Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Seminar Series: Asghar Seyed-Gohrab

Abstract

by Asghar Seyed-Gohrab

Woman, Life and Liberty (zan, zendegi, azadi) is the slogan of the present revolutionary uprising in Iran.

In this lecture, I shall analyse several of Zhāle Qāʾem-Maqāmi’s poetry in which she focuses on the notion of womanhood, happiness, and how women are treated in Iranian society.

The poet treats a wide range of themes connected to the Iranian culture and society of her time. One of the most forceful subjects she covers in her poetry is the way people perceive the differences between men and women, referring to virtues such as chastity and continence which are commonly expected from women and not men.

In this lecture, I shall concentrate on the following questions: how does the poet look at religious laws defining the role and position of women in society? How do her parents and family members treat her as a woman? How does she define the concept of happiness? Why does she choose poetry as a medium to express her thoughts? 

About the speaker

Ali-Asghar Seyed-Gohrab (علی اصغر سید غراب) is Professor of Persian and Iranian Studies at Utrecht University in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

He has published extensively on Persian literature, mysticism and religion. His publications range from Persian poetry to Sufism and the role of religious and mystical motifs and metaphors in Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) and how peaceful religious injunctions are used to justify violence.

His most recent publication is Martyrdom, Mysticism and Dissent: The Poetry of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2021), and he has edited twelve books, most recently Pearls of Meanings: Studies on Persian Art, Poetry, Sufism and History of Iranian Studies in Europe by J.T.P. de Bruijn (Leiden: Leiden UP, 2020) and The Layered Heart: Essays on Persian Poetry, A Celebration in Honor of Dick Davis (Washington, DC: Mage Publishers, 2019).

At the moment, he is the Principal Investigator (PI) of an ERC-Advanced Grant entitled Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in Shaping Islam, examining Islamic nonconformist movements.

Find out more about Beyond Sharia on the project's website

About the seminar series

Each semester, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES) welcomes a fantastic range of guest speakers, PhD students and colleagues from across the University to present an evening seminar on their research.

In the spring semester of the 2022 to 2023 academic year, the overall theme is 'Persian Narratives'.  Topics include Persian, Iranian, and Arabic folklore, literature, poetry, traditions, and political structures.

All seminars will be followed by a Q&A and wine reception.

How to join

Events are free and everyone is welcome. This event will be held online via Zoom.

Please email Professor Nacim Pak-Shiraz for joining details.

Email Nacim Pak-Shiraz

Are you interested in studying with us?

We are the only university in Scotland to offer courses in the Muslim world's three main languages, placing Arabic, Persian and Turkish in the context of history, literature, culture, religion and politics, past and present.

Choose from a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including PhD programmes.

Find out more about Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Edinburgh