Postdoctoral Fellowship at the the Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait and the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity, NY (2020-2021)Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton University (2019-2020)PhD in Islamic Studies from Princeton University (2019)MA in Islamic Studies from Princeton University (2015)BA in Religious Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Pennsylvania (2013)
less than persons. In Chapter 4, Corwin describes how this model leads to ‘elderspeak’: talking t... more less than persons. In Chapter 4, Corwin describes how this model leads to ‘elderspeak’: talking to older people in the simple words and sentences one would use to a child and excluding them from adult interaction. In contrast, the nuns involved even the nonverbal or mentally declining sisters in active conversation, jokes, narratives, and games. Chapter 5 describes the changes that occurred in the sisters’ images of God and pain after the Second Vatican Council (1961–1965). Prior to that time, Catholics had been socialised to see pain and suffering as a punishment for sin or as an opportunity to gain spiritual merit. Theological interpretations current after Vatican II focused on God or Jesus as a loving companion in suffering and as an aid in accepting suffering. In Chapter 6, Corwin notes that the nuns did not seek out pain to gain extra merit; they availed themselves of modern medical treatment. Yet they were also unwilling “to cling to medical intervention to such an extent that one does not accept God’s will” (124). Corwin makes a persuasive case in describing how the sisters’ embrace of aging gives them a more positive experience of their final years. She does point out, however, that this may not be the case with some of the younger nuns who have not experienced the stronger community ties and the ‘emptying of self’ that was part of the sisters’ socialisation prior to Vatican II. The sisters who lived and ministered more independently in recent years, she notes, have trouble adjusting to life in the infirmary. The Covid-induced isolation of the past two years may also have kept the more active sisters from visiting and supporting them. It would be sad if the American ‘successful aging’ model supplants the sisters’ embrace of aging before the rest of American society can learn from it.
Seeking knowledge from scholars is an imperative for Salafis. But what does that mean for Salafis... more Seeking knowledge from scholars is an imperative for Salafis. But what does that mean for Salafis in the West who deny that there are any scholars among them? Since the 1960s, Western Muslims have been taking advantage of the scholarships available for Islamic studies programs in Saudi Arabia. A steady stream of students has gone, studied with leading Salafi scholars in the heart of the Muslim world, and returned home to promulgate Salafi teachings and lead their communities. Why do none of these former students count as scholars? If they are not scholars, then what is the nature of their role as local leaders? To answer these questions, this study looks closely at the predominantly African American Salafi affiliate community in Philadelphia. The arguments here contribute to a growing body of literature on global Salafism and specifically studies of so-called Madkhalī communities tied to the Islamic University of Medina. Primary fieldwork from 2010 to 2013 and interviews as re...
Bringing niqab wearers' voices to the fore, discussing their narratives on religious agen... more Bringing niqab wearers' voices to the fore, discussing their narratives on religious agency, identity, social interaction, community, and urban spaces, Anna Piela situates women's accounts firmly within UK and US socio-political contexts as well as within media discourses on Islam. The niqab has recently emerged as one of the most ubiquitous symbols of everything that is perceived to be wrong with Islam: barbarity, backwardness, exploitation of women, and political radicalization. Yet all these notions are assigned to women who wear the niqab without their consultation; “niqab debates” are held without their voices being heard, and, when they do speak, their views are dismissed. However, the picture painted by the stories told here demonstrates that, for these women, religious symbols such as the niqab are deeply personal, freely chosen, multilayered, and socially situated. Wearing the Niqab gives voice to these women and their stories, and sets the record straight, enhancing understanding of the complex picture around niqab and religious identity and agency.
This dissertation analyzes the ongoing attempts of Omani Ibadis to re-envision Islamic identity i... more This dissertation analyzes the ongoing attempts of Omani Ibadis to re-envision Islamic identity in the modern era. Arguably Islam’s oldest distinct sect, Ibadism has offered alternative formulations of Islamic belief and jurisprudence that never claimed the adherence of a majority of Muslims, but thrived in enclaves in Arabia and North and East Africa. Omani Ibadis’ encounter with modernity began around the turn of the 19th century and accelerated after 1970 under Sultan Qaboos. Like Muslims across the globe, the Ibadis of Oman have navigated the transformations of modernity, striving for coherence between their sectarian identity and the evolving world around them.
A mixed methodological approach combines textual analysis and fieldwork to examine the modern religious discourse of Ibadi ʿulamāʾ primarily, and of lay Ibadis secondarily. Interviews with 58 diverse individuals offer a window into the reality of public religious life in Oman. The survey of the works of contemporary ʿulamāʾ encompasses books, articles, pamphlets, video lectures, and social media postings.
