The IISMM, a research centre of the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), is devoted to the study of societies and cultures in the Muslim world. It is organized around a group of... Show moreThe IISMM, a research centre of the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), is devoted to the study of societies and cultures in the Muslim world. It is organized around a group of scholars representing all the social sciences of the regions where Islam is present: anthropology, history, anthropology and history of law, political science, linguistics, and sociology. Its goal is to simultaneously amplify and mobilize existing resources by providing support for research projects conceived by specialists of Islam and societies of the Muslim world. Show less
The workshop on 'Family and Family Law in Asia and the Middle East', convened by ISIM and the Working Group Modernity and Islam (30 June - 1 July 2000) at the Institute for Islamic Studies, Free... Show moreThe workshop on 'Family and Family Law in Asia and the Middle East', convened by ISIM and the Working Group Modernity and Islam (30 June - 1 July 2000) at the Institute for Islamic Studies, Free University of Berlin, aimed at creating a network of scholars and scholar-activists currently based in the West, who employ a social science methodology and perspective in the study of family law, its history, its regional developments and its interpretation by courts. Show less
Millions of words are published every year by and about the peoples of the Mediterranean. Its place at the crux of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and its historical importance overlaid... Show moreMillions of words are published every year by and about the peoples of the Mediterranean. Its place at the crux of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and its historical importance overlaid with presentday relevance means that Mediterraneans are never far from the news. Many cultures, speaking many tongues, have shared interests and concerns, even if the act of sharing often seems more like smash and grab. Yet among all the words and images there are a precious few voices saying just what it is to be a Mediterranean today. Show less
There are a few trees left in Beirut, but their branches are no longer to be seen. Large pictures of men are hanging on them. There are many grey concrete buildings in Lebanon (we call them boxes).... Show moreThere are a few trees left in Beirut, but their branches are no longer to be seen. Large pictures of men are hanging on them. There are many grey concrete buildings in Lebanon (we call them boxes). They are now quite colourful thanks to the multitude of men's portraits covering their facades. There is a wonderful old building on Sodeco square: a magnificent skeleton reminding us incessantly of the civil war and its destructive power. It is no longer proudly defying the developers who want to erase it to plague Beirut with another concrete box. It stands there like a desolate past looking helplessly at the ridicule it has to endure: its ornate old columns have been turned into hangers for the pictures of more men, more wishful candidates in the Lebanese parliamentary elections of August 2000. Show less
The more than a decade-old civil war in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, which till today shows no sign of abating, has resulted in the death of an estimated 40,000 people. Inter-community... Show moreThe more than a decade-old civil war in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, which till today shows no sign of abating, has resulted in the death of an estimated 40,000 people. Inter-community relations, which have historically been relatively cordial as compared to the rest of South Asia, have sharply deteriorated, and today a gulf of hostility and suspicion separates Hindus and Muslims. However, despite this hardening of communal boundaries, at the popular level many Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus in the Jammu province continue to share a common religious culture, centred round the shrines (dargahs) of Sufi saints. Show less
Because of calls in northern Nigeria for the full implementation of sharia, Islamic law in Africa has received much attention recently. The spotlight usually falls on the other side of the... Show moreBecause of calls in northern Nigeria for the full implementation of sharia, Islamic law in Africa has received much attention recently. The spotlight usually falls on the other side of the continent - on the Sudan - since the promulgation of the 1983 'legal revolution' of Numayri and where no constitutional debate has been free of major political struggles over the question of sharia. But apart from these two sub-Saharan countries, there is very little general knowledge on or scholarship about the history, ethnography or politics of Islamic law on the continent. Yet because of the Muslim presence, in large or small numbers, in the populations of all African countries, recognition of Islamic laws in many African states has, since independence, been fraught with political controversy. In certain cases, it is part of 'customary law', in others it stands independently but always secondary to state law and maintains a curious relation to customary law. 'Muslim personal law' has been and continues to be a focus of debate in Muslim communities and often a source of tension in national politics. Show less
