Conversion to Islam has been taking place in the conflict-ridden Mexican state of Chiapas for about ten years. Islam was introduced to the local indigenous population by members of the... Show moreConversion to Islam has been taking place in the conflict-ridden Mexican state of Chiapas for about ten years. Islam was introduced to the local indigenous population by members of the transnational Murabitun movement who founded a commune in the town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, governed by its own rules and protected strictly against outsiders. Show less
On 26 April 2005 Asef Bayat presented his inaugural lecture at Leiden University entitled, “Islam and Democracy: Perverse Charm of an Irrelevant Question,” presented here in extracted form. He... Show moreOn 26 April 2005 Asef Bayat presented his inaugural lecture at Leiden University entitled, “Islam and Democracy: Perverse Charm of an Irrelevant Question,” presented here in extracted form. He posits that Islamist movements in Muslim societies are undergoing a post-Islamist turn characterized by rights instead of duties, plurality in place of a singular authoritative voice, historicity rather than fixed scriptures, and the future instead of the past. The full text of the lecture will be available through ISIM and Leiden University. Show less
Academic freedom in the United States is facing its most important threat since the McCarthy era of the 1950s. In the aftermath of 11 September 2001, government agencies and private organizations... Show moreAcademic freedom in the United States is facing its most important threat since the McCarthy era of the 1950s. In the aftermath of 11 September 2001, government agencies and private organizations have been subjecting universities to an increasingly sophisticated infrastructure of surveillance, intervention, and control. In the name of the war against terrorism, civil liberties have been seriously eroded, open debate limited, and dissent stifled. Show less
In the absence of credible alternatives, “regimefall” is not something to look forward to. Still, when regimefall has been made inevitable by the very internal logic of the regime involved, one... Show moreIn the absence of credible alternatives, “regimefall” is not something to look forward to. Still, when regimefall has been made inevitable by the very internal logic of the regime involved, one cannot but watch, with a certain amount of awe, sorrow, and macabre fascination, the unfolding event. Show less
Higher education is a major success story for ethnic minorities in Britain, a little known fact to most scholars in Britain and elsewhere. Since 1990 when university entry data began to record... Show moreHigher education is a major success story for ethnic minorities in Britain, a little known fact to most scholars in Britain and elsewhere. Since 1990 when university entry data began to record ethnicity the success of minorities has been apparent. Despite evidence to the contrary, some sociological analyses persist in the assumption that non-whiteness (the “race” factor) is equated with educational underachievement. Show less
The Rights at Home Project (R@H) held an Advanced Training Programme (ATP) in Zahle,Lebanon in June and July of 2004. The training focused on challenges and opportunities facing human rights... Show moreThe Rights at Home Project (R@H) held an Advanced Training Programme (ATP) in Zahle,Lebanon in June and July of 2004. The training focused on challenges and opportunities facing human rights activists in Muslim societies and communities. Trainers and trainees rose to the challenge in an inspiring way. Show less
Uzbekistan is experiencing an ambiguous revival of Sufism; while people are rediscovering their religious traditions and Sufi groups are recomposing themselves, at the same time a form of state... Show moreUzbekistan is experiencing an ambiguous revival of Sufism; while people are rediscovering their religious traditions and Sufi groups are recomposing themselves, at the same time a form of state Sufism is emerging. Great mystical masters are celebrated as role models for today’s citizens and their teachings are reinterpreted in a politically correct way. In this respect, post-Soviet Uzbekistan is reinventing itself through its Sufi heritage, while preserving political habits from the recent Soviet past. Show less
Economic prosperity among Chinese Muslims in Xi’an, China, has led to new forms of consumption. Locals consume goods and fashions that point in three directions: towards traditional China, the... Show moreEconomic prosperity among Chinese Muslims in Xi’an, China, has led to new forms of consumption. Locals consume goods and fashions that point in three directions: towards traditional China, the modern West, and the modern Arab world. In the past decade some Chinese Muslim (Hui) women have expanded their wardrobes to include Arabstyle headscarves and robes. These new clothes allow these women to experiment with creating new public identities as modern Muslims in a country where religion has been associated with backwardness. Show less
The murder of Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands (2 November 2004) represents a recent example of how westernized Muslims and converts have been implicated in acts associated with Islamic radicalism... Show moreThe murder of Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands (2 November 2004) represents a recent example of how westernized Muslims and converts have been implicated in acts associated with Islamic radicalism in Europe. Despite widespread interpretations that Islamic radicalization represents the failure of the multiculturalists approach vis-à-vis Muslim immigrants, radicalism can better be explained as the consequence of de-culturation and globalization. Radicals endeavour to reconstruct a “pure” religion outside traditional or Western cultures, outside the very concept of culture itself. Show less
The discourse on multiculturalism in the Netherlands dates to the arrival of the so-called “guest workers” in the late 1950s. By the 1980s, when the Dutch government realized that migration,... Show moreThe discourse on multiculturalism in the Netherlands dates to the arrival of the so-called “guest workers” in the late 1950s. By the 1980s, when the Dutch government realized that migration, initially viewed as temporary, had gained a more permanent character, it started to focus on the integration of the immigrants. Show less
Studies of civil society currently constitute one of the liveliest trends in Islamic studies, especially in the context of the Arab World. These works respond to an intense demand among educated... Show moreStudies of civil society currently constitute one of the liveliest trends in Islamic studies, especially in the context of the Arab World. These works respond to an intense demand among educated publics and academic circles for any exploration of the democratizing potential of Islam; they also explore the very notion of civil society as a conceptual category. Show less
Islamic presence in western Europe is usually perceived as a post-war immigration phenomenon. However, early in the twentieth century Muslims were also sojourning on a regular basis in Europe,... Show moreIslamic presence in western Europe is usually perceived as a post-war immigration phenomenon. However, early in the twentieth century Muslims were also sojourning on a regular basis in Europe, where they founded provisions and accommodations for their religious needs. The French city Marseilles is an interesting site for a historical reconstruction of representations about Islam and mosques in Europe. In colonial times, Muslims –mostly colonial workers or soldiers in the French colonial armies—frequented Marseilles. Since the 1950s, large numbers of Muslims arrived in the city as migrant labourers, and many settled there to become permanent residents. Show less
Divination is one of the most resistant institutions of ritual life in West African countries such as Senegal and Gambia. Rather than being practised at the margins of an Islamic orthodoxy,... Show moreDivination is one of the most resistant institutions of ritual life in West African countries such as Senegal and Gambia. Rather than being practised at the margins of an Islamic orthodoxy, Senegambian divination is embedded in and integrating other forms of Islamic ritual. By focusing on the existential value of these practices rather than on their outward formal aspects, divination and Islam come into view as sharing in the construction of a cultural space of hope and prospect that allows the subject to deal with his or her most urgent concerns, predicaments, and afflictions. Show less
