May God give him a long life. May God give force to his mother's milk. May God make him strong so he will join our ranks. May God let him lead the live of a Muslim. May God give him a good life... Show moreMay God give him a long life. May God give force to his mother's milk. May God make him strong so he will join our ranks. May God let him lead the live of a Muslim. May God give him a good life when he will stay in our town and may He give him a good life when he will settle elsewhere.' When seven days old, a baby is blessed by a Qur'anic teacher. After he has first announced the name of the newborn child, the marabout asks God to give it a long life, health and strength. Show less
The 4th International Summer Academy of the Berlinbased Working Group Modernity and Islam (see ISIM Newsletter 2) took place from 13-25 September 1999 at the Fondation du Roi Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud... Show moreThe 4th International Summer Academy of the Berlinbased Working Group Modernity and Islam (see ISIM Newsletter 2) took place from 13-25 September 1999 at the Fondation du Roi Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud pour les Etudes Islamiques et les Sciences Humaines in Casablanca, Morocco. About 30 junior and senior scholars from various disciplines and geographical backgrounds discussed questions relating to 'Notions of Law and Order in Muslim Societies' at one of the major research institutions in the Muslim world. The Summer Academy was directed by Professor Gudrun Kramer from the Institute of Islamic Studies of the Free University of Berlin. Show less
The enchanting coral archipelago known as Lakshadweep comprises ten inhabited and seventeen uninhabited islands, which lie about 200 to 400 kilometres off the Indian west coast in the Arabian Sea.... Show moreThe enchanting coral archipelago known as Lakshadweep comprises ten inhabited and seventeen uninhabited islands, which lie about 200 to 400 kilometres off the Indian west coast in the Arabian Sea. The islands span from north to south for approximately 350 kilometres. The inhabitants of all the islands are ethnically very similar and speak a dialect of Malayalam, the language of the neighbouring Indian state of Kerala. The population numbering 50,000 is almost entirely Muslim, mainly Sunnites, apart from a smattering of Wahabis and Ahamadiyyas who are not very popular with the other population. Show less
Andree Feillard toured Java last March to give lectures in four cities for the launching of her book on the Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest traditionalist Muslim organization. She also visited... Show moreAndree Feillard toured Java last March to give lectures in four cities for the launching of her book on the Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest traditionalist Muslim organization. She also visited several ulama, politicians, and student groups in East Java. She gives here a short account of her journey in the troubled province where 254 people were mysteriously murdered from September to November 1998. At the time of her trip, interreligious and interethnic violence was high in Ambon. Show less
The Surinam-Javanese community in the Netherlands is divided over the question of the prayer direction; some perform their prayers facing the East, but most turn to the West. The majority are... Show moreThe Surinam-Javanese community in the Netherlands is divided over the question of the prayer direction; some perform their prayers facing the East, but most turn to the West. The majority are kejawen, following the syncretic practices and beliefs of Java. In this community the keblat (qibla) expresses a unique diasporic experience and identity. Show less
Scientific research, especially in the social sciences, is extremely tributary to the ideas and the practices in the societies where researchers live. It is thus that studies conducted on religious... Show moreScientific research, especially in the social sciences, is extremely tributary to the ideas and the practices in the societies where researchers live. It is thus that studies conducted on religious phenomena, and notably on Islam, experienced an eclipse characteristic of the sixties and seventies. The reason for this, amongst others, was that the class of intellectuals and politicians were essentially preoccupied with struggles and a social utopia of progress without reference, and even in opposition, to the traditional religious institutions. In an inverse yet equally excessive movement, the eighties and nineties were witness to a veritable explosion of these same studies in the context of identity, political, and social re-vindication, particularly coming from the Muslim world and advocating an overtly religious ideology. Show less
