Since 1993, six volumes have appeared in the series Manuscripta Indonesica, now a joint publishing project between INIS (Indonesian-Netherlands Cooperation in Islamic Studies, Leiden University)... Show moreSince 1993, six volumes have appeared in the series Manuscripta Indonesica, now a joint publishing project between INIS (Indonesian-Netherlands Cooperation in Islamic Studies, Leiden University) and the Legatum Warnerianum in Leiden University Library. More are in the making. Each volume contains (at least) an actual size black-and-white reproduction of an Indonesian manuscript, with an introduction containing a physical description of the original manuscript and placing it in its cultural or ritual context. The contents of the volume sometimes go beyond these basic descriptions by adding a transliteration, translation or an electronic version. Show less
In February 1988, the Dutch government published a policy document on imams and their training. In previous years, it had strongly advocated such training. The policy document was the preliminary... Show moreIn February 1988, the Dutch government published a policy document on imams and their training. In previous years, it had strongly advocated such training. The policy document was the preliminary conclusion of a - sometimes heated - debate: Who is in control of future imams? Will the Dutch borders be closed to imams from Turkey and Morocco? Show less
In comparison to other Ottoman Arab provinces, little has been written on Ottoman Iraq, and still less on Basra, historically Iraq's main outlet to the sea. To the vast majority of Arab historians,... Show moreIn comparison to other Ottoman Arab provinces, little has been written on Ottoman Iraq, and still less on Basra, historically Iraq's main outlet to the sea. To the vast majority of Arab historians, Basra only retains its importance because of its dominant contribution to the intellectual and religious debates of early Islam. Its later development as a key trading port for the Ottoman Empire is largely glossed over by those scholars still riveted by the 'golden age' of Islamic thought. And yet, Basra's social, demographic and intellectual evolution in the 18th and 19th centuries largely set the pattern for the province's interaction with Istanbul and the larger region throughout the rest of the Ottoman period. Show less
The positions and beliefs adopted by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) on aspects of the Palestinian issue, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, are of major interest as they directed MB policies and... Show moreThe positions and beliefs adopted by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) on aspects of the Palestinian issue, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, are of major interest as they directed MB policies and enabled it to mobilize opinion against Jordan's foreign policy regarding Palestine. The framework of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood's views on Palestine was based on the Islamization of the Palestinian question by the prophetic claim that Jerusalem-Palestine is one 'Islamic land' and by asserting the religious duty of Jordan to play a strategic role in defending an Islamic cause. Also, they believe that the conflict with Israel is a religio-civilization conflict, not a political one, between Islam and Judaism. Show less
After 25 years of equivocation, the matter concerning the representation of secular affairs of the Muslim community is finally on the verge of finding a resolution acceptable to both the Muslim... Show moreAfter 25 years of equivocation, the matter concerning the representation of secular affairs of the Muslim community is finally on the verge of finding a resolution acceptable to both the Muslim communities and public authorities. In Belgium, the State recognizes and financially supports various faiths: Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, Jewish, and Muslim. Even secularism is supported. Unlike the other recognized faiths, Islam does not fully benefit from the advantages that are conferred theoretically to its followers. Until now, the absence of a representative body, unanimously recognized by all Muslim groups, has been used in discourse to justify this discriminatory situation. Show less
