh
Tuesday, 20 April 5-6pm (British Summer Time (UTC+1)
This book is a critical edition and translation of the medieval local history of Balkh, known as Faḍāʾil-i Balkh (“The Merits of Balkh”), which was completed in 610 Hijrī (1214 CE) in Arabic by Shaykh al-Islām Abū Bakr ʿAbd Allāh al-Wāʿiẓ and translated into Persian by ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusaynī in 676 Hijri (1278 CE). It is the Persian version which survives today and forms the source text for this book.

Balkh is one of the most illustrious cities of the Islamicate East, and yet we know very little about life in the city during the first five centuries of Islam (8th-13th centuries CE). The Faḍāʾil-i Balkh, the oldest surviving local history of Balkh, changes that. You can find out more about the book on the Oxbow Books website, and register for the book launch here.

https://www.ongc.ox.ac.uk/event/book-of-launch-merits-of-balkh
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pYPZO_zrSyeZNvDai8tO1w

1.ONLINE Book Introduction “Familiar Futures: Time, Selfhood, and Sovereignty in Iraq” by Sara Pursley, Centre for Middle East Studies, Brown University, AMEWS, 15 April 2021, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST

This book considers how the country’s creation under British mandate rule in 1920 through the 1958 revolution to the first Ba’th coup in 1963 reshaped Iraqi everyday habits, desires, and familial relations. Future-oriented discourses about the importance of sexual difference to Iraq’s modernization worked paradoxically, deferring demands for political change in the present and reproducing existing capitalist relations.

Information and registration: https://watson.brown.edu/cmes/events/2021/sara-pursley-familiar-futures

 

 

 

 

2. ONLINE Conference: “Gulf Research Meeting 2021”, Gulf Research Center (GRC), University of Cambridge/UK, 23-24 July 2021

The workshops cover a wide range of topics in the fields of politics, energy, security, and the wider social sciences as they relate to the wider Gulf region (GCC countries in addition to Iraq and Yemen).

Information: https://www.gulfresearchmeeting.net/

 

 

 

 

3. Open Panels for the “27^th International Congress of the German Middle East Studies Association (DAVO)” Institute for Islamic Theology, University of Osnabrück, 16-18 September 2021

If you are interested in organizing an open panel for this congress and look for paper presenters, you are kindly requested to send the title and summary (up to 300 words) to the General Secretary of the congress, Amke Dietert (amke.dietert@googlemail.com) before 15 April 2021.

Deadline of submissions: 15 May 2021.

Information: https://www.irp-cms.uni-osnabrueck.de/en/events/27th_international_davo_congress.html

 

 

 

 

4. Conference on “Translation and Transfer” of the Network “Eastern European-Ottoman-Persian Mobility Dynamics”, University of Marburg, 6-9 October 2021

The conference will stress the pragmatic implications of the translation of texts in its narrower sense and the translators involved in activities across or within the Transottoman focus region. For a closer look at this and the multiple projects within this framework, please visit our website at www.transottomanica.de.

For further information, contact florian.riedler@uni-leipzig.de.

 

 

 

 

5. Seminar “Reassembling Creation: Green Ethics (GE) and the Scholarly Disciplines in the Islamic Tradition”, Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), Doha, 12-14 October 2021

The seminar is convened by Dr. Birgit Krawietz (Freie Universität Berlin) in collaboration with Dr. Mohammed Ghaly (CILE). The papers will be published as part of a thematic issue of the “Journal of Islamic Ethics (JIE)” and/or an edited volume in the peer-reviewed book-series “Studies in Islamic Ethics”, both published by Brill.

Extended deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2021. Information: https://www.cilecenter.org/resources/news/call-research-papers-reassembling-creation-green-ethics-ge-and-scholarly-disciplines

 

 

 

 

6. 3^rd ANU Religion Conference: “Religion and Migration: Culture and Policy”, Australian National University, Canberra, 8-10 December 2021

The aim of this conference is to explore the various phenomena related to religion and migration; the political and social transitions impacting upon the transnational religiosity of contemporary communities.

Deadline for abstracts: 21 May 2021. Information: https://hrc.cass.anu.edu.au/events/religion-and-migration-culture-and-policy-0#acton-tabs-link–tabs-0-middle-1

 

 

 

 

7. 5 PhD Positions (65 %) in Dependency and Slavery Studies (Focus Islamic World)”, Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies, Bonn University (1 October 2021 to 30 September 2024)

Applicants are required to have a Master degree in history, archaeology, philology, theology, sociology, anthropology, law, history and societies of the Islamicate World, Religious Studies etc.

Deadline for applications: 30 April 2021. Information: https://www.dependency.uni-bonn.de/en/career/wissenschaftliche-hilfskraft-whf-mit-ba-abschluss-oder-studentische-hilfskraft-shk-fur-den-bereich-it-19-std.-woche

 

 

 

 

8. Senior Fellow, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

This position is open rank and open discipline. The successful candidate must hold a PhD (or the equivalent in experience) and show a track record of scholarship on and/or teaching of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Application deadline: 15 April 2021. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/03/16/senior-fellow

 

 

 

 

9. Visiting Assistant Professor in the Arabic Language, Middle East and South Asia St/udies Program, Wake Forest University, North Carolina

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Arabic linguistics, literature, second-language pedagogy, or a related area. They must have native or near-native fluency in Arabic and English, and experience in teaching Arabic language courses of all levels as well as for specific purposes at the university level.

Review of applications will begin 30 April 2021. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/04/08/visiting-assistant-professor-of-arabic-wake

 

 

 

 

10. 2021 Book Award of the “Association for Middle East Women’s Studies (AMEWS)” for Books Published in 2020

The award recognizes and promotes excellence in the field of Middle East gender, women’s and sexuality studies. The award is offered annually to a scholar for a solo-authored book.

Deadline for the nomination of a book: 1 June 2021. Information: https://amews.org/amews-book-award/

 

 

 

 

11. Book Awards of the Central Eurasian Studies Society (CESS)

This award and a monetary prize of $500 is presented to the author of a research monograph, published in 2020, that: 1) represents the most important contribution to Central Eurasian studies, or 2) that holds the greatest potential for furthering scholarship on the Central Eurasian region.

Deadline for applications: 15 April 2021. Information: https://www.centraleurasia.org/2021/call-for-nominations-2021-cess-book-awards/

 

 

 

 

12. ONLINE Free Workshop: “An Introduction to Arabic Manuscripts, Centre for Near Eastern Studied, UCLA, 23-27 August 2021

The workshop will equip emerging scholars with the basic tools to conduct research with original handwritten texts in Arabic script. The participants will learn the basics of codicology, palaeography, and manuscript production and circulation, in the context of an expansive vision of current debates in Arabic manuscript research.

Application deadline: 22 April 2021. Information: https://www.international.ucla.edu/cnes/event/14962

 

 

 

 

13. Chapters for Edited Book on „Marxism in Muslim Contexts: Communist Organizing, Social-ist Movement, and Religious Response“

Proposals investigating Muslim responses to Marxism from historical, anthropological, literary, sociological, cultural, and religious perspectives are welcomed.

Deadline extended to 16 April 2021. Information: dwidmannabraham@ursinus.edu

 

 

 

 

14. OPenn Primary Digital Manuscripts of the Muslim World Available to Everyone

The digital editions comprise more than 500 manuscripts and 827 paintings from the Islamicate. Together these holdings represent in great breadth the flourishing intellectual and cultural heritage of Muslim lands from 1000 to 1900, covering mathematics, astrology, history, law, literature, as well as the Qur’an and Hadith. The bulk of the collection consists of manuscripts in Arabic and Persian, along with examples of Coptic, Samaritan, Syriac, Turkish, and Berber.

Information: https://openn.library.upenn.edu/html/muslimworld_contents.html

 

 

 

15. Thursday 22 April, 4:30 pm, Michael Sells reads from and speaks about The Translator of Desires

Join the Yale Departments of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Comparative Literature, the Whitney Humanities Center, and the Translation Initiative for a reading and discussion with Michael Sells’s of his new translation of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi’s The Translator of Desires, on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. EDT, with Feisal G. Mohamed.

 

Zoom Registration:  tinyurl.com/sellsevent

 

 

 

16. The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies Presents:

Women Poets: Gendered Personhood and Displacement

Professor Fatemeh Shams, University of Pennsylvania

Friday April 16, 4:00-6:00 P.M. EST

Zoom Registration: https://uoft.me/IranianStudies

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/765732604290639

 

 

 

17. Daneshgar, M., “Indonesian Manuscripts in Iran” published with Indonesia and the Malay World. 49/143, 2021

 

 

1.The Penn Language Center at the University of Pennsylvania invites applications for a part-time Lecturer in Persian starting August 2021.This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of a renewal, contingent upon satisfactory performance, student interest, the availability of funding, and need. Candidates will be expected to teach Advanced Persian language and culture at two levels (one course per semester).

Qualifications: evidence of successful teaching experience at the collegiate level, knowledge of language pedagogy, native or near-native fluency in Persian and English, at least an M.A. in Education, Middle Eastern Studies, or a related field. Candidates must currently be authorized to work in the U.S., without future need of any sponsorship for employment authorization because this is a part-time position.

Please send a letter of application (including a statement of teaching philosophy) and curriculum vitae to Dr. Mahyar Entezari (entezari@sas.upenn.edu). In the letter, please indicate the names and email addresses of three referees who can attest to your pedagogical qualifications.

Review of applications will begin on May 1, 2021, and continue until the position is filled. Preliminary interviews will be conducted via Zoom. The University of Pennsylvania is an EOE. Minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

 

 

 

 

2. “The Geopolitics of Womens Rights in the Middle East”, a talk by Dr. Nicola Pratt.

The department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh is delighted to host Dr. Nicola Pratt in this talk, part of our Spring 2021 research seminars. The seminar is open to all and FREE but registration is required.

Date and time: April 19, 5-6 PM, GMT +1.

Please reserve your FREE ticket and details of the Zoom event will be emailed to you directly on the day of the event.

For any questions please contact the seminar organiser, Dr. Ebtihal Mahadeen: ebtihal.mahadeen@ed.ac.uk

Abstract: This paper is based on a chapter of my recently published book, Embodying Geopolitics: Generations of Women’s Activism in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon (University of California Press, 2020). The book explores the ways in which the legacies of colonialism and ongoing neocolonialism shape the politics of gender and sexuality, with consequences for women’s activism and its effects. Drawing on more than 100 interviews with women activists of different generations, it foregrounds their personal narratives as situated and embodied knowledge about Middle East politics.

This paper explores a geopolitics of women’s rights through a case study of women’s rights activism in the wake of the 2011 Arab uprisings. Rather than viewing gender inequality as a stubborn residue of culture, I contend that it is performative of cultural difference that serves to produce a “sovereignty effect” (Roxanne Doty 1996a: 124) for Middle East states, whose sovereignty is otherwise continuously undermined as a result of their subordinate position within the international state system. The paper considers the ways in which women’s rights demands have posed a challenge to the exercise and organization of geopolitical power, or what Edward Said termed ‘the struggle over geography’ – a struggle ‘not only about soldiers and cannons but also about ideas, about forms, about images and imaginings’ (1993: 7). Viewing women’s rights as integral to the imagining and performance of state sovereignty enables us to understand why regimes may or may not support demands for women’s rights reforms in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Speaker’s bio: Nicola Pratt is Associate Professor (Reader) in the Politics and International Studies Department at the University of Warwick, UK, and Vice President of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES). She teaches and researches on the international politics of the Middle East, with a particular interest in feminist and decolonial approaches and a focus on ‘politics from below.’ She has written and co-edited a number of books on women and gender in the Middle East. Her most recent monograph, entitled, Embodying Geopolitics: Generations of Women’s Activism in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, was published by University of California Press in fall 2020. She has also written extensively on Egyptian ‘politics-from-below’ and is currently co-authoring a book on popular culture and the contested meanings of the 2011 Egyptian revolution; which is also the subject of a multimedia, digital archive that she co-curated: https://egyptrevolution2011.ac.uk/

Link to the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-geopolitics-of-womens-rights-in-the-middle-east-tickets-149877364231

 

 

 

 

 

3. New BRISMES prizes for students and early career researchers

BRISMES is very pleased to announce the following new prizes for 2021:

 

BRISMES Early Career Development (ECR) Prize

 

Eligibility

• The applicant must be a BRISMES member by the time the application is submitted.
• The applicant must have submitted a PhD dissertation in the last 2 years in any disciplinary field, on a topic related to the study of the Middle East and North Africa and must not have a permanent academic position when they receive the grant.

