The caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten have certainly taken on different meanings since they were first printed in September 2005. In Europe, the larger... Show moreThe caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten have certainly taken on different meanings since they were first printed in September 2005. In Europe, the larger debate about the integration of Islam and Muslims became the framework for the discourse on this most recent controversy over Islam and Muslims. Nevertheless, the cartoon controversy provides an opportunity to question this framework as it both obscures as much as it clarifies the public debate on the controversy in particular, and about Islam in general. Show less
The Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi has become known for what appear to be contradictory statements, for example, defending women’s rights one day and denying them another. Significantly... Show moreThe Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi has become known for what appear to be contradictory statements, for example, defending women’s rights one day and denying them another. Significantly though, such conflicting statements are based on a singular fidelity to Islamic texts. Rather than just explaining the apparent contradictions by referring to the contexts in which such statements are made, the author argues that only by moving beyond contextuality is it possible to capture and understand the power of texts in modern Islamic thought. Show less
On 29-30 September 2005 a two-day conference on Modern Islamic Intellectual History in Comparative Perspective, was held in Utrecht. Altogether, the conference papers raised issues and questions... Show moreOn 29-30 September 2005 a two-day conference on Modern Islamic Intellectual History in Comparative Perspective, was held in Utrecht. Altogether, the conference papers raised issues and questions about the production, transformation, and reception of Islamic intellectual discourse. Show less
On 10 September 2004 Abdulkader Tayob, ISIM Chair at Radboud University Nijmegen, presented his inaugural lecture in Nijmegen on the religious dimensions of modern Islam. By looking at religion and... Show moreOn 10 September 2004 Abdulkader Tayob, ISIM Chair at Radboud University Nijmegen, presented his inaugural lecture in Nijmegen on the religious dimensions of modern Islam. By looking at religion and the religious, he provided a framework for understanding transformations of modern Islam in all sectors of Muslim societies. Show less
The Rights at Home Project (R@H) held an Advanced Training Programme (ATP) in Zahle,Lebanon in June and July of 2004. The training focused on challenges and opportunities facing human rights... Show moreThe Rights at Home Project (R@H) held an Advanced Training Programme (ATP) in Zahle,Lebanon in June and July of 2004. The training focused on challenges and opportunities facing human rights activists in Muslim societies and communities. Trainers and trainees rose to the challenge in an inspiring way. Show less
Abdulkader Tayob, ISIM Chair at the University of Nijmegen, talks with Muhammad Khalid Masud about his early career in Islamic studies, his sources of inspiration, his role as a Muslim intellectual... Show moreAbdulkader Tayob, ISIM Chair at the University of Nijmegen, talks with Muhammad Khalid Masud about his early career in Islamic studies, his sources of inspiration, his role as a Muslim intellectual, and his experiences in Nigeria and in the Netherlands. Show less
Until recently, observers were generally unaware of the Islamic presence in southern Africa. It was assumed that Islam, in its southern spread, stopped somewhere around Lake Malawi. Little was... Show moreUntil recently, observers were generally unaware of the Islamic presence in southern Africa. It was assumed that Islam, in its southern spread, stopped somewhere around Lake Malawi. Little was known about the arrival of Muslims in the slave hulls of colonialism and during nineteenth-century international trade in sugar, gold and British manufactured goods. This obscurity changed dramatically when groups of Muslims joined anti-apartheid demonstrations in the 1980s, which the international media beamed across the world. Since then, Islam has taken its small but influential place in the media mosaic of southern Africa. In some cases Muslims are important social and political leaders in the region, emerging as champions of dramatic campaigns. Show less
