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 practical point of view, the question of safety has also entered the debate on wearing headscarves, in particular during sports activities. Show less
With Islamic resurgence, there has been an increased concern that science and technology are not valuefree agents that can be appropriated and expropriated without inducing social and cultural... Show moreWith Islamic resurgence, there has been an increased concern that science and technology are not valuefree agents that can be appropriated and expropriated without inducing social and cultural violence. There is a complex relationship between culture, religion and society on the one side, and science and technology on the other, that is far from being value free. The way people understand and adopt this relationship between culture, science, and technology, can be termed 'technoscientific identities'. This relationship has seldom been explored in the Islamic world. Show less
Until recently, the study of the influence and image of religion in the rich visual art of the Yoruba, the largest ethnic group of Nigeria, was limited to indigenous and Christian religious... Show moreUntil recently, the study of the influence and image of religion in the rich visual art of the Yoruba, the largest ethnic group of Nigeria, was limited to indigenous and Christian religious terrains. However, contacts with Islamic culture predated other non-local religions and are also manifest in the artistic panorama of this group, offering a paradoxical image of enrichment and iconoclasm. A Yoruba saying confirms the antiquated history of Islam in their culture: Show less
Sufism has always marked the practice of Islam in the Balkans, since the Ottoman conquest, especially through the implantation of brotherhood networks. With the withdrawal of the Ottomans, from the... Show moreSufism has always marked the practice of Islam in the Balkans, since the Ottoman conquest, especially through the implantation of brotherhood networks. With the withdrawal of the Ottomans, from the end of the 17th up to the beginning of the 20th century, part of these networks disappeared, since a lot of their members either perished in the wars or fled to Turkey. Another part of these networks remained - especially on the western side of the Peninsula - and continued to regulate the religious as well as the social life of significant Muslim groups. However, in the latter half of the 20t h century, the communist regimes in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania endeavoured to weaken the religious institutions. In Albania, they were even completely dismantled by the authorities in 1967. Show less
Similar to the overall situation in Western Europe, the Muslim youth of Turkish background in Germany are quite different to the generation of their parents. Far from homogeneity, being a Muslim is... Show moreSimilar to the overall situation in Western Europe, the Muslim youth of Turkish background in Germany are quite different to the generation of their parents. Far from homogeneity, being a Muslim is nowadays made up of differentiation, cultural complexity, and mobility at an individual level even if communal features remain relevant. The following aims at briefly reviewing these trends while underlining the opportunities provided by the German context. Show less
The political drama in the Malay archipelago continues to be played out in terms of the traditional Malay-Indonesian shadow theatre: the Wayang of Kerajaan. But it is impossible to deny that the... Show moreThe political drama in the Malay archipelago continues to be played out in terms of the traditional Malay-Indonesian shadow theatre: the Wayang of Kerajaan. But it is impossible to deny that the latest developments in Malaysia and Indonesia have also marked a major shift in the political terrain of the two countries, with the Islamic parties and movements there poised to enter the charmed circle of kerajaan politics once again. This is something to which both the governments and the intellectual communities of the region cannot be indifferent. Show less
For the study of Islam in the Malayo-Indonesian world it is of the utmost importance to know what kind of texts have been and are in circulation. As far as printed Malay (and Arabic) texts are... Show moreFor the study of Islam in the Malayo-Indonesian world it is of the utmost importance to know what kind of texts have been and are in circulation. As far as printed Malay (and Arabic) texts are concerned, in the last decade great progress has been made through the publications of, among others, Virginia Matheson and M.B. Hooker on Jawi Literature in Patani; Martin van Bruinessen on Kitab Kuning; and Ian Proudfoot on early Malay printed books up to 1920. In addition to knowledge of the availability and circulation of printed texts, that of manuscripts is of equal interest. Very important in this respect is the recently published work by Teuku Iskandar, Catalogue of Malay, Minangkabau, and South Sumatran Manuscripts in the Netherlands, 2 vols., Leiden 1999 (ISBN 90-71220-09-5). Show less
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 Muslim community in Poland is one of smallest religious-ethnic groups in the country. The main Muslim group comprises the Tatars, or more precisely Poles of Tatar origin. They have been a part... Show moreThe Muslim community in Poland is one of smallest religious-ethnic groups in the country. The main Muslim group comprises the Tatars, or more precisely Poles of Tatar origin. They have been a part of Polish history and its cultural and religious tradition since the 14th century. The case of the Polish Muslims provides a useful model of how Muslim communities can relate to the wider national communities to which they belong, for instance in Europe, and how, in doing so, they retain their own culture and identity, and contribute positively to these wider communities. Show less
The American Academy of Religion is the world’s largest learned society and professional association of scholars and teachers in the field of religion. Through academic conferences, publications... Show moreThe American Academy of Religion is the world’s largest learned society and professional association of scholars and teachers in the field of religion. Through academic conferences, publications and a variety of programme and membership services, the American Academy of Religion (AAR) fosters excellence in scholarship and teaching. It also aims to advance publication and scholarly communication on religion; to welcome multiple perspectives on the study of religion; to support racial, ethnic and gender diversity within the Academy; and to seek ways to contribute to the public understanding of religion. Show less
Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, many of us in Islamic Studies have found ourselves being asked repeatedly by reporters, students, and even university colleagues to explain and... Show moreSince the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, many of us in Islamic Studies have found ourselves being asked repeatedly by reporters, students, and even university colleagues to explain and interpret Islamic fundamentalism. Certain assumptions often surface in public discussions of Islam. For example, many reporters (and many of my students and colleagues) believe that Islam is an intrinsically violent religion. Another assumption I often encounter is the view that orthodox Muslims (Sunni and Shici) are medieval, irrational, anti-modern, and dangerously anti-Western intellectually. Show less
In October 1998, The Middle East and West Europe Centers of the University of California at Berkeley jointly sponsored a two-day symposium, ‘Islam and the Changing Identity of Europe: Culture,... Show moreIn October 1998, The Middle East and West Europe Centers of the University of California at Berkeley jointly sponsored a two-day symposium, ‘Islam and the Changing Identity of Europe: Culture, Politics and Citizenship in an Era of Globalization’. The programme focused on the deep ideational changes which have been taking place in Europe due to the Muslim populations which have sprung up in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and elsewhere. The symposium explored political and cultural aspects of the emerging identities of these relatively new citizens Ð how they view themselves and how they are viewed by non-Muslim Europeans, as well as how the relatively indigenous populations of Europe are being forced to rethink their own collective identities, both as Europeans and as citizens of specific countries. In their symposium prospectus and introductory remarks the organizers argued that these are no longer migration issues in the traditional sense, because most Muslims in Europe are no longer migrants. Muslim populations have been present in Europe for several generations, although many Europeans have been slow to recognize that Islam is now a European religion. Show less
It has become increasingly important to study the social force of both religion and nationalism in many contemporary movements all over the world in an analytical framework cutting across... Show moreIt has become increasingly important to study the social force of both religion and nationalism in many contemporary movements all over the world in an analytical framework cutting across conventional dichotomies. Until now, social theory as well as Western common sense have been often content to assume an ideological a priori distinction between the nationalist and the religious imagination. Show less
Until the 1970s, 'Islamic societies' were considered homogeneous, facsimiles of each other, founded on immutable religious precepts. This mystique simultaneously situated 'the Islamic world' in the... Show moreUntil the 1970s, 'Islamic societies' were considered homogeneous, facsimiles of each other, founded on immutable religious precepts. This mystique simultaneously situated 'the Islamic world' in the realm of fancy and justified colonialist politics. Yet in recent decades, that approach has been disputed. New scholarship underlines that far from adhering to ordained laws, Muslims must meet earthly realities; far from replicating an ideal, societies with a predominant Muslim population comprise diversity and dissension. Show less
Transnational Communities is a £3.8 million, five-year research programme recently commissioned by the British Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Through a range of commissioned projects,... Show moreTransnational Communities is a £3.8 million, five-year research programme recently commissioned by the British Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Through a range of commissioned projects, conferences and publications, it aims to increase social scientific understanding of the contemporary rise of various kinds of long-distance social networks affecting both local and large-scale economic patterns, international migration, political movements and cultural inter-penetration. Show less
Belief in the existence and powers of ‘saints’ or ‘friend of God’ (wali, pl. awliya) is pervasive throughout the Muslim world. Such individuals are often associated with Sufism, or Islamic... Show moreBelief in the existence and powers of ‘saints’ or ‘friend of God’ (wali, pl. awliya) is pervasive throughout the Muslim world. Such individuals are often associated with Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, though the notion of human perfection probably developed first among the ShI’a. Show less
The famous Hadith ‘seek knowledge, even in China’ expresses a passion that true scholars will always have, although the ways and means of seeking knowledge have changed greatly over the centuries.... Show moreThe famous Hadith ‘seek knowledge, even in China’ expresses a passion that true scholars will always have, although the ways and means of seeking knowledge have changed greatly over the centuries. The hajj was for centuries an important means for Muslims to learn about the world and Islam beyond the local madrasa. Steamship, rail, and air travel made Western scholarship on Islam and Muslim scholarship in the West far more accessible than when this Hadith first began to circulate. Computers and the Web have added a whole new dimension of accessibility. Among institutions, consortia of scholars and departments of Islamic Studies, such as those associated with ISIM, are creating fields such as Islamic Studies across many universities into single venues of study. Another example of interinstitutional cooperation in Islamic religious studies in the south-eastern United States is the Carolina Duke Emory Institute for the Study of Islam (CDEISI). Show less
