The Iranian Studies Initiative at NYU (ISI-NYU) provides an intellectual and academic space for NYU faculty members and graduate students to study Iranian history, culture and society. Supported by the Gallatin School of Individualized Study and the Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, ISI-NYU draws on faculty members from departments and centers across the University. Directed by Professor Ali Mirsepassi, ISI-NYU includes a translation service, a lecture series, lunch discussions and other public events, from art exhibitions to film screenings. ISI-NYU reaches out to academics at Columbia University, City University, the New School and Princeton University as well as the rich intellectual and artistic Iranian Diaspora community in New York City in pursuit of its mission to create a central place for the study of Iran.
Islamic Law and Qajar Society
A lecture by Nobuaki Kondo, ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
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Synopsis: The studies on Qajar Iran did not pay much attention to Islamic law. The Western-inspired Qajar intellectuals sought to establish modern secular law (qanun), but rarely discussed shari‘a. However, the Iranian civil law of 1928–36, which included many elements from Islamic law, indicates that the law provided a basic infrastructure for society. Based on the shari‘a court records and documents from Qajar Iran, Kondo will argue the practical aspects of shari'a in Qajar society. He will also explain how the Qajar Shari'a courts were different from their Ottoman counterparts, which have been well-studied and well-documented.