 

Aims

The aim of the BRISMES Early Career Development Prize is to support activities geared toward strengthening the academic profile and CV of an early career scholar. Two prizes of £2,000 each are available. Eligible activities include (but are not necessarily limited to):

1. Developing an article for a peer-reviewed journal
2. Developing a book chapter
3. Transforming a PhD thesis into a book manuscript
4. Developing pilot research for a new project
5. Preparing a grant proposal for their own postdoctoral work

 

The activity must be completed within 12 months of receipt of the prize.

 

How to apply

Applicants must send a CV (4 pages max) and a statement of interest (1000 words max) to administrator@brismes.org including the following details:

1. A description of the activity for which support is requested (include specific details of the timeline/scope of work, target journals, granting bodies, publisher, scope of pilot research, etc…)
2. An explanation of how the proposed activity will benefit the applicant’s career path
3. A description of the activity’s contribution to the field of Middle East Studies

 

Deadline

30 April 2021

 

Reporting

Applicants will submit a narrative summary of completed activities within 3 months after the prize period has ended (500 words max).

 

BRISMES Conference Student Paper Prize

 

Eligibility

• The applicant must be a BRISMES student member by the time the application is submitted.
• The applicant must have registered for the Annual Conference.
• The paper must be on the same topic on which the applicant is presenting at the Annual Conference.
• The paper needs to be an original unpublished work from any discipline on any topic related to the study of Middle East and North Africa.
• The only selection criteria is academic excellence.

 

Aims
To support BRISMES student members in the development of peer-reviewed work. The prize winner will receive £300 and will be mentored through a review process at BJMES by a senior member of the BRISMES academic community. Such a mentor will be identified on the basis of the disciplinary field and topic of the awarded conference paper. In addition, the desk review process will be skipped and the journal will commit to sending the paper directly to external reviewers for the final decision about publication.

 

How to apply

Send the paper with a short biography (150 words max) and CV to administrator@brismes.org, indicating the disciplinary field to which the paper is contributing.

The estimated word count for a typical paper in BJMES is 10,000 words, inclusive of the abstract, tables, references, figure captions.

 

Deadline

2 weeks after the end of the Annual Conference in which the paper was presented.

 

 

 

4. Online Zoom webinar on Wednesday, April 14, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada),  hosted by the Institute for Advanced Study, School of Historical Studies (Near Eastern Studies) and Digital Scholarship@IAS.

Bibliotheca Arabica – A Digital Home for the Arabic Manuscript Tradition

Verena Klemm (Institute of Arabic Studies, University of Leipzig, Germany) • Stefanie Brinkmann (Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig) • Boris Liebrenz (Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig) • Thomas Efer (Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig)

Arabic literatures are usually studied as purely creative products, a body of texts disembodied from their material life. Bibliotheca Arabica, in contrast, focusses on the context, the production, transmission, and reception of the manuscripts that for centuries carried the works we study today. Knowing what was copied, read, endowed, or owned when, where, and by whom, offers new perspectives on this immensely rich tradition. However, such a research agenda requires the collection, cross-reference, normalization, and visualization of widely diverse data created over more than one and a half millennia.

The long-term perspective of the Academy Program offers a unique environment to tackle such an ambitious task for an extended period. Over 18 years, the collection of data culled from biographical dictionaries, catalogues, and original manuscript research will enable sharply focused studies (the fate of single books or libraries) as well as broader overviews (literary trends and centers). The project’s database as a combination of bio-bibliography and manuscript reference, including a systematic collection and edition of manuscript notes, will provide a versatile tool not only for our own research agenda, but for the field as a whole.

This presentation will offer an overview of the scope, progress, and challenges of Bibliotheca Arabica, illuminated through exemplary case studies of libraries and marginal commentaries. It will showcase the database tools that are being developed as the backbone of our analytical endeavor.

Register in advance for this webinar here. After registering, you will receive an email containing information about joining the webinar.

For additional information contact María Mercedes Tuya by email to ds@ias.edu

 

 

 

5. IASH-Alwaleed Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021/22: Application deadline 30th April

IASH-Alwaleed Fellowships are open to early career researchers with interests in contemporary Islam and the Muslim world. Fellowship can last between three and ten months and come with a maximum stipend of £13,000.

We would particularly welcome applications linked to the themes of the new Institute Project on Decoloniality (IPD’24) taking place at IASH from 2021 to 2024. This project invites scholars from around the world to visit Edinburgh and conduct research on the theme of decoloniality, broadly understood. Projects dealing with other themes in relation to the contemporary Muslim world will also be fully considered for this round of Fellowships.

For further information, including how to apply, please follow this link: https://www.iash.ed.ac.uk/iash-alwaleed-postdoctoral-fellowship

Application deadline 30th April

 

 

 

 

6. THE ITS RAMADAN DISCOUNT 2021

In celebration of the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid, the Islamic Texts Society is offering a 15% discount on all titles.*

Books from the ITS are an aid to deepening one’s worship in this holy month, and also make an ideal Ramadan and Eid gift for family, friends and loved ones.

In order to take advantage of this offer, please visit our website by clicking on the button below and enter the coupon code, RAMADAN21, on the purchase page. Discount ends at 11:59PM on Sunday 16th May 2021.

*Excluding Arabic-English Lexicon by E. W. Lane. Coupon cannot be used in conjunction with other coupons nor is it applicable to titles that are already on sale.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

 

 

 

7. The Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice (formerly the Journal of Islamic State Practice in International Laws ) is pleased to announce the call for papers and book reviews for its 2021 Issue. Please take a look at the attached calls.

MJTILP is a peer reviewed journal and can be accessed on HeinOnline. It has recently been accepted to be indexed with SCOPUS.

The journal welcomes submission of articles that meet its objectives for consideration with a view to publication. The journal comprises of three sections: (1) Articles, (2) Recent Developments, and (3) Book Reviews. The normal word length for articles is between 5000-15000 words (16000 including footnotes). The journal also welcomes shorter contributions (between 2000 to 3000 words) for its ‘Recent Developments’ section.

The MJTILP is not restricted to any specific field of law and aims to cover a wide range of subjects relevant to Islamic law and practice. Topics of particular interest include: transnational forms of Islamic law; constitutional developments, law reform and application of international law in the Muslim world; application of Shariah in Muslim or non-Muslim States; accommodation of Muslims in non-Muslim State; comparative practices of Muslim majority States; and intersections between Islamic law and international law or other religious and secular legal systems.

The deadline for submissions for the 2021 Issue is June 30th, 2021. The Issue will be published by the end of October 2021.  

Please get in touch with the Editor-in-Chief Dr Ahmad Ghouri (a.a.ghouri@outlook.com) if you have any questions with regards to MJTILP or would like to discuss your paper submission.

 

 

 

 

8. May 20, 2021, 12:00-1:30 pm EST: “Beyond Ethiopia: The Islamic Intellectual History of the Horn of Africa.” Register in advance for this meeting here. IAS Ethiopian Studies Series

 

Much progress has been made over the past decade in the study of Muslim Ethiopia, and with the ongoing work of digitizing, cataloguing and analyzing the local Muslim manuscript tradition, scholars are in a better position than ever before to assess the intellectual strands prevalent among the Muslims of Ethiopia at any given time in history. Our objective for the webinar is threefold: First, we would like to get a clearer picture of what still needs to be done in terms of salvaging and providing access to the Muslim manuscript tradition of Ethiopia (or Ethiopian provenance) — what are the challenges and what would be the promises? Secondly, we hope to engage in a discussion that will assess the intellectual traditions prevalent among Ethiopian Muslims, e.g. legal traditions, doctrinal stances, and other prevalent expressions of Islamic identity, throughout history. Thirdly, we intend to engage in a discussion that will situate the intellectual history of Muslim Ethiopia beyond its core region and discuss how it intersected over the centuries with other prevalent strands and developments, such as the Horn of Africa (including Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia), Southern Arabia (Yemen), as well as East Africa or even the Indian Ocean network. Lastly, we are eager to think together about where the study of Muslim Ethiopia stands within the larger picture of Ethiopian Studies.

Panelists:
Maria Bulakh (Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow)
Alessandro Gori (University of Copenhagen)
Hassen Muhammad Kewo (Addis Ababa University)
Paul M. Love (Al Akhawayn University)
Anne Regourd (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris)

 

1.”Teaching the ‘Long’ 18th Century”

Friday, April 23, 2021; 9-11 am ET

Register Here

Organized by Sarah Betzer, University of Virginia, and

Dipti Khera, Art History and Institute of Fine Arts, New York University

Roundtable featuring:

Anna Arabindan-Kesson, Princeton University

Nebahat Avcıoğlu, Hunter College, City University of New York

Emma Barker, The Open University, London

Ananda Cohen-Aponte, Cornell University

Prita Meier, Art History and Institute of Fine Arts, New York University

Nancy Um, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Stephen Whiteman, The Courtauld Institute of Art, London

This roundtable brings together scholars from a broad array of geographical foci and institutional perspectives who have been at the forefront of efforts to rethink approaches to thinking, researching, and, crucially, teaching the art and material culture of an interconnected “long” eighteenth century. Convened in conjunction with a session at the 2021 College Art Association conference, the roundtable will appear in distilled form in a dedicated issue of Journal18, forthcoming in Fall 2021.

Two key aims animate the roundtable and its afterlife in Journal18: 1) to reflect upon teaching the “long” eighteenth century, particularly in light of renewed debates on the reparation of objects, revision of histories, and inclusion of colonized and enslaved voices in museums, plantation sites, and public squares; and 2) to compile a list of resources and open-access supporting materials that are pragmatically useful for colleagues engaged in teaching the “long” and “broad” eighteenth century.
Register on Zoom:

https://virginia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qPSWyVTlSzCdu6PkVWVUlw

 

 

 

2. Anthony Welch

29 April 1942 – 10 February 2021

 

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Anthony Welch, noted art historian, scholar and academic leader. Tony had a long and distinguished career at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, beginning in 1971 as a lecturer with the Department of History in Art (now Art History & Visual Studies) and progressing to full professor in 1980. He also served as Associate Dean (1982-1985) before becoming the longest-serving Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts for a remarkable 13 years (1985-1998).

 

In the 1960s and early 1970s, there were few opportunities in North America to study Islamic art history. In the US, only Harvard University, New York University and the University of Michigan offered degrees in the subject. When he took up his position at the University of Victoria in 1971, Tony was the first fulltime lecturer in Islamic art history in Canada, and he remained the only one for much of his career.

 

Despite his administrative duties, Tony continued to teach throughout his career. He was an enthusiastic and inspiring lecturer, whose passion for the field of Islamic art history was immediately evident to all who knew him and which served to motivate and excite his many students. As a teacher, he was kind and encouraging and always willing to take the time to talk to any student individually, even during the years when his administrative duties weighed heavily upon him. He greatly influenced the careers of many of his students, especially those who continued on to study with him at the MA and PhD levels.

 

Having received his doctorate from Harvard in 1972, Tony’s dissertation formed the basis of his book, Artists for the Shah: Late Sixteenth-Century Painting at the Imperial Court of Iran (Yale University Press, 1976). Between 1972 and 1978, his four-volume catalogue, Collection of Islamic Art: Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, was privately published by Prince Sadruddin; this was an especially important contribution to the field as it made available material that was at the time little known.

 

In the early years of his career, Tony curated several exhibitions, each time authoring an accompanying catalogue of the same name. The first of these, entitled Shah ‘Abbas and the Arts of Isfahan, took place at The Asia Society in New York in 1973. A second exhibition, Calligraphy in the Arts of the Muslim World, was unique in its time for its singular focus on calligraphy, specifically the inscriptions found on various media and the inclusion of a translation of each one. This exhibition, too, opened at The Asia Society, in 1979, and then, over the following months, travelled to three other venues in the US. At Harvard, Tony had studied under the supervision of the renowned connoisseur and collector of, and lecturer on, Islamic painting, Stuart Cary Welch, with whom he co-curated the exhibition Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, which was first shown at the The Asia Society, in 1982, and then also travelled to three other venues in the US.

