Studies on Modern Orient – serie

Literature, images, and metaphor are often where most of a nation’s history are embedded. A study of modern Kurdish literature highlights a fealty to a rich literary past and a rich source of historiography. The articles in this volume address many facets of the literary in the Kurdish world: proverbs, feminist literature, and resistance in literary works, poetry, prose, etc. In the end, the volume offers a general paradigm of the complex literary framework of the Kurds, their continuous resistance for nationhood in their history, and their modern reinventing of the self. An overview of some of the works in modern Kurdish literature points to both asymmetry and commonality in comparative literary studies. These works highight the thematic reach in Kurdish literary studies.

The series Studies on Modern Orient provides an overview of religious, political and social phenomena in modern and contemporary Muslim societies. The volumes not only cover Near and Middle Eastern countries, but explore Islam and Muslim cultures in other regions of the world as well, such as Europe and the United States. The series Studies on Modern Orient was founded in 2010 by Klaus Schwarz Verlag.

This volume brings together twenty-two authors from various countries who analyze travelogues on the Ottoman Empire between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. The travelogues reflect the colorful diversity of the genre, presenting the experiences of individuals and groups from China to Great Britain. The spotlight falls on interdependencies of travel writing and historiography, geographic spaces, and specific practices such as pilgrimages, the hajj, and the harem. Other points of emphasis include the importance of nationalism, the place and time of printing, representations of fashion, and concepts of masculinity and femininity. By displaying close, comparative, and distant readings, the volume offers new insights into perceptions of "otherness", the circulation of knowledge, intermedial relations, gender roles, and digital analysis.

This edited volume investigates place, product, and personal branding in the Middle East and North Africa, including some studies from adjacent regions and the wider Islamicate world. Going beyond simply presenting logos and slogans, it critically analyses processes of strategic communication and image building under general conditions of globalisation, neoliberalisation, and postmodernisation and, in a regional perspective, of lasting authoritarian rule and increased endeavours for “worlding.” In particular, it looks at the multiple actors involved in branding activities, their interests and motives, and investigates tools, channels, and forms of branding. A major interest exists in the entanglements of different spatial scales and in the (in)consistencies of communication measures. Attention is paid to reconfigurations of certain images over time and to the positioning of objects of branding in time and space. Historical case studies supplement the focus on contemporary branding efforts. While branding in the Western world and many emerging economies has been meticulously analysed, this edited volume fills an important gap in the research on MENA countries.

This monograph examines the connection between progressivism and feminist movements in the Indian subcontinent, scrutinizing shifting portrayals of women in Fahmīdah Riyāẓ’s poetry at the time of her writing from a historical perspective, and the historical, political, social and personal influences reflected in her work and life.

Since 1970, Oman has taken up the challenge of shaping an "imagined community" and unifying an ancient territory that was torn apart in the past by secession or civil wars. Spatial planning has been at the heart of its policy, guided by a carefully defined national identity to broadly integrate the physical and human components of the country. With the integration into globalization and the emphasis on tourism to diversify the economy too dependent on hydrocarbons, the "national narrative" becomes a brand. What are the reciprocal effects of branding and spatial planning? Tourism particularly reveals these interactions but also the effects on the governance of the sultanate, while heritage plays a complex role, anchoring branding in a deep political project. The image of tolerance, a true "brand" of Oman in a regional environment of religious divisions, is clearly part of the country's territory, strongly associating branding and spatial planning.

This book is the first extensive research on the role of poetry during the Iranian Revolution (1979) and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). How can poetry, especially peaceful medieval Sufi poems, be applied to exalt violence, to present death as martyrdom, and to process war traumas? Examining poetry by both Islamic revolutionary and established dissident poets, it demonstrates how poetry spurs people to action, even leading them to sacrifice their lives. The book's originality lies in fresh analyses of how themes such as martyrdom and violence, and mystical themes such as love and wine, are integrated in a vehemently political context, while showing how Shiite ritual such as the pilgrimage to Mecca clash with Saudi Wahhabi appreciations. A distinguishing quality of the book is its examination of how martyrdom was instilled in the minds of Iranians through poetry, employing Sufi themes, motifs and doctrines to justify death. Such inculcation proved effective in mobilising people to the front, ready to sacrifice their lives. As such, the book is a must for readers interested in Iranian culture and history, in Sufi poetry, in martyrdom and war poetry. Those involved with Middle Eastern Studies, Iranian Studies, Literary Studies, Political Philosophy and Religious Studies will benefit from this book. "From his own memories and expert research, the author gives us a ravishing account of 'a poetry stained with blood, violence and death'. His brilliantly layered analysis of modern Persian poetry shows how it integrates political and religious ideology and motivational propaganda with age-old mystical themes for the most traumatic of times for Iran." (Alan Williams, Research Professor of Iranian Studies, University of Manchester) "When Asghar Seyed Gohrab, a highly prolific academician, publishes a new book, you can be certain he has paid attention to an exciting and largely unexplored subject. Martyrdom, Mysticism and Dissent: The Poetry of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) is no exception in the sense that he combines a few different cultural, religious, mystic, and political aspects of Iranian life to present a vivid picture and thorough analysis of the development and effect of what became known as the revolutionary poetry of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This time, he has even enriched his narrative by inserting his voice into his analysis. It is a thoughtful book and a fantastic read." (Professor Kamran Talattof, University of Arizona)

