In collaboration with Utrecht University, Leiden University, and the University of Amsterdam, the ISIM organized a workshop on the anthropology of Islamic law in Leiden from 14 to 15 March 2003.... Show moreIn collaboration with Utrecht University, Leiden University, and the University of Amsterdam, the ISIM organized a workshop on the anthropology of Islamic law in Leiden from 14 to 15 March 2003. Convened by Leon Buskens, Khalid Masud, and Annelies Moors, the workshop brought together a group of scholars working on Islamic law and practice in different parts of the world, in the fields of anthropology, history, and legal scholarship. Show less
From 26 to 28 October 2001, the ISIM, in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and Cornell University, held an international conference in Leiden on the 'Application of Islamic Law in... Show moreFrom 26 to 28 October 2001, the ISIM, in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and Cornell University, held an international conference in Leiden on the 'Application of Islamic Law in Courts'. The conference conveners, Muhammad Khalid Masud, Rudolph Peters and David Powers, invited historians, lawyers, anthropologists and sociologists to come to Leiden to engage in a discussion on the manner in which Islamic legal doctrine (fiqh) has manifested itself in daily practice as reflected in the activity of the qadi, or Muslim judge. Show less
Presently, more than one third of the world's Muslims are living as minorities in non-Muslim countries, a fact which has posed challenges not only for the host countries but also for the Muslims... Show morePresently, more than one third of the world's Muslims are living as minorities in non-Muslim countries, a fact which has posed challenges not only for the host countries but also for the Muslims themselves. Most Muslims perceive Muslim minorities as an integral part of the larger Muslim community, umma. Many insist that Muslims must be governed by Islamic law, often that of the country of origin. Home countries are expected to offer human, political, and financial resources in order for the minorities to live Islamically. This perception is quite problematic: on the one hand, it implies that while the Muslims have been living in these countries for three generations, their presence is seen as transitory - it cannot conceive of Muslims living permanently under non-Muslim rule; while on the other hand, this perception tends to imagine Muslim minorities as colonies of the Muslim world. Apart from the question of whether Muslim countries are in a position to play the role described above, other serious questions are raised for the future of the Muslim minorities. Show less
In 1947, when Pakistan came into being, there were only two university departments of social sciences: one in history and one in economics. More departments were established in the 1960s when... Show moreIn 1947, when Pakistan came into being, there were only two university departments of social sciences: one in history and one in economics. More departments were established in the 1960s when research in sociology and social work expanded. Although the growth of social sciences was still slow - until 1983 there were only 34 social science departments in all the Pakistani universities - the range of social sciences expanded to include (apart from economics and history) departments of political science, psychology, international relations, social work, and anthropology. The state began employing social scientists in its activities of planning and finance. The government also established research institutions in the fields of economics, foreign affairs, administration, and development economics. 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
The ISIM is organizing sounding board meetings in the intellectual capitals of the Muslim world. The first of this series was held in Beirut last May. In October 1999, an ISIM delegation visited... Show moreThe ISIM is organizing sounding board meetings in the intellectual capitals of the Muslim world. The first of this series was held in Beirut last May. In October 1999, an ISIM delegation visited Cairo for a joint meeting with the Center for the Study of Developing Countries at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS) of Cairo University. The ISIM delegation also visited a number of other institutes in order to explore the possibilities of cooperation, in particular in view of the collection of local printed materials. The choice for Cairo was an obvious one: the city has been a centre of Islamic learning since the early days of Islam and has been a cradle of reformist, modernist and revivalist movements in the last two centuries. This city of teeming millions has a large number of publishing houses that produce an abundance of Islamic literature, demonstrating the scholarly vitality of the city that also hosts major trends in Islam today. Show less
