The Druzes are a Middle Eastern minority group with their formal origins in 11th century Fatimid Cairo, where they began as a reform movement within the esoteric Ismaili tradition during the... Show moreThe Druzes are a Middle Eastern minority group with their formal origins in 11th century Fatimid Cairo, where they began as a reform movement within the esoteric Ismaili tradition during the caliphate of al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah (r. 996-1021). The Druze doctrine contains specific moral lessons and rules of individual and communal conduct that are embodied in approximately 30 manuscripts, some of which have been lost. Political and religious power were normally separated within the Druze communities, the religious specialists forming a class of initiates in the esoteric principles. In contrast to related religious groups, women were traditionally initiated. Show less
Mali is a country of rich history and diverse culture. Its cultural heritage is, however, threatened by both pillage and illicit trade. Looting has dramatically increased in recent years,... Show moreMali is a country of rich history and diverse culture. Its cultural heritage is, however, threatened by both pillage and illicit trade. Looting has dramatically increased in recent years, especially in the Inner Delta of the Niger and the Dogon country, and has obliged the Malian authorities to take measures to counteract this negative development. Show less
It was in Central Asia that the shamanism of the Turko-Mongolians and the Islam of the Arabo-Persians were to meet. This zone is bordered by the Caspian Sea, Afghan Turkestan to the south, Hindu... Show moreIt was in Central Asia that the shamanism of the Turko-Mongolians and the Islam of the Arabo-Persians were to meet. This zone is bordered by the Caspian Sea, Afghan Turkestan to the south, Hindu Kouch, the Pamirs, the Tian Chan and Altai to the east, and southern Siberia to the north. Today, several states, in part or in whole, are found in this quadrilateral: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan and Afghanistan. The ancestral shamanism of the Central Asians had to, after the Muslim take-over (8th century), progressively compromise with Islam. The result was an Islamized shamanism generally known as baksylyk. Show less
With the end of the reign of the Manchus who governed the Chinese Empire for three centuries, and with the advent of the Republic (1911), the minority issue took on a dimension impossible to... Show moreWith the end of the reign of the Manchus who governed the Chinese Empire for three centuries, and with the advent of the Republic (1911), the minority issue took on a dimension impossible to imagine in 19th-century China. Aware of the fragility of national cohesion in this immense land of heterogeneous population groups, Sun Yatsen, founder of the Republic, still minimized the influence of minorities, affirming the supremacy of the Han, the majority ethnic group and founders of one of the first Chinese dynasties. The question of numbers quickly became a focus of debate. Proclaiming that, of a population total of 400 million inhabitants at the time, the minorities represented only slightly more than 10 million, Sun Yatsen implicitly called upon them to disappear into the Chinese melting pot. The statistics published at the time, however, contradicted the President's assertions by listing 26 million non-Han Chinese. Show less
According to certain legends still very much alive today in the local collective memory, the first Muslim missionaries came to the territory of Western Siberia and began to disseminate the true... Show moreAccording to certain legends still very much alive today in the local collective memory, the first Muslim missionaries came to the territory of Western Siberia and began to disseminate the true belief in Allah among locals in 1394-1395. Today, amidst conditions of burgeoning ethnic, cultural and religious self-awareness of the citizens of Russia, this legend has taken on the character of a genuine historical fact. The Siberian cities of Omsk and Tyumen - centres of dense Siberian Muslim populations - celebrated the 600th anniversary of Siberian Islam as national and religious holidays, which were accompanied by festivals of traditional culture and scientific conferences. Show less
‘The Musafirkhana was beautiful. It gave you a feeling for work. You were surrounded by nice woodwork, calligraphy and coloured glass windows. You were in the centre of Cairo, but you didn’t hear... Show more‘The Musafirkhana was beautiful. It gave you a feeling for work. You were surrounded by nice woodwork, calligraphy and coloured glass windows. You were in the centre of Cairo, but you didn’t hear any noise. ’Painter Mohammed Abla is soft-spoken yet very angry. Standing in the courtyard of the burned Musafirkhana palace in the heart of Islamic Cairo, Abla sighs and moans. For 21 years he had his studio in this late 18th-century Ottoman palace. In the '60s, the then Minister of Culture, Sarwat Okasha, had decided in a fit of wisdom to provide studios for artists in the Musafirkhana. Show less
