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The thesis first summarises the history and main ideas of Sufism. It then examines the reception, mainly favourable, of Shah's representation of Sufism particulary in the West, and, finally, attempts to analyse and explain his methodology. It is not the aim of this thesis to examine the complete works of Idries Shah. Rather, by studying a number of his texts I have endeavoured to emphasise Shah's role as a pontifex between Islam and the West. As well as placing Shah within the complicated realm of Sufi thought, I have examined in some detail the methods by which he has played this role. The aspect of Shah that I have focused upon is that of the populariser and explicator of Sufism. For Shah the subject of Sufism is not one confined to academic study. It is a way of knowing related to everyday life and particularly relevant to the needs of the West at a time when the Western world is experiencing emotional and spiritual bankruptcy. Shah resembles the deconstructionist theorists in that he sees the limits of the language on which the West has relied for so long. But, even though his method is similar to theirs, he differs from them in that for him there is another realm of knowledge beyond language. I have quoted extensively from the stories Shah uses in order to demonstrate the ideas and images he thinks are relevant to an understanding of Sufism for the West, and I have used reviews and comments from audiences in both East and West in order to demonstrate what those audiences think of what Shah is attempting to do. This thesis examines the pedagogical techniques employed in this process. The applicablity of deconstruction theory to Sufi teaching is considered.

This paper examines coverage of the 1985-1986 Shah Bano Debate in three nonmainstream periodicals: the Organiser, Muslim India, and Manushi. I perform a close reading of these sources to problematize the image of the "Muslim woman" presented in mainstream Indian media at this time. Such an examination necessitates a discussion of women's right versus the rights of minority religious communities in India. I also examine the background to this debate, namely the Shah Bano judgment itself and the environment in which it occurred.

This case study is in an effort to demonstrate the disastrous effects of modernization via social mobilization and economic development when initiated from above and through foreign intrusion. Initially, this research will examine previous theoretical literature regarding the political phenomenon of modernization and social mobilization. My primary focus will center on the problems that occur when rapid modernization, based on an exogenous model, is forced onto a traditional society by elites and social mobilization outpaces political institutionalization. My case study will focus on the country of Iran, as the political and societal factors of interest seem to be highly illustrative of the period leading up to the revolution. A brief historical analysis will be conducted. I will then analyze Iran from 1953 to 1979 by looking at the policies of the shah and the Western influence of those policies, the evidence of social mobilization that may have taken place, any moves towards urbanization, possible affects on traditional groups, and the state of political institutionalization. This study's central argument is that rapid modernization through social mobilization while lacking political institutionalization results in instability and possibly revolution. This study is being conducted in an effort to demonstrate the validity of this proposed political phenomenon by analyzing Iran in the years leading-up to the revolution.

Ce memoire tentera de decrire ce que fut l'ideologie defendue par le Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi d'Iran (1919-1980). Malgre que le Shah n'ait pas lui-meme ecrit ses positions politiques, il adherara a ce systeme de pensee qui pourrait avoir toutes les caracteristiques d'une ideologie. Ce systeme, qui a domine la vie politique iranienne pendant pres de trente ans, est fonde sur trois principes, soit la tradition monarchique iranienne, la constitution de 1906 et la revolution blanche. Ces trois fondements devaient permettre le developpement accelere de l'Iran et qui se traduit par une modernisation de la societe ainsi que par une separation stricte entre l'eglise et de l'etat. L'autorite de l'Islam et du clerge shiite sera alors progressivement evince des affaires publiques durant le regne de Mohammad Reza Shah, laissant la place a une doctrine valorisant a la fois le modernisme, l'occidentalisation et les traditions royales issues de l'Iran ancien. Toutefois ce sera ces memes fondements--constitution, monarchie, revolution blanche--pourtant incompatibles entre eux, qui feront en sorte que ce systeme n'a pu, devenir une ideologie au sens propre du terme.

