The imposition of often extreme restrictions and the daily use of violence have severely affected Palestinian society. Numerous curfews and roadblocks prevent people from visiting relatives and... Show moreThe imposition of often extreme restrictions and the daily use of violence have severely affected Palestinian society. Numerous curfews and roadblocks prevent people from visiting relatives and friends, and from travelling for work or education. As a result of the 'real' disruption of their lives, an increasing number of Palestinians compensate their loss of freedom by 'virtual' mobility on the Internet. In doing so, they reconstruct the notion of a transnational Palestinian community and identity. Show less
In the debates on the issue of secularism and Islam the Turkish Republic is often mentioned as an example of how a Muslim society can be governed by secular principles. Secularism implies the... Show moreIn the debates on the issue of secularism and Islam the Turkish Republic is often mentioned as an example of how a Muslim society can be governed by secular principles. Secularism implies the separation of religion and state. A careful reading of textbooks used in universal religious education reveal that Turkish secularism does not only entail state control over the meaning of religion, but that religion is also used to promote nationalism, militarism, and the existing economic order. Show less
On the occasion of his stepping down as the first Academic Director of ISIM and ISIM Chair at Leiden University, and to mark his resumption of full-time research, Brinkley Messick honours one of... Show moreOn the occasion of his stepping down as the first Academic Director of ISIM and ISIM Chair at Leiden University, and to mark his resumption of full-time research, Brinkley Messick honours one of our leading international scholars of the shari'a, Muhammad Khalid Masud. Messick has been closely involved in Masud's research programme 'Social Construction of Shari'a' , most recently in the workshop 'Anthropologies of Islamic Law' (see pg. 9). Show less
There is a growing interest in the role of converts to Islam in Europe and the United States. However, whereas most converts to Islam appear to be women, this fact has been relatively neglected.... Show moreThere is a growing interest in the role of converts to Islam in Europe and the United States. However, whereas most converts to Islam appear to be women, this fact has been relatively neglected. The ISIM workshop on 'Gender and Conversion to Islam', held from 16 to 17 May 2003 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, was aimed to readdress this imbalance by focusing on gender and conversion to Islam in the West. Nine scholars from various countries and different disciplines were invited to compare their research material. Show less
A quarter of a century of wars ending in military triumphs - by the Mujahideen against the Red Army and the Communist regimes; by the Taliban and al-Qaeda against the Mujahideen-Northern Alliance... Show moreA quarter of a century of wars ending in military triumphs - by the Mujahideen against the Red Army and the Communist regimes; by the Taliban and al-Qaeda against the Mujahideen-Northern Alliance forces; and most recently by the US-led international coalition against the Taliban and al-Qaeda - have proven that achieving victory in the battlefield is easier than translating that victory into desired political objectives. The persistence of political failures following military victories in Afghanistan calls for a reasoned explanation of this major gap between means and ends, and a way out of the painful cycle of violence in the country. Show less
The ISIM roundtable Veiled Politics (30 October 2003) aimed at rethinking the politics of veiling practices in the Islamic world and in Europe. The roundtable included presentations by Annelies... Show moreThe ISIM roundtable Veiled Politics (30 October 2003) aimed at rethinking the politics of veiling practices in the Islamic world and in Europe. The roundtable included presentations by Annelies Moors (ISIM), Linda Herrera (Population Council, Cairo), Saba Mahmood (University of California, Berkeley and ISIM Visiting Fellow), and Mayanthi Fernando (University o f Chicago). The convenor was Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali (ISIM). Show less
The various understandings of Islam which fall under the rubric of 'progressive' are both continuations of, and radical departures fro m,the hundred and fifty year old tradition of liberal Islam.... Show moreThe various understandings of Islam which fall under the rubric of 'progressive' are both continuations of, and radical departures fro m,the hundred and fifty year old tradition of liberal Islam. Liberal advocates of Islam generally display an uncritical, almost devotional identification with modernity, and often (but do not always) by-pass discussions of colonialism and imperialism. Progressive advocates of Islam, on the other hand, are almost uniformly critical of colonialism, both of its nineteenth century manifestation and its current variety. Progressive Muslims espouse a critical and non-apologetic 'multiple critique' with respect to both Islam and modernity. They are undoubtedly postmodern in the sense of their critical approach to modernity. That double engagement with the varieties of Islam and modernity, plus an emphasis on concrete social action and transformation, is the defining characteristic of progressive Islam today. Show less
