In the Netherlands and in other Western countries one finds a hostile image of Islam. Only recently we saw this image influencing the panicky reactions to the terrorist attacks on the USA by Arab... Show moreIn the Netherlands and in other Western countries one finds a hostile image of Islam. Only recently we saw this image influencing the panicky reactions to the terrorist attacks on the USA by Arab Muslims. With great speed this attack was connected to statements of a general nature on the essence of Islam and of Muslims. Dutch politicians and Islam scholars spoke in public about the age-old frustration of Muslims that was presumed to be the background of this attack. Almost immediately the question of the loyalty of Muslim immigrants to the Dutch state and to Dutch norms and values emerged in public debate. Opinion polls showed quickly how fickle that loyalty is and how methodologically shaky opinion polls are. This was followed by attacks on mosques and Islamic schools. The urgency of a more sophisticated analysis of the relationship between the Netherlands and Islam is self-evident. Show less
When on 27 February 2002 the Sabarmati Express at the train station of Godhra in the Indian state of Gujarat was assaulted and set on fire, and when, as a result, the whole state of Gujarat turned... Show moreWhen on 27 February 2002 the Sabarmati Express at the train station of Godhra in the Indian state of Gujarat was assaulted and set on fire, and when, as a result, the whole state of Gujarat turned into the most severe riots in India since about 10 years, an issue was brought back to the awareness of the world community, that had long been forgotten outside India: the so-called 'Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhumi', or Ayodhya conflict. Show less
During Ramadan afternoons in al-dahiyya al-junubiyya, the southern suburbs of Beirut, while most people are rushing through traffic to arrive home before iftar, a bustle of activity fills a... Show moreDuring Ramadan afternoons in al-dahiyya al-junubiyya, the southern suburbs of Beirut, while most people are rushing through traffic to arrive home before iftar, a bustle of activity fills a warehouse on a prominent street corner. A crowd of over one hundred people waits impatiently on one side of the building. On the other side, separated by a colourfully wallpapered partition, fifteen well-dressed women volunteers rush around filling plastic containers with food and packing them into bags along with bread, soda, vegetables, and sweets. At a table along the partition's edge, two volunteers hand these bags to those in the waiting crowd. Another table is occupied by several wealthy donors, sitting with two more volunteers, who entertain them while keeping track of the many children rushing around trying to help. This is the scene one hour before sunset during Ramadan at the food distribution centre of the Social Advancement Association (SAA). Show less
The European attitude towards the Muslims in East and Central Africa can be seen in two different, almost antithetic phases. The first one covers the exploration and the conquest periods, when... Show moreThe European attitude towards the Muslims in East and Central Africa can be seen in two different, almost antithetic phases. The first one covers the exploration and the conquest periods, when Muslim traders helped Europeans to reach the most remote areas and Muslim soldiers were enlisted as indigenous soldiers. The second phase covers the settling period, when Muslims were almost rejected from society. Both were closely related to the Europeans' perception of the African and Arab cultures. Show less
Instead of focusing on the details of the current crisis in Palestine, it is important to think broadly about the global implications of this problem. The main observation made in the following is... Show moreInstead of focusing on the details of the current crisis in Palestine, it is important to think broadly about the global implications of this problem. The main observation made in the following is that the Palestinian crisis exposes the deficiencies of the modern international order and the limits of modernity at large. The implications of such an observation reach far beyond Palestine to include almost all the communities that do not neatly meet modernity's requisites. Show less
The periodical al-Manar al-Jadid was first published in January 1998 in Cairo. In the words of its editor-inchief, Gamal Sultan, its aim is: 'To establish a civilized and authentic intellectual... Show moreThe periodical al-Manar al-Jadid was first published in January 1998 in Cairo. In the words of its editor-inchief, Gamal Sultan, its aim is: 'To establish a civilized and authentic intellectual forum, to combat the waves of westernization, arbitrariness and opportunism in the Islamic world.' The initiators of the publication include such prominent Islamists as Muhammad cImara, Tariq al-Bishri, Yusuf Qaradawi, and Rashid al-Ghanushi, as well as activists of the younger generation, like kamal habib, a leading member of the Jihad Group in the 1980s. The new periodical is obviously linked to the famous al-Manar issued in 1898 under the patronage of Rashid Rida. Show less
