B: Reviews and notes: bibliographies and works of reference

WORLD SURVEY OF ISLAMIC MANUSCRIPTS, Volumes III and IV. General editor: Geoffrey Roper. London, Al‐Furqaan Islamic Heritage Foundation, 1994. 716 pp. and 489 pp.

MANUSCRIPTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST: A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF HANDWRITTEN MATERIALS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND RELATED SUBJECTS, Volume 6 (1992). Edited by François Déroche, Adam Gacek and Jan Just Witkam. Leiden, Ter Lugt Press, 1994. 164 pp. illustrations, facsimiles.

A DICTIONARY OF THE ARABIC MATERIAL OF S. D. GOITEIN'S A MEDITERRANEAN SOCIETY. By Werner Diem and Hans‐Peter Radenberg. Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 1994. xvi, 241 pp.

GUIDE TO SCHOLARS OF THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF CENTRAL ASIA. Compiled by John S. Schoeberlein‐engel. (Research Publications of the Harvard Central Asia Forum, 1.) Cambridge (USA), Harvard Central Asia Forum, sponsored by Center for Middle Eastern Studies & Russian Research Center, Harvard University, 1995. 313 pp. $15.

OMAN. Compiled by Frank A. Clements. (World Bibliographical Series, Volume 29, revised edition.) Oxford, Clio Press, 1994. xxii, 346 pp. Map. £52.     

C: Reviews and notes: Bibliographies and works of reference

FIHRIS MAKHTUTAT MAKTABAT MAKKA AL‐MUKARRAMA: QISM AL‐QUR'AN WA‐'ULUMIH; QISM AL‐TARIKH = HANDLIST OF MANUSCRIPTS IN THE LIBRARY OF MAKKA AL‐MUKARRAMA: QUR'AN AND QUR'ANIC SCIENCES; HISTORY SECTION. Prepared by MUHAMMAD AL‐HABIB al‐HILA. London, Al‐Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, 1994. 2 vols. Each 145 pp. Col. facsims. £18 each.

FIHRIS MAKHTUTAT BA'D AL‐MAKTABAT AL‐KHASSA FI AL‐YAMAN. Compiled by ‘ABD ALLAH MUHAMMAD AL‐HABSHI. Edited by CHULYAN YUHASIN (JULIAN JOHANSEN). London, Al‐Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, 1994. 8, 506pp. £24.

DIE PERSISCHE HANDSCHRIFTEN DER UNIVERSITÄTSBIBLIOTHEK HEIDELBERG. By SEYFEDDIN NAJMABADI. (Heidelberger Bibliotheksschriften, 46.) Heidelberg: Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, 1990. [iii], ix, 126pp. 5 facsim. plates.

CHRESTOMATHIE DE PAPYROLOGIE ARABE. DOCUMENTS RELATIFS A LA VIE PRIVEE, SOCIALE ET ADMINISTRATIVE DANS LES PREMIERS SIECLES ISLAMIQUES. Préparée par ADOLF GROHMANN. Retravaillée et élargie par RAIF GEORGES KHOURY. (Handbuch der Orientalistik. Erste Abteilung. Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten. Ergänzungsband II, zweiter Halbband.) Leiden, Brill, 1993. x, 260pp. 34 plates. Hf1. 220.‐

ARABISCHE BRIEFE AUS DEM 7.‐10. JAHRHUNDERT. By WERNER DIEM. (Corpus Papyrorum Raineri Archeducis Austriae, herausgegeben von der Generaldirektion der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Band XVI.) Vienna, Hollinek, 1993. Textband, 109 pp., Tafelband, 35 plates.

A WORLD WITHIN: JEWISH LIFE AS REFLECTED IN MUSLIM COURT DOCUMENTS FROM THE SIJILL OF JERUSALEM (XVIth CENTURY). By AMNON COHEN. 2 vols. Philadelphia, PA, University of Pennsylvania, Center for Judaic Studies, 1994 [Jewish Quarterly Review, Supplement 1994]. Vol. 1, 212pp.; Vol. 2, 375pp. (facsimiles).

A GLOSSARY OF SUFI TECHNICAL TERMS. Compiled by ‘ABD AL‐RAZZAQ al‐QASHANI. Trans, from the Arabic by NABIL SAFWAT; revised and edited by DAVID PENDLEBURY. London, The Octagon Press, 1991. xvii (English text); 167pp. (Arabic text). £20.

ARABIC‐ENGLISH AND ENGLISH‐ARABIC DICTIONARIES IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Compiled by GEORGE DIMITRI SELIM. (Near East Series, 5.) Washington, Library of Congress, 1992. 213pp. US$6.50

CHRISTIAN ARABIC OF BAGHDAD. By FARIDA ABU‐HAIDAR. (Semitica Viva, Band 7.) Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 1991. IX, 203pp. DM 78.‐

ARABIC LOANWORDS IN ETHIOPIAN SEMITIC. By WOLF LESLAU. Wiesbaden, Harrossowitz, 1990. xvii, 373pp. DM98.‐

THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 1995. London, Europa Publications, 1994. xx, 1022pp. £160.