The discourse on re-enacting Islamic law in the post-Soviet North Caucasus uses key terms such as sharia courts, highland Muslim traditions, and Islamic insurgency. What seems important here is to... Show moreThe discourse on re-enacting Islamic law in the post-Soviet North Caucasus uses key terms such as sharia courts, highland Muslim traditions, and Islamic insurgency. What seems important here is to shed light on these notions by answering such questions as: To what extent do these terms reflect the post-Soviet legal reality or diverge from it? What can be said of the sharia mythology shared by both adherents and opponents of re-Islamization in the North Caucasus? What is the historical background of discourse on sharia courts? Show less
The Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, located on the island of Borneo, has a small but diverse population. The majority of the population adheres to Islam, which is manifest at many levels of Brunei... Show moreThe Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, located on the island of Borneo, has a small but diverse population. The majority of the population adheres to Islam, which is manifest at many levels of Brunei society. Indeed, this monarchy is founded upon the teachings of Islam and the state supports the institutional development of the faith. A third of the population, however, belongs to various non-Muslim faiths, with their own religious institutions and organizations, particularly among the ethnic Chinese community. Show less
The predominant conception of international aid remains anchored in a dualistic vision of the world: a 'North' considered wealthy and developed comes to the rescue of a poor and under-developed ... Show moreThe predominant conception of international aid remains anchored in a dualistic vision of the world: a 'North' considered wealthy and developed comes to the rescue of a poor and under-developed 'South'. The 'civilizing' missions that justified 19th-century imperialism were substituted by themes - such as 'third world-ism' and development aid - of the second half of the 20th century. After the Biafra war, defence of fundamental human rights begins to justify claims to the 'right to intervene' as practised by nongovernmental organizations, such as Doctors without Borders, setting the tone for what humanitarian action should be. Show less
In cooperation with the Scherpenzeel Media Foundation, the ISIM held its first Journalists Day on 5 June 2000 in Utrecht. Aimed at journalists with an interest in contemporary Islam, the main topic... Show moreIn cooperation with the Scherpenzeel Media Foundation, the ISIM held its first Journalists Day on 5 June 2000 in Utrecht. Aimed at journalists with an interest in contemporary Islam, the main topic of the day was political Islam in the Middle East and Central Asia with a special focus on Iran and Afghanistan. The Journalists Day was unique in that it brought together scientists and reporters who work in the same field and under similar circumstances, though often with different goals. The input of the speakers - Salah Negm, Olivier Roy and Nazif Shahrani - gave substance to interesting discussions, although it became apparent that scholarly and media discourses do not always coincide. Bertus Hendriks (Radio Netherlands) chaired over all sessions. Show less
Islamic architectural influences in Britain from India and Andalusia go back to the 18th century. Inspiration from the Middle East appears in private houses, synagogues and mosques from the 19th... Show moreIslamic architectural influences in Britain from India and Andalusia go back to the 18th century. Inspiration from the Middle East appears in private houses, synagogues and mosques from the 19th century. Since the immigration and growth of a British Muslim community in the last fifty years, purpose-built mosques have been constructed and have absorbed an older 'orientalist tradition'. Other mosques have been converted cinemas, private houses, churches and factories, often with some decoration intended to Islamize the building. Show less
Muslims in Nepal are comprised of Indian migrants and their descendants. A large majority of them live in the southern plain areas, while a certain percentage of the Muslim population live in... Show moreMuslims in Nepal are comprised of Indian migrants and their descendants. A large majority of them live in the southern plain areas, while a certain percentage of the Muslim population live in certain villages of the hill districts and the Kathmandu Valley. This geographic range has a profound impact on their lifestyles, cultural activities and even their religious practices. The Muslims of Nepal are categorically divided into different ethnic types, distinguishable by religious behaviours, language, beliefs, and relations with the local Hindus. Show less
