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
The establishment of monuments for commemorating the victims of violent confrontations constitutes a major element in the construction of modern national consciousness. The Arab-Palestinian... Show moreThe establishment of monuments for commemorating the victims of violent confrontations constitutes a major element in the construction of modern national consciousness. The Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, approximately 19% of all Israeli citizens, have experienced in the last five years an accelerated process of 'monumentalization' of their identity as a national minority - many monuments that commemorate their victims in the Zionist-Palestinian conflict have been established in Arab villages and towns inside Israel. Show less
Their long beards often contrast their young faces; they wear traditional Pakistani garb (khamiss) or more generally white tunics (djellaba or gandoura) that flow to their ankles, a skull-cap ... Show moreTheir long beards often contrast their young faces; they wear traditional Pakistani garb (khamiss) or more generally white tunics (djellaba or gandoura) that flow to their ankles, a skull-cap (taguilla), and perhaps a pair of Nikes or Reeboks. Rain or shine, they untiringly cross mountains and valleys throughout France and the entire world in small groups of three or five, rarely more, to propagate the message of Allah. For the most part they are French, mainly of Moroccan origin or more broadly of Maghrebi or African origin, and are called Mohamed, Rachid, Amadou, or Moustafa, but also Eric, Thomas, Patrick, or Didier. They are male, but are increasingly accompanied by young women proudly wearing headscarves and participating in the effort of propagating their faith. They are mostly between 18 and 35 years of age and live essentially in the French suburbs, where the cumulated difficulties of unemployment, exclusion, and racism are predominant. They are the new converts or 'reconverts' (voluntary return to the religion of their parents) to Islam, the knights of conversion and of pietism, according to the expression of the Moroccan sociologist Mohamed Tozy. These new 'flag bearers' of an apostolic and ostentatious Islam are all religious militants of the Tabligh movement in France. Show less
As a cartoon figure, Dirk always dominates the last page of NU, The Nordic Art Review. One of Olav Westphalen's best Dirk strips is the one that follows the 9/11 - in his word - 'occasion' (NU vol.... Show moreAs a cartoon figure, Dirk always dominates the last page of NU, The Nordic Art Review. One of Olav Westphalen's best Dirk strips is the one that follows the 9/11 - in his word - 'occasion' (NU vol. 111, no. 6/01). The first drawing starts by showing Dirk as an angry artist. The second shows him together with an art critic in a gallery where Dirk is telling the critic that we cannot go back to business as usual. In the third, Dirk underlines that artists have to rise to this historical occasion. In the forth drawing Dirk emphasizes that artists' work should be part of a mighty struggle for a truly democratic and peaceful world. The critic then comes to his senses and asks: 'How do you reflect all that in this new piece of yours?' While looking at a sculpture entitled Perseverance Dirk answers: 'Well it is a mould of the permanent dent I put into my couch while watching the CNN for two months.' The result is a positive cast of Dirk's ass. Show less
The discussion about the position of religious leaders was already ongoing in the Netherlands before 11 September. After the attacks on the US, relations between Muslims and non-Muslims came under... Show moreThe discussion about the position of religious leaders was already ongoing in the Netherlands before 11 September. After the attacks on the US, relations between Muslims and non-Muslims came under further pressure. The media, followed by the Dutch government and social organizations, began assiduously looking for the representatives and the spokespeople of the Muslims. The result was the rolling of Rolodexes with outdated or randomly gathered contacts. Show less
A simmering issue in the Islamic world's relations with the West concerning the tension between the sacred and the secular took a particularly violent turn on 11 September 2001 when Usama Bin Laden... Show moreA simmering issue in the Islamic world's relations with the West concerning the tension between the sacred and the secular took a particularly violent turn on 11 September 2001 when Usama Bin Laden and his Al-Qacid a network launched a coordinated assault on the US in the name of sacred duty. The West reacted with stunned surprise. But given the long history of Islamic fundamentalist grievances, is not the West's surprise itself surprising? Show less
