Runaway, a documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini, was shot in late 2000 in Tehran, and is set in Rayhaneh House, a shelter for runaway girls. Like their earlier Divorce... Show moreRunaway, a documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini, was shot in late 2000 in Tehran, and is set in Rayhaneh House, a shelter for runaway girls. Like their earlier Divorce Iranian Style, Runaway shows how Iranian women are learning to challenge the old rules, and how rapidly their country is changing. The film follows the stories of five teenagers, exploring their longing for freedom, their hopes for a brighter future, and their experiences of society's double rules and standards when it comes to gender rights. The shelter is run by the dynamic and charismatic Mrs Shirazi and her team of counsellors, who protect the girls from their families and help to renegotiate their relationships. Show less
The ISIM programme 'Rights at Home: An Approach to the Internalization of Human Rights in Family Relations in Islamic Communities' recently held its first series of sounding board meetings in Yemen... Show moreThe ISIM programme 'Rights at Home: An Approach to the Internalization of Human Rights in Family Relations in Islamic Communities' recently held its first series of sounding board meetings in Yemen: from 4-6 May 2002 the venue was in Sanca, 9 May in Aden, and 11 May in Tacizz. The meetings were jointly organized by the ISIM and the Forum for Civil Society (FCS), a non-governmental organization concerned with the development of democracy, human rights, and civil society, based in Sanca. Show less
Contemporary Islam is witnessing the advent of new critical discourses from within its own modes of articulation. It confronts a new epistemic and interpretative situation, which is generally felt... Show moreContemporary Islam is witnessing the advent of new critical discourses from within its own modes of articulation. It confronts a new epistemic and interpretative situation, which is generally felt as something of an emergency. This emergency in epistemology and hermeneutics is largely the result of a radical shift of the categories of modern philosophy, science, culture and geography. Given the fact that the exploratory elaboration of law for centuries has been the dominant mode of self-expression in Islam, one of the key themes of contemporary Shici thought is the search for a legal identity. The current debate on the sharica (divine law) in Iran underscores the continued significance of this exploration. In the debate, the radical post-modernist cAbd al-Karim Surush contests the epistemic certainty of eternal knowledge, so common among modernists. Show less
In September 2001, the Greater Amman Municipality started an extensive project for the renovation of downtown Amman, supported by a Japanese loan of $58.8 million. One of the main goals of the... Show moreIn September 2001, the Greater Amman Municipality started an extensive project for the renovation of downtown Amman, supported by a Japanese loan of $58.8 million. One of the main goals of the project is to bolster tourism in the kingdom which has been negatively affected by Al-Aqsa Intifada and the 11 September attacks. Furthermore, Amman is the Cultural Capital of the Arab World 2002 and will thus become an important destination for Arab tourists. The Jordanian economy, always looking for cash money, desperately needs the revenues of a blossoming tourism industry. It is therefore only logical that Jordan tries to meet the expectations of Western and Arab visitors as a means to improve the national balance sheet. Show less
We share the same destiny with the Palestinian Intifada till the liberation of Jerusalem.' With these words Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah, the Hizbullah's Secretary General, opened the Solidarity... Show moreWe share the same destiny with the Palestinian Intifada till the liberation of Jerusalem.' With these words Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah, the Hizbullah's Secretary General, opened the Solidarity Convention for the Support of the Intifada in Beirut on 22 May 2001. Rooted in the successful resistance against the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, the Hizbullah continues to be very vocal in its support of the Palestinian cause. Show less
Understandably, the 11 September terrorist attacks in the USA have reinforced more than ever Western anxieties over the 'threat' of 'Islamic fundamentalism'. The perpetrators' Islamic identity and... Show moreUnderstandably, the 11 September terrorist attacks in the USA have reinforced more than ever Western anxieties over the 'threat' of 'Islamic fundamentalism'. The perpetrators' Islamic identity and the subsequent mass street protests in the Muslim world during the US bombings of Afghanistan left little doubt that political Islam in the Middle East is here to stay. However, the picture conceals some significant changes that Islamism in the Middle East has been undergoing in recent years. There is a clear shift from the earlier emphasis on Islamist polity to one on personal piety and ethics; from constituencies centred around impoverished middle classes to more fragmented adherents including the privileged groups. Show less
