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
The important role of women in the recent global rise of religious politics is evident. Some are baffled as to why women are attracted to movements that are often conservative and non-egalitarian... Show moreThe important role of women in the recent global rise of religious politics is evident. Some are baffled as to why women are attracted to movements that are often conservative and non-egalitarian in their gender attitudes. Scholars, however, often give only scant attention to the important role of women and of gender attitudes in religio-political movements - questions concerning veiling or abortion are discussed, but in analysing these movements, attention shifts from women to more male-related questions of political control, terrorism, and the like. The first 1999 issue of the Journal of Women's History is a special issue on women in religious politics worldwide. The articles analyse both comparative questions and culture-specific ones. Show less
Most recent scholarly publications on and interests in political Islam in Lebanon cover primarily Hizbullah, the leading fundamentalist movement in Lebanon. A number of smaller movements, in... Show moreMost recent scholarly publications on and interests in political Islam in Lebanon cover primarily Hizbullah, the leading fundamentalist movement in Lebanon. A number of smaller movements, in particular within the Sunni community, have attracted less attention. Like their Shi'ite counterparts, most of these groups surfaced during the war years, in particular after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Show less
Near the coast of equatorial Africa, separated from the continent by a canal some 50 kilometres long, is the island of Zanzibar (Unguja). It is the largest of the coral islands of the eastern coast... Show moreNear the coast of equatorial Africa, separated from the continent by a canal some 50 kilometres long, is the island of Zanzibar (Unguja). It is the largest of the coral islands of the eastern coast of Africa and forms part of a coral reef that extends from the near island of Pemba (al-khudra, the green, or emerald island), to the north, as far as the island of Mafia to the south. It constitutes a type of extraneous coastline to the continent. The city of Zanzibar is situated to the west of the island and its port, one of the best of Africa, allows deep anchorage for the docking of the ships. Zanzibar has always been strategically important due to two fundamentally important points: its proximity to the continent and the monsoons. The regular recurrence of these latter allows continuous contacts with India, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; while the closeness of Zanzibar to the coast places it in an ideal position for commerce between the interior of the African continent and the Indian Ocean. Show less
While it may seem surprising that the far-off countries of the North have developed research interest in the Islamic world, a region they have had no colonial or similar relations with, such... Show moreWhile it may seem surprising that the far-off countries of the North have developed research interest in the Islamic world, a region they have had no colonial or similar relations with, such studies have in fact a long tradition in the Nordic countries. While we need not go back to the medieval Viking contact with the inner Mediterranean and the Arab world, both Denmark and Sweden had relations with various Middle Eastern powers from the seventeenth century onwards. Denmark, a maritime power, traded in Moroccan and other ports in North Africa, while Swedish forces in Central Europe came into direct military confrontation with the Ottoman Empire, to which they were allied for a period. Thus, there is little reason to wonder that the universities in the region developed a Middle Eastern interest. Show less