For the first time in its history the World Congress of Philosophy met in a Muslim majority country. The meeting venue was more than symbolic for it confirmed philosophy's potential to be a... Show moreFor the first time in its history the World Congress of Philosophy met in a Muslim majority country. The meeting venue was more than symbolic for it confirmed philosophy's potential to be a universal discourse. Similarly, the choice of this year's theme, 'Philosophy Facing World Problems', points to the desire and potential of philosophy to engage in urgent problems o f the world. When analysed carefully, however, neither of these claims can be said to have been realized. Show less
Who of you is fasting?', I asked the thirteen students who took my course 'Introduction to Islam'. One single hand at the back of the classroom was raised. This course was part of an exchange... Show moreWho of you is fasting?', I asked the thirteen students who took my course 'Introduction to Islam'. One single hand at the back of the classroom was raised. This course was part of an exchange programme that sends European teachers to post-Soviet republics, and I had come to Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, in order to teach some courses in social anthropology for one semester. This particular course was attended by students of sociology, political science, and ethnology, who referred to themselves as Muslims. And yet, their formal knowledge of Islam was minimal. I suppose nobody can blame them for this, as they have grown up in a society that has previously been declared 'atheist' and is nowadays considered to be secular. For me, as their teacher - from Europe and a Christian - realizing that I knew a lot more about 'their' religion than they did was extremely awkward. 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 appearance of a small number of students wearing the face-veil or niqab at two unrelated universities, The American University in Cairo and Leiden University, led to official bans on face... Show moreThe appearance of a small number of students wearing the face-veil or niqab at two unrelated universities, The American University in Cairo and Leiden University, led to official bans on face covering. The bans were justified on remarkably similar grounds, at the core of which were arguments that face covering is inherently incompatible with principles and practices of liberal education. Yet the prohibition of face veiling speaks t o issues far larger than pedagogy in liberal educational settings; it gets to the core of critical issues relating to integration, liberalism and the possibly uneasy place of Islam in it all. Show less
Over the last years Dale Eickelman has been in close contact with Muhammad Khalid Masud while at the ISIM. Often, while travelling the globe and changing flights at Amsterdam's international... Show moreOver the last years Dale Eickelman has been in close contact with Muhammad Khalid Masud while at the ISIM. Often, while travelling the globe and changing flights at Amsterdam's international airport, the two would meet over lunch or breakfast. Eickelman paid frequent visits to the ISIM office, also in his capacity as member of the ISIM Academic Committee, and participated in several of its workshops. T h e friendship between the two scholars dates back to the 1980s. On the occasion of Masud's retirement, the anthropologist reflects on his career and their mutual interests. Show less
In recent years, fiqh al-aqalliyat, or Islamic law for Muslim minorities, has incited a great deal of interest among Muslim scholars. The growth of fiqh al-aqalliyat as a topic of debate is a... Show moreIn recent years, fiqh al-aqalliyat, or Islamic law for Muslim minorities, has incited a great deal of interest among Muslim scholars. The growth of fiqh al-aqalliyat as a topic of debate is a recognition of the relevance of Islamic law for a considerable number of Muslims living in non-Muslim countries, in particular in the West. It has revealed the complexities that Muslims face in reconstructing such laws in the context of migration and post-migration. Traditional Islamic law lacks provisions for Muslims living permanently in non-Muslim countries. Fiqh al-aqalliyat is an attempt to fill this gap and to reconstruct an Islamic legal theory to deal with questions of Islamic law for Muslims living under non-Islamic legal systems. Show less
