Contemporary Islamic Studies

Oxford University · ox.ac.uk

Explore key questions shaping Muslim societies today, with a particular focus on religious authority, religion and politics, and modern Islamic thought. Drawing on seminars, lectures, and conversations with leading scholars, this podcast series is produced by the Contemporary Islamic Studies Programme at the Middle East Centre, University of Oxford. Episodes reflect the Programme’s commitment to rigorous scholarship and international academic exchange, highlighting research at the intersection of Islam, society, and contemporary global debates, and showcasing collaborations between Oxford and partner institutions.

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Episodes 33

Iraq's Shi'a warriors: From battlefield to parliament
2mo ago · 41:48
Dr Inna Rudolf (KCL) discusses her new book 'Iraq's Shi'a warriors: From battlefield to parliament', chaired by Professor Raihan Ismail (St Antony’s College). By examining the PMU's self-positioning as a pillar of Iraq's defence infrastructure, this book offers a critical perspective on the prospects for Security Sector Reform (SSR) and highlights the limitations of externally driven Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) efforts. It speaks to scholars of Iraq and the Middle East, as well as diplomats, security actors, and SSR practitioners. The book is also a valuable teaching r
Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam
3mo ago · 1:01:38
Professor Faisal Devji (Balliol College) discusses his new book 'Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam'. Chaired by Professor Raihan Ismail (St Antony’s College). About the Book: A compelling examination of the rise of Islam as a global historical actor. Until the nineteenth century, Islam was variously understood as a set of beliefs and practices. But after Muslims began to see their faith as an historical actor on the world stage, they needed to narrate Islam’s birth anew as well as to imagine its possible death. Faisal Devji argues that this change, sparked by the crisis of Mus
Brothers Behind Bars: A History of the Muslim Brotherhood from the Palestine War to Egypt’s Prisons
3mo ago · 54:59
Mathias Ghyoot (Princeton University) discusses his new book 'Brothers Behind Bars'. Chaired by Professor Raihan Ismail (St Antony’s College). Over the course of three decades, between 1948 and 1975, more than 60,000 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were imprisoned in Egypt. What did these prison experiences mean for the social, intellectual, and organizational development of the Brotherhood? What role has the prison, more broadly, played in the history of Islamism? And how have interactions between the state and political prisoners of diverse ideological commitments shaped the debate over th
Closing ceremony of the 2-day workshop, Pahang and the Sea: Maritime Networks and Connections between Southeast Asia and Beyond
6mo ago · 21:27
Various guest speakers contribute closing presentations and thoughts, to formally close the 2-day international conference held at St Antony's College, University of Oxford.
Finale Roundtable commentary
6mo ago · 18:20
Prof Dr Amal Ghazal provides summary thoughts of the entire 2-day workshop as part of the finale roundtable discussion.
Pahang and the Persian Gulf
7mo ago · 17:27
Dr Rowena binti Abdul Razak contributed to Panel Two of Day Two of this 2-day workshop. This paper examines the maritime connections between Pahang and the Persian Gulf. Since Safavid times, visitors from Persia have been coming to the Malay Archipelago. These connections have taken the form of trade, linguistic exchange and also social integration. The Persianate world is currently under study to include different geographic areas, from Iran through to the Indian Ocean. In my paper, I will reframe the Malay world within this context and look at how Persian culture disseminated and was brought
Pahang and Euro-Asian Business Partnerships in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea in the 16th Century
7mo ago · 15:09
Dr Jorge Santos Alves contributed to Panel Two of Day Two of this 2-day workshop. Pahang was an important port for the operations and investments of overseas Chinese networks in Southeast Asia by the end of the 15th century. In the early decades of the 16th century, Pahang's significance grew even greater, as Chinese businessmen established commercial partnerships with Portuguese, Luso-Asians, and other Asians, enhancing trade with ports in southern China, particularly in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. This paper will utilise previously published Chines documentation alongside relevant
The Connections between Pahang and The Kingdom of Italy in the Writings of Giovanni Battista Cerutti in a Global Perspective
7mo ago · 19:38
Dr Alessandro Di Meo contributed to Panel Two of Day Two of this 2-day workshop speaking on ‘The Connections between Pahang and The Kingdom of Italy in the Writings of Giovanni Battista Cerutti in a Global Perspective’. Giovanni Battista Cerruti, an Italian explorer, settled in 1882 in Singapore, where he set up a profitable business. He later traveled to Siam, the island of Java, and went to the island of Nias, in front of the Sumatra’s coasts, to facilitate the studies and explorations conducted by ethnographer Elio Modigliani, sent by the Italian Geographical Society. During his exploration
Pahang and the Iberian Thalassocracies: From the Golden Peninsula to the Passage of Empire
