 Profile on the website of the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR), Cambridge, UK Efforts for the Betterment of Jewish-Muslim Relations Facebook group "Indo-Judaica", dedicated to the promotion of friendship between Jews and Indians and "The First Ever Holocaust Films Retrospective in South Asia" organised by Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi Email: aafreedi@gmail.com | Current:Assistant Professor and Faculty-in-Charge, Department of History & Civilization, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater NOIDA, Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P., IndiaMember:
Year of Birth
1978 Marital StatusSingle Languages KnownHindi, Urdu, English and Elementary Hebrew Education
Additional2004, March 8-17: Sucessfully attended the Indian Council of Social Scientific Research (ICSSR) sponsored training programme on Methodology and Project Formulation at the Department of Public Administration, University of Lucknow 1997, July-December: Course in Urdu from the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy Coaching School, Lucknow Awards & Scholarships2010-2011: Government of Israel Scholarship for Post-Doctoral Research at the Mandel Institute of Jewish Studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Could not accept.)
2010 May-June: Visiting Fellowship, Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR), Woolf Institute, Cambridge, UK
2008-2010: Open Space Fellowship from the Centre for Communication and Development Studies, Pune - tenable in Lucknow 2006-2007: Government of Israel scholarship for Post-Doctoral Research in the subject History of the Jewish People at the Graduate School of Historical Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel 2006-2008: Centre for Judaic & Inter-Religious Studies, Shandong University, China scholarship for D.Litt. in Judaic Studies (Could not accept.) Involvement in International Research Projects2004, November-December and 2005, February-AugustRepresentation of Jews, Zionism and Israel in Pakistani and Indian Muslim Discourse (Arts & Humanities Research Board, UK funded project) - Worked on an assignment for Prof. Tudor V. Parfitt, Chairman of the Centre for Jewish Studies, SOAS, University of London, and Dr. S. C. Yesudian-Storfjell, Research Assistant, Department of Near & MIddle East, SOAS, University of London. 2002, NovemberDNA Sampling of the Afridi Pathans/Pashtuns/Pakhtuns of Malihabad, Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, India - Teamed up with Prof. Tudor V. Parfit and Dr. Yulia Egorova (London University), and collected DNA samples of fifty paternally unrelated Afridi Pathans/Pashtuns/Pakhtuns in Malihabad to confirm their putative Israelite descent, thus initiating the first ever genetic research on any Pathan/Pashtun/Pakhtun tribe in history. Participation in Seminars, Conferences and Workshops2012
February 7: International Seminar on "The Marginalised and the Excluded in Society", School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater NOIDA, India January 6 - 8: 14th International Conference on Maharashtra: Society and Culture, Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai (Co-sponsored by the Indian Council for Social Scientific Research, New Delhi) 2011 January 18 & 19: International Seminar "Perspectives on West Asia: Its Evolution as an Area of Study in the Changing Geopolitical Discourses", Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata 2010 June 23 & 24: "Enmity and Amity: A Workshop Exploring Relational Life in South Asia", Centre of South Asian Studies, University of Cambridge, UK
2009
March 18: Seminar on the great Orientalist of Lucknow Allama Mufti Mohammad Shostari, on the occassion of his 200th Birth Anniversary, organised by the Department of Oriental Studies in Arabic and Persian, University of Lucknow
February 10-12: Seminar on Transforming Gender Relations: Redifining Masculinity, Education & Agricultural Interventions, organized by Saajhi Duniya and sponsored by the Indian Council of Philosphical Research in collaboration with Oxfam in Lucknow, India 2008
September 30: Seminar on Multi-Culturalism and Politics of Representation, jointly organised by the University Grants Commission Academic Staff College and the Department of Philosophy, University of Lucknow, India
January 28: Limmud - A community Day of Learning, Agency for Jewish Education, La Jolla, California, U.S.A. 2007
October 27: Midwest Jewish Studies Association 19th Annual Conference, Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
