History Commons^™

It Started With A Cat Fight; A Story And A Call To Grow Out Of The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Kathryn Fehrman

Kathryn Fehrman

This is the story of how the Arab-Israeli conflict originally began centuries ago.

The Optional Ramadan Fast: Debating Q. 2.184 In The Early Turkish Republic, Brett Wilson

Brett Wilson

No abstract provided.

Gina Nahai: Reclaiming Jewish Iranian Identity In The American Diaspora, Mojgan Behmand

Mojgan Behmand

Whose India?: The Independence Struggle In British And Indian Fiction And History, Teresa Hubel

Teresa Hubel

For centuries, India has captured our imagination. Far more than a mere geographical presence, India is also an imaginative construct shaped by competing cultures, emotions, and ideologies. In Whose India? Teresa Hubel examines literary and historical texts by the British and Indian writers who gave meaning to the construct “India” during the final decades of the Empire. Feminist and postcolonial in its approach, this work describes the contest between British imperialists and Indian nationalists at that historical moment when India sought to achieve its independence; that is, when the definition, acquisition, and ownership of India was most vehemently at …

Translating The Qur'an In An Age Of Nationalism: Print Culture And Modern Islam In Turkey, Oxford University Press, Brett Wilson

Brett Wilson

No abstract provided.

Anatomy Of Dissent In Islamic Societies, Ahmed Souaiaia

Ahmed E SOUAIAIA

The 'Arab Spring' that began in 2011 has placed a spotlight on the transfer of political power in Islamic societies, reviving old questions about the place of political dissent and rebellion in Islamic civilization and raising new ones about the place of religion in modern Islamic societies.

In Anatomy of Dissent in Islamic Societies, Ahmed E. Souaiaia examines the complex historical evolution of Islamic civilization in an effort to trace the roots of the paradigms and principles of Islamic political and legal theories. This study is one of the first attempts at providing a fuller picture of the place of …

Inquisition In Early Islam: The Competition For Political And Religious Authority In The Abbasid Empire, John Turner

John P. Turner

In 833 CE, the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun began a period of inquisition (mihna), one which continued until his successor al-Mutawakkil decreed its end, fifteen years later. During this period, the Caliphs in power strove to promote 'correct belief' in the 'createdness' of the Qur'an, thus ordering the interrogation of religious scholars, and disqualifying, punishing or even executing those who answered incorrectly. Here, John P. Turner examines this major episode, viewing it as a pivotal point in the struggle between the temporal authorities and religious law in the Middle East. By examining the definition of 'heresy', Turner presents a vivid account …

The End Of The Miḥna, John Turner

John P. Turner

Why did al-Mutawakkil end the Miḥna? The usual answer to this question assumes that he was acknowledging the inevitable victory of the ulamā. He is seen to be `cutting his losses' by restoring and enforcing orthodoxy as the traditionalist ulamā saw it. In this article I offer a different answer. Al-Mutawakkil ended the Miḥna as one part of his broader effort to establish his position as sovereign and independent of the individuals and structures that had carried over from al-Wāthiq's reign. Eliminating the Miḥna was one strategy deployed in undermining and eliminating the “kingmakers” who had placed him on the …

The Abnā' Al-Dawla: The Definition And Legitimation Of Identity In Response To The Fourth Fitna, John Turner

John P. Turner

This article will reopen the question about the identity and provenance of the abnā' al-dawla. Who were they? When did they form as a collective and why? The standard view is that the abnā' al-dawla were the backbone of the Abbasid dynasty, coming into existence with that regime after the revolution circa 132/750 and consisting of the original fighters from Khurasan and their descendants, who formed an elite social and political structure of supporters. This privileged status accorded them the moniker abnā' al-dawla (sons/supporters of the dynasty).

Turning To The Past For Future Peace, Randa Farah

Randa R Farah Dr.

No abstract provided.

Iraqi Day Of Violence (Panel Discussion), John Turner, Michael O'Brien

John P. Turner

No abstract provided.

America And Political Islam, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

I received this book before 11 September 2001 and am reviewing it in the aftermath of that day. One could not imagine a more intense crucible in which to view a work on political Islam. Under the glare of the fiery collapse at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and with bombs falling on Taliban and al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, the work of an author and a reviewer requires even greater scrutiny.