7mo ago · 17:34
Dr Ramón Vega Piniella from the National Library of Singapore presented during Panel 2 of Day 2 of the Pahang and the Sea workshop. This panel explores Pahang's Connections with the Persian Gulf and Europe. Dr Piniella examines Pahang's pivotal role within the shifting maritime networks of the early modern world, focusing on its strategic and symbolic place in Iberian expansion across the Malacca Strait during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Drawing on early Portuguese and Spanish sources, including the neglected 1580s proposal by Captain Antonio de la Torre, it explores how Pahang be
Commentary Malaysia workshop, Day 2 Panel 1, Pahang, China and The Spice Route
7mo ago · 6:16
Dr Wai Weng Hew provides some comments on the Malaysia workshop Day 2 Panel 1. Dr Wai Weng Hew gave a commentary on the contributions from the first panel of the second day which included talks on 'Gold, Tin and Gambier: Chinese Migration and Pahang's Economic Development in the 19th Century' by Dr Rudolph Ng; 'Piecing together the early history of Pahang through Imperial Chinese scripture' by Mr Jonathan Privett-Mendoza; 'Pahang in the Maritime Spice Route: Insights from Numismatics, Shipwrecks, and Cartography' by Mr Amru Khalid Sazali; and 'The early history of the Bay of Bengal: An Austron
Pahang in the Maritime Spice Route: Insights from Numismatics, Shipwrecks, and Cartography
7mo ago · 19:41
Mr Amru Khalid Sazali contributed to Panel One of Day Two of this 2-day workshop. Please find the slides for this lecture here: https://media.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/sant/islamic_studies/2026-01-27-sant-cis-amru_khalid_sazali-SLIDES.pdf
Piecing Together the Early History of Pahang through Imperial Chinese Scripture
8mo ago · 15:52
A presentation within Panel 1 of Day 2 which looked at Pahang, China and The Spice Route. Despite Peninsular Malaysia’s significance in regional histories and its long exposure to external influences, the early history of its constituent states— particularly Pahang—remains understudied. Previous explorations into the prehistory of Pahang are dated and brief, often based on the lacking prehistoric chronology of sites in neighbouring regions and racial ethnographic preconceptions of wider Southeast Asian ethnic groups. These cursory looks into Pahang, rather than the state itself, focus on the s
Commentary on Panel 2 "Constructing Pahang's Maritime History", Day 1 of the workshop
8mo ago · 11:08
Dr Federica Gigante is a historian of the material and intellectual exchanges between the Islamic world and Europe. She is particularly interested in how things people and ideas moved across the Mediterranean and were adopted and adapted in new cultural contexts. She specialises in Islamic art and Islamic scientific instruments and worked for several years as a museum curator. Federica provides insightful commentary on second panel of this workshop.
Piracy and Pahang in the Nineteenth Century
8mo ago · 19:23
Dr Scott Abel contributed to Panel Two of Day One of this 2-day workshop. Scott's paper explores: The inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula during the mid-nineteenth century endured a fractured geopolitical environment where both great and minor powers sought to reap the benefits of the regions' abundant natural resources and commercial chokepoint between the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. Such powers include both states and non-state actors who had no official recognition as legitimate authorities. Pahang, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, was in a particularly precarious positio
Curating the Sea: Preserving Pahang’s Maritime and Riverine Past
8mo ago · 19:06
As one of the curators of Muzium Pahang, this presentation contributed to Day 1 Panel 2. Pahang forms part of the Malay Archipelago – a region inhabited predominantly by a maritime community with a strong maritime identity. The establishment of a maritime museum in Pahang is imperative, as a state with a rich culture and history as well as identity that is deeply influenced by riverine and maritime life which is highly intertwined with the concept of ‘tanah air’ – the term homeland that directly translates into ‘water land’. This paper will be looking into the current and ongoing effort of rec
Pahang Maritime Activity according to Malay Letters
8mo ago · 13:54
Pahang is one of the Malay kingdoms involved in Malay maritime activity. The history of maritime activities related to Pahang was recorded in both local and foreign sources. Although the role of Pahang was significant, no in-depth study of its maritime activity with reference to Malay historiographies—including records of Johor, Aceh, Siak, and Terengganu—has been conducted. Therefore, this study aims to fill the gap by identifying Pahang’s relations with other Malay kingdoms and examining maritime activities related to Pahang in connection with foreign powers. This study employs textual analy
Pahang: The Pahang Maritime Museum and Soft Power: Nation Branding through Heritage and the Sea
8mo ago · 12:30
The Chairman of the Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Pahang contributed to Panel 2 of Day 1 ‘Constructing Pahang’s Maritime History’. This paper examines the Pahang Maritime Museum as a site of soft power and nation branding, exploring how maritime heritage is mobilised to project identity, legitimacy, and modernity in contemporary Malaysia. Situated at the confluence of history, culture, and statecraft, the museum serves not only as a custodian of coastal and riverine memory but also as a stage for articulating narratives of national belonging and regional relevance. Drawing on theories of heritage d
