Author: Nassef Manabilang Adiong

Nassef is the founder of Co-IRIS (International Relations and Islamic Studies Research Cohort), PHISO (Philippine International Studies Organization), DSRN (Decolonial Studies Research Network), and BRLN (Bangsamoro Research and Legal Network). He works on interdisciplinary research between Islam and International Relations and explores the Bangsamoro society as he heads the Policy Research and Legal Services (PRLS) of the Bangsamoro Parliament. Visit https://nassef.info/ for more details.

CFA: Oxford Middle Eastern & North African Studies Conference

Oxford, England
2 June 2012
Venue: Lady Margaret Hall (Oxford University)
Call for Abstracts

The annual Middle Eastern and North African Studies Conference in Oxford is a forum for all those who are concerned and would like to have an overall picture of the perspectives emerging from this very crucial zone of our world. This vast expanse of our planet represents lands and nation that are interrelated by historical, cultural, political and religious facts. It may be imprudent to endeavour to achieve an all inclusive comprehension of events in certain sections of this significant area in isolation and without bearing in mind the influences emanating from across the entire zone. Thus holding events such as these could offer a unique opportunity for all interested to come together and put the pieces together.
We invite proposals touching upon all countries in the Middle East and North Africa on areas such as:
Literature and Literary Developments
Politics and International Relations
Education 
Economy, Commerce, Finance and Banking
Society and People
Culture
Art and Cinema
History
Religion and Islam
Media; newspapers, traditional and satellite TV channels, Internet based mediums  
Deadline for Abstracts Submission: 2nd May 2012
All are required to register. For registration form and details, please click below:
Past Events
Islamic Civilisation Conference
Date: 12 November 2011
Venue: Lady Margaret Hall (Oxford University)

 

Concepts:

– Civilisation Concept

– Islamic Civilisation Concept

– Civilisation, Culture and Civility Concepts

 

Sources:

– The Holy Quran

Al Sunna

– Structure of Islamic Faith

– Sources and Nature of Shariah and Ethics in Islam

– Arabic Language

 

Political & Judicial Life:

– Government and Administration Systems

– Formation of Diwans in Early Islam

Judicial Systems

– War and Peace; Their Nature and Philosophy

 

Islamic Economy and Finances:

– Waqf

– Islamic Banking: Its Nature and Pillars

– Islamic Banking: In the Modern World

– Islamic Commerce: Contracts, International Trade &…

– What Islam has to Offer to the Word Economy

 

Science and Technology Dissemination:

-Scientific Movement in the Muslim World and Its Development

– Education throughout History

– Translation Movement

 

Muslims Contributions to Humanities & Social Sciences:

– Literature

– Philosophy

– Comparative Religion

– Law

– Geography

– History

– Arts

 

Muslims Contributions to Sciences:

– Mathematics

– Astrology

– Medicine

– Chemistry

– Physics

– Biology

 

Social Aspects:

-Social Classes in Islam

– Dhimmis and Non Muslim Minorities

– Gender Issues

– State of Family as an Institution in the Muslim World

– The Youth Issues

– Care for the Elderly and Physically Challenged

 

Islamic and Western Civilisations: Clash or Dialogue

– Historical Background

– Dialogue Parameters and Backgrounds

CFP: History and the "New" Middle East and Africa

October 11-13, 2012
Key Bridge Marriott Hotel * Washington, D.C.
ASMEA is currently seeking proposals for paper presentations at the 2012 annual conference. Members from any discipline, tenured or untenured faculty or those otherwise affiliated with a recognized research institution, may submit proposals to participate in the conference. Unique proposals from senior graduate students (ABD) will also be considered. Abstracts on topics related to the Middle East and Africa should consist of a one-page outline of the proposed subject to be presented. A recent C.V. and all contact data must be attached to the proposal (name, e-mail, phone number, affiliation). The due date for proposals is Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Proposals should be sent to: info@asmeascholars.org
Completed papers are due by August 31, 2012.
Referees and Discussants
ASMEA Members interested in participating in the conference as referees of papers or discussants should contact ASMEA by e-mail with a letter of interest containing the topics that can be covered. Please include a C.V. and all current contact data (name, e-mail, phone number) and a brief recitation of your past experience in these roles. Send e-mail to: info@asmeascholars.org
Any questions or for more information, contact ASMEA at             202.429.8860       orinfo@asmeascholars.org

CFP: Religious Movements as Political Actors in the Middle East

Political actors with religious platforms are once more at the forefront in the Middle East today. Especially since the so called ‘Arab Spring’ new constellations offered entirely new possibilities.
In Tunesia and Marocco conservative-islamic parties won the majority in the respective parliaments, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has also become the strongest party in the Maglis. They are accompanied by certain Salafist streams, who in reaction to the ‘democratic rupture’, became politicized. Also Shiite communities in Iraq and Lebanon are almost exclusively represented by parties, which follow a distinct political theology.  
Yet the linkage between religion and politics is not limited to Islam, but can be observed within Christianity and Judaism as well. Israel, for example, faces due to the extraordinary demographic development of the ultra-Orthodox population a cultural war about morals and religious normativity in the public sphere. In the West Bank the agitation of the supposedly statist religious settlers against the Israeli Military reached a new quality. Also Lebanese Christian parties like the al-kata`ib formulate the political demands of their constituency in religiously charged language and symbols.
It is the aim of the panel(s), to analyse background and consequences of the new political strength of religious parties. Central questions are: What are their normative demands in the public sphere? On what religious grounds is the common good of the society founded? Are the actors in a process of democratization? Why get formerly quietisitic movements like the Salafists now politicized?
Presentations can be given in English and German
A publication in an edited volume is intended. Please send proposals until the 04thof June to religionnahost@gmail.com
Peter Lintl, M.A.; Christian Thuselt, M.A.; Christian Wolff, M.A.

