In early November, with the support of ACN International, brothers Jean Druel, OP and Emmanuel Pisani, OP traveled to Congo, where they animated a session on Islamic studies as part of the Certificate program established by the IDEO in January of this year. Deeply convinced of the need to provide an academic perspective on Islam in the African context, where the activism of Islamist groups arouses apprehension, fear, and concern, they organized a three-day training for an audience of 49 students from academic, journalistic, and administrative spheres.
The attention and diligence of the participants, along with the generous and thoughtful reception by the Rector of the University of Mbuji-Mayi, Father Rector Apollinaire Cibaka Cikongo, helped broaden the horizons of the participants and observe happy intellectual shifts. This immersion in Arabic, the principles, and practices of Islam marked a milestone in our contribution to a deeper and nuanced understanding of the complex religious and Islamic dynamics that animate and shake the contemporary African landscape.
Lectures and talks
On October 26ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave à lecture entitled “Life and Death, Violence and non-Violence: Qurʾānic and Anthropological Explorations for an Islamic Humanism”, at the 3ʳᵈ interdisciplinary conference entitled “The Culture of Death versus the Culture of Life in Black Africa: Current Situation and Future Perspectives”. This conference was held in Ngandajika, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from October 26ᵗʰ to 28ᵗʰ, 2023.
On November 28ᵗʰ, Dennis Halft, OP gave a lecture entitled “Synagogue and Church in Our Time – Jewish-Catholic Encounter since Vatican Council II” as part of the lecture series “We have to talk about it” organized by the Notre-Dame parish in the pastoral area of Trier.
On November 30ᵗʰ, Dennis Halft, OP gave a lecture entitled “Mohammed – Catholic and Protestant Perspectives on the ‘Founder’ of Islam”. This lecture was organized by the Ecumenical Committee of the Catholic Parish of Wittlich, Saint Anna, and the Protestant Parish of Wittlich, in the hall of the Protestant Parish of Wittlich.
Study day
On November 29ᵗʰ, as part the Anawati Chair, the IDEO organized a study day on the general challenges of translation. This study day was intended for students and teaching assistants from the al-Azhar Center for the Teaching of the French Language (CEF), with the participation of the two Francophone departments of the faculties of Languages and Translation (males) and Humanities (females). The session was led by Professor Georges Bohas, emeritus professor at the French École normale supérieure of Lyon, a member of the University Institute of France, and a specialist in the revision and translation of Arabic texts
Seminar
On November 30ᵗʰ, Professor Georges Bohas also led a public seminar at IDEO, in which he presented the work of his latest publication on “Metric strategies in the Qurʾān”.
Islamic studies session
From October 30ᵗʰ to November 2ⁿᵈ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP and Jean Druel, OP gave an introductory session on Islam to students at the University of Mbuji-Mayi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Postdoctoral scholarship jury
On November 23ʳᵈ, the jury for the award of the IDEO-IFI-IFAO postdoctoral scholarship granted the scholarship to Mr. Grégory Vandamme for his research on “Ibn ʿArabī and the Governance of the Caliphate: Theology and Politics in akbarī thought”.
Framework agreement
On November 23ʳᵈ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP signed a framework agreement with Ms. Anne-Sophie Vivier-Muresan, Dean of the Théologicum, to plan for student exchanges, a study trip to Cairo, participation in conferences, and the establishment of a Chair.”
Diamond
On November 10ᵗʰ, we launched the new online catalog of IDEO and its partners. This more user-friendly version was developed by François-Xavier de Saint-Pern, a developer from our partner, the Giorgio La Pira Library in Palermo. We welcome all comments and suggestions!
New Book on Father Georges Anawati
Jean Jacques Pérennès left Jerusalem at the end of October after completing his second term as the director of the French Biblical and Archeological School in Jerusalem. At the request of IDEO, he has embarked on writing a new book about Father Anawati, with the aim of translating it into Arabic for a Muslim audience. While awaiting his departure for Cairo in January to continue his work, he is currently giving lectures in France on the situation in Palestine and Israel.
Visits
On November 20ᵗʰ, we welcomed for lunch Mr. Raoul Villano, a researcher and lecturer from Roma Tre University who specializes in the Qurʾānic and Arabic grammar.
On November 28ᵗʰ, the Initiative for the Protection of the Arabic Language invited a group of about twenty people to visit the Institute and the library.
Scholars’ House
During the month of November, we had the pleasure of welcoming at the Scholars’ House Ms. Aïmana Assoumani, who completed her six-month mobility at IDEO and CEDEJ as part of her Islamic studies scholarship from the MEAE.
Publications
Dominique Avon, « Le Hezbollah, les crises et les conflits régionaux jusqu’à la fin des années 2010 », dans Denis Pelletier, Florian Michel et alii (dir.), Pour une histoire sociale et culturelle de la théologie. Autour de Claude Langlois, Paris, Brepols, 2023, p. 265-284.
Dominique Avon, Préface de l’ouvrage d’Othman El Kachtoul, Rendez-vous à Dābiq. La théologie apocalyptique du groupe « État islamique », Paris, IISMM/Karthala, 2023, p. 11-17.
Emmanuel Pisani, « Refonder ou revivifier l’islam. Les stratégies d’écriture d’Abū Ḥāmid al-Ġazālī (m. 505/1111) », Cahiers d’études du religieux 25, 2023.