 

In later years his scholarly interests turned more to South Asia. Despite his increased administrative responsibilities, this engagement led to the publication of important studies on Delhi Sultanate and Mughal architecture, epigraphy, urbanism and landscape design, including, (co-authored with Howard Crane) “The Tughluqs: Master builders of the Dehli Sultanate,” Muqarnas 1 (1984): 123–36; “Architectural patronage and the past: The Tughluq sultans of India,” Muqarnas 10 (1993): 311–22; (co-authored with Hussein Keshani and Alexandra Bain), “Epigraphs, scripture and architecture,” Muqarnas 19 (2002): 12–43; and

“The Emperor’s Grief: Two Mughal Tombs,” Muqarnas 25 (2008): 255-273. He also published on other topics including hydraulic engineering and Indian manuscript painting.

 

In the latter part of his career at the University of Victoria, he turned his attention also to cataloguing and analyzing the archive of architectural drawings made by Richard Roskell Bayne (1801–78), who worked in the Indian subcontinent, resulting in an article (co-authored with Martin Segger and Nicholas DeCaro) entitled “Building for the Raj: Richard Roskell Bayne,” RACAR: revue d’art canadienne / Canadian Art Review 34.2 (2009): 74-86. Long a student of travelogues and their use for writing art and architectural history, he also edited, annotated, and wrote a substantial introduction for a translation by Clara Bargellini of the journal of a seventeenth-century Venetian traveller: The Travels and Journal of Ambrosio Bembo (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2007).

 

Throughout his academic career, Tony was a member of numerous departmental, faculty and university committees. As Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts (1985-1998), he was a significant and influential contributor to the administration and development of the university. Following his tenure as Dean, he served as executive director of the Office of International Affairs (1998-2003), during which time he travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and South America promoting academic agreements between UVIC and various international universities. He also played a role in the wider community, and in 1992 was awarded a Canada 125th Anniversary Silver Medal in recognition of his work (1987-1991) in the development of an Arts Policy for the City of Victoria.

 

However, it is perhaps Tony’s very particular and subtle sense of humour that will be most fondly remembered by his former students and colleagues.

 

He is survived by his wife Hyesoon Kim, his son Nicholas, and his daughters Bronwen and Emily.

 

Submitted by Marcus Milwright and Elaine Wright

(With thanks to Hussein Keshani, Eleanor Sims, Lisa Golombek, Lesley Jessop and Janis Elliott for their comments and input.)

 

 

 

3. ONLINE Seminar “Alternative Dispute Resolution in Islamic and Middle Eastern Law” by Dr Jonathan Ercanbrack (SOAS), London, 8 April 2021, 5 pm – 6:15 pm GMT

The panel of distinguished experts will explore the practice of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Islamic and Middle Eastern law and share practical insights on the arbitration practice in Qatar and Turkey. The webinar provides an in-depth opportunity to explore the latest arbitration trends and controversies in the region.

Information and registration: https://www.soas.ac.uk/law/events/08apr2021-alternative-dispute-resolution-in-islamic-and-middle-eastern-law.html

 

 

 

4. ONLINE Roundtable “Umayyads, Early ʿAbbāsids, and Historical Periodization”, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 9 April 2021, 11:00 am PST

The temporal specificity of this subject speaks not onlx to the unstable boundary between Eurocentric Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, but more importantly to local schemes of periodization – Islamic, Jewish, and Christian. Likewise, the geographic specificity of empire that is implied by these dynastic subjects extends beyond the Middle East and cannot be contained by that area studies construct. These dual, overlapping frameworks for analysis offer opportunities for investigation and reflection.

Information and registration: https://mcusercontent.com/4eead3c27d77b3e347cf43c18/files/1ff58878-47ec-4036-84d8-30f3fadcb364/CMES_Periodization_Roundtable_papers2.pdf

 

 

 

 

5. ONLINE Seminar “Islam, Judaism, and Decoloniality” with Santiago Slabodsky and Sanober Umar, Jewish-Muslim Research Network, University of Michigan, 12 April 2021, 10:00 am ET

The authors suggest some paths towards disrupting/decentering (Eurocentric) intellectual epistemic hegemonies in the broadly defined fields of Jewish Studies and Islamic/Muslim Studies. Together, they will reflect on how we can draw on Southern epistemologies to broaden the horizon of Jewish and Muslim studies.

Information and registration: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/jmrn/upcoming-events/islam-judaism-and-decoloniality-with-santiago-slabodsky-and-sanober-umar/

 

 

 

 

6. ONLINE International Conference on “Canon and Censorship in the Islamic Intellectual and Theological History”, Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 8-10 October 2021

Muslim societies and theologies did not witness the emergence of a single institution that establishes a binding canon for everyone who adheres to Islam. Instead, the constitutional positions are (re)negotiated constantly in a scholarly discourse. Against this backdrop, the conference focuses on the question of how certain texts and positions evolve to a canon while others get lost in time.

Information: https://www.islamische-theologie.hu-berlin.de/de/copy_of_forschung/islamische-ideengeschichte-1200-1800/medien/call-canon-and-censorship-1.pdf

 

 

 

 

7. Annual Conference of the Central Eurasian Studies Association (CESS), Ohio State University, Columbus, 14-17 October 2021

Submissions relating to all aspects of humanities and social science scholarship are invited. The geographic domain encompasses Central Asia, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, the Black Sea region, East and Central Europe etc.

Deadline for abstracts: 3 May 2021. Information: https://www.centraleurasia.org/conferences/annual/

 

 

 

 

8. 4^th IDEO Conference: “The Cairo Edition of the Qurʾān (1924): Texts, Histories and Challenges”, Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies, Cairo, 16-17 October 2021

The conference examines the Cairo edition of the Qurʾān printed under the authority of the al-Azhar committee in 1924. The edition`s advent bears a significance that goes beyond the sphere of belief and takes an important place in the history of Islamic civilisation, including the history of institutions, material history, history of religious thought and history of Islamic studies. Papers in Arabic, French and English are welcomed.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 May 2021. Information: https://www.ideo-cairo.org/en/2021/03/call-for-papers-the-cairo-edition-of-the-qur%ca%bean-1924/

 

 

 

 

9. Journée d’études : « Articuler l’histoire sociale et environmental : Proche-Orient, Maghreb, Afrique, XIX^e-XXI^e siècles », Aix-en-Provence, 20 mai 2022 (date à confirmer)

Cette journée d’études a pour objectif de rassembler des historien-ne-s contemporanéistes spécialistes du Proche-Orient, du Maghreb et de l’Afrique travaillant dans une optique environnementale.

Date limit pour les propositions de communication : 30 avril 2021. Information : https://iismm.hypotheses.org/51458

 

 

 

 

10. 6^th World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES-6), University of La Manouba, Tunis, 19-23 September 2022

Mind this date!

 

 

 

11. Posts:

Lecturer in Arabic Language (2 Years), University of Bayreuth, Germany

Candidate profile: Native or near-native proficiency in Arabic;  knowledge of German or English;  A. degree or higher in Arabic language and/or linguistics; specialization or certificates in TAFL (Teaching Arabic as a Second Language) are especially welcome; university-level teaching experience.

Deadline for application: 12 April 2021. Information: https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/de/universitaet/arbeiten-an-der-universitaet/stellenangebote/wiss-personal/SZ-Lektor-ArabischDuE/index.html

 

 

Postdoctoral Researcher in Islamic Theology, University of Tübingen

Qualification: Doctorate in the field of Islamic Studies, Arabic Studies or Islamic Theology. We are looking for a highly motivated and talented scholar who is interested in conducting research in the field of theological Hadith studies and who is familiar with the relevant areas.

Deadline for applications: 15 April 2021. Information: https://professorpositions.com/postdoctoral-researcher-in-islamic-theology,i19353.html

 

 

 

 

12. Articles on “The Qur’an in History: The History of the Qur’an: From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics” for Special Issue for Journal “Religions”

This is issue will explore the correlation between the Qur’an and the historical events that in different ways have affected its understanding and interpretation during the thirteen centuries of Islamic history. The main idea is to work on specific verses, precise suwar (part of them), or singular words through a historicized hermeneutical approach which could frame and share facets, insights, and makings which have settled the understanding of this revelation in a specific phase of Islam and human history.

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2021. Information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/QH_HQ_FCCS

 

 

 

 

13. New “Journal of Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies (JLAIBS)”, Edinburgh University Press

The JLAIBS as a hotspot for interdisciplinary dialogue aims to disseminate new approaches and methodologies that intend to transform our understanding of broader Late Antique and Medieval phenomena, such as knowledge transfer and cultural exchanges, by looking beyond single linguistic traditions or political boundaries.

Information: https://www.euppublishing.com/loi/jlaibs

 

 

 

 

14. New Book Series “Islam, Culture and Society” Leuven University Press

Topics that are of particular interest to the series are the interdisciplinary roles of history, social behaviours, religious (and other) identities, local traditions, cultural and legal systems, as well as diversity, inclusion, and tolerance in (re)shaping the plurality, changeability, diversity and global connectedness of Muslim cultures and societies.

Information: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/52884

 

 

 

 

15. An ‘enhanced’ Qur’an manuscript from Madura

The British Library

 

 

 

16. Digital Archive of Persian Periodicals

In order to facilitate interchanging the ideas using a community service with both private and public messaging features, a Twitter account (@PersianProject) has just been opened for the project as following:

http://twitter.com/PersianProject

You are kindly requested to join now (if your professional limitations allow) and share your comments and queries while following development of the project.

We will be pleased to discuss on your specific concerns.

Kind regards,

Majid Samavi
Head of the Persian Archives Project

 

 

 

 

17. The American Lafayette of Iran: The Story of Howard C. Baskerville

by Reza Aslan,  April 23, 2021 2:00 pm (EST.

You can register here:   https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RPfjuWavSGqJ4t02duXPPw

Aslan’s forthcoming book, BASKERVILLE, will be published by W.W. Norton & Company.

 

 

 

18. On April 14th at 6pm EST Dr. John Seyller will be giving the 2021 Ananda Coomaraswamy Annual Lecture on South Asian Art at the MFA, Boston.

His lecture, titled “A Rediscovered Mughal Master,” will present new research on Ilyas Bahadur, a long-overlooked artist active in India in the late 17^th century.

For information on the lecture click here.  Free registration can be found here.

 

 

 

 

20. La prochaine séance du séminaire “Littératures d’Asie du Sud” accueillera Marc Toutant (CNRS/CETOBaC)pour une communication intitulée :

Le turk est « la langue des rois »

Nouvelles sources manuscrites sur la description de la langue turke dans l’Inde moghole (XVII^e-XIX^e siècles)

Le séminaire se tiendra en visioconférence, le vendredi 9 avril 2021, entre 10h30 et 12h30 (heure de Paris). Les personnes souhaitant y assister devront se connecter sur BigBlueButton à partir du lien suivant :

https://webinaire.ehess.fr/b/cas-it0-7mq

 

1.Call for book proposals
I.B.Tauris is seeking book proposals for a new academic book series: Political Communication and Media Practices in the Middle East and North Africa.
Books in this series critically engage with the complex and fluid relationship between politics, communication and culture in the Middle East and North Africa, taking into account the specificities of social and political local contexts, diverse political and media systems, media institutions, media and political actors and populations as well as differentiations along religious, sectarian, ethnic, gendered and racial lines. Topics and themes include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

-Political communication and crises (wars, conflict, unrest).
-Digital activism in the Middle East and North Africa.
-Social networks as spaces for political communication.
-Gendered political communication in the Middle East and North Africa.
-Political communication and popular culture.
-Affective political communication.
-Journalism as political communication.
-Ethical political communication practices
-Media and emerging political alliances.
-Religion and political Communication
-Hate speech/racism as political communication.
The series publishes monographs and edited collections. All proposal and manuscripts are subject to rigorous peer review.
To submit a proposal, please fill out the form on our website here and submit it to series editors Dr Dina Matar – dm27@soas.ac.uk, Dr Zahera Harb – zahera.harb.1@city.ac.uk, or Rory Gormley, Commissioning Editor at I.B.Tauris – rory.gormley@bloomsbury.com.

 

 

 

 

2. The Contemporary Turkey book series is open for submissions.
The Contemporary Turkey monograph series is a joint initiative by the British Institute at Ankara (BIAA), internationally renowned for its support of independent academic research, and leading publisher of Middle East and Turkish Studies I.B. Tauris, an imprint of Bloomsbury Academic.
The series publishes cutting edge research monographs and edited collections from a new generation of scholars working on modern Turkey across the social sciences and humanities. In bringing to light new data and insights directly from the field, this series is distinguished by its emphasis on innovative approaches that challenge established ways of examining Turkey.
The series is seeking proposals on the following topics:

• Society and politics
• Political economy
• Alternative histories
• Gender studies
• Contentious politics
• Nationalism and politics of identity

If you have a book project or idea that you’d like us to consider for the series, please contact the lead editor Dr Ceren Lord at the University of Oxford, UK – ceren.lord@area.ox.ac.uk, or Rory Gormley, Commissioning Editor at I.B.Tauris – rory.gormley@bloomsbury.com – both of whom will be pleased to give you feedback on your idea.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/series/contemporary-turkey/

 

 

 

3. Posts:

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston – Curatorial Assistant, Art of the
Islamic Worlds
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=61195

 

 

Colgate University – Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=61173

 

 

University of Alabama – Birmingham – College of Arts and
Sciences-Visiting Assistant Professor- Art and Art History
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=61095

specializing in either the Islamicate World or Africa, with a research focus on transcultural exchange. This is a one-year position, with the possibility of renewal for a second year, and begins in August of 2021.

 

 

 

 

4. ‘A Mughal Queen and her Manuscript: The Ramayana made for Hamida Banu Begum’

Webinar

12 April 2021

6 pm (Doha, GMT+3)/ 11 am (EST)

 

MIA is delighted to welcome our former curator Dr. Marika Sardar, Prof. John Seyller, and Prof. Audrey Truschke for a webinar about the publication of our new book – the Ramayna of Hamida Banu Begum.

To book, please visit https://www.qm.org.qa/en/mughal-queen-and-her-manuscript-ramayana-made-hamida-banu-begum .  This webinar will be delivered in English.

 

 

 

5. The Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies (CAMES) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) is pleased to announce that our intensive summer Arabic programs will be offered online between June 14 and July 30, 2021.

CAMES offers two separate seven-week programs that provide intensive online instruction in Arabic through a rigorous academic curriculum, complemented by an integrated series of films, guest lectures, and other online activities:

Arabic Language and Culture Program: this program is designed for learners who want to develop their overall proficiency in Arabic in both its Standard and Lebanese varieties. The program emphasizes the development of various skills within a communicative, proficiency-based framework that considers Arabic in all its varieties as “one language”. To this end, it integrates Standard Arabic and Lebanese Arabic within the same course, and gives special attention to the development of intercultural competence in Arabic.

Lebanese Arabic Program: this program is designed for learners who want to develop their proficiency in Lebanese Arabic. The program focuses on speaking and listening skills, as well as building/enhancing intercultural competence in Lebanese Arabic.

Each program provides nine credit hours of instruction at various levels of proficiency. Students may transfer the credits earned to their home institutions.

The application deadline is April 14, 2021. For detailed information about the academic content of our programs, application forms, costs, and financial support, please visit our website.

Contact us on cames@aub.edu.lb if you have any questions.

 

 

 

 

6. ‘Plague and the Fall of Baghdad (1258)’

Nahyan Fancy  and Monica H. Green

Medical History 65/2, April 2021

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/plague-and-the-fall-of-baghdad-1258/C0E179EB4890C10BBFAE5C11DFC8DF36

 

 

 

 

7. University of Edinburgh – Research fellow in Coptic papyrology:

European Research Council (ERC) project: The Finances of the Caliphate: Abbasid Fiscal Practice in Islamic Late Antiquity (CALIPHAL FINANCES)

UE07, £33,797 – £40,322 – Full-time fixed-term position (35 hours per week) – available from 1st September 2021 to 31st August 2025 (4 years).

The Research Fellow in Coptic Papyrology will be studying the published corpus of Coptic documents relating to fiscal practices, publish new material in this language and research a topic of fiscal history based on that documentation.

Deadline: 23rd April 2021, 05:00 PM (GMT).

How to apply: Research Fellow in Coptic Papyrology – University of Edinburgh Jobs Careers (oraclecloud.com)

For questions, contact:

Dr Marie Legendre

Lecturer in Islamic History

Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES)

Marie.Legendre@ed.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

8. Lecturer in Arabic and Comparative Literature (T&R)

Queen Mary University of London – School of Languages, Linguistics & Film

Closing date: 29.4.21

 

 

 

 

9. Gramsci in the Middle East and North Africa Conference

9-10 May 2022, LSE

Receipt of abstracts: Monday 13 September 2021

https://www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-centre/news/gramsci-in-middle-east-conference

 

 

 

10. The Social Science Research Council’s Transregional Collaboratory on the Indian Ocean was established in 2019, with generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to catalyze research into the intersections of social and environmental change in the region.

Drawing together scholars and institutions from across the globe, the program funds cutting-edge social inquiry about the Indian Ocean region. It also supports the development of new models of international research partnerships, grounded in principles of ethical collaboration and equity in the production and dissemination of knowledge in and about the Global South. The Collaboratory’s inaugural funding phase, in 2020, focused on the collaborative research planning process, and supported the work of eight interdisciplinary research teams through the Transregional Planning Grants initiative.

This year, the Collaboratory invites proposals for 12-month collaborative research grants to conduct fully conceptualized research projects that deepen understanding of the effects of political, economic, and social processes in contexts of profound climate and environmental change in and across Indian Ocean countries. This competition is open to research teams intending to embark on new research projects or to expand research in progress in novel directions.

The deadline for applications is April 26, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time.

https://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/view/transregional-collaborative-research-grants/

 

 

 

 

11. Understanding the Middle East: The unfinished Arab revolutions: Power, Politics and Governance in the Middle East

Turin, 5-9 July

Application deadline: 17.6.21

The 8th edition of the summer school “Understanding the Middle East” critically unpacks power, politics and governance, exploring the role they have in re-defining the trajectories of Arab states

https://www.tomideast.com/

 

 

 

 

12. 10 years So-called Arab Spring – a critical perspective
Online Lecture Series | KIARA, University of Leipzig | Wednesdays, 19:30 (CET)
The Critical Students of Islamic and Arabic Studies (KIARA), part of the University of Leipzig, was founded last summer by students from various disciplines. The programme for upcoming lectures in the series ’10 Years So-called Arab Spring – a critical perspective’ is now available. These lectures are intended to offer
a space for critical reflection. The main questions will be the following: What happened in West Asia and North Africa 10 years ago? Which critical perspectives should be included?

Further information

 

 

 

 

13. Ottoman Historical Documents, The Institutions of an Empire

V.L. Ménage
Edited by Colin Imber

Edinburgh, 2021

 

 

 

 

14. Histories and Archives of Arabic Publishing

Between April-June 2021 the British Library and Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, will co-host Histories and Archives of Arabic Publishing: an online series of talks exploring publishing practices in Arabic as a site for unfolding intellectual networks, artistic practices and political imaginaries from the 1960s until the present.

 

 

 

 

15. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: PRINT MEDIA IN THE MODERN ISLAMIC WORLD
Mira Xenia Schwerda, Harvard University
Hala Auji, American University of Beirut
Yasemin Gencer, Indiana University
Aditi Chandra, University of California-Merced
Elizabeth Rauh, American University in Cairo
Friday, April 9th, 12:00pm ET
[Webinar]Silsila Spring 2021 Lecture Series, Translations

The first examples of print in the Islamic world, in the form of block print amulets and scrolls, date to the tenth century. From those early productions until the present, various printing technologies and practices have played an important role in Islamic art and visual culture, particularly during the 19th-century when lithography and new engraving methods shaped the technologies of image making. Despite the central role printing plays in producing, circulating, and disseminating visual material and expressions in the Islamic world, studies of print culture rarely feature in textbooks or surveys on Islamic art. One reason is the medium’s resistance to traditional fine art categories: print is a mechanical technology as well as an art form. It also crosses media borders in other ways. As print operates in multiples, the old art historical model centered on the “original” artwork does not apply in studies of printed images and texts.

In Islamic art history, studies of printing and its spread largely focus on surviving medieval examples, cross-cultural encounters, and the introduction of the modern press, and less on the persistent evolution and generative power of this artistic technology. This panel proposes a reframing of how the field addresses the medium of printing by centering the art form as a driving force in image production and artistic developments in the modern Islamic world. The papers will discuss different examples of printing visual culture, from engraved portraits, to photographic postcards, lithographed illustrated periodicals, and examples of contemporary printmaking and popular devotional prints. Such printed images offer new insights into the visual materials and cultural practices of the modern Islamic world.

Full details of the event and a link to register as an attendee can be found at:

https://as.nyu.edu/silsila/events/2020-2021/-webinar–first-impressions–print-media-in-the-modern-islamic-w.html

Only registered attendees will be able to access this event.

 

 

16. BIPS ONLINE LECTURES 22 APRIL 2021, 5PM BST

‘The Unheard Voices from Eastern Iran and the Eastern Islamicate World’
Dr Arezou Azad (University of Oxford)

For further information and to register, see: https://www.bips.ac.uk/event/unheard_voices/

 

 

 

 

17. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University seeks applications for a preceptor in Persian Language. The appointment is expected to begin on July 1, 2021. The preceptor will be responsible for teaching five courses per academic year, participating in curricular development, and training and supervising teaching fellows.

The position is three years, renewable for a term of up to five years, contingent on performance, enrollments, curricular need, position availability, and divisional dean authorization.

The successful applicant should have an Advanced degree in Persian, Applied Linguistics, or foreign/second-language acquisition and pedagogy, and native or near-native proficiency in Persian.

Extensive experience and demonstrated excellence in college-level Persian language teaching at all levels (novice to advanced) is preferred.

Please submit the following materials through the ARIeS portal (https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/10183).

1. Cover letter, including a description of teaching/advising experience and philosophy and comments on any efforts to encourage diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Two sample syllabi
4. Link to a 20-minute teaching demo by URL through the ARIeS portal
5. Names and contact information of three to five referees, who will be asked by a system-generated email to upload a letter of recommendation once the candidate’s application has been submitted. Three letters of recommendation are required, and the application is considered complete only when at least three letters have been received.

Minimum Number of References Required: 3

Maximum Number of References Allowed: 5

Applications must be submitted no later than April 30, 2021, 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

Contact information:

Soma Roy, Search Administrator

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations

6 Divinity Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

 

Contact email: roy@fas.harvard.edu

 

For more information, and to apply : https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/10183

 

1. Webinar – Ziad Jamaleddine, “Drawing The Isolated Mosque” (Series: Re-Approaching Architecture of the Lands of Islam) – 6 April, 2021 / 1 PM EST

From the early nineteenth century onwards, the depiction and analysis of mosque architecture by Europeans, central to the Western discovery of the lands of Islam, has been heavily shaped by Orientalist visual constructs. From the exoticized but scenographic environments depicted by Orientalist painters to the later “scientific” and technical drawings produced by archaeologists and historian, the representation of mosque architecture has had deep impact on disciplinary understandings of these buildings. To trace this effect, this paper will analyze the evolution and reproduction of the plans of five historical mosques through their publication in several of the canonical survey texts of Islamic architecture produced by Western scholars in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Through this study of the shifts in each building’s representation, the paper will argue for a relationship between the purification and isolation of the drawing and the translation of the mosque into an idealized and timeless monument. Articulating this connection highlights the gaps of knowledge reproduced with these canonical texts and their impacts on the discipline of architecture.

Jamaleddine is an Assistant Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (NY), and co-founder of L.E.FT Architects (Beirut). His writings have been published in Climates: Architecture and the Planetary Imaginary (Columbia Books on Architecture and the City, 2016), The Arab City: Architecture and Representation (Columbia Books on Architecture and the City, 2016). Among his built projects is the award-winning Moukhtara Mosque (2017).

Register here for the link: https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-c8k2dqKQqqg0fIEoaIrEA

 

 

 

 

2. Medieval & Early Modern Studies Festival 18-19th June 2021

This two-day event celebrates Medieval and Early Modern history, 400 – 1800, and encourages applications from a wide range of interdisciplinary topics, including but not limited to, politics, religion, economics, art, drama, literature, and domestic culture. MEMS Fest aims to be an informal space in which postgraduate students, early career researchers, and academics can share ideas and foster conversations, whilst building a greater sense of community. Undergraduate students in their final year of study are also welcome at the conference.

We invite abstracts of up to 250 words for individual research papers of 20 minutes in length on ANY subject relating to the Medieval and Early Modern periods. The research can be in its earliest stages or a more developed piece.

We also encourage 700-word abstracts proposing a three-person panel, presenting on a specific subject or theme in Medieval or Early Modern studies. If you have an idea and would like us to advertise for it, please contact us at memsfestival@gmail.com.

