Official Blog Entry #9: The Central Asian Mystique

Frances Wood, in her book The Silk Road:  Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia dedicates a good portion to the Great Game and the effects and aftermath on the region and on the people who stimulated the Great Game discourse.  Chapters 10 to 14 focus on the various explorers and surveyors who contributed [...]

Official Blog Entry #8: A Clash of Ignorance Indeed

Islamic fundamentalism is an issue that comes up time and time again and will most likely continue to do so as the West continues to get riled up about the Islamic world.  Edward Said’s article “The Clash of Ignorance”, and Charles Hirschkind and Saba Mahmood’s article “Feminism, the Taliban, and Politics of Counter-Insurgency” come as [...]

Official Blog Entry #7: The Islamic Tradition

Before I comment on the readings for this week, I would like to point out an amazing series of lectures that will take place at the University of Toronto (yes here!) this month.  They are very relevant to the readings that were required. The course is called The Lost Kingdom:  History of Andalus (Andalusia or [...]