By going through this wonderful website, I saw myself walking the street of my village long time ago with my cousins. That was the best time of my life.' 'It gives me a big pleasure to belong to... Show moreBy going through this wonderful website, I saw myself walking the street of my village long time ago with my cousins. That was the best time of my life.' 'It gives me a big pleasure to belong to the big family of Joun. I will always have the wonderful days in my memory and my heart that I spent in this dear village. These memories I will pass on to my children and grandchildren.' 'Proud to be a Jouni. It is a wonderful page that reminds me of my village.' These are a few comments found in the visitors book of the homepage of a Lebanese village called Joun (http://joun.leb.net). Show less
The colonization of the Punjab by the British ushered in economic, social, cultural and legal conditions in which Islamic identity came to assume new forms. In pre-modern times, Waris Shah's epic,... Show moreThe colonization of the Punjab by the British ushered in economic, social, cultural and legal conditions in which Islamic identity came to assume new forms. In pre-modern times, Waris Shah's epic, Heer, was an integral part of everyday life; it was recited at social and literary gatherings. But the text had not yet become the object of intellectual critique. Rather, the critique embedded in the text suffused everyday conflicts and pleasure. In the modern period, however, the text was dis-embedded from the life-world. It became a site for the contestation of pre-modern and modern forms of Islamic identity. Show less
Media in general, and especially feature films, have the power to create places. Mass media and the cinema supply major parts of society with information on current affairs and ideas about foreign... Show moreMedia in general, and especially feature films, have the power to create places. Mass media and the cinema supply major parts of society with information on current affairs and ideas about foreign places. It is within this context that the interdisciplinary network on 'Cinema and the Middle East' met from 11-12 October 2000 at the Institute of Geography at the University of Mainz. The conference was jointly organized by Prof. Dr Anton Escher and Prof. Dr Günter Meyer, both of the Centre for Research on the Arab World (CERAW). Show less
One of the most interesting and least-examined episodes in the career of Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), the influential Egyptian ideologue of Islamism, is his sojourn in the United States from November... Show moreOne of the most interesting and least-examined episodes in the career of Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), the influential Egyptian ideologue of Islamism, is his sojourn in the United States from November 1948 to August 1950. Egypt's Ministry of Education had sent the 42- year-old Qutb to the US to investigate American instructional methods and curricula, a task for which his career as an educator in Egypt had well prepared him. A number of materials exists that allow the researcher to reconstruct the main lines of Qutb's itinerary in the US and to explicate his thoughts on the essential nature of American society and culture. These include articles, 'letters home' written by Qutb and published in the Egyptian periodicals al-Risala, al-Kitab, andal-Hilaland, interestingly, documentary materials available at the University of Northern Colorado,'where Qutb studied in 1949. Show less
Muhammad Khalid Masud, ISIM Chair at Leiden University and Academic Director of the ISIM, delivered his inaugural lecture on 'Muslim Jurists' Quest for the Normative Basis of Sharia' on 20 October... Show moreMuhammad Khalid Masud, ISIM Chair at Leiden University and Academic Director of the ISIM, delivered his inaugural lecture on 'Muslim Jurists' Quest for the Normative Basis of Sharia' on 20 October 2000. In the lecture, he argued that the conception of the S h a r ia as divine law has problematized the binding nature of law in Islam because it conceals its material bases in the social norms. It also obscures Muslim jurists' continuous efforts to maintain general acceptance of Islamic law by bringing the legal norms closer to social norms. He argued that the current debates on the Sharia are also triggered by this conception as it ignores the inner contradictions between legal and social norms emerging in contemporary Muslim societies. The following contains a few excerpts from this lecture. Show less
From 18 to 20 April 2001 a number of scholars from Africa, Europe and the United States convened at the ISIM to present papers for the seminar on 'Muslim Communities, Globalization, and Identities... Show moreFrom 18 to 20 April 2001 a number of scholars from Africa, Europe and the United States convened at the ISIM to present papers for the seminar on 'Muslim Communities, Globalization, and Identities in Africa'. The event ended an ISIM atelier that had commenced in February 2001 with four scholars: Jos van Santen (Leiden), Karin Willemse (Rotterdam), Cheikh Gueye (Dakar) and Shamil Jeppie (Cape Town). Show less
