International Conference Society for Cosponsors Iranian Studies Program Committees 02 Roshan Message from the President 04 Cultural Message from the Conference Chair 07 International Society for Heritage Iranian Studies 08 Institute Journal of Iranian Studies 11 Sponsoring Foundations 14 Foundation Iranian Studies at the University for Iranian of California, Los Angeles 19 Studies Lifetime Achievement Award 22 Outstanding Service Award 30 The Latifeh Yarshater Award 32 The Persian The Saidi-Sirjani Book Award 34 Heritage The Ehsan Yarshater Book Award 37 Foundation The Lois Roth Prize for Literary Translation 40 Namâd Ensemble 41 The Conference Schedule 45 Advertisements The American Institute Editorial Board of Iranian Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi Studies Rivanne Sandler Ida Meftahi Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan Program Design Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan Cover Design Khosrow Bayat 01 Publisher International Society for Iranian Studies Printing Printup Press & Graphics 2010 Program Committee President Touraj Daryaee, University of California, Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, University Irvine of Toronto Bahar Davary, University of San Diego Executive Director Supriya Gandhi, Harvard University Rivanne Sandler, University of Toronto Paul E. Losensky, University of Indiana Iranian Studies Editor Pardis Mahdavi, Pomona College Homa Katouzian, University of Oxford Yasuyuki Matsunaga, Tokyo University President-Elect of Foreign Studies Houchang Chehabi, Boston Ziba Mir-Hosseini, University of London Univerversity Minoo Moallem, University of California Past-President at Berkeley Nasrin Rahimieh, University of Kazuo Morimoto, University of Tokyo California, Irvine Nima Naghibi, Ryerson University Conference Chair Enrico G. Raffaelli, University of Toronto Hossein Ziai, University of California, Daniel Rafinejad, University of Los Angeles California, Los Angeles Program Chair Rahim Shayegan, University of Marta Simidchieva, York University, California, Los Angeles Toronto Marianna S. Simpson, Bard Graduate Center, New York Honorary Member Azita Taleghani, University of Toronto Amin Banani, University of California, Nayereh Tohidi, California State Los Angeles University, Northridge Zohreh Zarshenas, Institute for Firuza Abdullaeva, University of Oxford Humanities and Cultural Studies, Touraj Atabaki, Leiden University Tehran Muriel Atkin, George Washington University Sussan Babaie, New York University Natasha Chalisova, Russian State University for the Humanities, 02 Moscow Thierry Coville, Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, Paris Message from the President It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Eighth Biennial Conference of the International Society for Iranian Studies (ISIS). The celebration of the 90th birthday of ISIS’s first president, Dr. Ehsan Yarshater, is a special feature of this year’s conference. ISIS was established in 1967 as the Society for Iranian Studies and held its first conference in Los Angeles on 26-27 June 1969. Organized by Professor Amin Banani, the 1969 conference on the “Structure of Power in Islamic Iran” included 5 panels and 20 participants. “Starting with 9 members at the time of its inception,” the Society today has approximately 500 members from all over the world. As it was observed in 1968, “the combined list of our members and subscribers reads literally like a Who’s Who in the field of Iranian Studies . .” While in 1968 membership was “limited to North America,” ISIS today is the largest and the most cohesive Iranian Studies scholarly society with members hailing from countries from all over the world. This year’s conference is a testimony to the widening international scope of the Society’s membership and 04 the impressive diversity of topics covered in the field of Iranian Studies. A new generation of Iranian Studies scholars are taking the field beyond the territorial boundaries of Iran and past the earlier nationalist In view of the intense national, paradigm into globally framed regional and global conflicts that explorations of social, cultural and have arisen since its founding, ISIS literary conventions, interactions has sought to remain inclusive and transformations. of all competing perspectives At the time of its inception, while concurrently resisting its “only Iranians were eligible for instrumentalization as a venue for Full Membership while non- the advancement of particularistic Iranian students and scholars could and extra-academic agendas. With apply for the Society’s Associate its strong commitment to the Membership.” As the image on the autonomy of scholarly inquiry back of the front-cover illustrates, and to academic civility, ISIS this was changed in 1968 with the has effectively addressed issues of