2005
August 30: International Seminar on Indo-Japan Socio-Economic and Cultural Relations, organised by the Hindi-Urdu Sahitya Award Committee in Lucknow, India
March 19-20: National Seminar on India's Development Concerns, organised by the Institute for Applied Research and Development, Lucknow, India Major Publication2006, The Indian Jewry and the Self-Professed 'Lost Tribes of Israel' in India, The Bene Israel Heritage Museum and Genealogical Research Centre, Mumbai [e-book/CD-Rom] "Believed to be the first book to combine the study of the Lost Tribes of Israel in India with that of the Indian Jews, and a rare major work by a non-Jew on the subject of the Lost Tribes of Israel." - The Jerusalem Post (Online Edition), December 17, 2006 Forthcoming MonographsOne each in Hindi and Urdu on Indo-Judaic Studies Articles and Papers2011"The Cultural and Educational Relations between India and Israel", FPRC (Foreign Policy Research Centre) Journal, No. 5, 2011
2010"The First Ever Holocaust Films Retrospective in South Asia", Journal of Indo-Judaic Studies, Vol. XI, 2000"Absence of Jewish Studies in India: Creating a New Awareness", Asian Jewish Life, Autumn 2010"The Indian Jews: Their Relations with Muslims and their Marginalisation", Perspectives (Woolf Institute, Cambridge periodical), Winter 2010-2011, p. 302009 "Traditions of Israelite Descent Among Certain Muslim Groups in South Asia", Shofar (Purdue University's Jewish Studies journal), Vol. 28, No. 1 2008"Indian scholar barnstormed U.S. trying to establish Jewish Studies in India", San Diego Jewish World, Volume 2, Number 290, December 7 "A Non-Jew dreams of bringing Jewish Studies to India", Kulanu, Vol. 15, No. 3, Autumn "Medieval Persian References to the Israelite Origin of Afridi Pashtuns/Pathans", Israel e News, August 29 "An Indian Jewish POW in Pakistan", Arutz Sheva, July 23, and Israel e News, August 4 2007"Indians with Biblical Roots," Desi Critics, Think Israel and Israel e-News 2006"The Jewish Interest in the Afridi Pathans of Malihabad," Azad Academy Journal (ISSN 2248-9835) XXII, 5 "The Afridi Pathans," Azad Academy Journal (ISSN 2248-9835) XXII, 4 "Navras," Azad Academy Journal (ISSN 2248-9835) XXII, 1 2005"Majestic Malihabad: A Land of Legends," Azad Academy Journal XXI, 8 "Jews in Lucknow," Azad Academy Journal (ISSN 2248-9835) XXI, 6 2004"The Role of Afridi Pathans in India's Struggle for Freedom," Azad Academy Journal (ISSN 2248-9835) XX, 7 "India's Esther David: A Sculptor, Painter and Writer," Imkan I, 4: June (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "A Travelogue of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) highlighting the metro's Jewish facet," Imkan III, 3: May (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "A Muslim Urdu Poet's Search for His Jewish Actor Mother," Imkan III, 2:1 March-April (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "Jews in Indian Cinema," Imkan III, 1: January-February (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] 2003"India's Jewish Literature," Imkan I, 11: November (RNI No - URD-2001/5492)[Urdu] Translation of Etgar Keret's short-story "Breaking the Pig," Imkan II, 10: October (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "Shalom Lucknow! Tracing Lucknow's Jewish Connection," Lucknow Times, The Times of India, September 10 "An Overview of Modern Hebrew Literature," Imkan II, 9: September (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "Nissim Ezekiel: Father of India's Modern English Poetry," Imkan II, 8: August (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "The Role of Afridi Pathans in India's Strugle for Freedom," Imkan II, 7: July (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "Sarmad: The Jewish Sufi," Azad Academy Journal (ISSN 2248-9835) XIX, 5 "First Muslim President of India Dr. Zakir Husain's Jewish Girlfriend," Imkan II, 4: April (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] "Malihabad: An Oasis of Poets," Azad Academy Journal (ISSN 2248-9835) XIX, 3 "The Putative Israelite Background of the Great Urdu Poet Josh Malihabadi," Imkan II, 2: February (RNI No - URD-2001/5492) [Urdu] 2002"Malihabad's Israeli Connection," Lucknow Times, The Times of India, November 14 1995"Denmark," Manas Mail, July 7-13 [Hindi] "Iran," Manas Mail, July 17-23 [Hindi] "I Dream of United India (Parts I, II and III)," Society for Applied Creativity (SAC) Newsletter, April, May and June respectively 1994"A Glimpse of Kuwait," Jamshed Times, December 