Conference Program - IZU · PDF fileConference Topics and Objectives ... The Meaning of the Muslim Ummah in the Modern World Dr. Tariq Ramadan, Oxford University and College of

International Conference on The Muslim UmmahSynthesizing a New Paradigm, Analyzing Modern Challenges
Center for Islam and Global Affairs, Istanbul Zaim UniversitySponsor and Organizer
October 8-10, 2017Istanbul, Turkey
Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding,Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
College of Islamic Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University,Doha, Qatar
Academic Co-Sponsors
Conference Program

CIGACENTER FOR ISLAM AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
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Center for Islam and Global Affairs [CIGA]
CIGA is an independent, nonprofit, research and public policy institution based in
Istanbul, Turkey, and affiliated with Istanbul Zaim University. Its mission is To
conduct high quality research and analysis, educate the public and policy makers,
train experts, and propose novel ideas and policy recommendations regarding
global policies and relations impacting the Islamic world, and the development
and progress of Muslim societies.
Z: yi Bir Eitim Sz The Promise of Great Education

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Conference Topics and Objectives
Ever since the fall of the Ottoman Empire almost a century ago and the emergence
of the nation-state system throughout the Islamic world as its new international
order, the concept of the Muslim Ummah has lost its historical meaning as many
scholars and academics from many disciplines have been debating its relevance
and practical manifestations in todays world. Through a series of presentations
and panel discussions this conference will examine the concept of the Muslim
Ummah and propose a new paradigm within the context of the modern world. It
will also explore some important challenges facing Muslim societies, including
the question of political legitimacy in Muslim majority countries; the role of
Islamic Jurisprudence (Shariah) in modern Muslim societies; the challenges
of sectarianism, nationalism, secularism, and civilian rule; socio-economic
challenges including women empowerment, poverty, unemployment, production,
development, financing, capital, and globalization; and the contemporary
contentious relationship between the Islamic World and global powers in a world
infused by hegemony, wars, terrorism, racism, and Islamophobia.
The objective of the conference is to bring noted scholars and academics in
their fields in order to discuss these important topics. The scholars will engage
in thoughtful discussions regarding the reexamination of important topics
facing Muslim societies, and explore some of the major strategic, political, and
socioeconomic challenges, as well as the internal fault lines and external threats
facing the Islamic world and appropriate responses. The panels will not only
analyze these topics but also attempt to present novel and practical solutions to
difficult problems.

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Conference Program
Sunday, October 8, 2017
4:30-5:00 PM Plenary Session IZU ISEFAM Auditorium
Chair: Dr. Mohammed Moussa, IZU
Introductory Remarks: Prof. Dr. Mehmet Bulut, Rector, IZU
Dr. Emad Shahin, Dean, College of Islamic Sciences,
Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Jonathan Brown, Director, ACMCU,
Georgetown University, Wash. DC
5:00-6:50 PM Session I: The Muslim Ummah: Re-examining
the Concept and Developing a New Paradigm
IZU ISEFAM Auditorium
Chair & Discussant: Dr. Sohaira Siddiqui, Georgetown University in Doha, Qatar
Speakers:
Understanding the Historical Concept of the Muslim Ummah
Dr. Selim Argun, Istanbul niversitesi
Evaluating the Current State of the Muslim Ummah
Dr. Arif Ersoy, IZU
A New Paradigm for the Ummah at the Epistemological Level
Dr. Hussein ElKazzaz, Insan Center for Civilizational Studies, Istanbul