Commentator of Panel 1 Day 1, Locating Pahang’s Maritime Position
8mo ago · 15:01
Professor Dr Amal Ghazal gave a commentary on the contributions from the first panel of the first day. Day one included talks on ‘Early Interconnections in Maritime Southeast Asia’, by Dr Jennifer Gaynor; ‘World Unmaking and The Geographical Imaginery of Late Empire Between India and Arabia’, by Mr Itamar Toussia Cohen; ‘Pahang and the batu Aceh tombstone tradition’ by Dr Jessica Rahardjo; and ‘Between Tribute and Tide: Siam-Pahang relations in the Malay World’ by Ms Sonia Latha.
Between Tribute and Tide: Siam-Pahang Relations in the Malay World
8mo ago · 13:43
Sonia Latha contributed to Panel One of Day One of this 2-day workshop. This paper examines the complex and often overlooked relationship between Siam and Pahang, situating it within the broader context of Southeast Asian political negotiation and maritime exchange. While Siam's influence over Kelantan and Terengganu is well established through the tributary system administered from Nakhon Si Thammarat (Ligor), Pahang's place within this framework remains uncertain and fragmentary. Therefore, this paper argues that Siam's suzerainty over Pahang was not a structure of direct rule but a form of
Early Interconnections in Maritime Southeast Asia
8mo ago · 18:24
Dr Jennifer Gaynor contributed to Panel One of Day One of this 2-day workshop. Scholarship on maritime Asia allows us to discern a rough congruence between the emergence of early nautical polities in Southeast Asia and much earlier sea-crossing networks of nautical interaction. What are the implications of this apparent overlap for how we understand the emergence of those nautical polities and for our grasp of the history of transregional interactions? This talk describes some of the evidence for these precursor networks among seafaring people around and across the South China Sea, networks th
Pahang: The Forgotten Malay-Islamic Constitutional and Maritime Legacy
8mo ago · 36:27
Her Majesty Queen Azizah of Pahang, Malaysia opened this 2-day workshop ‘Pahang and the Sea, Maritime Networks and Connections between Southeast Asia and Beyond. The workshop brought together experts in the field from the US, UK, Europe and Malaysia who shared their knowledge and research, as we explored the fascinating maritime history of Pahang, Malaysia and its connections with the Islamic world, China and Europe. This keynote address by the Queen repositions Pahang as a sovereign maritime kingdom whose historical and legal significance has long been overshadowed by the western-oriented nar
Islam and the State
1y ago · 52:46
Dr Andrew March presents on Islam and the State, our final episode of the Trinity Term 2025 Oxford Islam and Justice programme, on Friday 20 June 2025. The Oxford Islam and Justice Programme aims to provide a grounding in the academic and debates about the relationship between Islamic views of justice and the modern political order. This is the fourth and final seminar of Trinity Term 2025, with associated short pre-readings, and is taught by leading academic in the field Dr Andrew March. The theme for this week's lecture is Islam and the State: What is the ‘state’, and is it best viewed as a
Oxford Islam & Justice Seminar: Islamic Law beyond Fiqh
1y ago · 32:29
The Oxford Islam and Justice Programme aims to provide a grounding in the academic and debates about the relationship between Islamic views of justice and the modern political order. This is the third seminar of Trinity Term 2025, with associated short pre-readings, and is taught by leading academic in the field Dr Mohammed Allehbi. The theme for this week's lecture is Islamic Law beyond Fiqh (700-1000 C.E.) In this Trinity Term 2025 series we are exploring some of the deepest questions about Islam and political justice, including the ideas of political liberalism, natural law, statecraft, pol
Oxford Islam & Justice Seminar: Liberal Commitments, Islamic Commitments and Public Reason
1y ago · 55:56
The Oxford Islam and Justice Programme aims to provide a grounding in the academic and debates about the relationship between Islamic views of justice and the modern political order. This is the first seminar of Trinity Term 2025, with associated short pre-readings, and is taught by leading academic in the field Professor Mohammad Fadel. The theme for this week's lecture is Islam and Political Liberalism, specifically Liberal Commitments, Islamic Commitments and Public Reason: Strategies for Principled Reconciliation. In this Trinity Term 2025 series we are exploring some of the deepest questi
The Houthis: From Local Insurgents to a Regional Actor - Exploiting Global Solidarities
1y ago · 25:36
Yasmeen Eryani contributing to Session 3: Reverberations of Resistance, at a November 2024 Contemporary Islamic Studies Oxford / SEPAD, Lancaster University workshop: Transnational Islamic Movements: Global and Local Realities. Yasmeen Eryani speaking on “The Houthis: From Local Insurgents to a Regional Actor – Exploiting Global Solidarities”. Guest speaker contributing to the 1-day workshop: Transnational Islamic Movements: Global and Local Realities, held on Friday 29 November 2024. Yasmeen spoke in Session 3, Reverberations of Resistance, chaired by Professor Neil Ketchley. The workshop was

