Three events held in two cities last month presented new books from 敁珗曄部sWorld of Islam泭硃紳餃泭Living Ismaili Traditionsseries. AuthorsDr JiwasThe FatimidsMajor Muslim dynasty of Ismaili caliphs in North Africa (from 909) and later in Egypt (9731171) More 2: The Rule from Egyptwas published in January 2023 and Dr RemtillasExperiences of the Jamatkhana: Stories of the East African JamatAssembly or religious congregation; also a term used by the Nizari Ismailis for their individual communities.in October 2023.
Discussion at the Be簿t al-Hikma Palace
On 11 October in the Be簿t al-Hikma Palace,met Professor Mahmoud Ben Romdhane, President of The Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts (known locally as Be簿t al-Hikma), Professor Raj Israr, Head of Education for the, and other academics to discuss her 2023 publicationFatimids 2硃紳餃泭The Fatimids 1: The Rise of a Muslim Empire.
The event, attended by 60 academics and 敁珗曄部 Short Course participants, and viewed by over 500 people online, featured discussions on the Fatimid empire and its impact on history, archaeology, philosophy, linguistics, and more. The contributors have added a few new and different perspectives in the light of the recent archaeological findings, noted Moncef Ben Abdeljelil, one of the organizers of the event.
I feel a duty to thank Prof. Shainool Jiwa for having given us such an opportunity: bringing Fatimid history and civilisation to the front of our academic interest!
with Dr Jiwa, Prof Romdhane, Prof Israr, 硃紳餃泭Zulfiqar Khimani. (Please note that speakers presented in Arabic, English, and French).
Book launch in Dar es Salaam
On 25 October, Dr Jiwa attended a book launch in Dar es Salaam, hosted by the. The Tanzanian Minister of Constitutional and Legal Affairs, and the Honourable Ambassador Dr Pindi Chana attended, praising AKDNThe Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a contemporary endeavour of the Ismaili Imamat to realise the ethics and social conscience of Islam through institutional action. More for its role in promoting education in East Africa and around the world.
We must write [history] as much as we can, said Ambassador Chana. Remember, our Father of the Nation [Mwalimu Julius Nyerere] used to write. She continued: Many people in this room have history, it is a high time to write books focusing on different issues. (from)
Ambassador Chana held up Dr Jiwa as a role model for Tanzanian women, saying Dkt. Shainool Jiwa pia umeleta chachu kwa mabinti zetu ambao wako shuleni na vyuoni kuona kwamba Wanawake wanaweza kutoa mchango mkubwa kwa jamii. (Dr Shainool Jiwa has also inspired our daughters who are in school and college to see that women can make a great contribution to society.) (translated from)
Meeting the jamat in Upanga, Tanzania
The book tour concluded in Upanga Jamatkhana, Tanzania, where Dr Jiwa, Dr Aliaa Remtilla and Dr Farouk Topan, director of the Swahili Centre at the, met nearly 320 jamati members to discuss the importance of the new 敁珗曄部 publications:The Fatimids 2泭硃紳餃泭Experiences of the Jamatkhana. One of the questions we had was: how do we take serious academic research and make it so that mom wants to read? notes Dr Remtilla, pointing to her own mother in the crowd.
We have now carried out a significant amount of scholarship in Ismaili studies, in Shii studies and in Quranic studies, continued Dr Jiwa. How do we make this material which, as Dr Remtilla said, is academically robust, purposive, engaging, interesting, and of relevance to our jamat worldwide as well as to those among whom we live?
The Fatimids 2: The Rule from Egypt泭硃紳餃泭Experiences of the Jamatkhana: Stories of the East African Jamatare now available for purchase.
