IQSA Annual Meeting Student Roundtable

Posted on November 13, 2020 by iqsaweb

Attention all graduate students and early career scholars!

Every year the International Qur’anic Studies Association hosts a Graduate Student Luncheon at the IQSA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). This event is a valuable opportunity for emerging scholars to mingle with established experts in Qur’anic studies in a more relaxed setting.

In keeping with this year’s new Annual Meeting format, this event will take place virtually as a Graduate Student Roundtable over Zoom on December 3, 2020 from 11am to 12pm EST. To participate, visit the SBL Annual Meeting Page and choose Register for the Annual Meeting. Then, complete a New Registration under the Affiliate Members category, and choose International Qur’anic Studies Association when prompted. Then, use the Virtual Meetings Platform to find the event and obtain login information.

IQSA is committed to fostering community in Qur’anic studies by supporting students on their path to professional success and encouraging collaboration across generations, all of which are vital to the advancement of knowledge in our field. We hope you join us for this valuably opportunity!

IQSA Virtual Annual Meeting: Reminders and Updates

Posted on October 29, 2020 by iqsaweb

The 2020 IQSA Annual Meeting held for the first time in a new virtual format is just a few short weeks away! Please see below for some friendly reminders for participants and attendees:

Membership & Registration
Current IQSA membership is required and verified by staff upon registration for the IQSA Annual Meeting. However, SBL/AAR membership is not required to attend the IQSA Annual Meeting. You can renew your IQSA membership HERE.

To register for this year’s meeting, visit the SBL Annual Meeting Page and choose Register for the Annual Meeting. Then, complete a New Registration under the Affiliate Members category, and choose International Qur’anic Studies Association when prompted.

Dates and Times
The virtual meeting schedule will be extended to avoid potential timing conflicts, time zone limitations, and religious and Thanksgiving holidays. The meeting will take place Monday – Thursday over two weeks. The new dates are November 30 – December 3 and December 7 – 10, from 9AM to 9PM EST / 1PM to 1AM ECT. All times on the conference schedule are listed in Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5).

Program Platform
The SBL and AAR Virtual Annual Meetings Platform is now live on your computer!

You can search and browse all of the sessions and publishers who are participating. After you log in, you can start to build your own schedule. Much more functionality will be unveiled once the Virtual Annual Meeting starts!

To log into the Virtual Annual Meetings Platform, you will use your registration Reference Number as your username, and your last name as your password.

Download the Mobile App to access the Virtual Annual Meeting on your mobile device!

IQSA Virtual Events
IQSA will still hold its Annual President Address, Business and General Meetings, Graduate Student Roundtable, and a closing session. To participate, members must be registered for the Annual Meeting through SBL/AAR.

Presidential Address
11/30/2020
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Asma Hilali, University of Lille, Panelist (40 min)
Fred Donner, University of Chicago, Respondent (20 min)

Business Meeting
12/02/2020
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
*Members Only

General Meeting
12/02/2020
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Open to Public

Graduate Student Roundtable
12/03/2020
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Closing Session
12/10/2020
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM

Questions or concerns? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We look forward to seeing our members and affiliates next month for this exciting event!

Qur’anic Studies in Indonesia / Studi Al-Qur’an di Indonesia, Oct 14 – Dec 30

Posted on October 8, 2020 by iqsaweb

The International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) and the Asosiasi Ilmu Al-Qur’an dan Tafsir se-Indonesia (AIAT) are happy to announce a new series of talks over Zoom: “Qur’anic Studies in Indonesia.”

Convenors: Johanna Pink and Lien Iffah Naf’atu Fina

Date and Time: October 14 – December 30, 2020. All talks will take place from 8–9pm Western Indonesian Time.

Website: Please go HERE.

NEW REGISTRATION LINKS:

You may join the first two sessions (October 14 and 21) at this link:
https://uni-freiburg.zoom.us/s/84192138019
Meeting ID: 841 9213 8019 Password: 486433059

The remaining sessions from October 28 through December 30 will be accessible through this link:
https://uni-freiburg.zoom.us/s/82700585905
Meeting ID: 827 0058 5905 Password: 478453898

Hope to see you on Zoom!

E-Lecture: “Who is Allah Revisited”

Posted on September 28, 2020 by iqsaweb

Duke University will host a Virtual Book Talk titled “Who is Allah Revisited” with Prof. Bruce Lawrence Tuesday on September 29 at 3:00 p.m. This event is sponsored by the Duke Middle East Studies Center, Duke Islamic Studies Center, and the UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies.