While the Arab revolutions have obviously triggered extensive social and political changes, the far-reaching consequences of the cultural and discursive changes have yet to be adequately considered. For activists, researchers, and journalists, the revolution was primarily a revolution in language; a break with the linguistic oppression and the rigidity of the old regimes. This break was accompanied by the emergence of new languages, which made it possible to inform, tell, and translate the ongoing events and transformations. This language of the revolution was carried out into the world by competing voices from Syria (by local and foreign researchers, activists, and journalists). The core of this project is to find the various translations of the language of the Syrian revolution (2011–2012) from Arabic to English to study and analyze. In addition, the discursive and non-discursive dimensions of the revolution are to be seen as another act of translation, including the language of the banners, slogans, graffiti, songs, and their representation in English.

In recent years we have become interested in the diffusion of “small” Western technologies in the countries of the Middle East during the 19th and 20th centuries, the era of Imperialism and first globalization. We postulated a contrast between “small” and “big” technologies. Under the latter category we may understand railway systems, electricity grids, telegraph networks, and steam navigation, imposed by foreign powers or installed by connected local entrepreneurs. But many “small” Western technologies, such as sewing machines, typewriters, pianos, eyeglasses, and similar consumer goods, which had been developed and manufactured in Europe and America, were wanted, and willingly acquired by the agency of individual users elsewhere. In a few cases, however, the inventions had to be adapted, or were overstepped, and even delayed. Some were adopted as social markers or status symbols only by elites who could afford them. Processes of adoption and diffusion therefore differed according to cultural settings, preferences, and needs. Social and cultural historians, and social scientists, not only of the Middle East, will find in this collection of essays a new approach to the impact of Western technological inventions on the Middle East.

The burden of this book is twofold. The first half is charged with identifying and critiquing the many prejudices and misconceptions that inform popular – and even scholarly – perceptions of Islam and Iran, those rooted in neo-conservative hostility no less than those arising out of pro-regime apologetics or (what we will argue are) misleading "post-modern" methodologies. This is a key component of our overall investigation, both because the illusions occluding our view of the Islamic Republic are (we assert) piled so high and deep, and because setting the record straight on many a contentious issue is the most appropriate context for elucidating the positive positions of the revolutionary clerics. These last represent, perhaps more than anything else, the premier critics of Western civilization in our day, and their ideologies may therefore be best comprehended when placed in dialogue with, and in polemic against, the worldviews of that civilization (which in their own turn are often most profoundly understood when offset by their present-day Islamist nemeses). As noted above, it is not all contention: unexpected meeting points and congruities emerge, as well, when the activist Shi'ite clerics are placed in the same virtual room with their occidental counterweights. The second half of the book deploys a large number of rarely tapped primary sources, both ancient and contemporary, in order to tease out the attitudes of the class of Muslim scholars recently and currently at the helm of the Iranian state in a variety of significant fields, including the role of religion in society, the relationship between democracy and theocracy, the modern Western Weltanschauung, the Sunni-Shi'i schism, and much more. Though the author parses, and provides background and context for, the myriad citations from these influential Muslim thinkers, the ultimate objective is to allow them to speak for themselves.

The issue of Muslim women’s rights never seems outdated and has become trendy in the post-9/11 environment. That is, the mainstream media and Western politicians often view Muslim women as victims of male-patriarchy and frequently justify Western involvement in the Middle East and in other Muslim majority counties at least in part to "rescue" women. Within this realm, Nawal El Saadawi is a famous Egyptian writer whose writings focus on the struggle of Muslim women and are widely read in the Middle East and many Western societies as well. Because of her bold feminist views on politics, religions, and gender, she is described as the "Simone de Beauvoir of the Arab world." After the death of El Saadawi in 2021, a flurry of arguments and criticism in the Egyptian press and women's press around the world is created in which different social media platforms were filled with numerous comments and discussions of her writings and arguments. Whereas some mourned El Saadawi and her dedication to women’s issues, others celebrated her death, wishing her the worst punishment in the afterlife for what they described as her "destructive thoughts." This monograph genuinely analyzes her views on five controversial issues – marriage, polygamy, divorce, inheritance rights, and veiling – in light of Qur’anic exegeses offered by two classical scholars (i.e., Muhammad ibn Jarir Al Tabari and Ismail ibn Umar Ibn Kathir) and two contemporary Muslim feminists (i.e., Amina Wadud and Azizah Al Hibri). By taking a critical look at her views, the book contributes not only to this ongoing debate but adds value to assessing El Saadawi's work and helps readers gain a greater understanding of her writings as well. It also enables readers to comprehend the current tension between feminism and Islam by understanding the perspectives of both sides. Since El Saadawi’s writings are available in the Western countries, the book would appeal to academics, researchers on Islam and gender and Middle Eastern women, as well as to lay audiences interested in women and gender in Muslim societies.

