CfP: One-day international workshop on Islam in Cyprus (1878-2012) in April or May 2013. The intention of this workshop is to bring together researchers on “Islam in Cyprus” from different disciplines in order to trace the related historical, political, societal and religious transformation throughout the last 150 years and to shed light on the current situation.

In the context of this workshop, Islam is used as an umbrella term for Muslim communities, Islamic institutions and forms of religious practice related to Islam. Islam in Cyprus is a most complex topic which has been almost neglected in research, particularly in Religious Studies. During the last 150 years Islam was / still is - the ‘state religion’, although the Muslim community was a numerical minority; - the religion of a minority under colonial rule, and - the umbrella term for a diversity of communities and individuals with different ethnic and social backgrounds.

Furthermore, Cyprus is home to the biggest historically evolved Muslim community inside the EU, and a place of migration for Muslims from diverse countries. The workshop intends to address a broad range of questions such as: - How did British rule influence Islamic institutions, Muslim practice and identity? - What has been the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church in Cyprus and the various Christian Communities on the process of the Turkish and Muslim identity building? - How did Islamic institutions develop throughout the decades and what is the present situation (müftülük, religious instruction, spiritual guidance)? - How does Westernness / Europeanness come into play? If there is an influence, does it result in secularization or the emergence of European Islam? - What has been the influence of Muslim ‘newcomers’, the migrants with a different Islamic historical background and biography? - What are the commonalities or differences of Islam in Cyprus in comparison with the situation of Muslim communities in other EU member countries?

If you are interested in delivering a paper, please send a short abstract and short CV not later than November 20th, 2012. The workshop will take place in April or May 2013 in Nicosia, Cyprus. Funding will be available on a limited scale.