Description: Over the course of his career, Bruce B. Lawrence has explored the central elements of Islamicate civilization and Muslim networks. The Bruce B. Lawrence Reader: Islam beyond Borders assembles over two dozen selections of Lawrence’s key writings, which range from analyses of premodern and modern Islamic discourses, practices, and institutions to methodological reflections on the contextual study of religion. Modeling what it means to study Islam beyond political and disciplinary borders, as well as a commitment to linking empathetic imagination with critical reflection, this Reader presents Lawrence’s prescient contributions to the study of Islam in its broadest arc.

This lecture will be moderated by Prof. Ali Mian (UF). Dr. Ali Altaf Mian is Assistant Professor of Religion and Izzat Hasan Sheikh Fellow in Islamic Studies at the University of Florida.

Interested readers can register for the talk here.

Reminder: IQSA 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting

Posted on August 28, 2020 by iqsaweb

AM2020_BANNER_virtual While Covid-19 and health restrictions have changed the format of IQSA’s Annual Meeting in conjunction with SBL/AAR, the meeting itself is still scheduled for November in a new and exciting format expanding its reach to scholars worldwide!

Registration is open for the first ever virtual IQSA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the SBL/AAR Annual Meetings. You can save on the registration fees by joining IQSA and registering for the Annual Meetings as an Affiliate Member HERE. To become an IQSA member click HERE.

For more information about the transition to a virtual program, please see the IQSA Policy Update and SBL Announcement. In addition, find FAQ’s about this year’s meeting below. We hope you’ll join us and meet us in virtually for a new and exciting program!

ANNUAL MEETING FAQs

Q: How do I register for the IQSA Annual Meeting?
A: To register for this year’s meeting, visit the SBL Annual Meeting Page and choose Register for the Annual Meeting. Then, complete a New Registration under the Affiliate Members category, and choose International Qur’anic Studies Association when prompted.

Q: What are the dates of IQSA’s Annual Meeting?
*The virtual meeting schedule will be extended to avoid potential timing conflicts, time zone limitations, and religious and Thanksgiving holidays. The meeting will take place Monday – Thursday over two weeks. The new dates are November 30 – December 3 and December 7 – 10, from 9AM to 9PM EST / 1PM to 1AM ECT.

Q: Do I have to be an IQSA member to register for the Annual Meeting?
A: YES – current IQSA membership is required and verified by staff upon registration. However, SBL/AAR membership is not required to attend the IQSA Annual Meeting. You can renew your IQSA membership HERE.

Q: I already registered for the Annual Meeting as an SBL/AAR member. Do I have to register again as an affiliate to attend IQSA events?
A: No – duplicate registration is not required to attend IQSA events if one has already registered as an SBL/AAR member. However, you must register as an active IQSA member if you are presenting at an IQSA session.

Q: Where can I find a schedule of events for the Annual Meeting?
A: IQSA and SBL/AAR’s Program Book will be distributed online as the meeting date draws closer. Members can chose to access the Program Book via mobile app or online while completing the registration process.

Q: Does IQSA provide funding or reimbursement for its members to attend the meeting?
A: At this time, IQSA does not have the resources to provide financial assistance for Annual Meeting registration costs. However, IQSA encourages its members to seek financial aid through institutional grants and other funding.

VIRTUAL MEETING FAQS

Q: I’ve registered and I can’t attend the Annual Meeting, can I get a refund for my registration fee?
A: In order to receive 100% registration refund, all registration cancellations must be requested in writing (email) by October 21, 2020. After October 21, only cancellations for medical reasons, accompanied by documentation from a physician or medical facility, will be refunded.

Please send meeting cancellation requests to information@annual-meetings.org. Registrations or workshops cannot be switched to another person’s name. Proof of payment may be required.

Q: If I had already registered for the live Annual Meetings, what do I need to do to register for the online Annual Meetings?
A: In a word, nothing. Your registration will automatically be good for the virtual meeting. If you wish to cancel your registration, you may do so without any cancellation fee through 21 October.

Q: I booked a hotel room when I registered for the Annual Meetings. What do I need to do?
A: If you reserved a hotel room in during your conference registration, your hotel reservation has already been cancelled; there is nothing you need to do at this time. If you booked a hotel independently (i.e., not as a part of your conference registration), you will need to cancel on your own.

Q: What is included in my registration fee?
A: The registration fee for the conference will be the same as the early-bird rate ($225 for affiliates). The registration fee helps to cover the substantial costs that come with producing a conference of this size, even a virtual one.