3-9 [Hindi] "Navras: My Namesake," Jamshed Times, October 31 - November 6 [Hindi] "War: A Catastrophe," Jamshed Times, October 29 - November 4 [Hindi] The Idea of India's Reunification," Jamshed Times, October 22 -29 [Hindi] Forthcoming Papers"Claimants of Israelite Descent in India", Sebastian Bauer and Moshe Kastiel, eds., Noachides: A Global Perspective, Jerusalem, 2013 Forewords to the Hindi and Urdu editions of Aryeh Gallin, Cracking the Qur'an Code - Ishmael: G-d's Land, Torah and People covenants with Israel in the Qur'an and Islamic Tradition, Root & Branch Association Ltd., Jerusalem, 2013 "Thoughts on the work of Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi", Aryeh Gallin, Cracking the Qur'an Code - Ishmael: G-d's Land, Torah and People covenants with Israel in the Qur'an and Islamic Tradition, Root & Branch Association Ltd., Jerusalem, 2013 Lectures Given/Papers Presented
2012February 7: "The Marginalisation of Indian Jews", International Conference on "The Marginalised and the Excluded in Society", School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater NOIDA, IndiaJanuary 7: "History & Activities of Marathi Jews Across the World", Three-Day-14th International Conference on Maharashtra: Society and Culture, Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai (Co-Sponsored by the Indian Council for Social Scientific Research, New Delhi), India2011February 2: "Muslim-Jewish Relations in South Asia", Centre for West Asian Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India
January 18: "The Impact of Domestic Politics on India's Attitudes towards Israel and Jews", Two-Day-International-Seminar - Perspectives on West Asia: Its Evolution as an Area of Study in the Changing Geopolitical Discourses, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata, India
2010June 26: "Marginalisation of the Jews of India", as part of a panel on the Jews of India, with Professor Julius Lipner, Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University; Naomi Gryn, documentary-filmmaker; and Trisha Kessler, Interfaith Project Manager, Woolf Institute, at the Woolf Institute Alumni Reunion, UK
June 17: Led a Certificate Class for the students of the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR), Woolf Institute, Cambridge, UK
June 15: "Muslim-Jewish Relations in South Asia", Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR), Woolf Institute, Cambridge, UKJune 1: "Jews of South Asia and their Relations with Muslims", Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR), Woolf Institute, Cambridge, UK2008September 30: "Jews and Judaism in indian Politics and Discourse", Seminar on Multiculturalism and Politics of Representation, jointly organised by the University Grants Commission Academic Staff College and the Department of Philosophy, University of Lucknow, India June 12: "An Intoduction to Indo-Judaica", Academy of Mass Communication, Lucknow, India January 27: "Jewish Contributions to Indian Cinema", Limmud - A Community Day of Learning, Agency for Jewish Education, San Diego, California, USA January 26: "Hidden Jews of Pashtun India", Valley Beth Shalom, Encino, California, USA 2007December 15: "Jews, Judaising Movements and the Non-Jewish Claimants of Israelite Descent in India", Mickve Israel, Savannah, Georgia, USA December 14: "The Theory of the Israelite Origin of Afridi Pashtuns/Pathans", Mickve Israel, Savannah, Georgia, USA October 21: "Traditions of Israelite Descent Among Certain Muslim Groups in India", The MIdwest Jewish Studies Association 19th Annual Conference in Evanston, Illinois, USA June 18: "Jewish-Muslim Relations in India", The Israel Center (Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center), Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Root & Branch Association, Israel March 22: "A Cultural Profile of Indian Jews", Department of East Asian Studies, Haifa University, Israel February 22: "Jewish Contributions to Indian Culture", The Israel Center (Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center), Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Root & Branch Association, Israel
2006
December 20: "The Putative Israelite Origin of Afridi Pathans", The Israel Center (Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center), Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Root & Branch Association, Israel November 26: "Jews in Indian Culture", The Graduate School of Historical Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel October 10: "The Muslim Claimants of Israelite Descent in India", Maulana Azad Memorial Academy, Lucknow, India Postgraduate Courses Taught