introduction of an amendment concern to its members through changing the full membership to reasoned deliberation and via its “[a]ny person sharing the objectives own constitutional principles of of this Society and engaged in non-partisan inclusivity. With the research or study in social sciences Society’s development into a global and humanities . .” Taking into network of scholars and academics, account the breadth of political the preservation of these well-tested changes since the 1960s, the principles are fundamental to our longevity of ISIS is due to this ability to advance social science and inclusivity and unwavering “non- humanities research in an area that partisan” commitment. This was has become the object of increased explained in the following manner politicization and ideologization by in the Society’s original constitution: extra-academic forces. “The society as such is non-partisan. With its relatively limited resources It will not support political parties or drawn from the membership, candidates nor commit its members this year’s conference has been on questions of public policy.” Now the product of a labor of love and as then, ISIS has remained fully invaluable support from many committed to academic freedom. colleagues. In addition to Dr. As noted in Article II of the original Rivanne Sandler, who has ably 05 constitution, “The society shall, placed ISIS on a solid organizational however, work for the safeguard[ing] and financial foundation, I have of freedom of inquiry and expression enjoyed working with Dr. Marta for its members and other scholars in Simidchieva, the 2010 Conference the field.” Program Chair. Dr. Simidchieva and the program committee put together organizational skills and elegant an excellent academic program. sensibility of Bita Milanian and With many new scholars in this Haleh Emrani. The Ehsan Yarshater year’s conference, we will be meeting 90th Birthday Tribute & Reception researchers who will be shaping is made possible with the wise scholarly agendas in the field for the counsel of Dr. Ahmad Ashraf and next few decades. the foresight of Homa Sarshar ISIS is especially grateful for the and other committed Friends of invaluable support and dedication Encyclopaedia Iranica. of Dr. Hossein Ziai, the 2010 Very special thanks go to Ustad Conference Chair. Dr. Ziai and the Khosrow Bayat, Pendar Yousefi, and organizing committee, consisting Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan for mainly of UCLA students and their dedication and outstanding faculty, have made this a historically graphic design. I am also grateful special conference. Dr. Ziai and to Arash Afshar of Printup Press & his team have been a great source Graphics for his quality work and of support as we have prepared for invaluable last minute support. this 2010 Iranian Studies Biennial For extending the hospitality of Conference. I would like to express the Doubletree Guest Suites Santa my gratitude to the organizing Monica, I am also indebted to Beth committee, specifically to Jonathan Hansler. Friedlander and Dr. Latifeh Hagigi. Please join me in thanking all of Special thanks to the dedicated our volunteers, committee members, members of our award committees. cosponsors, and conference I would also like to express my presenters whose contribution to the gratitude to the institutional advancement of Iranian Studies is cosponsors of this year’s conference: appreciated in the previous pages. the American Institute for Iranian I wish you all an intellectually Studies, the Farhang Foundation, inspiring experience in Santa the Friends of Encyclopaedia Monica. Iranica, the Foundation for Iranian Studies, the Persian Heritage Best regards, Foundation, and the Roshan Mohamad Tavakoli Cultural Heritage Institute. Special thanks to Mahnaz Afkhami, Frank Lewis, Elahé Mir-Djalali Omidyar, 06 Vahid Nowshirvani, Homa Sarshar, and Javad Tavakoli. The opening reception, which is cosponsored by the Farhang Foundation, would not have been possible without the Foremost I welcome everyone to the conference. The conference is yours, and Message we all share in its success. Now more than ever in recent from the history it is crucial to conduct research on every aspect of the Conference Iranian civilization and be able to freely express the results. Chair The biennial ISIS conference is the premier such forum where scholars from around the globe can engage in debate and freely express diverse opinion. We are not bound by governmental censorship nor by any other type of external constraint. Let us recognize this important fact and rejoice, and let us draw on the diversity of our opinions and positions to make us stronger as a group. Iran is undergoing fundamental change. The people no longer support the culture of violence and death and wish to embrace freedom, equality, justice, and replace hatred