The Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur le Moyen-Orient Contemporain (CERMOC) is among the youngest of several French research centres devoted to the Middle East and the Arab world, from Teheran... Show moreThe Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur le Moyen-Orient Contemporain (CERMOC) is among the youngest of several French research centres devoted to the Middle East and the Arab world, from Teheran to Rabat. It is based in Beirut with a research unit in Amman. First founded in 1977, CERMOC was closed in 1985 following the kidnapping of its researcher Michel Seurat in Beirut and was reopened after the Lebanese war in 1990. Show less
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
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
The Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding: History and International Affairs (CMCU) was established in 1993 by Georgetown University and the Fondation pour l'Entente entre Chretiens et... Show moreThe Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding: History and International Affairs (CMCU) was established in 1993 by Georgetown University and the Fondation pour l'Entente entre Chretiens et Musulmans, Geneva, to foster the study of Muslim-Christian relations and to promote dialogue between the two great religions. The Center focuses on the historical, theological, political and cultural encounter of Islam and Christianity, the Muslim world and the West. Located in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, the Center combines teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, research and public affairs activities. Show less
The revival of Islam in Al-Andalus, the Spain of today, has been a cherished ideal of many Muslims. After the fall of Granada in 1492, the brutal persecution, forced conversion and expulsion of the... Show moreThe revival of Islam in Al-Andalus, the Spain of today, has been a cherished ideal of many Muslims. After the fall of Granada in 1492, the brutal persecution, forced conversion and expulsion of the Andalusian Muslims (and Jews) by the Spanish Catholic Church and royal court obliterated a famed multicultural society. Today, Islam - and with it Islamic learning - is making a comeback. 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
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