The issue of Muslim women’s rights never seems outdated and has become trendy in the post-9/11 environment. That is, the mainstream media and Western politicians often view Muslim women as victims of male-patriarchy and frequently justify Western involvement in the Middle East and in other Muslim majority counties at least in part to "rescue" women. Within this realm, Nawal El Saadawi is a famous Egyptian writer whose writings focus on the struggle of Muslim women and are widely read in the Middle East and many Western societies as well. Because of her bold feminist views on politics, religions, and gender, she is described as the "Simone de Beauvoir of the Arab world." After the death of El Saadawi in 2021, a flurry of arguments and criticism in the Egyptian press and women's press around the world is created in which different social media platforms were filled with numerous comments and discussions of her writings and arguments. Whereas some mourned El Saadawi and her dedication to women’s issues, others celebrated her death, wishing her the worst punishment in the afterlife for what they described as her "destructive thoughts." This monograph genuinely analyzes her views on five controversial issues – marriage, polygamy, divorce, inheritance rights, and veiling – in light of Qur’anic exegeses offered by two classical scholars (i.e., Muhammad ibn Jarir Al Tabari and Ismail ibn Umar Ibn Kathir) and two contemporary Muslim feminists (i.e., Amina Wadud and Azizah Al Hibri). By taking a critical look at her views, the book contributes not only to this ongoing debate but adds value to assessing El Saadawi's work and helps readers gain a greater understanding of her writings as well. It also enables readers to comprehend the current tension between feminism and Islam by understanding the perspectives of both sides. Since El Saadawi’s writings are available in the Western countries, the book would appeal to academics, researchers on Islam and gender and Middle Eastern women, as well as to lay audiences interested in women and gender in Muslim societies.

This book is the first extensive research on the role of poetry during the Iranian Revolution (1979) and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). How can poetry, especially peaceful medieval Sufi poems, be applied to exalt violence, to present death as martyrdom, and to process war traumas? Examining poetry by both Islamic revolutionary and established dissident poets, it demonstrates how poetry spurs people to action, even leading them to sacrifice their lives. The book's originality lies in fresh analyses of how themes such as martyrdom and violence, and mystical themes such as love and wine, are integrated in a vehemently political context, while showing how Shiite ritual such as the pilgrimage to Mecca clash with Saudi Wahhabi appreciations. A distinguishing quality of the book is its examination of how martyrdom was instilled in the minds of Iranians through poetry, employing Sufi themes, motifs and doctrines to justify death. Such inculcation proved effective in mobilising people to the front, ready to sacrifice their lives. As such, the book is a must for readers interested in Iranian culture and history, in Sufi poetry, in martyrdom and war poetry. Those involved with Middle Eastern Studies, Iranian Studies, Literary Studies, Political Philosophy and Religious Studies will benefit from this book. "From his own memories and expert research, the author gives us a ravishing account of 'a poetry stained with blood, violence and death'. His brilliantly layered analysis of modern Persian poetry shows how it integrates political and religious ideology and motivational propaganda with age-old mystical themes for the most traumatic of times for Iran." (Alan Williams, Research Professor of Iranian Studies, University of Manchester) "When Asghar Seyed Gohrab, a highly prolific academician, publishes a new book, you can be certain he has paid attention to an exciting and largely unexplored subject. Martyrdom, Mysticism and Dissent: The Poetry of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) is no exception in the sense that he combines a few different cultural, religious, mystic, and political aspects of Iranian life to present a vivid picture and thorough analysis of the development and effect of what became known as the revolutionary poetry of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This time, he has even enriched his narrative by inserting his voice into his analysis. It is a thoughtful book and a fantastic read." (Professor Kamran Talattof, University of Arizona)