The installation of large numbers of Muslim immigrants in Western Europe and the United States has contributed to a renewed interest in Islamic law in these countries. Knowledge of Islamic law is... Show moreThe installation of large numbers of Muslim immigrants in Western Europe and the United States has contributed to a renewed interest in Islamic law in these countries. Knowledge of Islamic law is considered necessary in order to understand the behaviour of Muslims, especially in cases in which it conflicts with indigenous norms in Western societies. In addition to the emphasis on Islamic law, it is important also to study the diversity of norms governing the behaviour of Muslims. Apart from sharia, norms related to state law and to local customs are also signficant as is the relationship between these different sets of norms considered in a historical perspective. Show less
Ever since Islam came to Bengal in the 13th century (and probably earlier, through individual Muslims' interaction with local bearers of other traditions) it participated, via a merging of Sufi... Show moreEver since Islam came to Bengal in the 13th century (and probably earlier, through individual Muslims' interaction with local bearers of other traditions) it participated, via a merging of Sufi inputs with vernacular strands of Vaisnavism (Vishnuism), tantrism and local folk cults, in a very rich blend of religious beliefs and practices in the lower strata of society. The Fakir, as a sub-section of the Bengali Bául with a more or less defined Muslim identity, are at present the largest group in Bengal perpetuating this form of 'Islamic syncretistic tradition', to use Asim Roy's phrase. In the complex picture of present-day religious politics of East and West Bengal, and in the context of Bangladesh as the second largest Muslim country in the world, these Fakir seem, somewhat paradoxically, to be both under threat and very much alive as contributors to local spiritual and cultural vitality at a grassroots level. Show less
The relations between Islamic revival and ethnic allegiances are all too often presented as being in opposition. Islamic identity - and this dimension is very present in Islamic discourse - is by... Show moreThe relations between Islamic revival and ethnic allegiances are all too often presented as being in opposition. Islamic identity - and this dimension is very present in Islamic discourse - is by its very nature dedicated to transcending the centrifugal tendencies of ethnicity, of nationalism or of any form of segmentarism. In the face of ideological discourse, the social imaginaries of the interested parties are contradictory. Arab nationals in Switzerland affirm an engaged Muslim identity by a rejection of national and cultural ethnicities, while the Turks affirm their Muslim identity by borrowing the paths of ethnicity. These divergences from the trajectory of 'Islamization' have less to do with cultural differences between places of origin than with forms of social change that have diversely affected these two populations of Muslim origin since their settling on Helvetic territory. Show less
The appearance of Muslim populations in the Balkans dates back to the presence of the Ottoman Empire in the region (14t h century - beginning of the 20th century) and is due to the conversion of... Show moreThe appearance of Muslim populations in the Balkans dates back to the presence of the Ottoman Empire in the region (14t h century - beginning of the 20th century) and is due to the conversion of local populations to Islam (essentially Albanians and Slavs) or to the settlement of Turkic-speaking Muslim populations from Anatolia. Show less
Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the reintroduction of sharica law relating to gender and the family, women's rights suffered a major setback. However, as the implementers of the law... Show moreFollowing the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the reintroduction of sharica law relating to gender and the family, women's rights suffered a major setback. However, as the implementers of the law have faced the social realities of women's lives and aspirations, positive changes have gradually come about. Since the late 1980s there has been a growing debate in Iranian books and journals between proponents of different approaches to gender in Islam. During 1995, a series of discussions were held with clerical contributors to the debate in which clarification was sought for the jurisprudential bases for their approaches to gender issues. Show less
The Hacibektaüs festival has become, in the last decade, the main public event of Alevism in Turkey. It is characterized both by its undetermined nature between religion, culture, folklore and... Show moreThe Hacibektaüs festival has become, in the last decade, the main public event of Alevism in Turkey. It is characterized both by its undetermined nature between religion, culture, folklore and politics, and by the diversity of its participants and scenes. The process of assertion of a contested identity and negotiation of public space are vital to understanding Alevism as it exists today. Show less
