Dr Daryoush泭Mohammad Poor delivered a paper as part of the lecture series,泭泭organised by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) at Leiden University, Netherlands, on 19th泭September 2014.泭The paper, entitled泭Imaginative Anachronistic Leaps and Secular/Religious Myths of Terrorism: The case of Nizari IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja尪far al-廜〢diq (d. 765), as his successor. of the泭Alamut泭捩梗娶勳棗餃,泭addresses the legends of the assassins, which are still part of academic writings (in the field of political science) legitimising narratives of violence. In this way, violence is still portrayed as an inherent part of religion, despite the assassin legends having been deconstructed to a great extent by scholars such as Marshal Hodgson (1955) and Farhad Daftary (1994).
Such imaginative narratives, which are often almost entirely unaware of modern academic developments or disinclined towards further investigations, serve to enhance the religious-secular dichotomies of violence and terrorism. This paper, which is part of a book due for publication in 2015, serves to bridge the gap between Ismaili studies, Ismaili historiography, political theories and modern narratives of violence.
Dr Daryoush泭Mohammad Poor also participated in the泭泭held in Montreal, Canada, on 9 August 2014. He presented a paper entitled泭Precedents to Rethinking Models of Authority among Nizari Ismailis: The Case of泭Tusi, on the contribution of Nasir泭al-Din泭al-Tusi to the notions of authority and the doctrine of泭imamate泭among Nizari Ismailis. 泭The paper specifically dealt with how泭Tusi played a critical role in the articulation of the doctrine of泭喧硃l勳鳥泭and its connection with泭tawhid,泭and the subsequent articulation of the doctrine of泭qiyamat泭in the late泭Alamut泭period, all of which are centrally connected with the doctrine of泭imamate.
The paper also addressed how the doctrine of泭qiyamat泭was perceived in different periods with various degrees of elaboration by the Imams, the scholars in the community, and the泭餃硃尪滄硃Lit. ‘summons’, ‘mission’ or invitation to Islam. Amongst Shi’i Muslims, it was the invitation to adopt the cause of the Imamat. It also refers more specifically to the hierarchy of…泭system. Articulations of this theme during the late泭Alamut泭period appear to build on Tusis writings in his major works, namely泭Sayr wa suluk,泭Rawday-i taslim,泭Matlub al-mu尨minin泭and泭Aghaz wa anjam.泭All of these texts are available in translation under the titles of泭Contemplation and Action泭(敁珗曄部 1998),泭Paradise of Submission泭(敁珗曄部 2005), and泭Shii Interpretations of Islam泭(敁珗曄部 2010).
Dr Poors presentation utilised quotations from fragments of rare, unpublished manuscripts (from the collection of the 敁珗曄部-ISMC Joint Library) of the泭Alamut泭period, elaborating how the doctrine of泭qiyamat泭was understood during that time.
Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor has also recently published a book entitled泭泭.
