{"word_count": 442, "character_count": 3239}
43nd Annual Conference of theNorth American Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies (NAAIMS)“The Concept of Authority in Muslim Societies:Political, Religious, Social and Literary”Cosponsored By:The Middle East InstituteColumbia University, New York, NYSaturday, September 20, 2014 Deadlines:Abstracts: April 28, 2014Final Papers: August 23, 2014Based on a strict dictionary definition, authority is the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others. Since the colonial era, political, economic, social and familial authority has been in flux, constituting some of the foundational crises of Muslims in the contemporary era. Social movements, women’s rights organizations, and Islamic family law reforms have challenged the authority of established forms of power in Muslim-majority nations from Morocco to Egypt over the past few decades. The rise of Islamist parties in the aftermath of the Arab Spring has brought new attention to the issue of Shari’a and its relevance to governance. What formal structure legitimizes the concept of authority in fiqh-based knowledge? What is the difference between Qur’anic or shari’a-based maqasid (objectives). The role of religion in governance has become a focal point in regimes that have emerged post ‘Arab Spring’. How is social and political authority determined in Muslim-majority nations like Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria where authority is either in question or fluctuating? How is authority determined in Muslim-minority communities in the West? By studying the many manifestations of authority, this conference seeks to understand how and when it is exercised for good or for ill.We invite a diverse range of papers from professors and advanced Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences that address the following sub-themes:Concept of Authority in Qur’an and SunnahConcept of Authority in FiqhAuthority and AuthoritarianismPolitical AuthorityAuthority in an Ideal SocietyAuthority and LegitimacyAuthority and JusticeCase Studies: Political or Religious Authority in Muslim-Majority SocietiesGendered Authority &#38; PatriarchyFemale Authority: Religious, Family and SocialEthnographies: Authority in Family, Village, or State OrganizationsAuthority in Contemporary Novels and PoemsNew Forms of Authority in the 21st Century: Technological Age of the InternetHistorical Studies of Authority in Muslim Dynasties: Umayyad/Abbasid/Safavid, etcChallenging Authority: Youth and Women’s Social MovementsMuslim Minority Communities in Europe and North AmericaAbstracts (250 words) are due by April 28, 2014:Only abstracts from professors and from advanced Ph.D. candidates will be considered. Abstracts will be evaluated according to the following categories: originality of theme, clear data and methodology, clarity and relevance of the proposal to the conference theme, and contribution to the conference theme. Final papers must be submitted by August 23, 2014.Program panelists are required to preregister and pay non-refundable conference fees byMay 31, 2014. Program Chair:Professor Lila Abu-Lughod, Columbia University, New York, NYSend abstracts and final papers to Director of Academic Affairs, Layla Sein, at conferences@naaims.org&#160;&#160;