C-SAP, Birmingham, 24th October 2011

Islamic Studies:

What, Why and Where Next?

Dr Max Farrar Emeritus Professor, Leeds Metropolitan University

What is the Islamic Studies Network?

2007 Higher Ed Academy (Tony Blair initiative) £3M

Religious Studies, Theology, Language Studies and Linguistics, International Relations, Law, Finance, Management and Business Studies, History, Literature and Textual Studies, Security Studies, Economics, Education, Science, Philosophy, Art, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Politics, Anthropology and Sociology, and interdisciplinary Area Studies (e.g. Middle East, South Asia)

C-SAP (Malcolm Todd & Max Farrar) 2009 – 2012: two volumes of Case Studies, dissemination, legacy

C-SAP Case Studies: Volume 1 (1)

Fieldwork at a Mosque with the Bristol Muslim Cultural Association (sociology. [Andrew Smart]

Muslims, Multiculturalism and the State (sociology/religious studies). [Dr Seán McLoughlin]

Ethnography of Muslim Societies (anthropology/cultural studies/religious studies). [- Dr Seán McLoughlin]

Morality and Belief in Islam (anthropology). [Dr Anita Naoko Pilgrim]

Anthropology of Islam/Muslim Societies (anthropology).[Johan Rasanayagam]

The Inspirational Night Dream in Islam: from the Qur’an to al-Qaeda and the Taliban (anthropology). [Dr Iain R Edgar]

C-SAP Case Studies: Volume 1(2)

The concept of Islamic civil society in Iran (politics). [Paola Rivetti]

Marriage, families and Islam (sociology/anthropology). [Dr Anita Naoko Pilgrim]

A Community of Inquiry: talking to Muslims (philosophy) [Dr Alison Scott-Baumann]

How Muslims and Christians understand concepts of faith today: a case study on the work of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Soren Kierkgaard (religious studies/philosophy). [Imranali Panjwani]

Case Studies: Volume 2 (1)

Bringing Islam and Religion (back) into Social Policy Teaching (social policy). [Rana Jawad]

Developing undergraduate students’ skills in qualitative data analysis through the exploration of on-line Hajj diaries (psychology). [Dr Iain Williamson, Dr John Song & Dr Steven Lyttle]

The Messages Behind Imam al-Husayn’s Martyrdom: How Shi‘i Muslims Commemorate the Tragedy of Karbala (sociology, anthropology, history, theology). [Imranali Panjwani]

Forced Marriage: an issue for social workers (social work, law). [Julie Williams]

International Relations of The Modern Middle East (international relations, politics).[Kamran Matin]

Case Studies: Volume 2 (2)

Seminar on ‘War on Terror - New Racism or Security? (sociology, social policy, criminology). [Madeline-Sophie Abbas]

Western Studies on the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) (religious studies). [Dr Deirdre Burke]

Using of Wiki for Teaching ‘Islam and Modernity’ Module (international politics). [Dr A Gol]

Seminar on Islam and Sexual and Reproductive Health Policymaking (health sciences). [Rosemary Morgan]

Families, sexuality and citizenship in Islam (sociology, anthropology, politics).[~ Anita Naoko Pilgrim]

Why Islamic Studies?

Seemingly irrelevant to most social scientists, but they might consider:

The centrality of religion to the habitus

The role of Islam in developing the science and philosophy of the modern period

The importance of Muslims in multicultural Britain

The framing of Islam and Muslims in the production of the ‘war on terror’

The consequences of this ‘war’ for Muslims worldwide and for civic life in the UK in particular

What next?

Two dissemination and awareness events for social scientists (HEA) in 2011-2

Web-based resources for students working on Islamic Studies (2012)

Sustaining the Islamic Studies Network

o A new academic forum (research and teaching in Islamic Studies)?

o Developing relations with MBRN?