Kordofan Invaded, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

The history of Sudan still reflects the country's struggle to find its identity between Middle Eastern and African studies. Even within Sudan, there are spheres of interest ranging from the expanding ancient studies of Nubia to the protracted conflict between so-called Afro-Arab northerners and Nilotic southerners. Lost in these expanding domains are the histories of eastern Sudan and Kordofan to the west. Even the historiography of Sennar and Darfur is far better established than that of Kordofan. Thus, the very title of the book being reviewed suggests that Kordofan is an "invaded" and "peripheral" area on the edge of the …

Seed Of Redemption, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

It is hard to imagine that a single author could so consistently produce published works of the highest quality, with great creativity, on diverse subjects for a variety of audiences. Dr. Deng has made pioneering contributions to law and anthropology as well as to the analysis and practice of foreign relations and diplomacy, so perhaps it is not surprising that in writing his first novel, he should do very well again.

Black Athena Writes Back, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

Martin Beral has been defending Black Athena since 1987. By now, most scholars have drawn their own conclusions in various forums. In short, Bernal seeks to overthrow the dominant paradigm about the connections of Greco-Roman civilization to Egypt and the Near East. He attacked its logic and methodology and criticized possible contamination with anti-Semitism and reluctance to see Egyptian civilization, located in Africa, as an influence upon Greek civilization. I looked forward to the logic and evidence of his defense and especially to learn of any new ideas that Beral might present.

Cry Of The Owl / Book Review, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

Some may mistake this book for Francis Deng's sequel to his Seed of Redemption. True, this book builds on earlier themes and the setting has its similarities. This book is also destined to take a place of significance in Sudanese literature. Even with the thematic convergences, the issues at hand are so vital to the understanding of Sudanese culture and politics that they require deeper analysis.

Imperial Power And Dictatorship: Britain And The Rise Of Reza Shah, 1921-1926, Michael Zirinsky

Michael Zirinsky

A quarter of a century on from the revolution of 1979 there is an ongoing political struggle within Iran between traditionalists and modernists, with the ever-younger average age of the population playing a dynamic role. And on the international stage, the big issues remain Iran’s hostility towards Israel and the development of nuclear power in the face of US and international opposition. This is all in addition to the oil question and the strategic interest of Russia, an issue which harks back to the nineteenth century but remains unresolved, as well as Iran’s concern about the proper stewardship of the …

Al-Afshīn, Heretic, Rebel Or Rival?, John Turner

John P. Turner

No abstract provided.

Palestinian Refugees And Their Oral Histories: History's Silence, Memory's Burden, Randa Farah

Randa R Farah Dr.

No abstract provided.

Contesting Justice: Women, Islam, Law, And Society, Ahmed Souaiaia

Ahmed E SOUAIAIA

No abstract provided.

Islamic Law, The Iraqi Constitution And Fundamentalisms In Modernists' Discourses, John Turner

John P. Turner

No abstract provided.

Riza Shah's Abrogation Of Capitulations, 1927-1928, Michael Zirinsky

Michael Zirinsky

No abstract provided.

Onward Christian Soldiers: Presbyterian Missionaries And The Ambiguous Origins Of American Relations With Iran, Michael Zirinsky

Michael Zirinsky

Papers presented at a conference held at the Rockefeller Foundation Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy, in August 2000. This project on "Altruism and imperialism" was initiated by the Middle East Institute of Columbia University.

The Natufian Human Skeletal Remains From Wadi Hammeh 27 (Jordan), Steve Webb, Phillip C. Edwards

Steve Webb

This report describes skeletal remains from the early Natufian site of Wadi Hammeh 27 in Jordan. At least seven individuals are represented, and although small, the collection is notable for the eclecticism of its mortuary practice. Modes of mortuary disposal and ritual include a single-primary burial, a collective-secondary burial, burnt human cranial fragments disposed in residential contexts, and the ochre staining of bones. The two burials come from the lowest phase of the site, with fragmentary burials and smaller amounts of material issuing from the upper phases. The primary inhumation is marked by a neighbouring pit, which seems to be …

The Eleanor Of Aquitaine Vase, William Ix Of Aquitaine, And Muslim Spain, George Beech

George T. Beech

The Eleanor of Aquitaine vase in the Louvre has long been known as one of the rare modern survivals of the famous treasury of the royal abbey of Saint-Denis carefully assembled by Abbot Suger in the mid twelfth century. Suger's own inscription on his elaborate mounting for the vase tells how it came into his possession through Eleanor of Aquitaine's grandfather, William IX of Aquitaine, Eleanor herself, and her first husband, Louis VII of France. But the earlier history of the vase, which is of early medieval, mid-eastern origin is obscure because until now no one has been able to …