Deadline for all Paper and Panel Proposals is Friday 30th April 2021. All applications must be sent to memsfestival@gmail.com with ‘MEMS Fest 2021 Abstract’ as the subject of the email. 

This opportunity allows you to showcase your research in a friendly environment and to network with fellow scholars from far-reaching institutions. For more information please contact us on Facebook, Twitter, or at memsfestival.wordpress.com. Please do not hesitate to ask questions.

MEMS Festival 2021 is supported by the Centre of Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent.

 

 

 

 

3. ONLINE Seminar “Obscene and Sacred Dimensions of Medieval Persian Poetry: Sa’di’s Literary Pornography as “Counter-Text” to Mystical Lyric” by Domenico Ingenito (UCLA), 31 March 2021, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm GMT

As a part of a LGBTQ Iran series, this webinar talks about pornographic depictions of , often same-sex, sexual passions as portrayed in classical Persian literature.

Information and registration: https://www.soas.ac.uk/smei/events/31mar2021-obscene-and-sacred-dimensions-of-medieval-persian-poetry-sadis-literary-pornography-as-cou.html

 

 

 

 

4. ONLINE Lecture: “Esoteric Authority and Sufi Networks of the hajj. East African hajj Accounts, 1898-1951” by Anne K. Bang (University of Bergen), Leibnitz Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin, 1 April 2021, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm CET

This talk presents a selection of East African travel and hajj accounts and takes note of how the hajj itself is described. It argues that travellers tended to emphasize the esoteric authority they had obtained on their journey (encounters with shaykhs dead and alive) over normative rituals such as the hajj.

Information and registration: https://www.zmo.de/en/events/esoteric-authority-and-sufi-networks-of-the-hajj-east-african-hajj-accounts

 

 

 

 

5. ONLINE Seminar: “Mosques and Islamist Activism: Spatial Evidence from Interwar Cairo” by Steven Brooke, Middle East Studies Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 19 April 2021, 12:00 pm CST 

The author`s findings seek to deepen our understanding of the conditions under which certain mosques become sites for Islamist mobilization, and demonstrate how historical spatial data can be utilized to study political activism.

Information and registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nSoGrP0TT1O0rfdJoPE2Hg

 

 

 

 

6. ONLINE 7^th International Graduate Conference on “Materiality In the Eastern Mediterranean World”, Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies (CEMS), Central European University (Vienna/Budapest), 28-29 May 2021

We welcome approaches that focus on the relations between humans and their physical surroundings, the way they understand, perceive, and use them. Moreover, in turning towards the material, the conference intends to explore connections and entanglements between human/non-human, spiritual/physical, and phenomenological/epistemological.

Deadline for abstracts: 5 April 2021. Information: https://cems.ceu.edu/cems-graduate-conference-2021

 

 

 

 

7. International Conference: “Musical Sources and Theories from Ancient Greece to the Ottoman Period”, Ruhr-University Bochum, 10-12 June 2021

Papers will focus on Arabic, Persian and Byzantine music theory, instruments and ways of transmission, with their roots in Ancient Greece and an outlook onto Ottoman and Safavid music. Call for Papers closed. Guests are welcome!

Information: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/orient/aktuelles/index.html.en

 

 

 

 

8. ONLINE International Society for the Sociology of Religion 36^th Conference: “Religion in Global/Local Perspective: Diffusion, Migration, Transformation”, 12-15 July 2021

Global migration, labor mobility and travel lead to the diffusion of religion, but also to the questioning of religious boundaries and their potential transformation. The difference between religion, spirituality, culture, and nonreligion become themselves diffuse and even blurred. People feel, rediscover and redefine their religious and non-religious horizons in new ways through their everyday lives. This conference highlights the transnational, global and local character of these issues and aims to explore the nature of religious diffusion, encounters, and transformation.

Information: https://conference-system.sisr-issr.org/conferences/conference-2021/#papers

 

 

 

 

9. ONLINE Summer Conference of the “Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE)”, 24-25 July 2021

ASTENE organises conferences biennially to allow for a coming together of those with an interest in early travel and early travellers in Egypt and the Near East.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 April 2021. Information: conference.astene@gmail.com;  http://www.astene.org.uk

 

 

 

 

10. ONLINE or HYBRID: Fifth Annual Doctoral Conference in Religious Studies: “Wellbeing, Harm, and Religion”, Masaryk Universita, Central European University, Charles University, University of Pardubice, Brno, Czech Republic, 9-11 September 2021

The aim of the conference is to create a platform for the study of the intersections amongst religion, health, and diverse cultural conceptions of harm and wellbeing.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 April 2021. Information: https://religionistika.phil.muni.cz/where2021

 

 

 

 

11. International Conference: „Media Aesthetics of Occidentalism“, Centre for Near and Middle East Studies, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany, 26-28 January 2022

The conference pursues the central question “How do media aesthetic qualities contribute to the constitution of Occidentalist discourses?”

Deadline for abstracts: 31 May 2021. Information; https://www.online.uni-marburg.de/okzidentalismus/index.php/2021/02/08/internationale-abschlusstagung-26-bis-28-januar-2022/

 

 

 

 

12. Eight Fellowships (2 years) of the “Academy in Exile” at the Forum Tansregionale Studien in Berlin and the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities (KWI) in Essen

Eligible are scholars from any country, who have a PhD in the humanities, social sciences, or law, and who are at risk because of their academic work and/or civic engagement in human rights, democracy, and the pursuit of academic freedom.

Deadline for applications: 31 March 2021. Information: https://www.academy-in-exile.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AiE_Call_for_Applications-VW-February_2021-Extension.pdf

 

 

 

 

13. Assistant Professor in Middle Eastern Studies (Focus Israel and the Jewish World), University of Groningen

Candidates should have a broad expertise in the contemporary Middle East, with focus on the (modern) history, politics and culture of Israel and the Jewish world in their Middle Eastern context; proficiency in Modern Israeli Hebrew and in Modern Standard Arabic.

Deadline for applications: 12 April 2021.

Information: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S00087BP

 

 

 

 

14. Assistant/Associate Professor of Arabic, American University in Dubai, Fall 2021

Qualification: Ph.D. in Arabic Literature and/or Linguistics from a Western accredited university; previous experience of teaching Arabic in a Western higher education system, with high ratings of teaching effectiveness.

Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/03/23/assistant-associate-professor-of-arabic

 

 

 

 

15. Visiting Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York

One-year appointment, beginning fall semester 2021. The successful candidate should have expertise in a field of broad concern to peace and conflict studies, including but not limited to: regional or transnational conflict, gendered conflict, ethnic or religious conflict, racialized policing/violence, etc. We welcome applicants with disciplinary training in sociology, anthropology, political science, international relations, international studies, history, or geography.

Review of applications will begin on 26 March and continue until the position is filled.

Information: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/18202

 

 

 

 

16. Assistant Professor in Critical Middle East/North Africa Studies and/or Middle East/North African Diaspora Studies, University of Illinois, Chicago

We are especially interested in candidates with a critical approach whose work addresses one or more of these themes: transnationalism, critical race and/or empire, militarism/war, social movements, gender/sexuality, energy and climate justice, critical health/medicine, and media/popular culture.

Deadline for applications: 9 April 2021. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/03/26/assistant-professor-anthropology-middle-east-and-muslim-societies

 

 

 

 

17. Funding up to £20,000 with Large Research, Research and Study Grants, British Institute at Ankara (BIAA)

The BIAA supports academics and research focused on Turkey and/or the Black Sea region. The Institute welcomes applications across the arts, humanities and the social sciences, including but not limited to archaeology, ancient and modern history, heritage management, and contemporary issues in public policy and political sciences.

Deadline for application: 28 April 2021. Information: https://biaa.ac.uk/opportunities-grants/open-calls

 

 

 

 

18. ONLINE Residence Program in Advanced Arabic Language and Social Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Fall Semester 2021

The program meets the language, culture, and academic needs of advanced non-native and heritage graduate students who wish to strengthen their language and cultural skills, as well as prepare for specific challenges related to their academic areas of expertise. The Program is delivered entirely in Arabic.

Deadline for application: 31 May 2021.

Information and registration: https://dilc.wufoo.com/forms/ra88et51c17saf/

 

 

 

 

19. Chapters for Edited Book on “Muslims and Societies in Africa” (Including Arab Muslims of North Africa), University of Abuja

To what extent has the Muslim life been resilient or influenced by colonialism and globalisation? What is the extent of conformism or dissonance from the various constructs that determine Muslim identity. How does being a Muslim matter in the social, political and economic spheres of African societies.

Deadline for abstracts: 10 April 2021. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/7149932/muslims-and-societies-africa

 

 

 

 

20. Articles on “Theoretical and Experimental Issues in Arabic Linguistics” for Special Issue of “Al-Karmil: Studies in Arabic Language and Literature”, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, University of Haifa

Articles are invited on: Phonology and morphology; Grammar of Classical and Modern Standard Arabic; Semantics and pragmatics; Sociolinguistics; Psycholinguistics; Discourse analysis; Syntax of the Qurʾān, written in English or Arabic.

Deadline for submissions: 10 April 2021.

Information: http://alkarmil.haifa.ac.il/index.php/en/instruction-for-authors

 

 

 

 

21. Tomayto, Tomahto: Identifying Azerbaijani Manuscripts in the British Library Collections

 

1.7-8 October 2021 Event: Call for Papers – Arabic Pasts: Histories and Historiographies

The Aga Khan University Institute’s for the Study of Muslim Civilisations

This annual exploratory and informal workshop offers the opportunity to reflect on history writing in Arabic. We encourage contributions focused on methodologies, research agendas, and case studies that investigate history writing in the Middle East and North Africa in any period from the seventh century to the present.

We are interested in papers that consider the practical and conceptual challenges of working on history writing in the region. Papers might elucidate the following sorts of questions:

• Through what practices of writing or otherwise encoding the past, and of remembering and forgetting, have different groups in the Middle East and North Africa viewed their pasts? At different times and places, how have the significant contours, events and actors in their histories been seen? Was the significant past the same for court historians as for literary historians; for bureaucrats as for the military; for Sufis as for Muslim lawyers and Traditionists?
• How did non-Muslims and Muslims, men and women, adherents of different sectarian or juristic traditions, or speakers of different languages, within societies that became “Islamic” imagine the shape and meaning of their specific societies’ own pasts, and their relation to the universal history of the Islamic community?
• How have urban and rural people, workers and peasants, the religiously educated and the technocratic elite, developed different ways of writing, remembering, or commemorating particular events in, or the broad sweep of, local, national, or “Islamic” history?
• In what ways do educational institutions, museums, media organisations and proponents of heritage use history writing in Arabic to shape loyalties and senses of belonging in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe?
• How can digital methods now enhance or change our understandings of the past? What additional information and perspectives do they offer?

Contributions are invited from scholars at all career levels, addressing any period and any part of the Middle East and North Africa, broadly defined.

This year we anticipate running the workshop from the Aga Khan Centre in London (subject to UK government guidelines on travel), with the possibility to have an online component featuring participants who are unable to travel to the UK. As in past years, there is a small budget to provide some travel assistance for scholars outside of London.
Date
The workshop will take place on 7-8 October 2021.
Organisers
Arabic Pasts is co-organised by Sarah Bowen Savant (AKU-ISMC), Hugh Kennedy (SOAS University of London) and James McDougall (University of Oxford).
Submission
Please submit an abstract of 300 words or less by 19 April to ArabicPastsConf@aku.edu.

 

 

 

2. The Center for Language Studies (CLS) at Brown University seeks a dynamic language professional for a full-time position as Visiting Lecturer in Persian beginning July 1st, 2021.

The ideal candidate has experience teaching both classical and modern Persian to undergraduate and graduate students as well as to heritage learners. This is a one-year renewable appointment contingent upon a successful review and the continued needs of the department.  The teaching load is 6 courses per academic year (2 semesters).

Brown University has a thriving Center for Middle East Studies and wishes to expand its language program in Persian. The ideal candidate will be motivated to grow the program through excellence in teaching and programming relevant to undergraduate students. The new colleague will join the faculty in World Languages and Cultures.

Qualifications

1. Ability to teach multiple levels of Persian; 2. Familiarity with and commitment to innovative methods of language instruction; 3. Experience with online language teaching preferred; 4. Master’s degree or equivalent in Persian Studies (Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, South Asia), language pedagogy, applied linguistics or related field required; 5. Native or near native-proficiency in English and Persian; 6. Ability to teach a first-year undergraduate seminar in English on a topic pertaining to the candidate’s discipline and research is especially welcome; 7. Fluency in another language is desirable.