In the cities of the Arab world, the relationship between public and private is governed by a world of glances. It varies by situation - individual or collective, ritual or random, sacred or... Show moreIn the cities of the Arab world, the relationship between public and private is governed by a world of glances. It varies by situation - individual or collective, ritual or random, sacred or profane - and according to specific locations and events. The negotiation of boundaries is subject to those contingencies. Indeed, there is not a strict, systematic separation between the private sphere, a place where women can express themselves, and the public sphere, dominated by the words of men. Urban studies have shown that the relationship between home and outside is surprisingly complex and flexible. Nevertheless, the declension of space into thresholds and gradations in Arab cities is characterized by a social identification of men and women with spaces that are specific to them. Show less
Germany is becoming a multi-faith society at a rapid pace. The influx of foreign workers and a liberal policy towards fugitives and asylum-seekers made Islam the third religious force of the... Show moreGermany is becoming a multi-faith society at a rapid pace. The influx of foreign workers and a liberal policy towards fugitives and asylum-seekers made Islam the third religious force of the country. As immigrants become citizens, the Muslim faith is slowly being institutionalized. In public discourse arguments flare up, exposing a deeply felt contrariety between the Christian and Muslim faiths. On the part of the German general public, Muslim claims to particularity (places for prayer in schools, separation for biology instruction) meet with resistance, as Muslim activity is suspected of serving political, not religious aims. Questions are being publicly raised as to whether Muslim communities should be forced to adopt cultural ideals such as gender equality. The educational system offers a stage on which this battle over difference is acted out. Show less
The following description of contemporary Muslim worship in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is part of a larger inquiry into the Syrian-Lebanese diaspora community of the city. The research was conducted in... Show moreThe following description of contemporary Muslim worship in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is part of a larger inquiry into the Syrian-Lebanese diaspora community of the city. The research was conducted in June and August 2000. Show less
Early in the year 2000, a series of bombs went off at twelve places of worship, mostly churches, in different towns in South India. Police officials claimed to have discovered evidence that a... Show moreEarly in the year 2000, a series of bombs went off at twelve places of worship, mostly churches, in different towns in South India. Police officials claimed to have discovered evidence that a hitherto littleknown Muslim group, the Deendar Anjuman, was involved in masterminding the blasts. Leaders of the Deendar Anjuman based at the group's headquarters in Hyderabad strongly denied the allegations, claiming that the Anjuman was actually set up for the purpose of promoting peaceful relations between people of different faiths. Show less
The civil war in Lebanon is over. Sectarianism is not. This simple observation should make all scholars who analyse sectarianism (or communalism) pause and reflect on the nature of the problem that... Show moreThe civil war in Lebanon is over. Sectarianism is not. This simple observation should make all scholars who analyse sectarianism (or communalism) pause and reflect on the nature of the problem that they are so often called upon to explain. In Lebanon and elsewhere - in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Balkans - religious violence and sectarian political discourse have not diminished in the modern world, and in fact, in many instances have been exacerbated in it. Show less
Within scholarship on contemporary Islam, one of the issues that has generated considerable discussion (and often perplexity) concerns the accuracy or validity of Muslim historical claims. Many... Show moreWithin scholarship on contemporary Islam, one of the issues that has generated considerable discussion (and often perplexity) concerns the accuracy or validity of Muslim historical claims. Many authors have pointed to a discrepancy between what Muslim activists today invoke as belonging to the traditions of Islam and the actual historical record of Islamic societies. It is argued that historical reality is ignored or rejected, while a false, distorted, or selective version of the past is affirmed in its place. In attempting to characterize and explain this use (or misuse) of history, scholars have had recourse to a variety of concepts, some of which merit a re-examination, especially in light of recent work within historiography. A brief review of these concepts suggests a need for new analytical approaches to the styles of historical argumentation prevalent within Islam today. Show less
