It is something of an understatement to say that the study of the Qur’an and Islamic origins is currently in a state of extreme ferment. Over the last decade, we have seen a significant resurgence of interest in exploring Islamic origins and the background to the Qur’an by examining the history, politics, culture, and religion of the wider world of Late Antiquity in which the Qur’an was revealed and the Muslim umma emerged.

Since the ninth century, accounts of the Kahina have been adopted, transformed, and rewritten by various social and political groups in order to advance such diverse causes as Arab nationalism, Berber ethnic rights, Zionism, and feminism. Throughout history, Arabs, Berbers, Muslims, Jews, and French colonial writers, from the medieval historian Ibn Khaldūn to the modern Algerian writer Kateb Yacine, rewrote the legend of the Kahina, and, in the process, voiced their own vision of North Africa’s history.

In cooperation with Università degli Studi di Napoli L’Orientale and ILEX Foundation, we are proud to present the two-day conference Islamic Stories of the Prophets: Semantics, Discourse, and Genre at Università degli Studi di Napoli L’Orientale October 14 and 15, 2015.