DOHA: The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) hosted a series of talks by prominent academics from international institutions in February. The lectures focused on issues pertinent to Muslim identity and Islamic political thought.
Challenges raised by the diversity of religious and cultural identities in Western societies were explored by Dr Mona Siddiqui, professor of Islamic and interreligious studies at the University of Edinburgh, in her talk, Exploring Religion in Europe: The Limits of Law and Pluralism on February 13.
Dr Siddiqui contended that while pluralism is often regarded as a positive development, it can present unique challenges for secular communities. The lecture explored how religious communities, while diverse, are often accused of demanding legal exceptionalism, which requires Muslims to challenge the oversimplified view of Shariah law on which this is based.
Shari’a and Sovereignty in Christian-Muslim Debates was a key theological debate tackled by Dr Joshua Ralston (pictured), lecturer in Muslim-Christian relations at the University of Edinburgh, on February 14. Dr Ralston examined the relationship between Shariah and political sovereignty, a debate which is the subject of frequent critique by Christian theologians and secular theorists. The lecture provided a broader framework to explore the question beyond the confines of fierce secularism or state-centric Sharia.
Commenting on the lectures, Dr Joseph Lumbard, who leads the Distinguished Lecturer Series at CIS, said: “CIS’s overarching interests lie in exploring and better understanding topics that affect Muslims and their communities at large. The Distinguished Lecturer Series was initiated to encourage scholars from all around the world to engage, consider, and present their thoughts within the college, which continues to position itself as a focal point for contemporary Islamic studies, and as a nurturer of modern Islamic discourse.”
Continuing on the theme of identity and Muslim autonomy, Dr Salman Sayyid, renowned scholar and author of Recalling the Caliphate, was invited by the CIS Student Council to shed light on constructing a Muslim identity in a postcolonial world, in his talk on February 19. Dr Sayyid discussed the themes explored in his book, which investigates the obstacles that inhibit Muslim demands for autonomy in a postcolonial world and the larger decolonial project that revolves around Critical Muslim Studies.