User Feedback: IQSA Video Series

Posted on May 27, 2020 by iqsaweb

Last week marked the final installment in the IQSA Zoom video series designed to bring scholars and students of the Qur’an together at a time when many are in social isolation. These seminars were part of IQSA’s larger mission to advance “cutting edge, intellectually rigorous, academic research on the Qurʾan” and to be “a bridge between different global communities of Qurʾanic scholarship.”

These free online lectures given by leading scholars in the field were met with an overwhelming positive response, encouraging conversation amongst scholars and expanding IQSA’s community and membership worldwide. You can view recordings of all seven lectures at https://iqsaweb.org/videos/ or on IQSA’s YouTube channel.

As the #IQSAZoom series comes to a close, we want to hear from you regarding your experience and suggestions for future resources as we continue to engage in learning and researching from a distance. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey to share your feedback on IQSA’s engagement with online resources. We look forward to hearing from you!

Corovavirus Health Alert Updates (May 2020)

Posted on May 26, 2020 by iqsaweb

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As communities across the world feel the impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic (Covid-19), we are mindful of the lives affected. It is during such extraordinary times of uncertainty that we remind you all, the International Qur’anic Studies Association is a community of scholars and friends. IQSA remains committed to its Mission and Vision, including fostering qur’anic scholarship, and holding regular meetings for scholars of the Qur’an. Ongoing health concerns and travel restrictions continue to pose challenges.

The Board is currently exploring the possibility of hosting online paper presentations alongside a much smaller in person Annual Meeting in Boston in November, 2020. The Board is in close contact with its affiliate, the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and will explore all options to ensure a successful annual conference.

The presentation and discussion of members’ research during the year, accepted through a rigorous review by program units, is a core IQSA member service. We are aware that travel will be difficult or impossible for many members this year. We are committed to providing a venue for scholarly exchange so that every paper accepted has an opportunity for presentation.

Registration for the Annual Meeting is now open through the SBL website, and you can read a statement regarding this from SBL, including the provision that the registration fee is fully refundable.

The IQSA Board will continue inform our members of the path ahead at the earliest possibility.

We recognize that the circumstances could change between now and November, and we will advise membership on changes that may be necessary. If at all possible, please ensure to keep your IQSA membership up to date as well – we need your support in these trying times.

Sincerely,
Dr. Asma Hilali, President
Dr. Mehdi Azaiez
Dr. Karen Bauer
Dr. Shari Lowin
Dr. Johanna Pink
Dr. Devin Stewart
Dr. Sarra Tlili
Dr. Holger Zellentin, Chair
Dr. Suleman Dost, Secretary
Dr. Emran El-Badawi, Executive Director, Treasurer

History of Muslim-Christian Dialogue: A five-week intensive summer course

Posted on May 12, 2020 by iqsaweb

Online Summer Program

Screen Shot 2020-05-11 at 10.45.30 PM

History of Muslim-Christian Dialogue: A five-week intensive summer course for 3 credit hours

Teachers:

Dr Ida Glaser (Director, CMCS Houston), Dr Charles Ramsey, (Baylor University History Faculty) Dr Martin Whittingham (Director, CMCS Oxford)

Specialist lectures from Dr Rana Abu-Mounes (CMCS Oxford), Dr David Coffey (CMCS Houston), Dr David Cook (Rice University, Houston), Dr Abdul-Massih Saadi (Baylor University) and Dr Ghulam Zarquani (Hijaz Muslim College, Houston)

Dates: 6/2/20-7/7/20

This intensive course will introduce students to the long history of Christians and Muslims writing about each other and discussing with each other, using both focused study of primary sources and broader readings and lectures on different historical periods. The class will meet every morning Monday-Friday 1000-1130 CST. On most Tuesdays and Fridays, 1030-1130 will offer opportunities for one-on-one and small group tutorials. Students will be expected to give an average of at least 2 additional hours per day to further private study and preparation. The course is suitable for graduate students with an academic interest in Muslim-Christian relations, and for final year undergraduate students majoring in history, or in the study of Islam or of Christianity.

If you wish to attend this course, submit this application form to receive further details.

COST Full fee: $1,000 Majority world students: $400

CMCS Houston has a limited number of full and half scholarships available. Letters of application should be sent to by May 18th. You should include details of interest in and experience of Muslim-Christian relations, and of how attendance at the course is expected to enhance your scholarship and your future relationships. You should also include a c.v. and contact details for an academic referee and a personal referee.

