What's New in Oxford Islamic Studies Online
A variety of regular updates and site enhancements are scheduled for Oxford Islamic Studies Online. In previous updates, we've added maps and entries from the Atlas of the World's Religions as well as the entire text of the acclaimed resource Teaching Islam. Articles and images have been loaded from the award-winning Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture, making the site more comprehensive by expanding its coverage of the arts. Lesson plans developed by noted scholars have also been added to the Learning Resources area of the site, part of a growing collection offered to help instructors utilize the site's content to its best advantage in the classroom.
See below for information on the most recent updates available on Oxford Islamic Studies Online. To receive details when a new update is released you can sign up for our email notification service.
For information on past updates, see Previous Updates.
January 2012
This month's update features more than 200 new articles and 26 images from the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture. Twenty new primary source documents have also been added. Among these are the lyrics to the party song, "Leading the People's Struggle", for Wanita Keadilan, the women's wing of the Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKR) in Malaysia. Additionally, subscribers will find an excerpt from The Alchemy of Happines, titled "The Knowledge of Self" (c. 1100), as well as the Prologue to the "Sair ul Ibad ilal Maad" (c. 1111).
This update additionally sees the first of the "Regional Spotlights"; each update will highlight a different region of the Islamic world. The first of these spotlights will be on Southeast Asia. This update includes articles such as, "Muslim Women's Issues and Groups in Cambodia", "Religious Pluralism in Indonesia", and "Muslim minority in Myanmar".
Other exciting additions include two new entries in the site's growing collection of thematic guides on issues relevant to the Islamic world. Each guide is written by a leading scholar who outlines a topic in an accessible manner while providing readers with links to supporting material such as survey articles, biographies, and primary source documents that further illuminate the issue. "Islam Outside the Arab World" by Rüediger Seesemann, University of Bayreuth (Germany), discusses the recent study of Islam outside of the Arab world. In "Sufism" Erik S. Ohlander of Indiana University and Purdue University provides an overview of the historical development and major themes of the Islamic mystical tradition of Sufism. From the history of Sufism to contemporary manifestations, readers will discover how Sufism has grown to become a vital force among Muslim communities.
This update also includes two new additions to the expanding group of lesson plans on the site. Each lesson plan highlights ways in which the resources available on Oxford Islamic Studies Online can be used to connect with today's technologically-savvy student. For "The Roots of Democracy and Constitutionalism in the Middle East" Corinne Blake, Associate Professor of History at Rowan Univeristy, explores recent antiregime activities and the origins of support for democracy and constitutionalism in the region. Hafsa Kanjwal, University of Michigan, discusses the division of the Indian subcontinent along religious lines and the creation of the states of India and Pakistan in "Partition."
In the current Focus On Feature, Sean Foley discusses the growing modernity of Muslims in Southeast Asia and the rising popularity of Lebanese-Swedish music star, Maher Zain, in this region. Foley additionally explores the use of social media to advertise Zain's music and how this is connected to the wider Muslim World and 2011 Spring Awakening.
The current Focus On essay is freely available online. The public can access the content of all Focus On essays, and use the Related Reading links for a current feature. Subscribers have permanent access to all current and previous Focus On features and links. To receive details on new Focus On features, enter your email address in the box below.
