Contemporary Islam Unit

The Contemporary Islam Group is soliciting proposals for the 2022 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 that focus on them: 

• “Religion and Catastrophe,” the annual theme for the 2022 meetings 

• Climate and environment 

• Muslim Futurism and Sci-Fi 

• The impact of Covid-19 on religious practice, authority, and practices of grieving and mourning 

• Black Islamic Studies over the past 25 years 

• Technology and spiritual piety 

• Borders and border-crossing 

• Presenter-authored fiction, poetry, creative prose, or artwork 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. 

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.