Aarhus Universitets segl

Second ICSRU workshop

Our second ICSRU workshop will host Professor James Piscatori, who will speak on "In Search of the Umma between Cosmopolitanism and Communitarianism."

Oplysninger om arrangementet

Tidspunkt

Tirsdag 1. december 2015,  kl. 13:00 - 15:00

Sted

1467-316

Arrangør

ICSRU

Muslim societies are inexorably interconnected with cultural exchanges, intimate political interactions, and a degree of economic interdependence: ‘Islam’ has seemed naturally trans-local and pan-Islamic aspirations persistent.  This presentation seeks to examine how Muslims have dealt with the idea of solidarity, even unity, as seemingly contradictory trends unfolded – as states became entrenched in the Muslim world and as broader networks have emerged.  The ‘one community’ (umma wahida) referenced in the Qur’an (e.g., 5:48) has, over time, been idealised, even though its precise meaning has remained vague.  Two questions – how unified is the umma and how extensive is it? – will be posed as critical to assessing where the concept lies on the communitarian-cosmopolitan spectrum.


Professor Piscatori's is the author of Muslim Politics (Princeton, 2004). His  work has centred on Islam and international relations and on Islamic political thought, particularly as it relates to democratisation in Middle Eastern societies. His area focus has been principally on the Arab states of the Gulf. Recently, he has been working on pan-Islamism and Islamic transnationalism, and specifically investigating the contemporary meaning of the ummah. He has worked at several universities in Britain, Australia and the United States. In Britain, he was Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford; and Professor of International Politics in the University of Aberystwyth. In addition, he was Professor at the Australian National University and Associate Profesor in the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University.


This workshop is intended for members of the ICSRU. Please register at http://doodle.com/poll/pftsr3y2gx598vby. Others who are interested are invited to contact Mark Sedgwick, mjrs (at) cas.au.dk.