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Monday, October 9, 2017
9:30-11:20 AM Session II: Political Legitimacy in the Muslim World
IZU ISEFAM Auditorium
Chair & Discussant: Dr. Ismail Numan Telci, Sakarya University
Speakers:
Understanding the Historical Model for Political Legitimacy in the Muslim World
Dr. Ovamir Anjum, University of Toledo
Current State of Affairs and Models across the Muslim World
Dr. Dalia Fahmy, Long Island University
Developing Main Features for Political Legitimacy
Dr. Emad Shahin, Dean, College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University
11:20-11:50 AM Break
11:50-1:50 PM Session III: Global Challenges to the Muslim World IZU ISEFAM AuditoriumChair: Jamal ElShayyal, Al Jazeera EnglishSpeakers: The Challenge of HegemonyDr. Richard Falk, University of California- Santa BarbaraThe Challenge of Wars and TerrorismDr. Flynt Leverett, Penn State UniversityThe Challenge of Islamophobia Dr. John Esposito, Georgetown UniversityThe Challenge of Settler Colonialism in Palestine/IsraelDr. Sami Al-Arian, IZU
1:50-3:00 PM Lunch

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3:10-5:00 PM Session IV: Re-defining the Role of Islamic Law in the Modern
World IZU ISEFAM Auditorium
Chair & Discussant: Dr. Abbas Barzegar, Georgia State University
Speakers:
Understanding the Historical Model of Muslim Societies Under Islamic Law
Dr. Jonathan A Brown, Georgetown University
Is the Modern State Compatible with the Historical Model of the Islamic State?
Dr. Asifa Quraishi-Landes, University of Wisconsin
Developing a New Model for the Coexistence of Modern State with Islamic Law
Dr. Tariq Ramadan, Oxford University and College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin
Khalifa University
Tuesday, October 10, 2017 9:30-11:30 AM Session V: Socioeconomic Challenges in the Muslim World IZU ISEFAM AuditoriumChair & Discussant: Dr. Abd Al-Fattah El-Awaisi, IZUSpeakers: Dealing with Social Justice, Poverty and Productivity in Muslim SocietiesDr. Ahmet Faruk Aysan, ehir University Globalization and Economic Development in the Islamic WorldDr. Mehmet Bulut, IZUThe Challenges of the Empowerment of Women and Youth in Muslim Societies Dr. mer aha, IZUDr. Asma Afsaruddin, Indiana University
11:30-12:00 PM Break

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12:00-2:00 PM Session VI: Understanding Fault Lines within the Muslim
Ummah IZU ISEFAM Auditorium
Chair & Discussant: Dr. mer Tagetiren, IZU
Speakers:
The Challenge of Sectarianism: The Future of Sunni-Shia Relations
Dr. Nader Hashemi, University of Denver
The Challenge of the Ideological Divide: Secular vs. Religious
Dr. Heba Raouf Ezzat, Ibn Haldun University
The Challenge of Nationalism
Dr. Abdullah Al-Arian, Georgetown University in Doha, Qatar
The Challenge of Military-Civilian Relations
Dr. Abdelfattah Mady, Alexandria University
2:00-3:15 PM Lunch
5:00-7:00 PM Closing Session: The Muslim Ummah in Todays World
Yahya Kemal Beyatl Convention Center, Kkekmece
Chair: Dr. Sami Al-Arian, Center for Islam and Global Affairs, IZU
I. The Meaning of the Muslim Ummah in the Modern World
Dr. Tariq Ramadan, Oxford University and College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin
Khalifa University
II. The Muslim Ummah: Challenges and Response
Dr. Ibrahim Kalin, Spokesperson and Senior Advisor to President of Turkey
III. Towards Defining a New Relationship between the Islamic World and Global
Powers
Dr. John Esposito, Georgetown University

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Biographies of Participants
Asma Afsaruddin is Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures in the
School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington.
Her research interests include Islamic religious and political thought (both
modern and pre-modern); Islamic intellectual history; Quran and hadith;
and gender in Islam. She is the author and editor of seven books, including
Contemporary Issues in Islam (Edinbu

Documents

Conference Program - IZU · PDF fileConference Topics and Objectives ... The Meaning of the Muslim Ummah in the Modern World Dr. Tariq Ramadan, Oxford University and College of