Shii News – Academic Items
1.Residency in Persian Lit. @ UW
The University of Washington recently concluded its week-long residency in Persian literature. Laura Catterson, Shahzoda Nazarova, and Asef Soltanzadeh took part in the inaugural cycle of the residency. Future cycles have not been announced.
Here is a brief write up with a few photos.
2. ONLINE 5th CARPO Research Forum: “Changing Patterns of Global Politics – The Middle East in a Multipolar World”, 27 November 2024, 15:00 – 18:00 CET The focus is on changes in global governance and the multipolar world, examining their implications for Middle Eastern actors. The discussions will highlight the evolving ties between the Middle East and regions of the so-called Global South, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia. Additionally, the forum will address Middle Eastern activities such as in conflict mediation, development cooperation, investment in sustainable technologies, energy diversification, etc. Information, programme and registration: https://carpo-bonn.org/en/5th-carpo-research-forum-changing-patterns-of-global-politics-the-middle-east-in-a-multipolar-world/
3. Colloque « Le Coran et le christianisme de l’Église d’Orient aux VIe et VIIe s. », MSH/EPHE Paris, 28-29 novembre 2024 Ces journées d’étude, se proposent de revisiter la question de l’arrière-plan chrétien du Coran, en examinant notam-ment les liens possibles entre la sphère d’influence de l’Eglised’Orient et le milieu coranique. Il s’agira notamment d’explorer comment cette institution religieuse, solidement implantée dans la péninsule Arabique depuis plusieurs siècles au moment de l’émergence de l’islam, a pu influencer le développement et la formation du texte coranique. Information et programme : https://lem-umr8584.cnrs.fr/IMG/pdf/coran_et_le_christianisme.pdf
4. Conference „The Authority of Silence. Constructing the Figure of the Salaf (7th – 15th Centuries)“, Études orientales & American University in Cairo, 2-3 May 2025 The conference will focus on the numerous areas where the Salaf are considered an authority: ḥadīṯ sciences, historical narrative, Quranic commentary, theology, law, spirituality… It will also look at the diversity of references to the first generations of Muslims, which are not confined to traditionalist circles. Deadline for abstracts: 15 January 2025. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2024/11/22/the-authority-of-silence.-constructing-the-figure-of-the-salaf-7th-15th-centuries
5. Symposium “Islamic and Jewish Law in the Modern Economy”, Villanova University, 5-6 May 2025 The symposium will explore the integration of pre-modern religious law and norms into the modern financial economy. Papers are welcome from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to legal studies, inclu-ding law, sociology, anthropology, politics, and history, from scholars based in law schools and other academic departments. Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 2025. Information: https://callingallpapers.law.uga.edu/2024-09-13_islamic_and_jewish_law_in_the_modern_economy
6. ONLINE Symposium “Survival, Resistance, Flourishing: Religion and Disability (Focus Islam)”, 17 May 2025 We welcome a wide variety of methodological and theoretical approaches including ethnography, historical, cultural, or textual analysis, personal narrative, and theological/philosophical investigation. Our aim is to move scholarship at the intersection of Religion and Disability forward. The essays emerging out of this symposium will be published in a Routledge volume on Religion and Disability. Deadline for abstracts: 1 January 2025. Information: heike.peckruhn@emu.edu
7. “15th Gulf Research Meeting”, Gulf Research Centre Cambridge (UK), 22-24 July 2025
The Gulf Research Meeting (GRM) offers a unique environment to explore matters of key importance to the Gulf region and provides a platform for discussion and dissemination of research in a wide variety of Gulf-related fields, including economic and financial issues, international relations, security, environment, energy and renewable ener-gy, as well as education, labour and social issues. Deadline for papers: 5 January 2025. Information: https://www.gulfresearchmeeting.net/
8. International Conference “Romance on the Nile: The Ancient Novel in Egypt – Egypt in the Ancient Novel”, Freie Universität Berlin, 10-12 September 2025 The aim of this conference is to bring together scholars from different disciplines (e.g., Egyptology, Biblical studies, Classics) who, in one way or another, deal with some facet of the phenomenon “the ancient novel in Egypt” or “Egypt in the ancient novel,” i.e., novelistic works produced by different cultures (Egyptians, Greeks, Jews) in Egypt and/or that transmit a literary concept of Egypt. Deadline for abstracts: 30 November 2024. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20050401/call-papers-romance-nile-ancient-novel-egypt-egypt-ancient-novel
9. Doctoral Student in the Project “Economic Cosmology: Ethics, Sustainability, and the Nonhuman in the Muslim World (EcoCos)”, Lund University This project examines various empirical, religious, philosophical, and historical manifestations of economic and environmental thought as they were conceptualized across the Muslim world. Pre-modern approaches to economic teachings and the nonhuman environment have called into question colonial and postcolonial imaginative circuits and political formations, creating new forms of ethical engagement and analysis. Deadline for applications: 22 December 2024. Information: https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:773316/
