Studies of Zaydi Yemen tend to underline the divisions, rather than connections, between sayyids, descendants of the Prophet, and tribal groups in the political sphere. This paper answers the... Show moreStudies of Zaydi Yemen tend to underline the divisions, rather than connections, between sayyids, descendants of the Prophet, and tribal groups in the political sphere. This paper answers the question what value family connections to tribes had for ambitious sayyids in early modern Yemen who wanted to become Zaydi imams. To this end, the article examines a section of Imam Yaḥyā Sharaf al-Dīn’s (d. 965/1558) unpublished biography, containing the genealogy of his second wife, Tāj al-Bahāʾ bint al-shaykh Sharaf al-Dīn. The paper argues that the imam and his circle valued the connections that the marriage to a daughter of a shaykh brought to the imamate, and that it is due to its symbolic value for the legitimacy of the imamate that her genealogy was included in the biography. Show less
This article reconstructs the history of a Zaydi sayyid clan, the Āl Shams al-Dīn, their rise to prominence prior to the Ottoman conquest of Yemen and their continued success in maintaining their... Show moreThis article reconstructs the history of a Zaydi sayyid clan, the Āl Shams al-Dīn, their rise to prominence prior to the Ottoman conquest of Yemen and their continued success in maintaining their status at the top of Yemeni socio-political hierarchies over four centuries. The article explains the reasons for the success of the family as resilient local rulers and argues that the ability of the lords of Kawkabān to build alliances with the Ottomans was a necessary step for them to keep their special status in the next state formed in Yemen—the Qasimid imamate. Their alliance with the Ottomans is placed in a broader context for comparison. Through the analysis of the position of the family in early modern Yemen continuities between three successive political regimes are demonstrated. Show less
The Zaydi imamate in Yemen was one of the longest surviving states in Muslim history. How did Zaydi imams maintain control over a region that appears impossible to rule? A Marie Skłodowska-Curie... Show moreThe Zaydi imamate in Yemen was one of the longest surviving states in Muslim history. How did Zaydi imams maintain control over a region that appears impossible to rule? A Marie Skłodowska-Curie project studies the strategies and legacies of this polity. Show less
Studies of conflicts involving the use of surrogates focus largely on states, viewing the relationship between sponsors and proxies primarily as one in which states utilize nonstate actors as... Show moreStudies of conflicts involving the use of surrogates focus largely on states, viewing the relationship between sponsors and proxies primarily as one in which states utilize nonstate actors as proxies. They have devoted far less attention to sponsor-proxy arrangements in which nonstate actors play super-ordinate roles as sponsors in their own right. Why and how do nonstate actors sponsor proxies? Unlike state sponsors, which value proxies primarily for their military utility, nonstate sponsors select and utilize proxies mainly for their perceived political value. Simply put, states tend to sponsor military surrogates, whereas nonstate actors sponsor political ancillaries. Both endogenous actor-based traits and exogenous structural constraints account for these different approaches. An analysis of three case studies of nonstate sponsors that differ in terms of ideology and capacity—al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the People's Protection Units in Syria, and Hezbollah in Lebanon—confirms this argument, but also suggests that the ability and desire to control proxies varies with the sponsor's capacity. High-capacity nonstate sponsors such as Hezbollah behave similarly to state sponsors, but remain exceptional. Most nonstate sponsors are less dominant, rendering the relationships to their proxies more transactional and pragmatic, and ultimately less enduring than those of state sponsors and their clients. Show less
This is the very first study of its kind in the Muslim Arabic culture of Yemen which provides a truly ‘off the beaten track’ context for the research on parenting using video observation methods in... Show moreThis is the very first study of its kind in the Muslim Arabic culture of Yemen which provides a truly ‘off the beaten track’ context for the research on parenting using video observation methods in a veiled culture. Completely veiled 62 mothers were filmed and observed while interacting with their children in a naturalistic setting and in a semi structured setting.Findings show that the Ainsworth Western-based video observation measure of maternal sensitivity was a feasible measure in the non-Western Arab Muslim culture even though with some challenges. Maternal sensitivity scores showed significant variation and were positivity related to maternal education, maternal social support, and negatively to partner conflict. Findings also showed a moderation effect of maternal religiosity in the association between harsh physical parenting and child outcomes. In children whose mothers showed a higher level of religiosity, harsh parenting was more strongly related to child behavior problems in comparison to their counterparts whose mothers showed lower levels of religiosity.We hope with its valuable results, this dissertation opens the door for future research using naturalistic video observation measures which can help to increase our knowledge on parenting and child development in that context. Show less
This article focuses on the analysis of glossy inks from a body of manuscripts from Yemen preserved in the University Library of Leiden, the phenomenon having been noted for the first time in Zabīd... Show moreThis article focuses on the analysis of glossy inks from a body of manuscripts from Yemen preserved in the University Library of Leiden, the phenomenon having been noted for the first time in Zabīd in the 2000s. Arab sources, including Yemeni, contain ink recipes in which the sparkling effect is sought after and obtained through the use of various ingredients. Laboratory analysis, meanwhile, reveals that the shiny effect results from particles (mica and sand, sometimes with a preparation based on red pigment) spread after the writing exercise. The use of these particles between functionality and aesthetics, which seems to be peculiar to Yemen, is at the center of the study and opens a new field of investigation. Show less
This paper proposes a new chronological classification of the Ancient South Arabian inscriptions of the first millennium BCE. Our proposal is based on recent archaeological and epigraphic... Show moreThis paper proposes a new chronological classification of the Ancient South Arabian inscriptions of the first millennium BCE. Our proposal is based on recent archaeological and epigraphic discoveries, as well as synchronisms with external sources. These data contradict the traditional paleography-based dating and invalidates paleography as a method of dating the South Arabian inscriptions. Show less