The study of these resources enables a set of observations about the engagements of modern Ibadis with their textual tradition. The modern state’s control over public religious life, the centrality of fear as a recognized and valued tool for inspiring positive behavior, and the concern with presenting Ibadi identity in a way that appeals to a broad Sunni audience are important themes that recur throughout the chapters. Additionally, the language of tolerance emerges as a ubiquitous idiom in contemporary Omani Ibadi discourse, and scholars and lay believers alike express their sect’s distinctiveness in terms of positive relations with religious others.
I argue that the spread of Saudi Salafism presents an enduring challenge to Ibadism’s place within the international umma. Here, a study of Salafi scholars’ opinions on Ibadism informs a subsequent exploration of contemporary Ibadis’ responses to those opinions as well as their own discourse on Salafism.
Finally, this dissertation documents the recent emergence of the tayyār ʿaqlānī (rationalist stream) of Ibadism, a movement that challenges the state-affiliated Ibadi mainstream and advocates for internal criticism in order to better integrate Ibadism into modernity.
We describe an experiment in developing a first version of WordNet for Iraqi Arabic starting from... more We describe an experiment in developing a first version of WordNet for Iraqi Arabic starting from Arabic WordNet (for Modern Standard Arabic), Princeton WordNet (for English) and a bidirectional English-Iraqi Arabic dictionary. The resulting initial version of the target WordNet so-constructed was made available to human experts in Iraqi Arabic for correction and evaluation.
less than persons. In Chapter 4, Corwin describes how this model leads to ‘elderspeak’: talking t... more less than persons. In Chapter 4, Corwin describes how this model leads to ‘elderspeak’: talking to older people in the simple words and sentences one would use to a child and excluding them from adult interaction. In contrast, the nuns involved even the nonverbal or mentally declining sisters in active conversation, jokes, narratives, and games. Chapter 5 describes the changes that occurred in the sisters’ images of God and pain after the Second Vatican Council (1961–1965). Prior to that time, Catholics had been socialised to see pain and suffering as a punishment for sin or as an opportunity to gain spiritual merit. Theological interpretations current after Vatican II focused on God or Jesus as a loving companion in suffering and as an aid in accepting suffering. In Chapter 6, Corwin notes that the nuns did not seek out pain to gain extra merit; they availed themselves of modern medical treatment. Yet they were also unwilling “to cling to medical intervention to such an extent that one does not accept God’s will” (124). Corwin makes a persuasive case in describing how the sisters’ embrace of aging gives them a more positive experience of their final years. She does point out, however, that this may not be the case with some of the younger nuns who have not experienced the stronger community ties and the ‘emptying of self’ that was part of the sisters’ socialisation prior to Vatican II. The sisters who lived and ministered more independently in recent years, she notes, have trouble adjusting to life in the infirmary. The Covid-induced isolation of the past two years may also have kept the more active sisters from visiting and supporting them. It would be sad if the American ‘successful aging’ model supplants the sisters’ embrace of aging before the rest of American society can learn from it.
Seeking knowledge from scholars is an imperative for Salafis. But what does that mean for Salafis... more Seeking knowledge from scholars is an imperative for Salafis. But what does that mean for Salafis in the West who deny that there are any scholars among them? Since the 1960s, Western Muslims have been taking advantage of the scholarships available for Islamic studies programs in Saudi Arabia. A steady stream of students has gone, studied with leading Salafi scholars in the heart of the Muslim world, and returned home to promulgate Salafi teachings and lead their communities. Why do none of these former students count as scholars? If they are not scholars, then what is the nature of their role as local leaders? To answer these questions, this study looks closely at the predominantly African American Salafi affiliate community in Philadelphia. The arguments here contribute to a growing body of literature on global Salafism and specifically studies of so-called Madkhalī communities tied to the Islamic University of Medina. Primary fieldwork from 2010 to 2013 and interviews as re...
Bringing niqab wearers' voices to the fore, discussing their narratives on religious agen... more Bringing niqab wearers' voices to the fore, discussing their narratives on religious agency, identity, social interaction, community, and urban spaces, Anna Piela situates women's accounts firmly within UK and US socio-political contexts as well as within media discourses on Islam. The niqab has recently emerged as one of the most ubiquitous symbols of everything that is perceived to be wrong with Islam: barbarity, backwardness, exploitation of women, and political radicalization. Yet all these notions are assigned to women who wear the niqab without their consultation; “niqab debates” are held without their voices being heard, and, when they do speak, their views are dismissed. However, the picture painted by the stories told here demonstrates that, for these women, religious symbols such as the niqab are deeply personal, freely chosen, multilayered, and socially situated. Wearing the Niqab gives voice to these women and their stories, and sets the record straight, enhancing understanding of the complex picture around niqab and religious identity and agency.
This dissertation analyzes the ongoing attempts of Omani Ibadis to re-envision Islamic identity i... more This dissertation analyzes the ongoing attempts of Omani Ibadis to re-envision Islamic identity in the modern era. Arguably Islam’s oldest distinct sect, Ibadism has offered alternative formulations of Islamic belief and jurisprudence that never claimed the adherence of a majority of Muslims, but thrived in enclaves in Arabia and North and East Africa. Omani Ibadis’ encounter with modernity began around the turn of the 19th century and accelerated after 1970 under Sultan Qaboos. Like Muslims across the globe, the Ibadis of Oman have navigated the transformations of modernity, striving for coherence between their sectarian identity and the evolving world around them.
