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In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Alisa Shablovskaia (University of Oslo) joins Dr. Alp Eren Topal (Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul) to explore her postdoctoral project, "The Concept of Shura in the Modern Turco-Persian World." Their discussion traces the evolution and reinterpretation of shura—the Islamic principle of consultation—as it intersects with major political and ideological shifts across Iran and the broader Middle East.

Dr. Shablovskaia unpacks the enduring influence of patronage-based political models and how they coexist and conflict with democratizing impulses in the region. The conversation delves into the complex entanglement of Sufism and democratic thought, shedding light on overlooked spiritual-political frameworks that challenge Western binaries of secular and religious governance.

The episode also examines the dramatic ideological battles of the 20th century—especially the role of communism and anti-communism in reshaping Iranian political identity. Finally, Dr. Shablovskaia reflects on the recent surge of female-led resistance movements in Iran, analyzing how women are invoking and reinterpreting shura to contest the biopolitics of the Islamic Republic.

This episode is a deep dive into the layered political, theological, and social meanings of consultation, resistance, and authority in the contemporary Turco-Persian context.

Dr. Alisa Shablovskaia https://uio.academia.edu/AlisaShablovskaia
Dr. Alp Eren Topal https://ibnhaldun.academia.edu/AlpErenTopal

Bibliographical references:

1. Ali Shariati, "Selection and/or Election" https://fr.scribd.com/document/420324870/Selection-and-or-Election
2. Roy Mottahedeh, "Consultation and the Political Process in the Islamic Middle East of the 9th, 10th, and 11th Centuries" https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/11426
3. Shaheen Amid Whyte, "Advancing Shūrā: A Social Agent for Democratization" https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09596410.2019.1641375
4. Fariba Vafi, Another Day of Showra https://www.iranketab.ir/book/18957-roze-digar-shora
5. Denis Hermann, "Extension, renewal or resurgence? The Anti-Constitutional Argument of a Cleric (al-Marandi) in 1920s Iran" https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00263206.2024.2365742
6. Abdul-Hadi Hairi, Shī’īsm and Constitutionalism in Iran: A Study of the Role Played by the Persian Residents of Iraq (Na'ini) in Iranian Politics https://brill.com/display/title/6240
7. Leslie A. Pal and Abdulfatah Said Mohamed, The Majlis al-shura tradition in Islamic public administration https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391983017_The_Majlis_al-shura_tradition_in_Islamic_public_administration
8. Alisa Shablovskaia, “Islam Says We Are All Equal”: The Islamic Turn in Soviet Propaganda in Iran, 1921–25 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/iranian-studies/article/islam-says-we-are-all-equal-the-islamic-turn-in-soviet-propaganda-in-iran-192125/50CAD0D2F4666ED8B4A698BDF8B8FC8A

What is SHURA? Recasting Islamic Counsel in Modern Iran with Dr. Alisa Shablovskaia

In this episode of Concepts from the Global South, hosts Dr. Alisa Shablovskaia (University of Oslo) and Dr. Alp Eren Topal (Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul) speak with Dr. Mary Elston (Bowdoin College, Brunswick) about the Arabic concept of manhaj in contemporary Egypt.

Drawing on her ethnographic and textual research at al-Azhar, Elston traces the shifting meanings of manhaj—from its classical sense of a “clear path” to its modern usage as “method” or “methodology.” She discusses how manhaj became central to 20th-century debates about colonial modernity, Islamic reform, and nationalism, and how it figures today in the Azhar revival of study circles, the articulation of an “Azhar manhaj,” and contestations with Salafi and Islamist currents.

The conversation explores how manhaj mediates questions of education, authority, and tradition; its role in shaping ethical formation and lived practice at al-Azhar; and its political entanglements in contemporary Egypt. Along the way, Elston reflects on the relationship between manhaj, turath (heritage), and wider global debates about authenticity, modernity, and knowledge.

Dr. Mary Elston https://uio.academia.edu/MaryElston
Dr. Alisa Shablovskaia uio.academia.edu/AlisaShablovskaia
Dr. Alp Eren Topal  ibnhaldun.academia.edu/AlpErenTopal

Mary Elston talking about the politics of turath (tradition) in Harvard Islamica Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/ep-1-reviving-tur%C4%81th-islamic-education-in-modern-egypt/id1535674488?i=1000494610020

Bibliographical references:

1. Mary Elston, "Becoming Turāth: the Islamic Tradition in the Modern Period" https://brill.com/view/journals/wdi/63/4/article-p441_003.xml?srsltid=AfmBOoqGwPZ-Gf0z28uRdV0bGjELconWr72PtRwHhknZdrJrpUWQru-6
2. Mary Elston, "ʿAlī Jumʿa as Editor: Reviving the Ḥāshiya in Late-Twentieth-Century Egypt" https://brill.com/view/journals/phen/aop/article-10.1163-24519197-bja10056/article-10.1163-24519197-bja10056.xml?srsltid=AfmBOor6u6dJQAslknT5zjnjk15Kcjc3hEOZrgVtQgqKh0eOACDvMjAO
3. Ahmed El Shamsy, Rediscovering the Islamic Classics: How Editors and Print Culture Transformed an Intellectual Tradition (Princeton University Press, 2020) https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691174563/rediscovering-the-islamic-classics?srsltid=AfmBOooDirA2AWjhARR0gsZq7mkRj9Xgu0KTigjMabUKLBcnseYahRlx
4. Yasmeen Daifallah, "The Politics of Decolonial Interpretation: Tradition and Method in Contemporary Arab Thought" https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/politics-of-decolonial-interpretation-tradition-and-method-in-contemporary-arab-thought/7A3617582102AE0C3CEB06CA73DA64E0
5. Angela Giordani, "Making Falsafa in Modern Egypt: 
Towards a History of Islamic Philosophy in the Twentieth Century" https://core.ac.uk/download/343132585.pdf
6. Yoav Di-Capua, Gatekeepers of the Arab Past: Historians and History Writing in Twentieth-Century Egypt (University of California Press, 2009) https://www.ucpress.edu/books/gatekeepers-of-the-arab-past/paper

What is MANHAJ? Exploring the Islamic Teaching on Method in Modern Egypt with Dr. Mary Elston

This podcast explores the evolving meanings of key concepts in non-European societies, bridging past and present through critical dialogue. Each episode features a guest speaker who unpacks a specific concept—its historical roots, contemporary relevance, and role in shaping how we understand culture, identity, and power in the Global South.

Why do certain words or ideas carry more weight than others? What do they reveal about cultural differences, and how have their meanings transformed over time? We tackle these questions through engaging, interdisciplinary conversations that connect academic insight with real-world implications.

Designed for both scholars and curious listeners, this podcast encourages cross-disciplinary exploration and deeper thinking about global issues through the lens of history and language.

Produced at the University of Oslo.
For inquiries, contact: alisa.shablovskaia@ikos.uio.no

What is MANHAJ? Exploring the Islamic Teaching on Method in Modern Egypt with Dr. Mary Elston

Concepts from the Global South

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