Pakistan and Indonesia in terms of religious leadership represent - in some respects - opposite situations. In both societies we find a significant 'legalistic' vs. 'Sufi' divide, but the two forms... Show morePakistan and Indonesia in terms of religious leadership represent - in some respects - opposite situations. In both societies we find a significant 'legalistic' vs. 'Sufi' divide, but the two forms of Islam are expressed and played out in different ways. Most importantly, they have different relationships with their governments that have produced drastically different results. Show less
Located in a metropolitan area of Xi'an, ancient capital of several majors dynasties in China, is the famous Great Mosque. This edifice, in the heart of the Hui district, provides one of the more... Show moreLocated in a metropolitan area of Xi'an, ancient capital of several majors dynasties in China, is the famous Great Mosque. This edifice, in the heart of the Hui district, provides one of the more important tourist sites of Xi'an. The resulting wealth of the district, also adding to the economic vitality generated through commerce, lies at the origin of a remarkable architectural transformation. This study focuses on the Hui people, whose centuries-old Muslim identity has recently come to express itself through contemporary vernacular architecture. Show less
Mass Culture and Modernism in Egypt began as my dissertation research. My plan was to write about concepts of the person in Egypt, and one of my sources was to be media, though this was not... Show moreMass Culture and Modernism in Egypt began as my dissertation research. My plan was to write about concepts of the person in Egypt, and one of my sources was to be media, though this was not necessarily to be the primary focus of the research. At the outset, my plans were quite flexible. I was interested in the relation of local identity to practices associated with both foreign and ‘classical’ Islamic ideals. Show less
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world and is often perceived as the favourite of the discriminated against and economically underdeveloped. It has drawn a huge influx of... Show moreIslam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world and is often perceived as the favourite of the discriminated against and economically underdeveloped. It has drawn a huge influx of converts in recent decades, despite endless assertions about the declining influence of religion in the lives of people in the wake of modernization and globalization. Islam's manifestation and continuity in Hong Kong is surprising because religious affinity is less recognized or rewarded. The popular religions here are Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity, adherents to Islam constituting only 1% of the population. However, a notable number of conversions to Islam amongst Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong are occurring. 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
The Caribbean has seen two waves of Muslim migration, the first wave of which was comprised of slaves from Africa. Indentured labourers of India, who came to the shores between 1845 and 1917,... Show moreThe Caribbean has seen two waves of Muslim migration, the first wave of which was comprised of slaves from Africa. Indentured labourers of India, who came to the shores between 1845 and 1917, formed the second. Show less
The recent burst of violence linked with the Saudi-born Islamic militant, Usama Bin Laden, sheds some light on a recent evolution of Islamic radicalism. In the eighties, most of the violence was... Show moreThe recent burst of violence linked with the Saudi-born Islamic militant, Usama Bin Laden, sheds some light on a recent evolution of Islamic radicalism. In the eighties, most of the violence was linked either to an internal confrontation between a state and its Islamist opposition (Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, and later Algeria) or to a state-sponsored terrorism with strategic goals: for instance, the attacks against US and French barracks in Lebanon in 1983-4 and the hostage-takings of 1985 were aimed at ending the Western support for Iraq in the war with Iran. In the nineties, the internal violence either decreased or is no longer threatening the state apparatus. It is rather being directed at ‘side-targets’ (like tourists in Egypt, former fellow-Islamists, or the civilian population in Algeria). Show less