A mixed methodological approach combines textual analysis and fieldwork to examine the modern religious discourse of Ibadi ʿulamāʾ primarily, and of lay Ibadis secondarily. Interviews with 58 diverse individuals offer a window into the reality of public religious life in Oman. The survey of the works of contemporary ʿulamāʾ encompasses books, articles, pamphlets, video lectures, and social media postings.
The study of these resources enables a set of observations about the engagements of modern Ibadis with their textual tradition. The modern state’s control over public religious life, the centrality of fear as a recognized and valued tool for inspiring positive behavior, and the concern with presenting Ibadi identity in a way that appeals to a broad Sunni audience are important themes that recur throughout the chapters. Additionally, the language of tolerance emerges as a ubiquitous idiom in contemporary Omani Ibadi discourse, and scholars and lay believers alike express their sect’s distinctiveness in terms of positive relations with religious others.
I argue that the spread of Saudi Salafism presents an enduring challenge to Ibadism’s place within the international umma. Here, a study of Salafi scholars’ opinions on Ibadism informs a subsequent exploration of contemporary Ibadis’ responses to those opinions as well as their own discourse on Salafism.
Finally, this dissertation documents the recent emergence of the tayyār ʿaqlānī (rationalist stream) of Ibadism, a movement that challenges the state-affiliated Ibadi mainstream and advocates for internal criticism in order to better integrate Ibadism into modernity.
We describe an experiment in developing a first version of WordNet for Iraqi Arabic starting from... more We describe an experiment in developing a first version of WordNet for Iraqi Arabic starting from Arabic WordNet (for Modern Standard Arabic), Princeton WordNet (for English) and a bidirectional English-Iraqi Arabic dictionary. The resulting initial version of the target WordNet so-constructed was made available to human experts in Iraqi Arabic for correction and evaluation.
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A mixed methodological approach combines textual analysis and fieldwork to examine the modern religious discourse of Ibadi ʿulamāʾ primarily, and of lay Ibadis secondarily. Interviews with 58 diverse individuals offer a window into the reality of public religious life in Oman. The survey of the works of contemporary ʿulamāʾ encompasses books, articles, pamphlets, video lectures, and social media postings.
The study of these resources enables a set of observations about the engagements of modern Ibadis with their textual tradition. The modern state’s control over public religious life, the centrality of fear as a recognized and valued tool for inspiring positive behavior, and the concern with presenting Ibadi identity in a way that appeals to a broad Sunni audience are important themes that recur throughout the chapters. Additionally, the language of tolerance emerges as a ubiquitous idiom in contemporary Omani Ibadi discourse, and scholars and lay believers alike express their sect’s distinctiveness in terms of positive relations with religious others.
I argue that the spread of Saudi Salafism presents an enduring challenge to Ibadism’s place within the international umma. Here, a study of Salafi scholars’ opinions on Ibadism informs a subsequent exploration of contemporary Ibadis’ responses to those opinions as well as their own discourse on Salafism.
Finally, this dissertation documents the recent emergence of the tayyār ʿaqlānī (rationalist stream) of Ibadism, a movement that challenges the state-affiliated Ibadi mainstream and advocates for internal criticism in order to better integrate Ibadism into modernity.
A mixed methodological approach combines textual analysis and fieldwork to examine the modern religious discourse of Ibadi ʿulamāʾ primarily, and of lay Ibadis secondarily. Interviews with 58 diverse individuals offer a window into the reality of public religious life in Oman. The survey of the works of contemporary ʿulamāʾ encompasses books, articles, pamphlets, video lectures, and social media postings.
The study of these resources enables a set of observations about the engagements of modern Ibadis with their textual tradition. The modern state’s control over public religious life, the centrality of fear as a recognized and valued tool for inspiring positive behavior, and the concern with presenting Ibadi identity in a way that appeals to a broad Sunni audience are important themes that recur throughout the chapters. Additionally, the language of tolerance emerges as a ubiquitous idiom in contemporary Omani Ibadi discourse, and scholars and lay believers alike express their sect’s distinctiveness in terms of positive relations with religious others.
I argue that the spread of Saudi Salafism presents an enduring challenge to Ibadism’s place within the international umma. Here, a study of Salafi scholars’ opinions on Ibadism informs a subsequent exploration of contemporary Ibadis’ responses to those opinions as well as their own discourse on Salafism.
Finally, this dissertation documents the recent emergence of the tayyār ʿaqlānī (rationalist stream) of Ibadism, a movement that challenges the state-affiliated Ibadi mainstream and advocates for internal criticism in order to better integrate Ibadism into modernity.