(Co-organizing) 50th Anniversary Symposium of the Association of Young Scholars for Islamic Area Studies

The Association of Young Scholars for Islamic Area Studies marks its 50th anniversary this year, counting from its predecessor, the Research Group on the Islamic State.
For half a century, it has continued to provide a place for academic inquiry and exchange, thanks to the dedication and support of many. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude.
To commemorate this milestone, a memorial symposium titled “The Present State of the Islamic State Studies and Islamic Area Studies” will be held on November 29, as outlined below.
At this symposium, five young scholars specializing in different regions and fields will present diverse research reports.
In addition, professors who have long been deeply involved in the operation of the association will also participate, delivering greetings, keynote lectures, and general comments.
We hope this symposium will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the progress of research and to deepen exchange across generations.
A social gathering will also be held after the symposium, so please join us.
Participation requires prior registration; please register via the link provided below.

November 29 (Sat) 13:00–17:00

Program:
13:00 Opening remarks and purpose explanation – Toru Miura (Research Fellow, Toyo Bunko)

13:10 Keynote Lecture – Hisao Komatsu (Research Fellow, Toyo Bunko)

“Looking Back at the Early Days of the Research Group on the Islamic State”
13:40 Presentation ① – Fumiya Kondo (JSPS Research Fellow PD / Meiji University)
“The Placement of Islam in Egypt’s Prophet and Saint Festivals”
Research on Egyptian Prophet and Saint Festivals requires investigation and analysis from an Islamic perspective. However, attempting to understand matters solely through Islam carries inherent risks. This report, based on recent developments in anthropology concerning Islam and the author’s own research and analytical experience, aims to demonstrate that maintaining an attitude of neither clinging too tightly to nor completely abandoning Islam is crucial in both fieldwork and analysis. Furthermore, it highlights the difficulty of putting this into practice.

14:10 Presentation ② – Yoshiaki Tokunaga (JSPS Research Fellow PD / Nihon University)
“The Study of Modern Iranian Legal Systems as a Niche Industry”
In the context of recent research on Iran’s modern political history and legal history, modern legal systems, including parliamentary systems, cannot be considered a central point of debate. Beyond the ideological rupture caused by the 1979 Revolution, doubts about their practical effectiveness under an authoritarian regime and barriers to archival research for foreign scholars have hindered deeper investigation. What significance, then, lies in studying Iran’s modern legal system from a Japanese base under these conditions? I wish to explore this question while considering broader trends in West Asian history and historical research, as well as the potential for interdisciplinary approaches.

14:40 Break

15:00 Presentation ③ – Saki Yamamoto (Lecturer, Kochi University)
“The Treatment of the ‘Muslim Woman’s Body’ and Feminist Approaches”
In the Islamic world of the Middle East and North Africa, the bodies or sexuality of have often been discussed as subjects of control or protection. This presentation examines and reports on how dominant discourses concerning the treatment of ‘s bodies have been addressed in previous research, drawing on their relationship with diverse forms of feminism.

15:30 Presentation ④ – Sakine Nakajima (JSPS Research Fellow DC1 / Kyoto University)
“Muslim Mobility and Its Historical Continuity in the Indian Ocean World”
This presentation examines the historical continuity of Muslim migration within the Indian Ocean maritime world, using the Tamil Muslims of Penang Island, Malaysia, as a case study. Migrations from South India to the Malay Peninsula originated in premodern Islamic trade, persisted through the British colonial period, and continued in transformed forms after independence. Through this process of continuity and transformation, this study illuminates the contemporary evolution of maritime networks originating in the premodern era and the complex interplay of globalization within them.

16:00 Presentation ⑤ – Sota Hirayama (JSPS Research Fellow PD / University of Tokyo)
“Issues of ‘Embodiment’ in West African Islamic Studies”
This presentation critically introduces the significance and scope of the concept of “embodiment” in West African Islamic studies since the 2010s. Specifically, after clarifying the substance of the “embodiment” concept proposed by Ware, it examines how this concept influenced subsequent research. Building on this, the presentation will explore the problems inherent in the research trends oriented toward this “embodiment” concept, drawing on the presenter’s ethnographic insights.

16:30 General Comments – Kazuhiro Shimizu (Professor, Kyushu University)

16:50 Closing remarks

University of Tokyo, Komaba I Campus, KOMCEE West Lecture Hall (in-person only).

50th Anniversary Symposium of the Association of Young Scholars for Islamic Area Studies
“The Present State of the Islamic State Studies and Islamic Area Studies”

Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Tokyo (UTCMES); Toyo Bunko (Oriental Library)