2016 Lectures

Feb. 25, 12:00pm, Johnson Center Room F

Robert Mason (British University in Egypt) - Book Talk: "Muslim Minority-State Relations: Violence, Integration, and Policy"

This volume explores the dominant types of relationships between Muslim minorities and states in different parts of the world, the challenges each side faces, and the cases and reasons for exemplary integration, religious tolerance, and freedom of expression. By bringing together diverse case studies from Europe, Africa, and Asia, this book offers insight into the nature of state engagement with Muslim communities and Muslim community responses towards the state, in turn. This collection offers readers the opportunity to learn more about what drives government policy on Muslim minority communities, Muslim community policies and responses in turn, and where common ground lies in building religious tolerance, greater community cohesion and enhancing Muslim community-state relations.

Oct. 20, 3:00pm, The Hub (SUB II) Meeting Room 1

Mucahit Bilici (John Jay College) - "Said Nursi and Fethullah Gulen: The Rise and Fall of Post-Nurcu Messianism in Turkey"

Fethullah Gulen and his vast network of followers and institutions have played a key role in Turkish politics over the last decade. With the July 15 coup attempt last summer, he has become a subject of even greater curiosity and scrutiny. In this talk, Mucahit Bilici discusses Gulen's relationship to Said Nursi, one of his intellectual sources, and the continuities and discontinuities between the two, with specific attention to the Messianic elements in the thought of both figures. The discussion aims to situate Gulenism in relation to both Nurculuk and Islamism.

 

Syria Panel FlyerOct. 24, 3:00pm, Fenwick Library Reading Room 2001

"Syria: On the Brink(?)" Panel Discussion

For the past five and a half years, analysis on Syria focused on the political, military, and humanitarian aspects of the conflict. This panel will examine its discursive and traumatic dimensions, with an eye to the history of the conflict and the many facets of the current geopolitical escalation.

Panelists include:

  • Bassam Haddad, "Competing Narratives: Syria's Binary Trap"
  • Omar Dahi, "Assessing Dominant Historiographies of the Conflict"
  • Marwa Daoudy, "The Conflict and the Trauma in Syria"
  • Samer Abboud, "Before & After the Stalemate: Syria's Many Futures"

 

Nov. 4, 3:00pm, Johnson Center Room F

Hajjah Maria Ulfah and Anne Rasmussen (William & Mary) - "The Art of Reciting the Qur'an"

Learn how Qur’anic recitation conveys scripture through virtuosic melodies, delicate vocal ornaments, and expert pronunciation of classical Arabic. Indonesian reciter Hajjah Maria Ulfah demonstrates the nuances of recitation, discusses how it is taught to young students, and shares a look inside local and international recitation competitions. Moderating the discussion is Anne Rasmussen of the College of William and Mary and author of Women, the Recited Qur’an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia.