Short Abstracts of the talks

 

Tue 10th October

Birmingham University,

"Islam and science", hosted by the Association of British Muslims. 

Muslims, like Christians, Jews, Chinese, and Hindus have a rich history of contributing to science and, to an extent, technology as well. However, the present state of science in Muslim countries is regrettably poor. Whereas some countries are not in a position to allot adequate resources for science, British Muslims have a solid chance of catching up with others. This will require attitudinal changes chief among which is that the scientific method must be understood and accepted as the only way of discovering or inventing new knowledge relevant to the physical world.

======================================================================

Thursday 12th October,

London. SOAS, Bloomsbury book launch of 

“Pakistan: Origins, Identity, and Future”

 Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT), SOAS University, 10 Thornhaugh Street London WC1H 0XG

This book is an accessible, comprehensive, and nuanced history of Pakistan. It reflects upon the state and society in Pakistan and shows how they have been shaped by historical forces and personae. Hoodbhoy maps the journey of the region from many millennia ago to the circumstances and impulses that gave birth to the very first state in history founded upon religious identity. He documents colonial rule, the trauma of Partition, the nation’s wars with India, the formation of Bangladesh, and the emergence of Baloch nationalism. The book also examines longstanding complex themes and issues – such as religious fundamentalism, identity formation, democracy, and military rule – as well as their impact on the future of the state of Pakistan.

======================================================================

Friday 13th October,

London Regent’s Park Mosque library:

 “Islam In a Modern Secular World Defined by Science”

A modern outlook is negatively associated with the secular system of European rationality because of its forcible imposition upon native peoples by some colonizing European power. Correspondingly the resistance to modernity is conflated with resistance to imperialism and colonialism. But what is modernity? To identify it temporally would be wrong; in some ways Islam was more modern centuries ago than it is today. Choosing from among multiple definitions of modernity, I will disaggregate it into three essential components: epistemological, political, and cultural. Each will be examined in detail in the context of Muslims living in a secularizing world.

======================================================================

Tuesday 17th October

Oxford University “Pakistan & India: Common Origins, Divergent Trajectories”

What had been a relatively small gap in 1947 between Pakistan and India is turning into an ever widening chasm. Given the common origins of these two countries, what essential differences led to the present situation? Or were the trajectories predetermined? After discussing historical similarities and differences, I will explore whether Pakistan can now choose a different future for itself.