AGYA Member
Mohammad Magout
Islamic Studies
Areas of Expertise:
Arabic press in the 19th century; secularity in the Arab world; sociology of Islam; Global Ismailism
About me
My research concentrates on the private Arab press in Beirut in the nineteenth century. I analyse its vital role as a vehicle for the development of modern Arab discourses about religion and its relevance for social, cultural, and political spheres.
The focus of my work is twofold: I examine the contents of the press as well as its role as a modern medium of communication that contributed to the formation of a trans-regional and trans-confessional Arab public sphere. I study periodicals with different confessional backgrounds and political orientations to provide a broad picture of the debates about religion in that era.
AGYA is a unique platform for German and Arab scientists to collaboratively work on the common cultural heritage of Germany and the Arab world. Much of this shared heritage is yet to be studied and made available to the public. That applies especially to the exchange between Arab journalists and German Orientalists in the 19th century, which I came across through my research.
Current projects
- Member of the AGYA Working Group Common Heritage and Common Challenges
Academic Career
| 2020 | Visiting Lecturer, M. A. "Middle Eastern Sociology/Anthropology and History", University of Erfurt, Germany |
| 2019 | Visiting Lecturer, Institute of Oriental Studies, Tbilisi State University, Georgia |
| 2018 - 2019 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Orient-Institut Beirut, Lebanon |
| 2016 - 2017 | Research Assistant, Research Project “From Arrival to Participation in Society: How Refugees View Their Lives in Germany”, Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR), Berlin, Germany |
| 2016 - | Postdoctoral Researcher, The Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies “Multiple Secularities: Beyond the West, Beyond Modernities”, University of Leipzig |
| 2011 - 2016 | PhD, Oriental Studies, Graduate School “Religious Non-conformism and Cultural Dynamics”, University of Leipzig, Germany |
| 2008 - 2010 | MA Muslim Cultures, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University, London, United Kingdom |