Professor Muhammad Khalid Masud has recently been named Academic Director of the ISIM for three years. He succeeds Professor Wim Stokhof who, as Director in Charge, laid the foundations of the... Show moreProfessor Muhammad Khalid Masud has recently been named Academic Director of the ISIM for three years. He succeeds Professor Wim Stokhof who, as Director in Charge, laid the foundations of the Institute and led the search for an Academic Director. We will miss the distinctive presence of Wim Stokhof, but we are delighted with the arrival of Muhammad Masud at the ISIM. Masud joins the ISIM from the Islamic Research Institute (IRI), International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was professor and head of the Islamic Law and Jurisprudence Unit. Show less
This past year has witnessed India and Pakistan battling over an area that has known little peace since 1947. While the two states speak of 'nationalism', 'secularism' or 'Muslim unity', and... Show moreThis past year has witnessed India and Pakistan battling over an area that has known little peace since 1947. While the two states speak of 'nationalism', 'secularism' or 'Muslim unity', and various Islamist organizations call for jehad, most Kashmiris speak of 'self-determination' and 'Kashmiri identity'. The idea of self-determination as independence was first formulated in 1947 by the last Hindu Dogra Maharaja, Hari Singh. The concept of a distinct Kashmiri identity (kashmiriyat) evolved in the 1930s with a movement, explicitly involving both Muslim and Hindu intelligentsia, against feudal-cum-colonial rule. The notion of a discrete Kashmiri citizenship goes back to the 1920s, when Kashmiri Hindus, facing competition from Punjabi Hindus, pressed for a formal definition of 'state subjects'. Show less
In August 1999, on the day that eight British Muslims from Birmingham were convicted in Yemen for allegedly planning a terrorist campaign, the BBC's prestigious news programme - 'Newsnight' -... Show moreIn August 1999, on the day that eight British Muslims from Birmingham were convicted in Yemen for allegedly planning a terrorist campaign, the BBC's prestigious news programme - 'Newsnight' - debated the issues raised. The presenter spoke to four people in the studio: a defence lawyer, a relative of one of the accused, a journalist and the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). Show less
Islamic banking has developed from its early experiments of the 1960s into a major force in the Islamic world, with assets of more than 100 billion dollars, and is still growing rapidly. Today it... Show moreIslamic banking has developed from its early experiments of the 1960s into a major force in the Islamic world, with assets of more than 100 billion dollars, and is still growing rapidly. Today it is not difficult to find an Islamic bank or an Islamic branch of a conventional bank in many Islamic countries. Responding to the needs of their Muslim clientele, some major Western international banks have set up their own Islamic branches as well. Even in Australia, the relatively small Muslim community has managed to set up its own financial institution. This is equally true for a number of other Western countries such as the USA. Show less
In the centre of Tebu Ireng, Indonesia's most famous Islamic boarding school, is a mosque-graveyard complex which includes the grave of Hashim Ashari, the founder of Tebu Ireng who is remembered... Show moreIn the centre of Tebu Ireng, Indonesia's most famous Islamic boarding school, is a mosque-graveyard complex which includes the grave of Hashim Ashari, the founder of Tebu Ireng who is remembered and revered as both a Sufi master and an Indonesian national hero. Around this physical and spiritual centre, a number of new spaces (schools, a telecommunications office, computer labs, and banks) have emerged. It is argued here that the very landscape of Tebu Ireng spatializes the kinds of relationships that the school's leaders argue that Muslims should have with the State, secular science, and the global market place. Show less
Aysha Parla, doctoral candidate in Anthropology at New York University interviews Lila Abu-Lughod, Professor of Anthropology and Middle East Studies at New York University, USA.