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Contemporary Islamic Studies

Episodes 33

Iraq's Shi'a warriors: From battlefield to parliament

Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam

Brothers Behind Bars: A History of the Muslim Brotherhood from the Palestine War to Egypt’s Prisons

Closing ceremony of the 2-day workshop, Pahang and the Sea: Maritime Networks and Connections between Southeast Asia and Beyond

Finale Roundtable commentary

Pahang and the Persian Gulf

Pahang and Euro-Asian Business Partnerships in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea in the 16th Century

The Connections between Pahang and The Kingdom of Italy in the Writings of Giovanni Battista Cerutti in a Global Perspective

Pahang and the Iberian Thalassocracies: From the Golden Peninsula to the Passage of Empire

Commentary Malaysia workshop, Day 2 Panel 1, Pahang, China and The Spice Route

Pahang in the Maritime Spice Route: Insights from Numismatics, Shipwrecks, and Cartography

Piecing Together the Early History of Pahang through Imperial Chinese Scripture

Commentary on Panel 2 "Constructing Pahang's Maritime History", Day 1 of the workshop

Piracy and Pahang in the Nineteenth Century

Curating the Sea: Preserving Pahang’s Maritime and Riverine Past

Pahang Maritime Activity according to Malay Letters

Pahang: The Pahang Maritime Museum and Soft Power: Nation Branding through Heritage and the Sea

Commentator of Panel 1 Day 1, Locating Pahang’s Maritime Position

Between Tribute and Tide: Siam-Pahang Relations in the Malay World

Early Interconnections in Maritime Southeast Asia

Pahang: The Forgotten Malay-Islamic Constitutional and Maritime Legacy

Islam and the State

Oxford Islam & Justice Seminar: Islamic Law beyond Fiqh

Oxford Islam & Justice Seminar: Liberal Commitments, Islamic Commitments and Public Reason

The Houthis: From Local Insurgents to a Regional Actor - Exploiting Global Solidarities

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Episodes 33

Iraq's Shi'a warriors: From battlefield to parliament

Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam

Brothers Behind Bars: A History of the Muslim Brotherhood from the Palestine War to Egypt’s Prisons

Closing ceremony of the 2-day workshop, Pahang and the Sea: Maritime Networks and Connections between Southeast Asia and Beyond

Finale Roundtable commentary

Pahang and the Persian Gulf

Pahang and Euro-Asian Business Partnerships in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea in the 16th Century

The Connections between Pahang and The Kingdom of Italy in the Writings of Giovanni Battista Cerutti in a Global Perspective

Pahang and the Iberian Thalassocracies: From the Golden Peninsula to the Passage of Empire

Commentary Malaysia workshop, Day 2 Panel 1, Pahang, China and The Spice Route

Pahang in the Maritime Spice Route: Insights from Numismatics, Shipwrecks, and Cartography

Piecing Together the Early History of Pahang through Imperial Chinese Scripture

Commentary on Panel 2 "Constructing Pahang's Maritime History", Day 1 of the workshop

Piracy and Pahang in the Nineteenth Century

Curating the Sea: Preserving Pahang’s Maritime and Riverine Past

Pahang Maritime Activity according to Malay Letters

Pahang: The Pahang Maritime Museum and Soft Power: Nation Branding through Heritage and the Sea

Commentator of Panel 1 Day 1, Locating Pahang’s Maritime Position

Between Tribute and Tide: Siam-Pahang Relations in the Malay World

Early Interconnections in Maritime Southeast Asia

Pahang: The Forgotten Malay-Islamic Constitutional and Maritime Legacy

Islam and the State

Oxford Islam & Justice Seminar: Islamic Law beyond Fiqh

Oxford Islam & Justice Seminar: Liberal Commitments, Islamic Commitments and Public Reason

The Houthis: From Local Insurgents to a Regional Actor - Exploiting Global Solidarities