Academic studies increasingly examine the relationship between the social organization of space, gender and sexuality in contemporary Muslim societies. Such studies tend to consider historical,... Show moreAcademic studies increasingly examine the relationship between the social organization of space, gender and sexuality in contemporary Muslim societies. Such studies tend to consider historical, socio-political and religious notions associated with the veil, or chador, as it is traditionally known in Iran. Whether bound up with the concept of male/female spatial binaries or closely involved with aspects of space that create visual and physical control, studies rarely deal with the veil as an entity that can be understood as a secondary space, or a 'habitat' which clinches women's bodies in public. Show less
The three-day conference of the African Association for the Study of Religions (AASR) will be held from February 5-8 2004, and hosted by the Department for the Study of Religions, University of... Show moreThe three-day conference of the African Association for the Study of Religions (AASR) will be held from February 5-8 2004, and hosted by the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, at Legon. It will be an important forerunner of the next International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR) Congress planned for March 24-30 2005, in Tokyo. The conference is sponsored by the IAHR and the ISIM. Show less
As Operation Iraqi Freedom has come to a close, the US has declared victory in achieving its objectives. Given the rapid pace of this campaign, most analysis focused on the course of events, with... Show moreAs Operation Iraqi Freedom has come to a close, the US has declared victory in achieving its objectives. Given the rapid pace of this campaign, most analysis focused on the course of events, with little academic and often inaccurate assessment of the war and its aftermath in Iraq. Such assessments are crucial when addressing the question of whether Iraq will survive as a viable state, as well as what form it will take. Faulty forecasts about Iraq's future, combined with failing to understand its internal political dynamics could have disastrous effects on both the Iraqi people and the American and UK forces stationed there. Show less
The central function of the ISIM is to conduct and promote research in contemporary 'Muslim societies'. The term refers to both a 'particular' culture and a geographical area of the world, albeit... Show moreThe central function of the ISIM is to conduct and promote research in contemporary 'Muslim societies'. The term refers to both a 'particular' culture and a geographical area of the world, albeit one which is dispersed across the Middle East, South and South-East Asia and Africa. While the term may offer a common identity for scholars working on countries ranging from Morocco and Iran to India and Indonesia, it can also invoke a sense of anxiety and hesitation. It is not just that as an analytical category 'Muslim societies' may be vague and therefore lacks coherence, but some may fear that it can cause more intellectual harm than benefit. By employing such a broad category are we not in a sense 're-orientalizing' Muslim societies and cultures, constructing homogenous entities where they do not exist? Is it valid to speak of, say, 'Christian societies' or 'Buddist societies'? Does the category 'Muslim societies' not imply that we consider religion, i.e., Islam, as the defining feature of these societies? Finally, would this category not exclude, and otherize, the non-religious and non-Muslim from membership in Muslim majority nations? While such questions address legitimate concerns, I would like to suggest that 'Muslim societies' can serve as a useful analytical category. Show less
There has been a growing political urgency in several Western European countries to institutionalize and create facilities for imamtraining. With the formation of the Conseil Français du Culte... Show moreThere has been a growing political urgency in several Western European countries to institutionalize and create facilities for imamtraining. With the formation of the Conseil Français du Culte Musulman (CFCM) earlier this year the French government aims to create a uniform training system for imams. This state-sponsored institutionalization of Islam offers more 'traditional' organizations the opportunity to appropriate 'French Islam', possibly at the expense of alternative structures that have emerged in the French Muslim community over the last few decades. Show less
ISIM and The Working Group Modernity and Islam of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin collaborated for the third workshop of the project 'Jewish and Islamic Hermeneutics as Historical Critique'. The... Show moreISIM and The Working Group Modernity and Islam of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin collaborated for the third workshop of the project 'Jewish and Islamic Hermeneutics as Historical Critique'. The latest workshop was held in Leiden from 23-26 October 2003 under the title, 'Textuality, Intertextuality: Interactive Cultural Practices in Judaism and Islam'. Show less
