Contact Information
707 S. Mathews Ave. | MC-166
Urbana, IL 61801
Biography
Ali Baroutian is a master’s student in Religious Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He previously earned an M.A. in Muslim Cultures from the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations at Aga Khan University in London and an M.A. in Islamic Philosophy and Theology from the University of Tehran.
His research interests include Shi’a Muslim schooling, ritual studies, and the interplay between ideology, identity, and modernity in contemporary Islam. Ali is currently working on a sociological mapping of Shi’a Islamic schools in the U.S.
He has published three books in Persian and presented his research at international conferences including ASR, MESA, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Athens. He also serves as the founder and director of the Zeitoon Institute, an NGO dedicated to cultural and ritual studies.
Research Interests
- Shi’a Muslim education and schooling
- Religious identity formation
- Sociology of religion
- Ritual studies and collective memory
- Tradition and modernity in Islam
- Ideological production and religious authority
Research Description
Ali's current research project investigates the role of Shi’a Islamic schools in shaping religious identity among American Muslims. Using qualitative methods and theoretical approaches from the sociology of religion, his project explores how these schools navigate moral regulation, ideology, and transnational influences. He is also interested in how Shi’a ritual practices and cultural narratives contribute to identity construction within diasporic communities.
Education
- M.A. in Religious Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Expected 2026)
- M.A. in Muslim Cultures, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations, Aga Khan University, London (2023)
- M.A. in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, University of Tehran (2016)
- B.A. in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, University of Tehran (2012)
- B.S. in Civil Engineering (incomplete), Amir Kabir University of Technology
Grants
- IGI Graduate Language Fellowship (Arabic), Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program, University of Illinois (2025–2026)
- Full Scholarship for M.A. in Muslim Cultures, Aga Khan University (2021–2023)
Courses Taught
Teaching Assistant
- REL 108: Religion and Society in the West I — Fall 2024, Fall 2025
- REL 109: Religion and Society in the West II — Spring 2025, Spring 2026
Additional Campus Affiliations
- Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Religion
Languages:
- Persian: Native
- English: Fluent (academic writing, research, and presentations)
- Arabic: Advanced (reading and writing of both classical and modern texts)
Highlighted Publications
Conference Presentations:
- “Sectarian Schooling and Shi‘a Muslim Identity in the U.S.: A Sociological Mapping of Emerging Institutions”
— Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR), Annual Meeting, Chicago, USA, 2025
- “Hojjatiya: From an Anti-Baha’i Association to an Anti-Religious Reform Movement”
— Middle East Studies Association (MESA), Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., USA, 2025
- “The Discourse Analysis of the First Clash of Tradition and Modernity in Iran, 1860–1910”
— *Freethought in the Long Nineteenth Century: New Perspectives*, Queen Mary University of London, UK, 2022
- “Communicative Rationality for Grasping Shi’a Believers’ Religious Practices”
— 13th International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society, University of Athens, Greece, 2022
- “Arbaeen Pilgrimage: An Opportunity for Forming a Global Shi‘ite Cultural Network”
— 3rd International Conference on Arbaeen Pilgrimage, Tehran, Iran, 2019 (English)
- “Arbaeen Walk as an Opportunity to Increase Social Tolerance”
— 3rd International Conference on Arbaeen Pilgrimage, Tehran, Iran, 2019 (Persian)
Books:
- Baroutian, A. Volunteers’ Management in Small-Scale Organizations (Nashr Negah Moaser, 2022)
- Baroutian, A. History of Shi’a Muslims Mourning Rituals (Hanif Publisher, 2012)
- Baroutian, A. Muslims’ Mourning Ritual and Their Identification from Mystical Approaches (Makial Publisher, 2007)