A summer institute on Public Spheres and Muslim Identities took place in Berlin in July 2001 and at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., in August 2002. It was funded by the Alexander von Humboldt... Show moreA summer institute on Public Spheres and Muslim Identities took place in Berlin in July 2001 and at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., in August 2002. It was funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Bonn) and administered by the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, on behalf of an international consortium of institutes for advanced study in Europe and the United States. The projects engendered by the summer institute facilitated discussions on theory and method across disciplinary lines, geographical regions, and historical periods. A follow-up meeting of two of the institute's working groups convened in Florence in September 2003. Show less
Each religion constitutes a distinct system. Failure to recognize this once led many observers of Islam into error, and scholars have therefore tended to move towards purely Islamic categories.... Show moreEach religion constitutes a distinct system. Failure to recognize this once led many observers of Islam into error, and scholars have therefore tended to move towards purely Islamic categories. Universal categories, however, are needed in order for scholars to transcend boundaries between scholarly disciplines and to communicate effectively with the wider public. This is also true with respect to issues such as 'church' and 'mosque' in current debates on authority within Islam, and more precisely, on institutional authority. Show less
A simmering issue in the Islamic world's relations with the West concerning the tension between the sacred and the secular took a particularly violent turn on 11 September 2001 when Usama Bin Laden... Show moreA simmering issue in the Islamic world's relations with the West concerning the tension between the sacred and the secular took a particularly violent turn on 11 September 2001 when Usama Bin Laden and his Al-Qacid a network launched a coordinated assault on the US in the name of sacred duty. The West reacted with stunned surprise. But given the long history of Islamic fundamentalist grievances, is not the West's surprise itself surprising? Show less
In the course of their long and complex history dating to the formative period of Islam, the Ismailis have often been accused of various heretical teachings and practices and a multitude of myths... Show moreIn the course of their long and complex history dating to the formative period of Islam, the Ismailis have often been accused of various heretical teachings and practices and a multitude of myths and misconceptions circulated about them. This is mainly because the Ismailis were, until the middle of the 20th century, studied and evaluated almost exclusively on the basis of the evidence collected or often fabricated by their enemies. It was only from the mid-20th century onwards that studies based on Ismaili sources came to dominate the field, leading to a much less biased understanding of the Ismailiyya. Show less
The visibility of converts to Islam in the media has recently undergone an exponential increase - mainly in the United States. There was the case of Jonny Walker, labelled 'Jonny the Taliban', born... Show moreThe visibility of converts to Islam in the media has recently undergone an exponential increase - mainly in the United States. There was the case of Jonny Walker, labelled 'Jonny the Taliban', born into the wasp upper class, who was apprehended as mujahid in Afghanistan. Then there was Jose Padilla, the would-be terrorist who was seized in an airport loaded with explosives. Finally, John Allen Williams came on the scene. Of Jamaican ancestry, born in Louisiana, this former American soldier in the Gulf War became the serial killer that terrorized Washington in October 2002 by killing 13 people in cold blood . These three tales have nothing in common, apart from the fact that all three protagonists are converts to Islam. Show less
The periodical al-Manar al-Jadid was first published in January 1998 in Cairo. In the words of its editor-inchief, Gamal Sultan, its aim is: 'To establish a civilized and authentic intellectual... Show moreThe periodical al-Manar al-Jadid was first published in January 1998 in Cairo. In the words of its editor-inchief, Gamal Sultan, its aim is: 'To establish a civilized and authentic intellectual forum, to combat the waves of westernization, arbitrariness and opportunism in the Islamic world.' The initiators of the publication include such prominent Islamists as Muhammad cImara, Tariq al-Bishri, Yusuf Qaradawi, and Rashid al-Ghanushi, as well as activists of the younger generation, like kamal habib, a leading member of the Jihad Group in the 1980s. The new periodical is obviously linked to the famous al-Manar issued in 1898 under the patronage of Rashid Rida. Show less
The vocation of the IISMM (Institut d'Etudes de l'Islam et des Sociétés du Monde Musulman) is to make the contemporary world of Islam known and to stimulate the curiosity of a large audience while... Show moreThe vocation of the IISMM (Institut d'Etudes de l'Islam et des Sociétés du Monde Musulman) is to make the contemporary world of Islam known and to stimulate the curiosity of a large audience while developing various high-level research programmes, the duration of which ranges from two to four years. 'La création artistique contemporaine en pays d'Islam' (The contemporary artistic creation in Islamic regions), a programme run by Jocelyne Dakhlia, director of studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, adheres to this perspective. Show less
The Center for Islam & Science (CIS) is dedicated to a creative exploration of the Islamic view of science and to a renewal of links with the intellectual tradition of Islam. The CIS supports... Show moreThe Center for Islam & Science (CIS) is dedicated to a creative exploration of the Islamic view of science and to a renewal of links with the intellectual tradition of Islam. The CIS supports research and activities aimed at enhancing our Islamic and scientific understanding of nature and the human condition. Recognizing an underlying unity in all domains of knowledge, the CIS does not construe 'Islam' and 'science' as two unrelated entities that need to be artificially linked through an external methodology. This fundamental unity stems from tawhid (unicity of God), the foundation of Islamic epistemology. The CIS, therefore, recognizes, honours and builds its vision and strategy on this unifying principle. Accordingly, it considers the physical world (the subject matter of natural sciences) a part of the hierarchy of beings which must be studied in relation to other parts as well as to the greater whole. 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