The ISIM workshop on 'Islam, Women's Rights, and Islamic Feminism: Making Connections between Different Perspectives' (9-11 November 2001) took place under the shadow of the looming confrontation... Show moreThe ISIM workshop on 'Islam, Women's Rights, and Islamic Feminism: Making Connections between Different Perspectives' (9-11 November 2001) took place under the shadow of the looming confrontation between the West and the Muslim world, at a time when public interest was focused on the American offensive in Afghanistan and anti-American responses in countries as diverse as Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia. Most of the participants felt that precisely at this time one should not allow the agenda of intellectual debate to be completely determined by political issues and that the workshop should take place as planned. Show less
Gambian griottes, or female bards, are in a serious predicament. Islamic ethics prescribe that women should behave in a modest way, while conversely the griottes' very profession implies that they... Show moreGambian griottes, or female bards, are in a serious predicament. Islamic ethics prescribe that women should behave in a modest way, while conversely the griottes' very profession implies that they stand out by their behaviour and the way they dress. How do these women reconcile their identity as female performers with Islamic values? The Gambia is an interesting setting in which to explore this question because of its long history with Islam. There was even talk that President Jammeh wanted to impose the sharica in this small West African country. Show less
Muslim institutions in Europe harbour growing expert knowledge. One example of this development comprises the syllabi for religious instruction of Muslim children at public schools that have been... Show moreMuslim institutions in Europe harbour growing expert knowledge. One example of this development comprises the syllabi for religious instruction of Muslim children at public schools that have been developed in different European contexts. Among other things, these instruction programmes aim at positioning their clientele vis-á-vis the religious sources, in a particular community and society. The premises on which these positionings are based, as well as their religious-theological justification and legitimation, form the focus of a thesis project that incorporates syllabus outlines and instruction materials from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Show less
Islamic feminism/s as forms of consciousness, thinking, and practice are ascendant, yet in many places they still all too often go unnoticed. In Bosnia rising generations of Muslim women and men... Show moreIslamic feminism/s as forms of consciousness, thinking, and practice are ascendant, yet in many places they still all too often go unnoticed. In Bosnia rising generations of Muslim women and men emerging from an atheistic past and the horrors of war are finding their own way back to Islam. In the process, and with a heightened awareness of justice and sensitivity to gender, they are coming to Islamic feminism as voices from Sarajevo tell us. Show less
There seems to be an irreconcilable gap between the Dutch state and its Muslim inhabitants. This impression is transforming into an increasingly popular standpoint, not only in politics and the... Show moreThere seems to be an irreconcilable gap between the Dutch state and its Muslim inhabitants. This impression is transforming into an increasingly popular standpoint, not only in politics and the media but also among legal philosophers, historians, and jurists. As the mantra that supports the apparent gap, what tends to be singled out is the principle of the separation of church and state. This separation is allegedly alien to Islam, and therefore Islam is irreconcilable with the idea of a constitutional state. The mantra appears to be a common-knowledge fact, for which reason any substantiation and explanations are casually dropped out, but wrongfully so. Show less
Since the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first 'testtube baby' in 1978, the new reproductive technologies (NRTs) have spread around the globe, reaching countries far from the technology... Show moreSince the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first 'testtube baby' in 1978, the new reproductive technologies (NRTs) have spread around the globe, reaching countries far from the technology-producing nations of the West. Perhaps nowhere is this globalization process more evident than in the nearly twenty nations of the Muslim Middle East, where in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres have opened in nations ranging from small, oil-rich Bahrain and Qatar to larger but less prosperous Morocco and Egypt. Egypt provides a particularly fascinating locus for investigation of this global transfer of NRTs because of its ironic position as one of the poor, 'overpopulated' Arab nations. Show less
The immense importance of the complex interaction between Iran and the outside world has long been recognized, but scholars traditionally have been selective in the attention they have paid to its... Show moreThe immense importance of the complex interaction between Iran and the outside world has long been recognized, but scholars traditionally have been selective in the attention they have paid to its manifestations and individual aspects. From the wars against classical Greece to the Iranian Revolution, their focus has typically been Iran's relations with Europe, and later the United States, revolving around commercial traffic, imperialism and the reaction to it, particularly reform attempts. Especially with regard to the period since 1500, this emphasis has come at the expense of studying relations with countries adjacent to Iran - a situation that is no doubt reinforced by a tendency among Iranians themselves to overlook and ignore the region around them in their eagerness to adopt - or resist - things Western. A different approach, one that looks also at neighbours and at culture and cultural politics, should offer us much new information. Show less
