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Hello, The following event may be of interest to you: "Becoming Shia: Ritual, Sacred Space, and Memory in the Early Muslim World" (New time & Location) Thursday, February 26, 2015 Najam I. HaiderAssistant Professor in the Department of ReligionBarnard CollegeThe Shi‘i School represents one of the two major divisions within Islam, the other being the majority Sunni school.The Sunni-Shi'a division first materialized in the 8th century in the important Iraqi city of Kufa. This talk will explore the birth and development of Shi'i identity. Specifically, it will explore how the early Shi‘a carved out an independent communal identity through distinctive ritual practices and within separate sacred spaces. In doing so, it will address two seminal controversies in the study of early Islam, namely, when and how the Shi‘a came to see themselves as a distinctive community. It will also address the important connection between narrative and memory in the history of religious communities. Location: Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium Sponsor: Historical Studies Program; Interdisciplinary Study of Religions Program; Medieval Studies Program; Middle Eastern Studies Program Contact: Tehseen Thaver. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 845-758-7207 If you would like to see more events please visit the following URL: http://inside.bard.edu/religion/events/