29 research outputs found
Indian Ocean navigation in Islamic sources 850â1560 CE
Oceanic histories have become increasingly popular in the last few decades, as maritimeâbased approaches to historical inquiry, often referred to as a ânew thalassology,â gain prominence. Indian Ocean studies in particular have flourished as a result of this trend. However, the study of Indian Ocean navigation has not received the same level of academic attention. This paper briefly reviews the historical and historiographical development of Indian Ocean navigation and argues that although significant workâbased largely on Arabic manuscripts sourcesâwas conducted in the twentieth century, the field has become somewhat stagnant. It concludes with recommendations for future research that could further enhance our understanding of Indian Ocean navigation and enrich the broader field of Indian Ocean studies
Maritime Heritage in the Sultanate of Oman
With over 1700 km of coastline, the inhabitants of Oman have had a deep and enduring relationship with the sea for millennia. Located between the Arabian Gulf and the western Indian Ocean, its fishermen have relied on the sea for sustenance. Its mariners were involved in developing long-distance maritime trade from at least the Bronze Age and continued sailing the monsoonal trade routes well into the twentieth century. Periodically, its rulers have established maritime polities extending to Zanzibar and the Makran coast, creating sea-based migrations in the process. With such a rich and enduring seafaring past, it is therefore not surprising that the modern nation-state of Oman has had an active interest in studying and preserving its MUCH.This chapter explores the historical sources, archaeological finds and experimental activities that have allowed researchers to understand Omanâs maritime past and contribute to its current efforts to conserve and showcase its rich maritime connections
âOthers-in-Lawâ: Legalism in the Economy of Religious Differences
Religious legalism encompasses a wide range of attitudes that assign religious meaning to legal content or to legal compliance. The phenomenology of religious legalism is assuming a significant role in various contemporary debates about legal pluralism, accommodation of religious minorities, religious freedom, and so forth. This article revises this conception and the commonplace equation of Judaism and legalism. It suggests that we ought to regard both as part of the economy of religious differences by which religious identities are expressed and defined as alternatives. The common ascription of religious legalism to Judaism (and Islam) is criticized here through a historical analysis of the law-religion-identity matrix in three cultural settings: late ancient Judeo-Hellenic, medieval JudeoâArabic, and post-Reformation Europe
ISLAMIC BANKING AND FINANCE: RECENT EMPIRICAL LITERATURE AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
âNOT A RELIGIOUS STATEâ A study of three Indonesian religious leaders on the relation of state and religion
This article explores the concept of a âsecular stateâ offered by three
Indonesian religious leaders: a Catholic priest, Nicolaus Driyarkara
(1913â1967), and two Muslim intellectuals who were also state
officials, Mukti Ali (1923â2004) and Munawir Sjadzali (1925â2004).
All three, who represented the immediate generation after the
revolution for Indonesian independence from the Dutch (1945),
defended the legitimacy of a secular state for Indonesia based on
the state ideology Pancasila (Five Principles of Indonesia). In doing
so, they argued that a religious state, for example an Islamic state,
is incompatible with a plural nation that has diverse cultures,
faiths, and ethnicities. The three also argued that the state should
remain neutral about its citizensâ faith and should not be
dominated by a single religion, i.e. Islam. Instead, the state is
obliged to protect all religions embraced by Indonesians. This
argument becomes a vital foundation in the establishment of
Indonesiaâs trajectory of unique âsecularisationâ. Whilst these three
intellectuals opposed the idea of establishing a religious or Islamic
state in Indonesia, it was not because they envisioned the decline
of the role of religion in politics and the public domain but rather
that they regarded religiosity in Indonesia as vital in nation
building within a multi-religious society. In particular, the two
Muslim leaders used religious legitimacy to sustain the New
Orderâs political stability, and harnessed state authority to
modernise the Indonesian Islamic community
Office of the Zanzibar Tourist Corporation
distant view, seen beyond Stone Town buildings, 198