From Controversy to Conflict: Sunni-Shi`i Relations in 10th Century Baghdad

Nimrod Hurvitz (Ben Gurion University of the Negev)

 

About the talk

Sunni and Shi`i Islam have a long history of intellectual controversy and violent clashes. During the first centuries of Islam, Shi`i rebellions were suppressed by Sunni rulers. However, during the 10th century a new element was added: violent conflicts between ordinary believers. 

One of the major arenas in which Sunnis and Shi`is clashed was Baghdad. This lecture will examine how geo-political and religious conflicts such as Qarmati raids in southern Iraq impacted on the relations between the Muslim communities in Baghdad; how the two communities stoked sectarian tensions by offending each other; and how patterns of urban violence, such as arson and clashes in the city’s streets, evolved.  The lecture illustrates how the dynamics that occurred in 10th century Baghdad transformed relations between Sunnis and Shi`is.

The speaker

Nimrod Hurvitz teaches at the Department of Middle East Studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. His areas of interest are medieval and modern religio-political movements. At present, he is a fellow at the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften at the invitation of Roland Hardenberg, Director of the Frobenius Institute for Research in Cultural Anthropology at Goethe University; he is collaborating with researchers from Goethe University's interdisciplinary field of potential »Religion and De:Toxification (RelTox)«.

Teilnahme

Teilnahme nach vorheriger Anmeldung bei Beate Sutterlüty b.sutterluety@forschungskolleg-humanwissenschaften.de