Application Instruction: http://apply.interfolio.com/85359

Please use the interfolio link above to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, if available, or a statement of teaching philosophy, two sample syllabi, and a statement on your commitment to a culture of equity and inclusion, as well as two letters of reference.  Review of applications will start on May 1, 2021.

Any questions should be addressed to Jane Sokolosky, CLS Director, at  languages@brown.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

 

 

 

3. Book launch: Islam and the Liberal State 

Online event: Thu, 22 April 2021, 17:00 – 18:30 BST

You are warmly invited to the launch of Stephen H. Jones’s book ‘Islam and the Liberal State’, published by IB Tauris in November 2020. In the book Jones narrates a gradual but, he argues, decisive shift in British Islamic institutions since Muslims settled in the UK in large numbers in the 1950s. Drawing on this narrative, he makes the case for a variety of liberalism that is open to the expression of religious arguments in public and to associations between religious groups and the state.

The event will be chaired by Daniel Nilsson DeHanas and will feature an introduction from the author as well as panel responses from Alyaa Ebbiary, Yahya Birt and Khadijah Elshayyal.

For more details and to register, see the following link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launch-islam-and-the-liberal-state-tickets-145834949259

 

 

 

 

4. Words of Experience, Translating Islam with Carl W. Ernst

Equinox, 2021

https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/words-experience/

 

 

 

 

5. Le Forum du GIS MOMM se poursuit les 30 mars et 6 avril prochains, avec des tables-rondes sur la recherche française et les nouvelles circulations régionales des savoirs

 

https://framaforms.org/inscription-au-forum-2021-du-gis-moyen-orient-et-mondes-musulmans-1614176644
——

30 mars 2021

 

9-12h : Table-ronde 4 : La recherche française et les nouvelles circulations régionales des savoirs : Égypte, Proche-Orient, péninsule Arabique

Modéré par Iyas Hassan (Sorbonne Université) Avec Frédéric Abecassis (IFAO), Agnès Deboulet (CEDEJ), Kamel Doraï (IFPO), Pauline Koetschet (IFPO), Frédéric Lagrange (CEFREPA) Dominique Pieri (IFPO) et Abbès Zouache (CEFREPA)

 

6 avril 2021

 

9-10h30 : Table-ronde 5 : La recherche française et les nouvelles circulations régionales des savoirs : Maghreb

Modéré par Choukri Hmed (Paris-Dauphine) Avec Katia Boissevain (CNRS, IDEMEC), Adrien Delmas (CJB), Oissila Saaidia (IRMC)

 

11h-13h : Table-ronde 6 : La recherche française et les nouvelles circulations régionales des savoirs : mondes turc et iranien, Asie Centrale

Modéré par Elise Massicard (CNRS/CERI, GIS MOMM) Avec Juliette Cleuziou (Université Lyon 2), Adrien Fauve (IFEAC), Denis Hermann (CNRS/IFEA), Sepideh Parsapajouh (CNRS/CéSor), Julien Thorez (CNRS/CERMI), Alexandre Toumarkine (INALCO)

 

Programme : http://majlis-remomm.fr/71441

Contact : Marielle Morin : marielle.morin@cnrs.fr

 

 

 

6. The conference (March, 25th) “The Umayyad and early Abbasid Reservoir-Enclosure of ‘Ayn Sawdā (Azraq Oasis, Jordan)” by Lorraine Abu-Azizeh, Julie Bonnéric, Barbara Couturaud and Aurélien Stavy (Ifpo) has been cancelled and will be rescheduled to next week (Thursday, April 1^st, 3h-4h PM CET, 4h-5h PM in Amman & Beirut). 

 

NEW DATE: 

Online Lecture – “The Umayyad and early Abbasid Reservoir-Enclosure of ‘Ayn Sawdā (Azraq Oasis, Jordan)” by Lorraine Abu-Azizeh, Julie Bonnéric, Barbara Couturaud, Aurélien Stavy (Ifpo)

April, 1st (3h-4h PM CET, 4h-5h PM in Amman & Beirut)

https://www.ifporient.org/archaeology-mena/

 

 

 

7. “Rethinking Halal: Genealogy, Current Trends, and New Interpretations”

(Brill, 2021)

https://brill.com/view/title/59875

1.The Pourdavoud Center (UCLA) is pleased to announce the public launch of a new major research project, the UCLA Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran, led by our colleague and Pourdavoud Associate, Dr. Ali Mousavi. This project is a free-access, web-based encyclopedia of archaeological sites, places, and monuments of the greater Iranian World. The Pourdavoud Center envisions the Gazetteer to become a major vehicle for archaeological research on ancient Iran, as well as a digital resource for scholars and students worldwide.

 

As we celebrate the first day of Norouz 1400, on March 20, 2021, we invite you to visit the UCLA Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran at: irangazetteer.humspace.ucla.edu.

 

 

 

 

2. ONLINE 3^ème Forum du GIS MOMM : “Au-delà des frontières. La recherche française et les nouvelles circulations régionales des savoirs au Maghreb et au Moyen-Orient”, 23 mars, 30 mars et 6 avril 2021

Le Forum a pour ambition d’ouvrir un espace de travail commun rassemblant les laboratoires de recherche métropolitains membres du GIS, les UMIFRE du Maghreb et du Moyen-Orient, et un certain nombre d’acteurs locaux ou régionaux de la recherche.

Information et programme : http://majlis-remomm.fr/71441

 

 

 

 

3. ONLINE Seminar: “On Origin Myths and Genealogical Imagination: The Marginalization of Yemen’s Black Community” by Gokh Amin Alshaif, Department of History at Brandeis University, 24 March 2021, 11:00 am EST

Gokh Amin Alshaif will examine the origin myths and racialized genealogical imagination at the root of Black Yemenis’ (known as Muhamasheen) marginalization. She will discuss the ways in which some Yemenis deploy imagined genealogies to justify the Muhamasheen’s status and construct the categories of “Arab” and “Black” as mutually exclusive. Finally, she will explore acts of resistance by Muhamasheen activists today and their struggle to reclaim power over naming and genealogy.

Information and registration: https://brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1NgKuKcrSFOzuTjEj37Bdw

 

 

 

 

4. ONLINE Lecture Series: “’Happy Together’ – The Entangled History of Jewish Communities in Ottoman Lands and Turkey”, Institut für Orientalistik, University of Vienna, Every Wednesday 24 March – 23 June 2021, 6:30 pm CET

The lecture series is dedicated to the history of Jews in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey as well as “Turkish” Jews in Europe. It will deal with important stages of Jewish history, beginning with the pre-modern period up to the republican period. Another thematic strand will be devoted to “Turkish” Jews in Europe, especially Vienna.

Information and registration: https://orientalistik.univie.ac.at/aktuelles/dauerveranstaltungen/ringvorlesung-turkologie/

 

 

 

5. ONLINE Inaugural Talk: “The Road to the Quran Keyword Database” by Prof Elie Wardini (Stockholm University), Institute for Advanced Study, in Partnership with Gorgias Press, 25 March 2021, 12:00 pm EST

The author`s work on the lexicon of the Quran stems from his interest in contact between Aramaic and Arabic. A question to ask is: ‘What has the Quran contributed to the lexicon of Arabic? And what are its sources?’ The data from the Quran offered much more information than anticipated.

Information and registration: https://theias.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArdOyqqDwuHt1OZ0yfJesHTQmnfG4tH51D

 

 

 

 

6. ONLINE Conférence publique de l’IISMM : « Les épidémies en Islam: la question de la contagion et sa gestion religieuse et politique » par Anne-Marie Moulin et Sylvia Chiffoleau (CNRS), 6 avril 2021,  18h30 à 20h30 CET

Si vous souhaitez accéder à la visioconférence merci de bien vouloir rejoindre la salle en renseignant votre nom et choisissant “écoute seule” à l’adresse https://webconference.ehess.fr/b/bil-kca-tri.

 

 

 

 

7. 8^e Journées de la Halqa “Mobilisations et engagements dans les mondes arabes et musulmans (XVIIe-XXIe siècles)” Aix-en-Provence, 1-2 juillet 2021

Cette journée inviter les doctorant·e·s et masterant·e·s à présenter leurs travaux portant sur le monde arabe et musulman afin de faire un état des lieux collectif des recherches sur ces mobilisations et révolutions, ainsi que sur toutes celles qui y advinrent depuis plus de deux siècles.

Les propositions de sont à envoyer avant le 30 avril 2021. Information : https://halqa.hypotheses.org/4740

 

 

 

 

8. “Fourth European Convention on Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies (Turkologentag)”, Vienna, 21-23 September 2023

The conference is organised by the Society for Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies (GTOT) and the Chair of Ottoman and Turkish Studies at the University of Vienna.

Stay tuned to https://turkologentag2023.univie.ac.at and subscribe to our Newsletter for updates and further information.

 

 

 

 

9. Lectureship in Islamic Studies, Cambridge Muslim College

The College is seeking an outstanding candidate to join its faculty with a specialization in at least one of three areas: (1) Qur’anic studies, (2) Hadith studies, (3) Islamic theology.

Deadline for application: 30 April 2021. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/03/18/lectureship-in-islamic-studies

 

 

 

 

10. Visiting Assistant Professor (One Year) in Middle East and North African History, Claremont McKenna College

We especially encourage applicants capable of teaching courses that draw connections between the Middle East, Africa, and/or Latin and Central America.

Deadline for applications: 5 April 2021. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2021/03/16/one-year-vap-in-middle-east-history-at-claremont-mckenna-college

 

 

 

11. ONLINE Intensive Course on Yemen: “The 7^th Yemen Exchange”, Sana`a Center for Strategic Studies, 19-30 April 2021

The course is designed to provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates and analyses on Yemen for those seeking to develop a working background knowledge of the country as well as those already thoroughly versed in its dynamics.

Deadline for application: 28 March 2021. Information: https://sanaacenter.org/files/The_Seven_Yemen_Exchange_2021.pdf

 

 

 

 

12. ONLINE Course: “Islam and Constitutions. The Law and Politics of Sharia Provisions“, Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, London, 12, 19 and 26 May 2021, 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm GMT

This course introduces participants to the conceptual foundations of constitutional law, the articulations of State-Islam relations in contemporary constitutions, and the various models of sharia provisions in a comparative perspective.

Information and registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/142490233123

 

 

 

 

13. ONLINE Course: “Introduction to the Study of Islam and Muslims“, Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, London, 9,11, 16, 18, 23 and 25 June 2021, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm GMT

The course provides an introduction to the development of Islamic thought and institutions from the seventh century to the present day. It surveys basic sources and terminologies as well as providing an introduction to major trends in scholarship.

Information and registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/142719703475

 

 

 

 

14. ONLINE Summer Language School Program in Modern Turkish, Arabic and Persian, Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul, 5 July – 27 August 2021

The program offers intensive language instruction for international students and professionals. A wholly immersive experience is designed to comprise co-curricular and extra-curricular activities such as conversation tables and study hours; seminars by top scholars on Turkish history, politics, literature, and art; cultural events, movie screenings and, field trips to historical sites and archives.

Application deadline: 29 May 2021. Information: https://summer.ihu.edu.tr/ihu-summer-school-languages-program-2021/

 

 

 

15. The British Library

A beautiful Qur’an manuscript from Kampar, Riau, digitised through EAP

A recent Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) project in Indonesia – EAP1020, ‘Preserving and digitising the endangered manuscript in Kampar, Riau Province, Indonesia’, led by Fikru Mafar and colleagues – has digitised one of the finest illuminated Qur’an manuscripts documented in Sumatra.

 

 

 

 

16. The second in a series of dialogues between scholars in the U.S. and Iran, jointly organized by the University of Michigan (Middle East Studies) and the University of Chicago (Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations):

A Dialogue on Pre-Modern Persian Literature
featuring
Maryam Hosseini (Al-Zahra University)
Mohammad-Jafar Yahaghi (Ferdowsi University Mashhad)
and
Franklin Lewis (University of Chicago)
moderated by Shahla Farghadani (University of Michigan)

Date: Saturday, 27 March 2021 / 7 Farvardin 1400
Time: 10:30am EDT / 7:00pm Tehran

Please note the discussion will be in Persian. To attend, please register at https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eFg73zCeSD6XcuBz3lH-KA

 

 

 

17. Free 5-week online course ‘The Sharia and Islamic Law: An Introduction’: Starts Monday 5th April

The University of Edinburgh will be running its popular FREE online course “The Sharia and Islamic Law: An Introduction” for the third time this year.