In the course of their long and complex history dating to the formative period of Islam, the Ismailis have often been accused of various heretical teachings and practices and a multitude of myths... Show moreIn the course of their long and complex history dating to the formative period of Islam, the Ismailis have often been accused of various heretical teachings and practices and a multitude of myths and misconceptions circulated about them. This is mainly because the Ismailis were, until the middle of the 20th century, studied and evaluated almost exclusively on the basis of the evidence collected or often fabricated by their enemies. It was only from the mid-20th century onwards that studies based on Ismaili sources came to dominate the field, leading to a much less biased understanding of the Ismailiyya. Show less
Today mass media, especially the audio-visual media, exert an immense influence on nearly every society, and Turkey is no exception. The television ap pearances of the Turkish Islamic theologian... Show moreToday mass media, especially the audio-visual media, exert an immense influence on nearly every society, and Turkey is no exception. The television ap pearances of the Turkish Islamic theologian and author Yasar Nuri Öztürk is striking in this context of rising mediatic hegemony. The development of televangelism in the USA, which has lead to nation-wide religiousmovements, is not without parallels in Turkey, where the television has virtually become a religious medium - for some, even a 'tele-mosque' of sorts. Show less
On 28 and 29 October 2002, the conference 'Political Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa: Narratives, Itineraries and Networks' was organized by the research institute SEDET (Societes en developpement dans... Show moreOn 28 and 29 October 2002, the conference 'Political Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa: Narratives, Itineraries and Networks' was organized by the research institute SEDET (Societes en developpement dans l'espace et dans le temps) of the Universit Paris 7 Denis Diderot. The objectives of the conference were to identify, analyse, and define the actors of political Islam in the different countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, where Islam has often been referred to as an Islam of brotherhoods (confreries). In earlier research the Islam of the brotherhoods is often depicted as peaceful and non-political, whereas the reformist groups are said to be political in scope and often use violence. But how do these trends actually relate? Show less
In Indonesia the coming out of Islamic radicalism has once more disquieted public life. Since the US assault on Afghanistan following the September 11 terrorist acts, Islamic youth organizations... Show moreIn Indonesia the coming out of Islamic radicalism has once more disquieted public life. Since the US assault on Afghanistan following the September 11 terrorist acts, Islamic youth organizations have been staging anti-America protests throughout Indonesia's main cities, showing the world a face of Indonesian Islam different from the moderate one with which it is usually identified. The protests also show a different face of young Indonesian activists. This time they do not appear as the spirited bunch of the student movement that ousted Suharto in 1998, but as fiery campaigners for a jihad. Show less
The ISIM hosted a one-day workshop on 'Authority in Contemporary Shicism' in Leiden on 1 March 2002, convened by Matthijs van den Bos. Several observations on the current state of (Iranian) Shicite... Show moreThe ISIM hosted a one-day workshop on 'Authority in Contemporary Shicism' in Leiden on 1 March 2002, convened by Matthijs van den Bos. Several observations on the current state of (Iranian) Shicite studies underlay its design. Most importantly, studies of religious discourse in contemporary Iran - particularly that comprising reformist thought - often neglect the disciplinary background of religious discourse. Therefore, scientific scrutiny was due to the decisive shifts that have taken place in the relative importance of feqh, kalam, falsafa, hekmat, erfan, and tasavv of as argumentative styles in debates over religious authority in contemporary Shicism. Show less
Muslims make up about 2% of the 42 million people in South Africa. They were classified under the Apartheid as 'Malays' and 'Indians' and settled in such major cities as Cape Town, Durban, Port... Show moreMuslims make up about 2% of the 42 million people in South Africa. They were classified under the Apartheid as 'Malays' and 'Indians' and settled in such major cities as Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Pretoria. As the longest surviving religious minority in a predominantly Christian and secular country, the Muslims of South Africa have preserved their cultural and religious identity. This is due, in no small measure, to their Islamic educational institutions. Show less