10. Postdoctoral Research Associate in Middle East Studies (2 Years), Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University Candidates are invited from across the social sciences, who are conducting research related to the Middle East and North Africa and/or their diasporas on issues that can be understood in a comparative global context. The selection process is open with regard to nationality and geographic area of research. Scholars who have received their Ph.D.s within two years of the application deadline are eligible to apply. Deadline for applications: 5 December 2024. Information: https://cmes.watson.brown.edu/news/2024-10-31/alomran-postdoc
11. Postdoctoral Research Associate in Middle East Studies (2 Years), Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University Candidates are invited from across the social sciences, who are conducting research related to the Middle East and North Africa and/or their diasporas on issues that can be understood in a comparative global context. The selection process is open with regard to nationality and geographic area of research. Scholars who have received their Ph.D.s within two years of the application deadline are eligible to apply. Deadline for applications: 5 December 2024. Information: https://cmes.watson.brown.edu/news/2024-10-31/alomran-postdoc
12. Winter School “Reading and Analysing Ottoman Manuscript Sources”, Institute for Mediterranean Studies/FORTH in Rethymno, Crete, 17-21 March 2025 MA students and junior researchers are invited to participate in an international winter school devoted to reading and analysing Ottoman manuscript sources, with a particular focus on archival documents in Ottoman Turkish and Arabic. The winter School is organised by Institute for Mediterranean Studies, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Ifpo, CETOBaC, IREMAM, University of Heidelberg, ASBÜ Ankara, Orient Institut Beirut and Rethmno. Deadline for applications: 15 December 2024. Information : https://www.ims.forth.gr/en/news-item/view?id=1753
13. Articles for “Hamsa: Journal of Judaic and Islamic Studies” We welcome proposals offering original analysis on the broad subject of Judaic and Islamic studies and their inter-sections. Deadline for abstracts: 31 March 2025. Information: https://journals.openedition.org/hamsa/4762
14. Articles on “Islamic Philosophy and Thoughts” for a Special Issue of the Journal “The Maghreb Review” We welcome original contributions in English or French on “Islamic Philosophy and Thoughts” from the earliest times to the present day. For example; original articles that combine philosophy and sufism and modernity: al-Fârâbî, Avicenna; Averroès; al-Kindi; Mohamed Abed Al-Jabri and Taha Abderrahmane. Deadline for contributions: 28 February 2025. Information: https://www.maghrebreview.com/
15. Resource: “Lifeworlds in the Quran – عوالم†الحياة†في†القران†”– a Thoughtful and Contemporary Quran Interpretation in Podcast Form This channel bridges the gap between the lives of modern Muslims and the experiences of the earliest listeners of the sacred text in German, English and Arabic language. Information: https://www.youtube.com/@sohaybmohamedalbashar/videos
16. Resource: “The Crusades Regesta” – Searchable Database of Charters, Letters and Other Docu-ments Relating to the Latin Kingdoms of the Eastern Mediterranean (1098 –1291) The project is an international collaboration between experts on the crusades, crusader states and medieval Mediterranean which began over twenty years ago, instigated by eminent historian Prof. Jonathan Riley-Smith. To-day, supported by the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East, a team of prominent historians continues to add new entries to the database. Information: http://crusades-regesta.com/
17. Routledge International Handbook on Global Islam and Consumer Culture
edited by Francois Gauthier (Université de Fribourg) and Birgit Krawietz (Freie Universität Berlin).
18. Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg – 6 * three-year PhD Positions (65% / 3 years) / Freiburg, Germany
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68233
Closing date 31.12.24
19. 2nd Annual Islamic Art History Research Network Conference
December 5th (online) and December 6th (hybrid) 2024
University of York, King’s Manor [K/G07]
DAY 1: Thursday 5th (15:30-18:00 GMT) – Online
https://york-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/92526110780?pwd=3MbmbrTJWs1psnaeryDkajrwNMu7b6.1
Panel 1 (15:30-16:30)
Chandini Jaswal
Becoming ‘Maryam’: Mothering in the Early Mughal World
Parshati Dutta
Charity, Criticality, Cosmopolitanism, and Colonialism: Examining contradictions in Lady Hardinge’s Caravanserai
Panel 2 (16:30-18:00)
Khadijeh Bakhtiari
A Comparative Study of the Art of Manuscript Illumination in the Works of Quran Scribes from the Timurid and Safavid Eras
Filiz Tütüncü Çağlar
Reframing Time and the Past: The Ottoman Imperial Museum as a Temporal Agent
Ahmad Rafiei
Exploring the Judgement of Solomon in the Context of Sabk-i Hindi
DAY 2: Friday 6th (9:00-18:00 GMT) – K/G07, King’s Manor, York
https://york-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/94630268456?pwd=Men5fwO2zPV0rP3d89FAeT32CUI4HK.1
Panel 3 (9:10-10:30)
Michael Marx
Carbon Dating of Qurʾān Manuscripts as a Contribution to the Chronology of Script Styles
Marcus Milwright
Technical and Aesthetic Change in Early Islamic Woodwork
Zarifa Alikperova
A Reassessment of the Shrine of Rumi in Medieval Konya
Panel 4 (11:00-12:30)
Richard Piran McClary
Between Rum Seljuqs and Ottomans: Re-Examining Beylik Architecture in Anatolia
Leila Danesh
Re-Examining the Ilkhanid Stucco at Bastam
Ahmad Yengimolki
Symbolism, Inscription, and Artistic Fusion: Analysing a Mamluk Basin
Panel 5 (13:30-15:00)
