This presentation was delivered as part of C-SAP dissemination event on 24 October 2011. For more information, see csapshowcase.wordpres.com

1. C-SAP, Birmingham, 24th October 2011
Islamic Studies:
What, Why and Where Next?
Dr Max Farrar
Emeritus Professor,
Leeds Metropolitan University

2. 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

3. 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]

4. 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]

5. 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]

6. 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]

7. 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

8. 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?