The Gulf/2000 Project

This site was developed by the Gulf/2000 Project at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University in New York City. It is designed to make available in a single location a wealth of information on the eight countries of the Persian Gulf region–Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman,Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Click on a flag above to visit one of these countries.

A strategic crossroads, the Persian Gulf contains the world’s greatest reserves of oil and natural gas. Over the past few decades, it has been the site of three major wars, an Islamic revolution, and political and economic changes that have affected every country in the world. It is the home of more than 140 million people, of divers cultures and history, that extend back to the origins of recorded civilization.
Nevertheless, for most non-specialists the Gulf remains a mysterious and even forbidding part of the world. This site hopes to remove some of the mystery. With a few clicks of your mouse, you can visit any of these countries, read their local newspapers, check the latest news from the region, and find information about every aspect of their history, geography, politics, economics, military forces and much more.
We have identified what we believe are the most informative and reliable sources of information about the Persian Gulf. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of every item of information that you may find in the many sources collected here, but we have made it as easy as possible to cross-check facts between data collections located throughout the world.
To learn more about the Gulf/2000 Project click here.


The eight countries of the Persian Gulf region:





CFP: Europe with or without Muslims – Narratives of Europe

Call for Papers for a special issue for the Journal of Muslims in Europe “Europe with or without Muslims – narratives of Europe”

Guest editors:           


Göran Larsson, University of Gothenburg

Riem Spielhaus, University of Copenhagen


We are seeking papers for a special issue of the new double blind-peer reviewed Journal on Muslims in Europe by BRILL to come out in Spring 2013. This special issue seeks to take up tensions in conflicting stories about and different perspectives on Europe’s history and identity that present Europe without Muslims or contrastingly portray Muslims as part of Europe’s past and present.


Under the headline “Europe with or without Muslims – narratives of Europe” we aim to bring together a number of perspectives from multiple disciplinary fields such as history, religious studies, cultural anthropology, political science and sociology in an analysis of diverging accounts and notions of Europe over time and places throughout the continent, open as well to external perspectives. The initial question thereby is, what role Islam and Muslims have played and still play in the imagining of what Europe means. (See more details on different possible themes for contributions below.)


This way we aim to direct our view at the nexus between constructions of Europe and developments within contemporary European Islam providing space both for a critical review of academic approaches and the development of new impulses for future research.


Besides empirical papers we strongly encourage theoretical papers that challenge current research on Islam and Muslims in Europe and reflect on the own position of the researchers and his or her contributions to the construction of Europe and the role and function of Islam and Muslims.


We invite papers that address one of the topics of two sessions described below. Deadline for sending your abstracts: July the 1st 2012<https://secure.mail.ibt.ku.dk/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx>. 


Accepted participants will be notified by July 20, 2012<https://secure.mail.ibt.ku.dk/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx>. 

If your paper is accepted, you must submit the final paper (max 10,000 words inclusive of footnotes) by 20 October 2012<https://secure.mail.ibt.ku.dk/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx>.


Applications to submit a short paper should include: 1. Proposer’s name and affiliation, 2. a title for the paper, 3. a ca. 500 word abstract.


All abstracts and paper should be written in English.


Time frame:

Deadline for abstracts (ca. 500 words): 1 July 2012

Deadline for sending final papers: 20 October 2012

Publication: 15 March 2013


Paper proposals should be send electronically in Microsoft Word formats to Göran Larsson, University of Gothenburg:goran.larsson@religion.gu.se<mailto:goran.larsson@religion.gu.se> and Riem Spielhaus, University of Copenhagen: rsp@teol.ku.dk<mailto:rsp@teol.ku.dk>.


For this special issue we invite papers on the narratives imagining Europe with and without Muslims analyzing contents, actors and setting of those narratives that relate to one or several of the following questions:


1. Localizing debates connecting Europe and Islam:


•    In what way are debates about Europe and its identity mentioning the European past with reference to Muslim’s presence in Europe on the local, regional, national or European Union level? How do these different levels (local, regional, national, transnational) intersect?


2. Imagining Europe without Muslims:


•    What are the main patterns of the dominant constructions of Europe’s heritage like notions of a Judaeo-Christian heritage? Where and by whom are these narratives told? To what extent are they embedded in European integration or projects of community or nation-building?


3. Narratives of Europe inclusive of Muslims:


•    In what cases is the Muslim history of Europe used as counter narrative to question the construction of Europe as a Christian continent? What groups of people insist on an imagination of Europe with Muslims? How are these narratives used to strengthen a feeling of belonging and responsibility of current Muslims?


4. Contextualizing Islam debates in European history of thought:


•    Is it possible to make any comparison between current debates about Islam and Muslims and previous debates about ties between religions and national identities e.g. different Christian denominations in early modern Europe?


5. Imagining Europe from outside:


•    How is the relationship between Europe and its Muslim inhabitants viewed beyond the Mediterranean? Do accounts of European history and presentations of the contemporary Europe from within and without bear considerable differences?