Contemporary Islam Unit

The Contemporary Islam Group is soliciting proposals for the 2021 AAR meeting on any topics related to the study of Islam in the contemporary period. This year we have particular interests in the following topics and would welcome papers or panels:

1) on “Religion, Poverty, and Inequality,” 2021’s AAR Annual Theme.
2) on the relationship between Muslims and Indigenous Peoples in settler colonies (Canada, US, Australia, etc.) and emergent networks of solidarity.
3) on Islamic responses to/grapplings with migration and its diverse causes: political, environmental, socio-economic.
4) on Muslims in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Latinx Muslims in the United States.
5) on Islam, homonationalism, the summoning of queer and Islamic identities in contemporary racial, political discourse (secular, far-right), the sites where these discourses are produced and the functions they perform.
6) on blackness and slavery in Islam.
7) presenting fiction, poetry, or creative prose related to contemporary Islam.

Pre-arranged panels should reflect gender and racial/ethnic diversity as well as diversity of field, method, and scholarly rank. We also encourage pre-arranged panels to take a broad and inclusive approach to what counts as “Islam,” recognizing the theological diversity within Islam and among Muslims; this includes but is not limited to Shi’a, Ahmadiyya, and the Nation of Islam Muslims.

If your proposal is accepted and you agree to be on the program, we expect you to show up to participate in the Annual Meeting. However, please reach out to us if this is difficult for whatever reason.