UMWELTPROBLEME IM VORDEREN ORIENT: EINE AUSWAHL‐BIBLIOGRAPHIE = ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST: A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY. By GERDA HANSEN. (Dokumentationsdienst Vorderer Orient, Reihe A, 21.) Hamburg, Deutsches Ubersee‐Institut, Übersee‐Dokumentation, Referat Vorderer Orient, 1993. ix, 62pp. DM 13.‐

DER GOLFKRIEG (1990/91): EINE AUSWAHLBIBLIOGRAPHIE = THE GULF WAR (1990/91): A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY. By INGEBORG OTTO, MARIANNE SCHMIDT‐DUMONT, with an introduction by HANS KRECH. (Dokumentationsdienst Vorderer Orient, Reihe A, 20.) Hamburg, Deutsches Ubersee‐Institut, Übersee‐Dokumentation, Referat Vorderer Orient, 1992. xviii, 314pp. DM38.‐

HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF LIBYA. Second edition. By RONALD BRUCE ST. JOHN. (African Historical Dictionaries, 33.) Metuchen, The Scarecrow Press, 1991. 192pp. Maps. £18.75.

ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY. Edited by PETER ALFORD ANDREWS. (Beihefte zum Tübinger Altas des Vorderen Orients, Reihe B (Geisteswissenschaften) Nr. 60.) Wiesbaden, Reichert, 1989. 659pp.

ARMENIA. Compiled by VREJ NERSES NERSESSIAN. (World Bibliographical Series, 163.) Oxford, Clio Press, 1993. 304pp. Map. £49.50.

WOMEN IN ISLAMIC BIOGRAPHICAL COLLECTIONS: FROM IBN SA'D TO WHO'S WHO. By RUTH RODED. Boulder, Lynne Rienner Publications, 1994. x, 157pp. £28.95

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON WOMEN IN YEMEN. By JOKE BURINGA. Edited by MARTA COLBURN. (Yemen Development Series, no.2.) Westbury, American Institute for Yemeni Studies, 1992. 158pp. US$10.‐     

Reviews and notes: b: bibliographies and works of reference

CATALOGUE OF ARABIC MANUSCRIPTS IN SS CYRIL AND METHODIUS NATIONAL LIBRARY, SOFIA, BULGARIA. HADITH SCIENCES. Compiled by Stoyanka Kenderova. Edited by Muhammad Isa Waley. Al Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, number 7. London, 1995. XXXII+ 459 pp. 15 colour + 2 black and white plates. £32. (bound + dust‐jacket).

HEBREW MAPS OF THE HOLY LAND. By E. Wajntraub and G. Wajntraub. Vienna, Bruder Hollinek, 1992. 277 pp., Maps.     

D: Reviews and notes: bibliographies and works of reference

HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF SAUDI ARABIA. By J. E. Peterson. (Asian Historical Dictionaries, no. 14). Metuchen, NJ and London, Scarecrow Press, 1993. xxii, 244 pp. £29.25.

THE OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE MODERN ISLAMIC WORLD (4 volumes). Editor in Chief John L Esposito. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1995.

MUSLIM WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD: A BIBLIOGRAPHY. By Michelle R. Kimball and Barbara R. Von Schlegell. Boulder, CO and London, Lynne Rienner, 1997. ix, 307 pp. £59.95.

ALGERIEN‐BIBLIOGRAPHIE: DEUTSCHLAND, ÖSTERREICH, SCHWEIZ, 1962–1994. Complied by Ernstpeter Ruhe. 2nd enlarged edition. Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 1995, 283 pp., DM 148.     

Imperialism and Democracy: Convergence and Divergence

This article explores two models of non-state education provision in Myanmar (Burma), in order to draw conclusions regarding templates for ethnic education regimes in this fast-changing country. Ethnic Armed Groups in Myanmar have developed education systems in the context of long-running armed conflicts. This paper examines two such regimes. Karen communities struggle with few resources to educate their children. Despite great difficulties, the Karen National Union has developed a curriculum based upon one Karen dialect, which is employed in about 1,000 schools. Graduates of this education regime are mostly unable to speak fluent Burmese, or to integrate with the Myanmar tertiary education system; they are orientated towards a Karen national identity, rather than Myanmar citizenship. However, with the beginnings of a substantial peace process, Karen educators will need to re-think their implicitly separatist agenda. A comparative case study is offered by the Mon ethnic minority. The New Mon State Party has had a fragile ceasefire since 1995. Some 270 Mon National Schools provide Mon language instruction at elementary levels, shifting to Burmese at middle school. As the Mon Schools follow the government curriculum, with extra classes in Mon language and history-culture, graduates are able to matriculate and enter the nationwide tertiary education system. We argue that the Mon experience can be a useful model for education reform in a transitional Myanmar, as political and civil society leaders negotiate a more decentralised state.     

Aboriginal Affairs: Humanitarian Intervention Then and Now: Dis/Connections and Possibilities

Aboriginal affairs has always been a sore point in Australia. Ever since the first Governor attempted to put in place the Colonial Office's instructions to treat the inhabitants with “amity and kindness” the exercise has been fraught. There is a text‐book version of the changing policy landscape and rote school lessons on the gradual acquisition of Aboriginal rights and freedoms. These go some way to conveying the contested ground, political conflict and personal anguish on which this history was built. Yet, they give the impression of evolution and progress. At the same time, the history wars magnified the fractiousness without carving a pathway through. In this paper I recover an important part of the history, which often goes unremarked. I reflect on the role of humanitarian intervention in this politics. Not only has it been critical to the policy landscape — for good and ill — but there are also historical connections and lineages between then and now, which deserve attention. Closely aligned to a history of human rights in Australia, recovering this history seems more pertinent than ever 1 .