Stories on Doctoral ResearchEnglish2010Rory McCarthy, "Pashtun clue to lost tribes of Israel", The Guardian, January 17 Haaretz Service, "Could the Taliban be genetically linked to the Jews", Haaretz, January 14 Simon McGregor-Wood, "Israelis and Taliban Separated at Birth", ABC News, January 12 Dean Nelson, "Taliban may be descended from Jews", Telegraph, January 11 Sachin Parashar, "Lucknow Pathans have Jewish Roots", The Times of India, New Delhi, January 11 Amir Mizroch, "Are Taliban descendants of Israelites?", The Jerusalem Post, January 9 2009Ashish Tripathi, "Gene Travel: To Maihabad via Israel?", The Times of India, November 5 "Oral Traditions" in the entry titled "Pashtun people" in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 27 May Puja Awasthi, "Lost and Found?", The Sunday Indian, 4-10 May Vidya Pandit, "Roots Researcher", Education World, February 2008Times News Network, "A Biblical Connection", The Times of India, Lucknow, March 11 2007Agniva Banerjee, "When a Pathan is called a Jew", Sunday Times of India, May 20 Swaraj Chauhan, "Can Afghanisan be Controlled? Another View!", The Moderate Voice, April Alexander Maistrovoy, "Pashtun tribe in India may be one of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel", Arutz Sheva, IsraPundit, April 10, JewishIndy, April 16, Frontline Israel, Middle East Facts, Annaqed and The United Jerusalem Foundation January 5: Kloner, Rabbi William, The Truth, Vol. XCV, No. 2787 2006Alcibiades, "Are the Pathans Descended from the Tribe of Ephraim?" Kesher Talk Barry Segal, "Researcher claims proof of Lost Tribes in India", Jerusalem News Network, November 22 Farzand Ahmad, "Is it the Lost Tribe of Israel", India Today, November 6 2005Times News Network, "Tracing Jewish Links in Malihabad", The Times of India, August 10 2002Agniva Banerjee, "In Pursuit of the Lost World...", Lucknow Times, The Times of India, November 15 HT Correspondent, "Linking Jews to Afridi Pathans", Hindustan Times, November 14 Russian2007Agniva Banerjee, translated by Alexander Levites, " Когда Патан позвал еврея", 7kanal.com, 18 Июля, Blogs. Mail. Ru, Rusamny, Novasich Alexander Maistrovoy, "Александр Майстровой, Новости недели", Novosty Nedely, March 15-21 Dutch2007"Islamitische stam in werkelijkheid Joods?", AMI Jeruzalem Bijbel Centrum Nieuws, February, 32ste jaargang, nr. 2 Slovak2007Miroslav Ilias, "Najdeny d'alsi strateny kmen Izraela?", SME blog, January 8 French2010Yael Ancri, "Les Talibans sont-ils issus d'lune des tribus perdues?", ACTU.CO.IL, February 5 Marie-France Calle, "Et si les talibans etaient juifs?", Namaste! Salam!, January 26 "Les Talibans sont-ils issus de l'une des tribus perdues?", Lessakele, January 19 2007Finnish2006"Yksi Kaddonnut Israelin Sukukunta", Israel Update, November 15 Hebrew2007חנן בלכמן המוצא הקרוב לודאי של האפרידים הפתאנים במליהבאד משבטי ישראל Spanish2010
"Israel busca una de sus tribus perdidas en Afghanistan", RT.com, January 15 Romanian2010"Pastunii, principalul grup Taliban, ar putea fi descendenti ai evrielor, HotNews.ro, January 13 Turkish"Israil Taliban'in kokenini arastiriyor", Firat News Agency, Ocak 15 Bahasa Indonesia
2009
"Inikah Suku Israel yang Hilang?", Unseen Hand, April 4 Hindi2006Farzand Ahmad, "Aam hi nahin, Afridi bhi", India Today, October 18 Aparajita Shrivastav, "Talaash Apni Jadon ki", City, Hindustan, April 24 2003Yogesh Mishra, "Bulaavaa Aa raha hai Israel se", Outlook, November 10 Urdu2010Tariq Khan, "Kyaa Taliban Yahudi Hain?",
2007Hasan Kamaal, "Chai ki Pyaali mein Toofaan uthaane ki Bachkaana Koshish", Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, May 26 2003"Malihabadi Pathanon ko Israel aane ki daavat", Nai Duniya, November 13-19 Radio Interviews2010March 27 & 28: Interviewed by Cristina Balotelli for her feature titled "Il segreto dei Talebani", broadcast on the Italian radio channel Radio 24
February 9: 7-8 a.m. (Israel Time) - Interviewed by Tamar Yonah on her show on the Israel National Radio
2007November 6: 9-10 p.m. (Eastern Time) - Interviewed by Zev Brenner for the programme "Talkline with Zev Brenner" (America's leading Jewish programme, Live Call in with Newsmaker guests and celebrities making headlines in the Jewish world), for the channel Talkline Communications Network TV InterviewsETV Urdu, Sahara Samay Rashtriya and Star News. The one on Star News, which was broadcast on 18th January, 2010, can be seen online. |