PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL ISMAILI STUDIES CONFERENCE

Publication Type  Article
Year of Publication  2017
Date Published  2017
Authors  Karim, Karim H.
Source  

Carleton Centre for the Study of Islam
Carleton University
Ottawa, Canada

Key Words  Ismaili Mission Conference Studies
Full Text  

Attendance at the Second International Ismaili Studies Conference was an act of courage for some of its participants. They had been concerned that they would be breaking an unwritten rule by being present at an event on Ismaili Studies that was organized independently of established Ismāʿīlī (Nizārī, Mustaʿlī, Druze etc.) institutions. Some institutional employees who were interested in attending had found themselves considering whether the conference was an “approved” gathering. Discussions before, during and after the event raised certain questions, including: 1) is approval required for such scholarly events? 2) is there a national or international body with the authority to grant permission for academic gatherings that have the word Ismāʿīlī in their titles? 3) are such conferences positioned against Ismāʿīlīs and Ismāʿīlī institutions? 4) what is the place of academic freedom (particularly relating to speech) at these gatherings? 5) what is the nature of Ismāʿīlī civil society?

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL ISMAILI STUDIES CONFERENCE

Attendance at the Second International Ismaili Studies Conference was an act of courage for some of its participants. They had been concerned that they would be breaking an unwritten rule by being present at an event on Ismaili Studies that was organized independently of established Ismāʿīlī (Nizārī, Mustaʿlī, Druze etc.) institutions. Some institutional employees who were interested in attending had found themselves considering whether the conference was an “approved” gathering. Discussions before, during and after the event raised certain questions, including: 1) is approval required for such scholarly events? 2) is there a national or international body with the authority to grant permission for academic gatherings that have the word Ismāʿīlī in their titles? 3) are such conferences positioned against Ismāʿīlīs and Ismāʿīlī institutions? 4) what is the place of academic freedom (particularly relating to speech) at these gatherings? 5) what is the nature of Ismāʿīlī civil society?

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