On 18 September 1998, Dr Marcel Kurpershoek delivered his inaugural speech as Professor of Arabic Literature and Politics at the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Islamic Middle East at... Show moreOn 18 September 1998, Dr Marcel Kurpershoek delivered his inaugural speech as Professor of Arabic Literature and Politics at the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Islamic Middle East at Leiden University. Its title was: ‘Wie luidt de doodsklok over de Arabieren?’: Arabisme, Islam, en de Wereldbank (‘Who Rings the Death Bell on the Arabs?’: Arabism, Islam and the World Bank) and is published (in Dutch) by Leiden University. The following is a passage from his speech: Show less
The phenomenal popularization and transnational propagation of communications and information technologies (hereafter referred to as IT) in recent years has generated a wide range of important... Show moreThe phenomenal popularization and transnational propagation of communications and information technologies (hereafter referred to as IT) in recent years has generated a wide range of important questions in the context of Islam’s sociology of knowledge. How have these technologies transformed Muslim concepts of what Islam is and who possesses the authority to speak on its behalf? Moreover, how are they changing the ways in which Muslims imagine the boundaries of the umma? Show less
Current histories of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution (1905-1909) frequently begin with the bastinado of three Tehrani merchants, on 11 December 1905, upon the orders of Tehran's governor.... Show moreCurrent histories of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution (1905-1909) frequently begin with the bastinado of three Tehrani merchants, on 11 December 1905, upon the orders of Tehran's governor. This incident, we are told, led the two leading Tehran clerics to stage a sit-in protest, demanding dismissal of the governor and the premier, as well as calling for the institution of a House of Justice. Some months later, two men of religion were killed when government soldiers attempted to break up a protesting crowd in Tehran's Friday Mosque. This set off a chain of events that culminated in the issuance of the Constitutional decree by Muzaffar al-Din Shah on 5 August 1906. By telling a different story of these same revolutionary years, I question how these particular events have come to form Iranian collective memory of that revolution, while others have been merely forgotten. Show less
Veiling has been - and still is - the subject of much discussion in Europe, the Netherlands being no exception. Some argue that the veil counters women's rights. Others even see it as a provocative... Show moreVeiling has been - and still is - the subject of much discussion in Europe, the Netherlands being no exception. Some argue that the veil counters women's rights. Others even see it as a provocative gesture against European values. From a seemingly more pr Show less
Thai Muslims and their co-religionists in Sri Lanka and Burma provide three examples of Muslim minority communities living in Theravada Buddhist majority countries. Two main groups comprise the... Show moreThai Muslims and their co-religionists in Sri Lanka and Burma provide three examples of Muslim minority communities living in Theravada Buddhist majority countries. Two main groups comprise the Thai Muslim community: the 'native Muslims', or the Malays residing in the southern provinces, and the 'settled/naturalized' Muslims of different ethnic backgrounds residing across the country - hence the ethnic, linguistic, cultural and political variation within the Thai Muslim community. The southern Muslims make up the majority (approximately 700,000, or 80%) of the total current Thai Muslim population (approximately 5-7 million). Show less
Research on the contemporary Islamic movement that emerged in Egypt in the 1970s, after the Ramadan war, revealed a centrality of the dress code adopted by the Islami yyin (Islamic activists),... Show moreResearch on the contemporary Islamic movement that emerged in Egypt in the 1970s, after the Ramadan war, revealed a centrality of the dress code adopted by the Islami yyin (Islamic activists), which has spread throughout the Arabic-speaking and Islamic region. The newly constructed dress form was visible and dramatic. Too much focus, however, was on the fact that previously secularly dressed college women had adopted conservative clothing, which includes veiling. Show less
The literature on transnational migration has so far mainly emerged in the context of labour migration to the United States. The question arises if, and in how far, existing theories and models... Show moreThe literature on transnational migration has so far mainly emerged in the context of labour migration to the United States. The question arises if, and in how far, existing theories and models revolving around transnationalism can be applied to different historical, cultural and political contexts, such as migration within or to Europe, for example. The attempt to apply, critically examine and challenge existing notions about transnational migration constituted an underlying goal in the first annual conference of the ESRC Transnational Communities Programme. A specific focus on the relationship between 'migrant/refugee communities' and 'home' created the framework in which to analyse the meaning and significance of transnational practices and fields. Show less