Medina Gounass is an isolated religious community situated in a remote area of Senegal. Until the 1980s, the leader of this branch of the Tijan tariqa refused all contact with the state authorities... Show moreMedina Gounass is an isolated religious community situated in a remote area of Senegal. Until the 1980s, the leader of this branch of the Tijan tariqa refused all contact with the state authorities. The imperatives of shari'a were rigorously applied in nearly all aspects of social and religious life. But after the death of the founder of the community, things changed dramatically. Disputes between the heirs of the founder's legacy, struggles over agricultural resources, and fierce competition between supporters of political parties, made the intervention of the worldly authorities inevitable. Today, the community of Medina Gounass is, like so many Sufi orders in Senegal, courted by the state elite. Show less
Beginning in the 19th century, a wave of indentured workers were brought by the British from India to Trinidad to work the plantations which had been abandoned by former slaves who had been freed... Show moreBeginning in the 19th century, a wave of indentured workers were brought by the British from India to Trinidad to work the plantations which had been abandoned by former slaves who had been freed by the abolition of slavery in 1838. By 1917, the end of indentureship, nearly 144,000 workers had been brought to Trinidad. The majority came from the North Indian areas of Agra and Oudh (Awadh), and while most were Hindu, there were Muslims among them, a minority of whom were Shi'a. Show less
Social, political, and economic turmoil now make it easy to forget that just two years ago Indonesia stood out amongst ethno-linguistically plural nations for its successful nationalist and... Show moreSocial, political, and economic turmoil now make it easy to forget that just two years ago Indonesia stood out amongst ethno-linguistically plural nations for its successful nationalist and developmentalist dynamic. And as recently as the mid-1990s, I ndonesian modernization seemed to be unimpeded by religious tension. Show less
In the current deafening criticism of Jewish, Christian, Hindu or Islamic fundamentalism and zealotry, it is hard to believe that Islam can inspire its adherents to social peace, democratic... Show moreIn the current deafening criticism of Jewish, Christian, Hindu or Islamic fundamentalism and zealotry, it is hard to believe that Islam can inspire its adherents to social peace, democratic politics, economic justice, spiritual and secular education, protection against domestic and communal violence, and a broader humanitarian volunteerism. These were, however, some of the cherished ideals by which the Khudai Khidmatgars (Servants of God) lived. Show less
The war in Kosovo and the accompanying ethnic cleansing has catapulted this region to the centre stage of Western attention after so many years of relative silence and indifference. Already in the... Show moreThe war in Kosovo and the accompanying ethnic cleansing has catapulted this region to the centre stage of Western attention after so many years of relative silence and indifference. Already in the 1980s, many analysts pointed out that tensions between Albanian and Serbian nationalism and divisions between the Christian Serbs and the (mainly) Muslim Albanians were growing, and were turning the province into a dangerous Balkan hotspot. Comparisons were drawn, especially by Serbian nationalists, with the famous Battle of Kosovo fought between the Ottoman Turks and Balkan Christian forces in 1389 - a 'clash of civilizations' between two deeply antagonistic and incompatible nations. In light of the recent developments, it is logical that the rift between Albanians and Serbs is now perceived as a hard and fast line of division. Yet Kosovo has had a history of coexistence, with considerable movement across this ethnic and religious frontier, through economic ties, cultural diffusion, religious exchange and conversion. Throughout history, the ethnic and religious barriers have been anything but watertight. Show less
The debates surrounding the theory and practice of citizenship have gained increased prominence in the last decade. They have been partially prompted by an increasing awareness of the role played... Show moreThe debates surrounding the theory and practice of citizenship have gained increased prominence in the last decade. They have been partially prompted by an increasing awareness of the role played by the civil society and its relationship to state apparatus. But the emergence of cross-border migration as a major feature of the post-Cold War era has also aided this phenomenon. Show less
One of the objectives of the ISIM is to build cooperation networks with academics and institutions in other countries in order to develop the field of the study of Islam in the modern world as a... Show moreOne of the objectives of the ISIM is to build cooperation networks with academics and institutions in other countries in order to develop the field of the study of Islam in the modern world as a scientific discipline and to seek institutional collaboration in this respect. The first of such meetings was held in Beirut on 27 May 1999 with the German Orient Institute in Beirut as host. Scholars from academic institutions in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Syria attended the meeting. Show less
A perennial issue in the comparative study of Islam is how, as a faith and a way of life, it deals with diversity: religious, ethnic, or socio-cultural. This issue is all the more relevant in a... Show moreA perennial issue in the comparative study of Islam is how, as a faith and a way of life, it deals with diversity: religious, ethnic, or socio-cultural. This issue is all the more relevant in a world where globalizing discourses redefine traditional identities, including those of religious systems, both in their local (indigenous Asian and African) and universalist forms (Christianity, Islam). In many areas, complex and, in a way, exemplary patterns of mutual interaction and tolerance have developed between religious-communal groups. In Africa, such regions are found in Mali, Cameroon, Tanzania, Nigeria, and also Ethiopia. The history and current situation of Islam in Ethiopia, especially the northern part of the country, provide an interesting case study. Show less