The CSIC was founded in 1976 as a central teaching department of the federation of Selly Oak Colleges. Its roots lay in a lectureship by the Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust (ECCT) in the 1930s,... Show moreThe CSIC was founded in 1976 as a central teaching department of the federation of Selly Oak Colleges. Its roots lay in a lectureship by the Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust (ECCT) in the 1930s, when Dr Alphonse Mingana was the first incumbent. With Cadbury family support he had been able to collect a large amount of Arabic and Syriac manuscripts still housed today in the library at Selly Oak. Dr Mingana started a tradition of text-based study of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations which was notably continued by Dr John Sweetman in his magisterial work on Islam and Christian Theology. Show less
The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) aims at promoting scholarship and learning on Islam in the context of civilizational studies in general. Utilizing all relevant modern disciplines, it... Show moreThe Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) aims at promoting scholarship and learning on Islam in the context of civilizational studies in general. Utilizing all relevant modern disciplines, it encourages research into Islamic history, with particular reference to its significance for the Muslim societies in contemporary times. While the IIS' interests encompass the Muslim world as a whole, it pays particular attention to Shi'ism and to Ismailism due to the relative neglect of these fields in modern Islamic scholarship. Show less
Nearly seven million Muslims live in Western Europe, their presence being the unforeseen consequence of migration flows towards the continent at the beginning of the 1960s. Later, during the 1972-4... Show moreNearly seven million Muslims live in Western Europe, their presence being the unforeseen consequence of migration flows towards the continent at the beginning of the 1960s. Later, during the 1972-4 recession, European immigration policy drastically changed: Governments halted labour immigration yet allowed for family reunification. From the 1970s, religious and cultural dimensions did become important issues in relations between Muslim communities and European societies since the contact surface had been greatly expanded. Islam is a major aspect of this settlement process in terms of the increasing need for mosques, halal butcheries, Koranic schools or Muslim cemeteries. Show less
At first glance, the arrival of the year 2000 AD seems unlikely to provoke any great reaction -much less spiritual anxiety- among most Muslims. Any Western 'centurial mysticism' surrounding the... Show moreAt first glance, the arrival of the year 2000 AD seems unlikely to provoke any great reaction -much less spiritual anxiety- among most Muslims. Any Western 'centurial mysticism' surrounding the date 1 January 2000 AD vanishes, after all, in the Hijri calendar equivalent of Ramadan 24, 1420. But despite the outward irrelevance of the Gregorian 2000 to most of the ummah, one Islamic mystical brotherhood -the Naqshbandi-Haqqani order- finds the advent of the year 2000 one of several powerful symbolic events in which traditional Sunni ideas of the 'Last Day"" intersect with the millennial expectations of a new generation of European and American converts to Islam. Show less
Divorce Iranian Style is a documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini. It is set in a small courtroom in central Tehran, and follows a number of women who come before a non... Show moreDivorce Iranian Style is a documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini. It is set in a small courtroom in central Tehran, and follows a number of women who come before a non-plussed judge and by turn use whatever they can - reason, argument, charm, outrage, pleas for sympathy, patience, and wit - to get what they each need. There are four main characters: Massy, who wants to divorce her inadequate husband; Ziba, an outspoken 16-year-old who proudly stands up to her 38-year-old husband and his family; Jamileh, who brings her husband to court to teach him a lesson; and Maryam, remarried and desperate to regain custody of her two daughters. Show less
Among scholars of Islam and some Muslims today, a curious misperception dominates: that only the Shica believe in the coming the awaited Mahdi. Sunni Arab views of the Mahdi since the Six Days War... Show moreAmong scholars of Islam and some Muslims today, a curious misperception dominates: that only the Shica believe in the coming the awaited Mahdi. Sunni Arab views of the Mahdi since the Six Days War of 1967 have reached heretofore unplumbed depths of eschatological belief and the vigorous debate among the Arab intelligentsia concerning these beliefs, as well as the degree to which they impact the Muslim social and political realms, have followed suit. Show less