Fahimeh Ghorbani
Crafting Virtue: The Fusion of Futuwwa and Material Culture in Safavid Iran with a Focus on Futuwwatnama-yi Chitsazan
Sukaina Husain
Writing in Crisis: Making Power and Shaping Language in the Sixteenth Century Mughal World
Lauren Winch
Traversing Persia and India: Transcultural Encounters in the John Rylands Shahnameh (MS 933)
KEYNOTE LECTURE (17:00-18:00 GMT)
Melanie Gibson
Making a ‘Moorish Cosy Corner’: Displaying Islamic Art in British Homes in the Late 19th Century
20. Call for Papers
Online Lecture Series Program Spring 2025
Islam and Antiquity: Islamic art and culture and the ancient world across Europe, Africa and Asia
Convened by Bethany Simpson and Jochen Sokoly (Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar)
This online lecture series explores how Muslims across diverse geographies and chronologies have engaged with the material legacies of ancient and pre-Islamic societies, from the beginning of the Islamic era to the present. We seek to examine the diverse ways in which Islamic communities, including scholars, and religious and political authorities, have valued and interacted with the material, visual, and ideological culture of past civilizations. The contributions will explore a range of issues, from the preservation and collection of antiquities to the complex dynamics of iconography and iconoclasm, the transfer of methods and ideas, providing a deeper understanding of how Muslims have understood and engaged with ancient legacies over time.
We welcome papers from scholars at all levels of their careers that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- The Role of Ancient and Pre-Islamic Artifacts in Islamic Thought: How have material and immaterial remains, and the memory of ancient civilizations been preserved, studied, and integrated into Islamic intellectual traditions, from early Islamic historiography to modern archaeology?
- Iconography and Material Culture in Muslim Contexts: How have images, symbols, and material objects from ancient and pre-Islamic societies been interpreted, appropriated, or rejected in Islamic visual culture? What role does ancient iconography play in the making of Islamic art and architecture?
- Framing of Islamic Identity in Relationship to Dimensions of Antiquity: How have ancient histories, sites, and artifacts served to define and construct Islamic identity and historical consciousness?
- Islamic Archaeology and Heritage Preservation: A critical examination of the practices of collecting, preserving, and interpreting ancient material culture in Muslim-majority regions. How have these practices shifted over time, and what tensions exist between conservation, commercialization, and cultural preservation?
- The Destruction and Appropriation of Antiquities: How have Islamic movements—whether political, theological, or cultural—confronted the issue of destroying or preserving pre-Islamic material heritage? How can destruction be the basis for the creation of new forms and ideas? What are the implications of iconoclastic acts for broader cultural and religious narratives?
- The Politics of Collections and Museums: How have collections of antiquities in Islamic contexts shaped the understanding of ancient civilizations? What role have Islamic rulers, scholars, and institutions played in the creation and display of such collections? What tensions arise in the global circulation of these objects?
- Materiality and the Sacred: The significance of material objects, from relics to monuments, in creating connections between the past and the present in Muslim societies. How do material objects function as mediators of memory, spirituality, and historical continuity?
“Islam and Antiquity” aims to provide a multifaceted view of how Muslims have interacted with the legacies of the ancient world—seeing them not only as historical artifacts but as active agents in shaping Islamic intellectual and cultural life. In addition to this Spring 2025 online lecture series, we hope to develop a more lasting community of colleagues, the beginning of a research group that will provide the opportunity for interaction on an ongoing basis and in a multidisciplinary environment. We hope to organize physical meetings beyond these online lectures where we can discuss the subject in more depth. We are also thinking of an edited volume to disseminate our findings.
Submission Guidelines:
- Abstracts (300-500 words) should be submitted by 15 January 2025.
- Presentations are expected to be delivered online twice a month between March and May 2025 with dates to be announced. Each paper should be 40 mins in length with 20-30 min for discussion.
- Abstracts and inquiries should be sent to islamicartandantiquity@gmail.com.
We look forward to your contributions to this important and timely exploration of the intersections between material culture, history, and identity in the Islamic world.
Contact Information
Dr. Jochen Sokoly, DPhil MPhil (Oxon) MA (London) FRAS
Associate Professor, Art and Architecture of the Islamic World, Department of Art History
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar
PO Box 8095, Doha, Qatar
www.qatar.vcu.edu
jasokoly@vcu.edu | M +974 5570 9912
21. The Islamic College
Arabic Online Language Course
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 4 hours (2 sessions of 2 hours each week)
Fee: £220 (30% discount available for students (with valid ID), senior citizens (60+), and low-income art enthusiasts.
Starting from 10th December 2024
Registration Deadline: 5 December 2024
https://islamic-college.ac.uk/study-short-courses/learn-arabic/
Posted in: Academic items
- November 26, 2024
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