Join experts from the University of Edinburgh and other leading universities, as well as thousands of students from over 150 countries for this rich and dynamic short course. For further information and free registration, follow this link: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/an-introduction-to-the-sharia-and-islamic-law

 

 

 

18. Northern Arizona University – Lecturer (Non-Tenure-Track), Islamic World and Global History

http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=61187

Review of applications begins April 12, 2021.

1.Postdoctoral Fellowship in Indian Ocean World Studies
The Indian Ocean World Centre (IOWC), McGill University, welcomes applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Indian Ocean World Studies, starting in September 2021. This position is for one year, with possibility of renewal for a second year.
Of particular interest are projects that examine the causes and impacts of environmental catastrophes in the eastern Indian Ocean World (from eastern India to China and Japan).
Successful candidates will work with IOWC Director, Gwyn Campbell, and a vibrant IOWC community of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and affiliates. In addition to their own research, fellows will be expected to participate in and help organize IOWC activities, including a Speaker/Podcast Series, conferences, Graduate Working Paper Series, and multidisciplinary research projects, as well as to assist in the teaching of IOW history.

Eligibility
Scholars who have received their PhD after September 2018, or who will have completed their PhD degree requirements by August 2021 in any discipline applicable to Indian Ocean World studies are eligible to apply. We particularly encourage applications from scholars with the ability to conduct archival research in one or more IOW languages. A high standard of written English is expected and editing experience desirable. Experience with digital humanities and GIS is an asset – and a willingness to learn necessary. A valid work permit will be required from international postdoctoral scholars for registration.

Salary
The annual salary for this position is $34,611.00 CAD

Applications must include:
1) a statement of interest and research proposal (maximum 2 pages)

2) a full curriculum vitae

3) a writing sample, not to exceed 20 pages.

Applicants must apply through McGill’s online portal in Workday (https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/careers<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/careers__;!!FjuHKAHQs5udqho!b6zd8IBTc40vLZ9oYl92ZAYHHoTY4SWWiHzCDKcMKzGIF5voU8Pue5rZxykaCBM$>). All materials must be uploaded, preferably as one document. A copy of the application should be sent to iowc (at) mcgill.ca. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to send two letters of recommendation, sent directly from their referees to gwyn.campbell (at) mcgill.ca and iowc (at) mcgill.ca in a single message under the title: IOWC Postdoctoral Fellowship.

For questions about the Fellowship, please contact Prof. Gwyn Campbell at gwyn.campbell (at) mcgill.ca .
All applications must be submitted in full by 15 April 2021.

 

 

2. The Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) has several opportunities available in conjunction with its Fourteenth Annual ASMEA Conference being held in Washington, D.C. November 13 – 15, 2021.

To stimulate new and diverse lines of discourse about the Middle East and Africa, ASMEA will once again offer its Research Grant Program. This program seeks to support research on topics that deserve greater attention. An applicant may submit a proposal that constitutes new and original research within these five areas: minorities and women, military history, governance and economy, faith, and Iran. Grants of up to $2500 will be awarded. Learn more and apply HERE.

The ASMEA Travel Grant Program provides funds primarily to Ph.D. students, post-Docs, and junior faculty studying the Middle East or Africa interested in presenting their research at the Annual ASMEA Conference. Grants of up to $750 will be awarded and may be used to cover expenses associated with attending the Annual Conference. Learn more HERE.

New this year, ASMEA has announced the Bernard Lewis Prize for scholars or practitioners working on issues of antisemitism. The $2500 prize will be awarded at the Fourteenth Annual Conference. Learn more HERE.

The deadline to submit a Research or Travel Grant application is April 30, 2021. The deadline to submit an application for the Bernard Lewis Prize is June 30, 2021.

Questions can be directed to info@asmeascholars.org.

 

 

 

3. ONLINE Research and Training Workshop /  Atelier de recherche et de formation

 

Reading Sources in Area Studies

Contribution of biographical data for the social and cultural history

of Turko-Iranian societies (9th-18th c.)

 

Lire les sources en études aréales

L’apport des données biographiques pour l’histoire sociale et culturelle

du monde turko-iranien (IX^e-XVIII^e s.)

 

Panel 1: Friday 26 March 2021 / vendredi 26 mars 2021:
From biographical production to history / De l’écriture biographique à l’histoire

Panel 2: Tuesday 20 April 2021 / mardi 20 avril 2021:

Epigraphy and craftsmanship in the Iranian world / L’épigraphie et l’artisanat du monde iranien

 

PhD candidate students and advanced MA students are invited to apply for participation

Doctorants et étudiants de Master sont encouragés à participer

 

To register to get the Zoom link / inscription à la visioconférence

http://www.inalco.fr/webform/ateliers-sources-etudes-areales

 

Historiographical tradition in the Persian language has been particularly abundant in the Mediaeval and Modern periods. Most often, history was recorded at court, often upon the order of patrons, some of whom belonged to the reigning dynasty, and others who came from circles close to power. The historiography produced in this context offers an official version of history, but it is far from being the only version. Here, we are interested in another kind of historiography, that produced in a non-official context, outside the court and away from the seat of power, in the peripheral regions, in various socio-professional and family contexts. This account of history, often a complement, sometimes in contradiction with official historiography, can be seen in a variety of forms: the texts of chronicles or local histories, biographical accounts, archive documents as well as architectural or funerary inscriptions. We hope to provide a glimpse of this wealth during the two workshop sessions.

 

La tradition historiographique en langue persane est particulièrement riche aux époques médiévale et moderne. L’histoire s’écrit la plupart du temps à la cour, souvent suite à la commande de mécènes dont certains sont issus de la dynastie régnante, et d’autres proviennent de milieux liés au pouvoir. L’historiographie produite dans ce contexte présente une version officielle de l’histoire, mais elle est loin d’être la seule : c’est à une autre historiographie, celle qui est produite dans un contexte non-officiel — en dehors de la cour et du siège du pouvoir, dans les régions périphériques, dans des contextes socio-professionnels et familiaux variés —, que nous entendons nous intéresser ici. Cette narration de l’histoire, souvent en complément et parfois en contradiction avec l’historiographie officielle, est perceptible sur une multitude de supports : textes des chroniques ou des histoires locales, recueils biographiques, documents d’archives, mais aussi inscriptions funéraires ou monumentales. Nous en espérons donner à voir la richesse lors des deux séances de cet atelier.

 

Convenors/Responsables : Maria Szuppe (CNRS / CeRMI), Camille Rhoné-Quer (Université Aix-Marseille / IREMAM), Sacha Alsancakli (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle / CeRMI)

 

 

Panel 1/ Session 1: Friday 26 March 2021 / vendredi le 26 mars 2021:

From biographical production to history / De l’écriture biographique à l’histoire

 

Speakers / Intervenants:

-Christoph Werner (University of Bamberg): Sources on the biographies of Sayyid Families in Mashhad…

-Maria Szuppe (CNRS, Paris / CeRMI): Biographical collections from Early Modern Central Asia (16th-17th c.)…

-Camille Rhoné-Quer (Aix-Marseille University/ IREMAM): Contribution of biographical sources for a history of rivers in pre-Seljukid Iran

 

 

Panel 2 / Session 2: Tuesday 20 April 2021 / mardi le 20 avril 2021:
Epigraphy and craftsmanship in the Iranian world / L’épigraphie et l’artisanat du monde iranien

-Sacha Alsancakli (Université Sorbonne nouvelle, Paris / CeRMI): Prospects for training and research in France in the field of Turko-Iranian studies/ Perspectives de formation et de recherche en France dans le champ des études turco-iraniennes

-Ashirbek K. Muminov ( Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, IRCICA, Istanbul): Epitaphs of Muslim Scholars from Samarkand (10^th to 14^th c.)

-Viola Allegranzi ( Institut für Iranistik, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna): Royal lineage in epigraphic sources from pre-Mongol Iran…

-Sandra Aube (CNRS, Paris /CeRMI): What Woodworks Divulge About Woodworkers: Some remarks on families of craftsmen … (Iran – Mazandaran , 15^th c.)

 

Full details and program: https://cermi.cnrs.fr/reading-sources-in-area-studies-contribution-of-biographical-data-for-the-social-and-cultural-history-of-turko-iranian-societies-9th-18th-c/

Contacts: maria.szuppe@cnrs.fr   / camille.rhone@univ-amu.fr

 

 

 

 

 

4. Call for Papers

Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture 

ISSN: 2333-5904 (Print) 2333-5912 (Online) 

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

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

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

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

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

Editor-in-Chief

Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture

Website: www.jiscnet.com

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

 

 

 

5. The Research and Academic Program at the Clark Art Institute presents Conservation | Making | Art | History, a virtual conference.

April 8–9, 2021

The conservation, preservation, and restoration of material culture has historically been closely joined to artistic practice and the study of the history of art. Over the last century, art conservation, art making, and the discipline of art history have become increasingly specialized and separated from one another—until recently. Developments in all three areas encourage a reconsideration of the innumerable threads that connect them to each other and to larger questions of cultural and environmental theory, anthropology, and philosophy. In this conference we will consider many past and present processes of maintaining, handling, reframing, and repurposing works of the past. Our aim is to put those methods into dialogue with wider frames of practice and thinking. The contributors to this conference consider how conservation involves forms of artistic making, frames philosophical examinations of time, shapes inquiry into human and non-human agency, focuses ethical debates about memory and identity, and models forms of inhabitation and cohabitation.

To view the full program, read speakers’ bios and abstracts, and register for the live virtual conference, visit clarkart.edu/rap/conference

 

 

 

 

6. New Lecture Series Announcement 

Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies – Leiden University 

The Leiden University Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies is proud to present the Spring 2021 Lecture Series:

All the lectures will take place from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m (online via Zoom. Links for individual lectures will be appear on the Centre‘s webpage).
24 March (5.00 pm CET)
Johannes Zachhuber (Oxford University)
The Philosophical Dimension of the Christological Controversy.

15 April (5.00 pm CET)
Lieke Smits (Leiden University)
Clay Play: Animated Images in the Biblical Apocrypha

6 May (5.00 pm CET)
Jan Opsomer (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)
Conflicting Argumentative Models? Nicholas of Methone vs Proclus of Lycia

19 May (5.00 pm CET)
Alison Vacca (University of Tennessee)
Arabic-Armenian Exchange: Sources of al-Balādhurī’s Account of the Islamic Conquest of Armenia, Albania, and Georgia

2 June (5.000 CET)
Claire Weeda (Leiden University)
The Making of Ethnicity: Environmental Medicine, Religion and Power in Europe, 950-1250    

16 June (5.00 CET)
Peter Van Nuffelen (University of Gent)
What Difference did Christianity Make?

 

For the series webpage: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/2021/03/lams-lecture-series-spring-2021

For further details please contact us at: a.bdaiwi@hum.leidenuniv.nl

 

 

 

 

7. The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at UT Austin is launching a new online journal for literary translation, Y’alla: A Texan Journal of Middle Eastern Literature. We are now accepting submissions of translated fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction from the Middle East and North Africa.

 

Please send all submissions and queries to the editor, Dena Afrasiabi, at dena.afrasiabi@austin.utexas.edu . Submissions will be accepted until July 1st, 2021.

 

 

 

 

8. THE MAQAMAT TRADITION AND THE PRE-MODERN ROOTS OF ARAB MODERNISM

Maurice Pomerantz, NYU Abu Dhabi
Matthew Keegan, Barnard College
Saleem Al-Bahloly, Independent Scholar
Elizabeth Rauh, American University in Cairo
Anneka Lenssen, UC Berkeley

Friday, March 26th, 11:00-2.30 ET

PLEASE NOTE:The US has already adopted summer daylight saving time in advance of other regions. As a result, for this one event the time differences from New York vary slightly. This event begins at 11am New York time (15h London, 16h Lagos/Berlin, 17h Cairo/Beirut, 18h Addis/Istanbul, 20.00 Islamabad, 20.30 Delhi)

[Webinar] Silsila Spring 2021 Lecture Series, Translations

 

One of the most popular texts chosen for illustration in the medieval Islamic world was the Maqamat (Assemblies) of Al-Hariri of Basra (d. 1122). The text combines linguistic pyrotechnics with morally ambiguous tales of a roguish protagonist who beguiles and charms through verbal dexterity. The accompanying images are among the most engaging ever produced in the medieval Arab world. The most celebrated illustrated copy of the manuscript, famed for the conceptual sophistication, scale and quality of its images, was calligraphed and painted by Yahya al-Wasiti in Iraq (probably Baghdad) in 1237 CE.