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This thesis examines the reform ideas and efforts of Daud Shah, a Muslim socio-religious reformer in the Madras Presidency during the twentieth century. Shah published a journal, Dar ul-Islam (World of Islam), which he used as a medium to propagate his ideas and advocate reforms among Muslims. Socio-religious reform efforts among Muslims in the Madras Presidency have received very limited scholarly attention. But the purpose of this thesis goes beyond merely focusing on a neglected area of scholarship. Shah belonged to a small class of Western-educated Muslim professionals. This thesis will demonstrate how Shah’s reform efforts differed from those advocated by the aristocracy and the merchant elite. This thesis will analyze the relationship between Shah and the national-level reform movements among Muslims. Shah’s reform and fundraising efforts also reveal the close links between Muslims in Tamil Nadu and Southeast Asia. Finally, the thesis will show the influence of print technology on reform movements among Muslims. / text

Vaizdų segmentavimas yra naudojamas daugelyje mokslo sričių, tokių kaip geografija, geologija ar biologija, tam, kad galėtume atskirti bei išanalizuoti objektus apdoruojamuose paveikslėliuose. Rinkdamiesi vaizdų segmetavimo algoritmą dažniausiai atkreipiame dėmesį į jo efektyvumą, sudėtingumą, vykdymo laiką bei pritaikymą skirtingiems vaizdų tipams. Kadangi dažniausiai segmentuojame sudėtingos struktūros bei blogesnės kokybės vaizdus, labai svarbu, kad segmentavimo algoritmas tiktų visų klasių vaizdams. Mumford Shah funkcionalas yra laikomas vienu populiariausių ir efektyviausių vaizdų segmentavimo įrankių. Algoritmas pasižymi lengva realizacija programoje bei greitu įvykdymu. Didžiausiu šio algoritmo privalumu yra galimybė pritaikyti jį skirtingo tipo vaizdams. Keisdami į Mumford Shah funkcionalo formulę įeinančių parametrų reikšmes galime įtakoti segmentavimo rezultatus. Darbe yra išsamiai išnagrinėjami visi įmanomi funkcionalo formulės atvejai su skirtingomis parametrų reikšmėmis ir bandoma išanalizuoti, kokios parametrų reikšmės geriausiai tinka atskiroms vaizdų klasėms. Visi gauti rezultatai ir tezės yra pagrindžiami statistiniu tyrimu. / Image segmentation is used in many fields of science such as geography, geology and biology, so that we can distinguish and analyze objects in pictures. When selecting segmentation algorithm we usually draw attention to its performance, complexity and adaptation to different types of images. As we usually are processing complex structure and lower-quality images, it is very important that the segmentation algorithm would be suitable for all classes of images. Mumford Shah functional is one of the most popular and effective tools for image segmentation. The algorithm is characterized by easy and fast realization. The biggest advantage of this algorithm is the ability to adapt to different types of images. By changing the Mumford Shah functional formula‘s incoming parameter‘s values, we can affect the segmentation results. In this work we are selecting the most suitable parameter‘s values for different types of images in order to obtain the best segmentation results. Obtained results are based on statistical analysis.

Paintings of women as individual subjects were a popular theme in the Mughal court during the mid-seventeenth century, or the Shah Jahan period (ca. 1628-1658). These portraits depict idealized archetypes with subtle differences in facial and bodily features. The same portrait conventions were used for both historical and imaginary women. This thesis has three aims: (1) identify and explain the significance of three elements that visually represent an ideal Mughal woman using a case study from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts called Page from the Nasir al-Din Shah Album: Portrait of a Mughal Woman (ca. 1630-45), (2) combine visual and textual sources to further the study of Mughal women, and (3) reinsert the portraits of Mughal women within a larger scope of female imagery in Indian art to show that Mughal paintings encompass just one part of a much bigger story. Paintings of Mughal women are not only aesthetic works of art—they are historical artifacts.