Stanford Islamic Studies

The 2024 student-led uprising in #Bangladesh toppled a government in power for 15 years, setting the stage for genuinely competitive #elections in over a decade on February 12, 2026. This post-authoritarian transition invites examination of how competing political narratives about collective mobilization and national history influence voter turnout and electoral choice. This talk will discuss how historical memory, #gender representation, and competing accounts of national identity shape electoral behavior and reshape political preferences. 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗱𝗵𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝘇𝗮𝗯, PhD, is a Research Fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 👉 Co-sponsored by: Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies & Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲: 𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 offers a supportive space for Black and African students at Stanford to explore belonging, build confidence, and strengthen campus connections. Through guided discussions, reflection, and practical exercises, participants will learn strategies to overcome self-doubt, celebrate their achievements, and build supportive peer networks. Faculty and staff are welcome to attend in a supportive role to listen, learn, and reinforce a shared commitment to inclusion and belonging, while centering students’ voices and experiences. 👉 Sponsored by: @cas_stanford & Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies

👉 Sponsored by: Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, @StanfordCDDRL Program on Turkey Join us for a conversation with 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶 𝗚𝘂𝗺𝗿𝘂𝗸𝗰𝘂 about her book, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 1970𝘴: 𝘌𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵. Drawing on original research, the book examines the rise of leftist, nationalist, and Islamist movements, the relationship between political protests and state repression, and the lasting impact of the 1980 military coup on #Turkey’s political landscape. It also connects the political struggles of the 1970s to contemporary debates on authoritarianism, #democracy, and protest. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶 𝗚𝘂𝗺𝗿𝘂𝗸𝗰𝘂 teaches political science and is the Director for the Center of European Studies at Rutgers University. #AbbasiProgram #StanfordIslamicStudies

Join us for a book talk exploring the complex political legacy of post-Ottoman #Iraq and #Syria following their independence in the 1940s and 1950s. While parliamentary rule, political parties, and civil society flourished, emergency laws and military intervention challenged democratic governance. The discussion will examine how both countries navigated questions of citizenship, national development, and the balance of political power, and how these struggles to establish genuine sovereignty continue to resonate today. 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘂 𝗥𝗲𝘆 is currently a senior researcher at CNRS-EHESS and a fellow researcher at the Wits History Workshop in Johannesburg. 👉 Sponsored by: @abbasiprogram and @mideaststanford #AbbasiProgram #StanfordIslamicStudies #History

Join performance artist, translator, and musician 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝘇𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗶 for a transcendent night of music and #poetry, featuring acclaimed translations of the 13th century mystic #Rumi and musical compositions sung in the original Persian. Accompanied by cellist 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘃𝗶, Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗵𝘇𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆, and percussionist 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘇𝗹𝗶, Gafori creates a vibrant cross-cultural musical and poetic dialogue as Rumi’s words tenderly speak to us, ushering us into more loving and soulful realms of being. The translations are published in two volumes, 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥 and 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, by New York Review Books. 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝘇𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗶 is a New York City-born translator, performance artist, writer and educator of Iranian descent. 👉 Sponsored by: Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, @mideaststanford #AbbasiProgram #StanfordIslamicStudies #PersianPoetry

Join us for a talk by 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗮 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist author, examining a leading Islamic scholar and activist, amina wadud. Drawing on archival materials, she will discuss wadud’s journey as a Methodist preacher’s daughter who spearheaded civil rights movements on four continents. Critical to understanding wadud is her experience and ever-changing relationship to both #Islam and the United States. Now recognised as a leading theologian, wadud’s story and work have resulted in countless Muslim #women and queer people seeing their faith anew. #AbbasiProgram #StanfordIslamicStudies

👉 Sponsored by: @abbasiprogram, @mideaststanford, Program on Arab Reform and Development (@StanfordCDDRL) After close to 14 years of cruel struggle, the “eternal” #Assad regime was overthrown. #Syria came out of that eternity quite shapeless. This talk explores the trajectory of Syria from the beginning of the #revolution to the present day, and examines future possibilities. Yassin Al-Haj Saleh is a Syrian writer and translator, and an International Visiting Scholar at the Stanford Humanities Center. #AbbasiProgram #StanfordIslamicStudies