The Kanit Museum is the newest, smallest, and least-known of all Yemeni museums. In this paper, the Sabaean inscriptions that are displayed here are published so as to preserve them for future... Show moreThe Kanit Museum is the newest, smallest, and least-known of all Yemeni museums. In this paper, the Sabaean inscriptions that are displayed here are published so as to preserve them for future reference and to add to the so far limited knowledge of Kanit in general. Show less
During the past year, people of the former South Yemen Republic have joined a popular movement demanding fair rule and equal citizenship against which the Yemeni government has taken harsh methods.... Show moreDuring the past year, people of the former South Yemen Republic have joined a popular movement demanding fair rule and equal citizenship against which the Yemeni government has taken harsh methods. While the western world concentrates on Al-Qaida and kidnapped tourists, the movement has taken a visible presence on the Internet, which offers a whole new platform for political protest. Show less
While the presence of Asian women working as domestics in the rich countries of the Arabian Peninsula is a well-known phenomenon, it is less known that also in Yemen a similar trend has occurred.... Show moreWhile the presence of Asian women working as domestics in the rich countries of the Arabian Peninsula is a well-known phenomenon, it is less known that also in Yemen a similar trend has occurred. The majority of these women come from Somalia and Ethiopia, but there are Asian women as well. Why are migrant women employed as domestics? And which role does religion play in their employment? Show less
From 1993 until 1998, Marina de Regt was employed as an anthropologist in what has been regarded as one of the most successful Dutch-financed projects in Yemen: the Hodeida Urban Primary Health... Show moreFrom 1993 until 1998, Marina de Regt was employed as an anthropologist in what has been regarded as one of the most successful Dutch-financed projects in Yemen: the Hodeida Urban Primary Health Care Project in the port city of Hodeida. Working together with a group of young women who were trained as health educators (murshidat sihhiyat), she was impressed by their strength and motivation to bring about social change. Yet, gradually she also gained insight into the more ambiguous elements of their work, as their training and employment had ushered i n new forms of social control. Were the murshidat pioneers, successfully transgressing gender boundaries in Yemen, or were they pawns, deployed to realize the agendas of the Dutch donor and the Yemeni state? Show less
The ISIM project 'Rights at Home: An Approach to the Internalization of Human Rights in Family Relations in Islamic Communities' organized four Capacity Building Workshops in Yemen and Tanzania in... Show moreThe ISIM project 'Rights at Home: An Approach to the Internalization of Human Rights in Family Relations in Islamic Communities' organized four Capacity Building Workshops in Yemen and Tanzania in the summer of 2003. In close cooperation with the local counterparts, the Yemeni Forum for Civil Society and the Tanzanian Sahiba Sisters Foundation a total of 150 participants were invited to come to San'a (21-24 July), Taiz (26-29 July), Aden (31 July-4 August) and Mwanza (9-17 August) respectively to enhance their knowledge and practical implementation of human rights issues within the local family. Show less
The ISIM programme 'Rights at Home: An Approach to the Internalization of Human Rights in Family Relations in Islamic Communities' recently held its first series of sounding board meetings in Yemen... Show moreThe ISIM programme 'Rights at Home: An Approach to the Internalization of Human Rights in Family Relations in Islamic Communities' recently held its first series of sounding board meetings in Yemen: from 4-6 May 2002 the venue was in Sanca, 9 May in Aden, and 11 May in Tacizz. The meetings were jointly organized by the ISIM and the Forum for Civil Society (FCS), a non-governmental organization concerned with the development of democracy, human rights, and civil society, based in Sanca. Show less
The historical city centres in the Middle East are very well endowed with artefacts and significant architecture. The urban fabric found within these rich contexts can be said to be the binding... Show moreThe historical city centres in the Middle East are very well endowed with artefacts and significant architecture. The urban fabric found within these rich contexts can be said to be the binding force of cultural heritage, along with the social qualities and values that are integrated into these urban environments. Yet modernity, globalization, and many other vehicles of radical change have severely affected the traditional urban phenomena of the Middle East. Urban conservation has therefore become imperative, surpassing the typical limited concerns of the restoration and preservation of historical buildings in the region. Show less
One of the salient features of religious life in Yemen in the modern period has been the fading of historically rooted Yemeni forms of Islam. Zaydi scholars, for example, have been reduced to a... Show moreOne of the salient features of religious life in Yemen in the modern period has been the fading of historically rooted Yemeni forms of Islam. Zaydi scholars, for example, have been reduced to a minority group within the body of the ulama and have little say in the running of the country's affairs. The Shafici Sufis of the Hadramaut have faired even worse. The most visible form of Islam, and the one actively promoted by the state, claims to be above the sectarian identities of the Yemenis and ultimately adheres to the Salafi school. This requires explanation since Salafism is not usually associated with Yemen's religious and intellectual history. Show less
Biomedicine's ability to postpone death and prolong life generates ethical dilemmas that are best answered in their cultural context. Medical anthropological fieldwork conducted in Yemen has... Show moreBiomedicine's ability to postpone death and prolong life generates ethical dilemmas that are best answered in their cultural context. Medical anthropological fieldwork conducted in Yemen has allowed for an exploration of doctors' and religious scholars' responses to the interesting cross-cultural issue of whether to inform patients of their terminal conditions. This research is part of a larger study on Yemeni patients and family members who leave their country for reliable, high-tech medical care only available abroad. Show less