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture was founded in 1988 and is registered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a private, non-denominational, philanthropic foundation. It is an integral part of the Aga Khan... Show moreThe Aga Khan Trust for Culture was founded in 1988 and is registered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a private, non-denominational, philanthropic foundation. It is an integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network, a family of institutions created by His Highness the Aga Khan, with distinct yet complementary mandates to improve the welfare and prospects of people in countries in the developing world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Show less
The printed Arabic media offer hardly any critical review of the social and political settings in the Arab world that may help to explain the emergence of violent Islamist groups. Standard... Show moreThe printed Arabic media offer hardly any critical review of the social and political settings in the Arab world that may help to explain the emergence of violent Islamist groups. Standard newspaper articles and comments on the post-September 11 events vary from elaborations of the marked inconsistencies in US foreign policies to the popular conspiracy theories in which 'international Zionism' is blown up to mythical proportions. A few intellectuals, however, opt for a more open and frank approach to the issues involved, including some who had been accused in the past of endorsing militant Islamism. Show less
The occurrence of death in an immigrant situation is a little-explored albeit essential subject considering, for example, the presence in France of a substantial immigrant population, now largely... Show moreThe occurrence of death in an immigrant situation is a little-explored albeit essential subject considering, for example, the presence in France of a substantial immigrant population, now largely settled, of people working and living - but also dying - in France. To study funerary practices in such circumstances is to consider the entirety of social behaviours that are caused by a migrant's death in migration. The question of death is approached here from a dual perspective: that of the choice of place for the grave (France or in the country of origin), and that of the funerary practices (what migrants actually do when a death occurs in France). It is situated at a crossing of two issues, that of the migration process and that of death, its representations, and related practices. Show less
After the conflicts in Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Chechnya, the war in Afghanistan is being explained in terms of the supremacy of ethnicity. The solution, the UN is aspiring, seems plausible: if... Show moreAfter the conflicts in Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Chechnya, the war in Afghanistan is being explained in terms of the supremacy of ethnicity. The solution, the UN is aspiring, seems plausible: if representatives of all ethnic groups can be brought together into one government, the 23-year war in Afghanistan will end. But such a solution bears the danger that by linking political office and ethnicity the conflict in Afghanistan will be stabilized and even intensified. Show less
The horror of death and destruction of innocents in New York and Washington, the launching of an indefinite 'war against terrorism', the harassment and worse of those seen as Muslims and Arabs in... Show moreThe horror of death and destruction of innocents in New York and Washington, the launching of an indefinite 'war against terrorism', the harassment and worse of those seen as Muslims and Arabs in America, the opportunistic attempts to equate the September disaster with Israeli experience of terror (but not with that of the Palestinians) or alternatively to divert attention altogether from Israel's brutal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza by denying it has any connection, the absence of a real debate in our democracy. How to think about such matters? Show less
Responses to the events of 11 September have been extraordinarily mixed, not to say confused. They have been further complicated by responses to 7 October and after, when the air raids against... Show moreResponses to the events of 11 September have been extraordinarily mixed, not to say confused. They have been further complicated by responses to 7 October and after, when the air raids against Afghanistan started. In Britain, the situation is particularly affected by the high proportion of Muslims with strong links to Pakistan, to Pathan and Pushtun origins, and in some cases directly to Afghanistan. Show less
In present-day Nigeria there are twelve states that have adopted or implemented sharia law. These laws have spawned death sentences for two women accused of adultery. The cases have received... Show moreIn present-day Nigeria there are twelve states that have adopted or implemented sharia law. These laws have spawned death sentences for two women accused of adultery. The cases have received international attention, including the boycott of the Miss World contest in Nigeria by pageant contestants upset by the sentences, and the November riots and killings surrounding the pageant's controversy. The Nigerian Federal Government has already intervened to help free the first woman on appeal and to promise to protect the second, and has denied that the pageant was to blame for the riots. However, thousands more northern Nigerian women are affected by sharia laws, which attempt to limit forms of transportation for women and control when and how they will marry. Show less