The profusion of literature on Muḥammad ʿAlī's Egypt (1805–1849) makes the Bāshā’s epoch significantly well-documented; however, one facet is perceptibly brushed out or rather overlooked. Published in 1945, Gaston Wiet’s Mohammed Ali et Les Beaux-Arts has been the only book deliberating the visual and artistic aspects of Muḥammad ʿAlī’s reign, and while it offers an extended survey of the Ottoman governor’s iconography and visual relics, the book wants the rudiments of critical analysis. The trivial number of works covering this facet of the Bāshā’s sovereignty has made it barely examined, rendering the research field with a significant epistemological gap, namely regarding art and historiography　patronage for political triggers. Embarking from where Wiet's work has halted, this book attempts to critically analyze the artistic component of Muḥammad ʿAlī’s reign by dealing with the pictorial crops of the nineteenth century’s orientalist-travelers, assessing their role within the context of contemporaneous trends in Ottoman and European diplomacy and tracing Muḥammad ʿAlī’s early attempts for using pictorial propaganda and historiography in order to claim political legitimacy and to attain European recognition. The book conducts an in-depth analysis of the Bāshā’s historiographic making process with a focus on how text worked art and visual politics. The book takes an innovative and interdisciplinary approach, which commingles tools of visual analysis and contextual investigation, in its consideration of the aspects of Muḥammad ʿAlī Bāshā’s foreign policy, this book closely examines topics associated with cultural systems, modernization, traditionalism, and changeability in Egypt of the nineteenth century, while assessing the impact of global connectedness not only on Muslim cultures and societies but also on European public opinion through highlighting how Muslim rulers had adapted appealing themes and employed cultural magnets in their visual propaganda to fit within the pervasive international diplomatic trends.

This volume revisits the “long 19th century” in the Middle East from the perspective of emerging subjectivity as a fundamentally new attitude of the individual vis-à-vis the World. Stephan Guth’s holistic vision interprets emerging subjectivity as the key operator at the heart of the many aspects of the so-called Arab(ic) “Renaissance” (and corresponding movements in Turkish), like rationalism, critical analysis, political emancipation, reformism, moralism, and emotionalism, but also a new language, new genres, and new concepts. Guth’s thoroughly philological approach demonstrates how a close reading of literary texts from the period, a cultural-psychological interpretation of linguistic phenomena and an etymology-informed look into conceptual terminology can contribute to a deeper understanding of what “modernisation” actually meant, deep inside the human beings’ mind and psyche, in their meeting with a rapidly changing world. Twenty essays on language, literature, and key concepts reflect the author’s life-long engagement with the culture of the period in question. The articles are glued together by a guiding narrative that assigns each treated aspect its place in the author’s vision (which includes a global perspective).

Persian Arabesques is an unpublished chapter in the history of Russian diplomacy as told by one of its most brilliant protagonists, Ivan J. Korostovetz (1862–1933). After his successes both at the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905, where he served as secretary of the Russian-Japanese Conference, and at the Friendship Treaty with Mongolia, which he signed in 1912, Korostovetz describes in detail his memories of the last events of his diplomatic career. From 1913 to 1918, when he fled into exile to avoid imprisonment, he served mainly in Persia, for example as Russian Minister Plenipotentiary (1913–1915). As an important historical primary source, the memoirs describe not only current political events, but also various local customs and manners. Topics range from history and geography to regional religions and Byzantine-Persian literature.

This study shows that widely used history textbooks in Lebanon are more standardized and censored than in most liberal democratic countries, and relatively similar in form and content to textbooks from Syria and Iraq. A diversity of historical narratives has progressively converged into one dominant narrative which entails a standard definition of the »self«. In contrast, the »other« is defined through the exclusion of religious groups considered exogenous and ethnicities considered inferior. In addition, women are marginalized. Surprisingly, the textbooks affiliated with Hezbollah, a Shiite militia financed by the Iranian regime, depart to a certain extent from this definition. While most previous research on Lebanese history textbooks has focused on the diverging narratives of religious communities, this study views these textbooks as the outcome of a tension between two major forces: educational traditions, on the one hand, and contemporary politics, on the other.

While the Arab revolutions have obviously triggered extensive social and political changes, the far-reaching consequences of the cultural and discursive changes have yet to be adequately considered. For activists, researchers, and journalists, the revolution was primarily a revolution in language; a break with the linguistic oppression and the rigidity of the old regimes. This break was accompanied by the emergence of new languages, which made it possible to inform, tell, and translate the ongoing events and transformations. This language of the revolution was carried out into the world by competing voices from Syria (by local and foreign researchers, activists, and journalists). The core of this project is to find the various translations of the language of the Syrian revolution (2011–2012) from Arabic to English to study and analyze. In addition, the discursive and non-discursive dimensions of the revolution are to be seen as another act of translation, including the language of the banners, slogans, graffiti, songs, and their representation in English.

No detailed description available for "Prisoner of All Generations".

No detailed description available for "Türkisch-Deutsche Beziehungen.".