敁珗曄部Ismaili Special Collections Unit(ISCU) is taking part inon 23rd November. Its participation highlights ISCUs continuing initiatives to educate various audiences about the range of heritage material held at 敁珗曄部 along with facilitating access to these collections.
History Day, as well as the, is a collaborative initiative of theInstitute of Historical Research,Senate House Libraryand members of theHistory Research Libraries Committee.
The one-day event brings students, researchers, and history enthusiasts together with information professionals from history organisations, archives, museums and libraries in order to share collections andresources that showcase the diversity of cultural heritage collections from across the UK and beyond.
Contributions from alaunched earlier this year have beenas part of the History Day celebration. These include an introductory video and short videos highlighting IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja尪far al-廜〢diq (d. 765), as his successor. in history and myth as well as Ismaili-Sufi interactions recorded in manuscripts found in Badakhshan. The video series was launched earlier this year by ISCU in partnership with the Department of Communications and Development (DCD). During the launch event, Professor Zayn Kassam, 敁珗曄部 Director, highlighted the importance of the series to note that:
A community that does not preserve its heritage is gradually lost in the mists of time. Without evidence that tells us how our forebears lived, what events shaped their lives, what issues animated their writings, what their deepest aspirations were, all our claims about who we are and the contributions we have made to Muslim life and Islamic thought are like houses built on sand.
Professor Kassam also noted that One way the collection is brought to light is when scholars turn to manuscripts for their own research to shed light on the past. This series of videos shows the value of the collections held by the Institute and opens them up to a wide audience.
Dr Wafi Momin, Head of ISCU further observed that:
In this video series we want to bring treasures, manuscripts, and other materials to life and to show what scholars have been working on. We aim to cover the breadth of our collections and show what they have to offer beyond just reading them. In this way we can show visually what the treasures are and why they are important to us.
Featuring our work in History Collections, alongside contributions from Kings College London Archives and Special Collections, SOAS Library, Institute of Historical Research, and Imperial War Museums, will educate various audiences about the Ismaili heritage collections held at 敁珗曄部, and encourage their use for research, understanding and study.