Muslim societies are confronted with the problem of conciliation between 'permanence' as taught by religious tradition and 'changes' as imposed by modernization. One facet of modernization of the... Show moreMuslim societies are confronted with the problem of conciliation between 'permanence' as taught by religious tradition and 'changes' as imposed by modernization. One facet of modernization of the Muslim world is habitat. This term encompasses all human creations and starts from the fundamental need to inhabit. This latter is manifest at various levels, ranging from house to city. Show less
Aceh, the northernmost province of Sumatra (known as Serambi Mekah ‘The Verandah of Mecca’) has a wealth of Muslim musical genres and body movement or dance forms. It was one of the first provinces... Show moreAceh, the northernmost province of Sumatra (known as Serambi Mekah ‘The Verandah of Mecca’) has a wealth of Muslim musical genres and body movement or dance forms. It was one of the first provinces of the Malayo-Indonesian archipelago to develop musical art forms associated with Islam. Unlike in many other Muslim societies, the Acehnese have a martial art tradition which is integrated into performances and includes female as well as male heroism. Show less
On Tuesday, 20 October 1998, the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) celebrated its official opening day. Well over 300 people attended the gathering in the... Show moreOn Tuesday, 20 October 1998, the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) celebrated its official opening day. Well over 300 people attended the gathering in the renovated Concert Hall of Leiden. It was to become a memorable day, attracting extensive media coverage following protests by Iranian asylum seekers. The morning programme consisted in the more official aspects of the day, featuring an opening speech by State Secretary of Justice and - what sparked off an angry response of the demonstrators - an address by Faezeh Hashemi, member of Parliament of Iran and editor-owner of the oppositional Zanperio dical. The address did not take place. After a short musical intermezzo, the afternoon programme had a more academic tone: a lecture by anthropologist Professor Dale Eickelman and a forum discussion on the format and plans of the ISIM. Show less
Romanian principalities, once known as the 'gates of the Levant', have a history of religious and ethnic diversity. In Romania today, the Muslim population traditionally lives together with the... Show moreRomanian principalities, once known as the 'gates of the Levant', have a history of religious and ethnic diversity. In Romania today, the Muslim population traditionally lives together with the Romanian majority (Christian-Orthodox) in an area called Dobrudja, a territory bordered to the east by the Black Sea, to the west and north by the Danube River and to the south by the Romanian-Bulgarian frontier. Show less
This past July, Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace welcomed the second plenary gathering of the international research programme, Individual and Society in the Mediterranean Muslim World (ISMM), a European... Show moreThis past July, Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace welcomed the second plenary gathering of the international research programme, Individual and Society in the Mediterranean Muslim World (ISMM), a European Science Foundation (ESF) programme headquartered in Strasbourg. Initiated and chaired by Robert Ilbert, professor at the University of Provence and founder/director of the MMSH (Maison M.diterran.enne des Sciences de l’Homme) in Aix-en-Provence (France), ISMM represents a four-year (1996-99) research programme whose major objective is to study pre-defined aspects of the individual within the Mediterranean Muslim context. Show less
Transformation Processes and Islam in Africa was the theme of a conference held on 15 October 1999 at the African Studies Centre (ASC) in Leiden, the Netherlands. The conference was co-sponsored ISIM.
Among the diverse practitioners of Islam in Gujarat, the Sidi stand out for their unique combination of a Sufi saint cult with the veneration of their African ancestry. Members of the small African... Show moreAmong the diverse practitioners of Islam in Gujarat, the Sidi stand out for their unique combination of a Sufi saint cult with the veneration of their African ancestry. Members of the small African Diaspora numbering ca. 6-7000 in Gujarat, trace their origins to slaves from the hinterlands of the East African coast captured and sold to India by Gujarati, Arab and Persian traders till the late 19t h century. Today their descendants, the Sidi, live in ramshackle houses in urban slums or villages at the fringes of Gujarat society. Show less