Post courtesy of Prof. Ida Glazer, Director, CMCS Houston

Giving Tuesday 2020: Promoting Scholarship and Building Bridges

Posted on May 5, 2020 by iqsaweb

Dear Friends of IQSA,

For over seven years the International Qur’anic Studies Association has made fostering Qur’anic scholarship its mission. The Qur’an is an integral part of world literature, and it has shaped and continues to shape the world in which we live. IQSA is mindful of its members, partners, and friends during this difficult time, and we want to reach out to those among you who can afford to support IQSA when the organization needs it most at a time when our operational costs remain high despite cutting back on operations themselves. B y giving to IQSA as you are able, you are promoting high quality scholarship and building bridges across the globe, which in turn has positive ripple effects on high quality education, journalism, publishing and public engagement.

IQSA is the only non-profit learned society exclusively dedicated to convening regular Qur’an conferences in North America and in Muslim majority countries around the world, as well as to publishing rigorous cutting edge scholarship on the Qur’an. Within seven short years IQSA has convened eleven major conferences. These have included large scale conferences in throughout major US cities, Carthage, Palermo, Tunisia and Jogjakarta, Indonesia, as well as co-sponsored panels in Berlin, Germany and St. Andrews, Scotland. IQSA conferences showcase cutting edge research on manuscripts, historical documents, and high tech digital resources, as well as debate critical issues including methodology, hermeneutics and gender. This is possible because IQSA members include the very best scholars in the field.

The fourth issue of the bilingual Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA) will be released this year, and IQSA’s publications in the Studies in the Qur’ān series are now available from ISD. In addition, IQSA now sponsors free weekly online seminars through Zoom to bring scholars and students of the Qur’an together at a time when many are in social isolation in conjunction with the University of Notre Dame. IQSA members receive free access to JIQSA, the Review of Qur’an Research (RQR), the exclusive member directory (including world renowned Qur’an specialists), and PhD students and recent graduates gain valuable professional development experience. Lifetime and Institutional members carry additional member benefits. IQSA also rewards junior scholars and international academics with the opportunity to learn from colleagues around the world and publish their research. By giving, you help IQSA keep membership dues low and you reward those members of our community who need it most.

It goes without saying that the current political climate has made our task — especially critical scholarship and building bridges — more important than ever. As academics, professionals and philanthropists we have a duty to support the Humanities and Social Sciences at a time when they are under threat. This also means we have the opportunity to bring about a much more intellectual discussion of the Qur’an when the public needs it most.

IQSA was founded by a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, and is now funded through the generous support of its members, partners and friends. Please take time this #GivingTuesday to DONATE NOW to further IQSA’s mission across the globe.

Most gratefully,

Emran El-Badawi, Executive Director
International Qur’anic Studies Association
http://www.iqsaweb.org | contact@iqsaweb.org

Corovavirus Health Alert

Posted on March 23, 2020 by iqsaweb

Dear Colleagues,

The International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) is monitoring the situation closely as the Covid-19 Coronavirus continues to impact communities throughout the globe. Our mission remains to foster Qur’anic Studies, bringing about peace and mutual understanding through scholarship. At this time, the health and safety of our members and friends is our highest priority.

We are aware that our members and their institutions have concerns about the spread of the Coronavirus. Most academic institutions have closed temporarily or moved to online instruction. Colleagues with health concerns are encouraged to follow the directives offered by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC for the US, or their national equivalent elsewhere) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The restrictions imposed on travel by an increasing number of nations, while unfortunate, are a crucial measure to curb the growth of the virus. That being said travel restrictions do impact the convening of international conferences. Countless spring and summer meetings have been cancelled as a result. We remain in contact with our affiliates, including the Society of Biblical Literature and American Academy of Religion, with whom our annual meetings are convened. Of immediate concern is the November 20-23, 2020 Annual Meeting to be held in Boston, MA, USA.

Registration does not typically open until mid-April. We hope to gain greater clarity on the situation between now and then. Nevertheless, we suggest that you postpone booking airfare that does not have flexible change policies until registration opens.

We hope the virus is contained soon, and urge everyone to exercise the utmost caution meanwhile. Should you have any questions or concerns please write contact@iqsaweb.org.

Sincerely,

Holger Zellentin, Chair

Emran El-Badawi, Executive Director

International Qur'anic Studies Association

الجمعية الدولية للدراسات القرآنية

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