Impact of Emerging Digital Technology and Social Media on Muslim Communities

CALL FOR PAPERS

47th Annual Conference of the

North American Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies (NAAIMS)

“Impact of Emerging Digital Technology and Social Media on Muslim Communities”

Cosponsored By:Middle East and Middle Eastern American Center

The Graduate Center

City University of New York (CUNY)

New York, NY

Friday, September 14, 2018

Deadlines:

Abstracts: March 23, 2018

Final Papers: August 20, 2018

Social Media is very popular in the Muslim world and has become the “go to” source for Muslims seeking information on Islamic practices and beliefs. The Internet serves as an emerging interpretive space for understanding Islam which has led to the increasing fragmentation of already decentralized traditional ‘ulematic authority. When Muslims seeking spiritual and/or religious guidance go to the Internet, this is a direct challenge to traditional channels of Islamic religious authority. Who will be the leading religious authorities on the interpretation and/or the dissemination of such Islamic concept as Shari’ah, Sunnah, Hadith, etc.? How will digital platforms transform traditional forms of Islamic education?

This conference will focus on how the Internet and social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc., have impacted Muslim religious beliefs and practices globally. Among the questions that will be addressed will be how social media is used by Muslims (men and women) globally, religious scholars (‘ulema), and religious organizations to distribute supplications from the Sunnah and Qur’an (da’wa), teach and/or analyze Hadith, and disseminate information on the Islamic faith. How is Islamic authority being altered by the Internet and social media?

We invite a diverse range of papers from professors and advanced Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences. Questions the papers might address include, but are not limited to the following:

· Digital Dominance and the Reconfiguration of Islamic Authority

· Traditional Islamic Authority vs Internet and Facebook

· Facebook and YouTube: Sources for Educational Videos on Islam by ‘Ulema

· Twitter, Facebook & Youtube: Tools to Dispel Negative Islamic Stereotypes

· Digital Technology: Platform for Islamic Education

· Digital Platforms vs Madrasa Education

· Religious Education through Facebook vs Traditional Instruction in Cairo, Egypt (Suhba: Student and Teacher Companionship)

· Facebook Live: Broadcasting of Lessons on Tasawwuf by Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo

· Internet and Friday Jum’aa: Increasing Congregation

· Social Media Platforms: The New Mosque of the 21st Century

· Digital Media Platforms: Source for Anti Muslim Rhetoric

· Digital Technology: Increasing Global Muslim Consciousness

Abstracts (250 words) Due by March 23, 2018:

ONLY Abstracts from Professors and Advanced Ph.D. Candidates will be considered

· Abstracts will be evaluated according to following criteria: clear data & methodology used, relevance & contribution of proposal to conference theme. Abstracts must include a title, author’s full name, contact information, and university position (Professors or Ph.D. Candidates)

· Panelists required to pre-register & pay non-refundable registration fees of $105.00 by Friday, May 11, 2018. Online registration will be available

· Final papers must be submitted by August 20, 2018

· Send abstracts & final papers to Layla Sein, NAAIMS Executive Director, and Director of Academic Affairs at conferences@naaims.org

· Direct all questions to Layla Sein

Program Chair: Professor Anna Akasoy

City University of New York (CUNY)

New York, NY