 

The genre of the maqama left a rich legacy to modern literary traditions in the Arab world. Similarly, the images in the 1237 manuscript (now in the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris) proved inspirational to a wide range of artists and artistic movements across the modern Arab world from the Maghreb to Iraq. Both phenomena are marked by numerous paradoxes: the idea that the genesis for Arab visual or literary modernisms might be sought in medieval genres and idioms; the reception of figural paintings by modern champions of abstraction; or, the fact that most artists could access the medieval paintings that so inspired them only in reproduction.

 

The workshop attempts to complicate the temporalities of Arab modernism arising from the continuities and disjunctions that mark these kinds of productive paradoxes, exploring a remarkable series of transtemporal intersections between literary and visual cultures.

 

Full details of the event and a link to register as an attendee can be found at:

 

https://as.nyu.edu/silsila/events/2020-2021/the-maqamat-tradition-and-the-pre-modern-roots-of-arab-modernism.html

 

Only registered attendees will be able to access this event.

 

 

 

9. Indian Ocean Exchanges is an art history research, fellowship, and travel program that aims to build a robust network of international scholars and professionals who are committed to advancing Indian Ocean art history. The program posits the collective experiences of cross-cultural travel, exchange, and community formation as the foundation to cultivate this sub-field in formation, with the goal of widening and amplifying the expertise that develops in any single regional (and landed) context.

 

The program will host a cohort of 15 international fellows, mainly emerging scholars, providing opportunities for connection along shared intellectual affinities. Indian Ocean Exchanges will be launched through a series of virtual meetings that will begin in Summer 2021. In 2022, the cohort will embark, as a group, on three international study trips, to be held on the Arabian Peninsula (2022), in Southeast Asia (2022), and on the coast of East Africa (2023). Each of these study trips will provide opportunities to visit local archaeological and heritage sites and museum collections. They will also entail public presentations of ongoing research to the local community. These plans may be modified or delimited, however, based on COVID travel restrictions.

 

This project is organized by Nancy Um (Binghamton University). The project team includes Prita Meier (NYU), Trinidad Rico (Rutgers), Imran Bin Tajudeen (National University of Singapore), and Athman Hussein (National Museums of Kenya).

 

The eligibility requirements and application form can be found here: http://indianoceanexchanges.com/application/

 

An open information session about the program will be held on Monday, March 29, 8 am EDT New York | 3 pm EAT Mombasa | 4 pm GST Doha | 5:30 pm IST Mumbai | 8 pm SGT Singapore. Register via Zoom: https://binghamton.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpf–vpzMrG91QS9ZjcfBfjQVRd1_-BcxX

 

This program is made possible with support from the Getty Foundation through its Connecting Art Histories initiative.

 

 

 

10. The HIAA Biennial Symposium, originally planned for October 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are now delighted to hold the HIAA Biennial Symposium remotely at the University of Michigan on April 15-18, 2021.

 

Please sign-up and register here!

 

Registrants will receive meeting links via email two days prior to the Symposium.

 

The event will be live on Zoom. All panels will be held on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

 

You can visit the HIAA Symposium website here.

 

A PDF of the Symposium program is also attached herewith.

 

 

 

11. Online Lecture – “The Umayyad and early Abbasid Reservoir-Enclosure of ‘Ayn Sawdā (Azraq Oasis, Jordan)” by Lorraine Abu-Azizeh, Julie Bonnéric, Barbara Couturaud, Aurélien Stavy (Ifpo)

March, the 25th (3h-4h PM CET, 4h-5h PM in Amman & Beirut)

https://www.ifporient.org/archaeology-mena/

 

 

 

12. Call for Papers – From Morning Hunt to Beloved Gazelle

15-16th December, 2021

University of Cambridge Literary and Visual Representations of Animals from Central Asia to the Maghreb

This conference seeks to rethink the literatures and arts of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persianate and Turkish lands through the presence of non-human animals situated within their ‘worlds’, whether these be pastoral gardens, constructions of the wild, or the interstices of human habitations.

We invite papers that consider what these imagined animal worlds say about human animals, and how they shape the structure, imagery, and language of literary and artistic creativity.

Through tracing the migration of animals across aesthetic forms, we seek to gain fresh

perspectives on the entanglement of species, on literary, cultural, and creative boundaries, and the development of genres, as well as their rooting in the material world.

Contributions are invited that address literature, art, and film from the early Medieval period to the present, and that establish connections across eras, geographies, and languages. We hope in the process to address the primarily Eurocentric foundations of Critical Animal Studies, and to provide an impetus for further study of the rich presence of animals in Middle Eastern literatures, art, and film.

 

Proposals for individual contributions and panels are invited, particularly, but not

exclusively, papers (max. 20 minutes, exclusive of Q&A) that address the following:

 

• Comparative perspectives on animal tropes, motifs and genres
• Animal intertextuality between and within classical, popular, and modern traditions
• The influence of religious/spiritual beliefs on the representation of animals
• Animals and environment as agentive presences within literature and art
• Animals in allegorical narratives
• Texts written through and about animal worlds
• Human and animal interactions; human interference in animal worlds
• The use and transformation of zoological reality into artistic vocabulary
• Fantastical creatures
• Investigations and deconstructions of the human-nonhuman boundary
• Cross-regional and generic perspectives on specific species

 

Please submit abstracts of between 300 and 500 words to Dr Charis Olszok

(co383@cam.ac.uk ) by Friday 30th April. Decisions will be sent out by the 31st May. We hope to hold the conference in person, at Cambridge (the conference language will be

English). In addition, we intend to publish select conference papers in a peer-reviewed

journal by Spring 2023.

 

 

 

 

13. The Persian Presence in Victorian Poetry

Reza Taher-Kermani

British Institute of Persian Studies

Zoom webinar, 7 April, 2021

5pm Uk time.

https://www.bips.ac.uk/event/persian-presence-in-victorian-poetry/

 

 

 

14. The David Collection is happy to announce the publication of Fighting, Hunting, Impressing – Arms and Armour from the Islamic World 1500–1850, the book behind the exhibition of the same name, that will open at The David Collection in spring 2021 – Danish corona restrictions allowing – and run until autumn 2021 (check the museum’s website).

English edition: ISBN 978-87-92596-10-9

Danish edition: ISBN  978-87-92596-28-4

Size: 296 pages, richly illustrated

Publisher: The David Collection in commission with Strandberg Publishing

https://strandbergpublishing.dk/boger/fighting-hunting-impressing-arms-and-armour-from-the-islamic-world-1500-1850/

 

 

 

 

15. I am the editor of a new, peer-reviewed volume entitled, The Routledge Handbook of Islam and Race. This Call for Chapters (CFC) has a short deadline; so, it’s probably best-suited for contributors with a work-in-progress, an unpublished paper, article or dissertation/thesis section, or even a published work that can be reimagined, expanded and taken in a new direction or unpacked for new understandings.

 

Moreover, this CFC is a call for specific topic areas with an open time period (feel free to make suggestions or proffer other subject ideas):

1. Iran, Islam (Muslims) and race
2. Muslims (Islam) and Race in the West Indies (Caribbean)
3. Race and Uighur Muslims (China)
4. Islam (Muslims) and Myanmar (China)
5. Racialization and Islam (Muslims) in Turkey
6. Islam (Muslims) and Race in Scandinavia [?]
7. Muslims in Ireland and Race
8. Germany and the Racialization of Muslims
9. Modern Spain, Islam (Muslims) and the Process of Race (Maurophobia, etc)
10. Muslims (Islam) in East Africa and Race [?]
11. North Africa, Muslimness (Islam) and Racial Identity

 

The Routledge Handbook of Islam and Race brings together established scholars and specialists to provide a scholarly overview of the complex interdependencies of Islam or Muslims and race across six continents and throughout time. Taken together, these essays challenge the common way of discussing Islam, as if it were timeless and predictable. At the same time, contributors to the volume view race not as an innate biological fact but as a product of historical invention with deep social implications. The authors recognize that similar to the need to be critical about the presumed nature of race, Islam cannot be simply regarded as supernatural; rather, it must be scrutinized and discussed as an entity deployed in myriad ways. The chapters do not merely treat Islam as a religious system and race as a minority issue. Instead, the authors demonstrate how Islam, Muslims and race intersect, shot through with other cultural, social, and political realities like gender, class, and sexuality.

 

The volume will be a great resource for upper level undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers in religion and related disciplines. These commissioned chapters are devoted to up-and-coming subjects right across religion and race studies, with a roster of international contributors. The entries act as an authoritative starting point for anyone coming to a new field, desiring a state-of-the-art survey rather than diving headfirst into the literature without knowing where to start. The study of Islam and race is an explosive field with a global reach, and this makes the volume well-suited to the handbook model.

 

These books are written at an accessible level for upper-level undergraduate students. So, we aren’t expecting high level research; however, the entries should offer unique contributions to the field. The selling point of the series is that the reader is being provided a comprehensive overview of the topic, as well as any emerging areas within the field. The handbooks are typically around 225,000 – 250,000 words (30-35 entries). As a contributor, you would be expected to submit a chapter of about 7000 words or about 20 pages (including bibliography, notes, etc).

Interested authors should send to the editor on or before Monday, March 22nd a proposed title and short abstract (200-300 words). Covid-19 forced delays but most of the chapters are already submitted. The deadline for a full draft chapter is April 23rd. We are completing a review of the full manuscript and preparing to submit it for production by May 1st.

 

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from potential contributors.

Best Regards,

Zain Abdullah

 

2018 FORD FOUNDATION SENIOR FELLOW

 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead

 

Zain Abdullah, PhD

Associate Professor of Religion & Society and Islamic Studies
Religion Department
Temple University
627 Anderson Hall
1114 Polett Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19122
office: 215-204-2047
email: zain@temple.edu

Faculty Website

 

 

1.CFP – Different Visions Issue on Visual History of the Working Class in the Middle Ages (400-1530)

CALL FOR PAPERS

The discipline of art history is closely tied to the art market and to wealthy donors and collectors, and for this reason has long identified with the upper class. Many art historians betray a tendency to identify with the elite. For example, Ruth Mellinkoff, in her fine book Outcasts, expresses a typical attitude when she asserts, “While we who live in the era of the common man publicly extol his virtues, privately we admire and covet the attributes of the upper class.” There are innumerable publications on medieval queens, wealthy art donors, and the luxury objects that they commissioned, but few studies concern the laboring class. In part this is because medieval sources are less interested in workers than in the elite. It is more difficult to write an art history from below because there are fewer textual and visual sources, but it can be done, as earlier scholars have shown. Outstanding examples include J. J. G Alexander’s study of peasants, Deidre Jackson’s essay on labor, and Ruth Mellinkoff’s book Outcasts, among others.

A future issue of Different Visions will be devoted to exploring those who labored. We welcome proposals for articles that explore any aspect that builds towards a visual history of the working class in the Middle Ages (400-1530). Essays may examine images of the laboring class or the objects that were part of their lives, or any other relevant topic. Michael Uebel and Kellie Robertson have shown that in every European language the medieval word for “labour” had an “unambivalent connotation of pain, suffering, and fatigue.” Do visual images confirm this? How is labor depicted? What role does the intersection of gender, race, and class play in medieval images of laborers? How does medieval art show animals or other nonhumans who labor? Have medieval images been used to support modern ways of seeing labor and capital, production and consumption? Does the Aristotelian contempt for labor affect medieval images? Which objects were associated with working class? Which material and immaterial qualities were associated with workers?

Please submit an abstract of about 150 words by March 30 to Diane Wolfthal at dianewolfthal@yahoo.com. Those whose abstracts are selected for publication will be asked to submit their article by July 30. Contributors will then share their research through a zoom conference to be held Aug. 15. Final, revised drafts will be submitted Dec. 31.

 

 

 

 

2. Open Access Bibliography (in German) of Arabic and Islamic Studies by Serdar Aslan

The Islamic Scholar Serdar Aslan has created a very comprehensive bibliography (work in progress) of the whole range of sciences related to Arabic and Islamic Studies.

 

 

 

 

3. Islamic Art and Architecture, Robert Hillenbrand (Thames & Hudson) – March 2021

https://thamesandhudson.com/islamic-art-and-architecture-world-of-art-9780500204559