ISLAM IN THE 21st CENTURY: IDENTITY, MODERNITY AND GLOBALISATION

Dates: 17th May – 20th June
Place: IEMed (Girona, 20. Barcelona)
Organizes: European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) in collaboration with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).

INTRODUCTION

PROGRAM

REGISTRATION

INTRODUCTION

The goal of this series of debates is, thus, addressing the emergent issues that affect Muslim communities in the XXIst century, providing diverse and recognized voices to discuss on the implications of “being a Muslim” today, the main challenges that faces the ummah particularly in Europe and in the Mediterranean region.

In Europe the presence of large Muslim communities modifies traditional social patterns of the hosting societies. It is of outmost importance to draw attention on the situation of Muslim communities in Europe, their insertion, their rights and duties, their representatives, the dilemmas concerning issues such as identity or beliefs, and their translational links with their societies of origin.

It is interesting to go beyond the topics to discuss about feminist movements that already exist in Islam, and address not only the issue of equating rights in the legal, economic or political arenas, patriarchal interpretations of religions, Qur’anic hermeneutics, woman-led prayer, sexual and reproductive rights, but also to explore the trends that claim to be feminist and Islamic or women empowerment within islamist movements.

The emergence of information technologies linked with the virtual environment contributes to opening new perspectives to the construction of reciprocal knowledge. Hence the importance of exploring their potentialities - from connecting geographically isolated Muslim communities, promoting social organization and mobilization to enhancing knowledge, communication and exchange of ideas among people of different nature and backgrounds. But what are the consequences of the conquest of such media by radical or violent movements? What capacities do we have to manage the so-called “battle of the media”?

Finally, the issue of political Islam is another of the key aspects that generates more controversy. The diversity of trends and movements included in the concept of ”political Islam”, the possibility or not to dissociate State and Religion within Islam or the compatibility between political opening and inclusion of islamist movements, lead to essential uncertainties. Is political Islam a threat, an opportunity or a requirement for the democratization of Arab countries?

The participation of experts from all over the world, internationally recognised for their academic and professional careers, will allow us to pose - and ideally answer - some of these questions. The wide scope of voices and diversity of opinions will allow us to analyse and interpret reality from different points of view, all of them certainly enriching.

PROGRAM
(If you prefer, you can see the programme in pdf format: Debats_islam.pdf (3 Mb)


17th May 2007 (19:00 H)
OPENING SESSION: Religions and Coexistence

Senén Florensa, General Director of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)
Imma Tubella, Chancellor of the Catalan Open University (UOC)

INTRODUCTION: Antoni Segura, professor of Contemporary History at the University of Barcelona and Director of the Centre of International History Studies (CEHI)

KEYNOTE SPEECH: Mustapha Cherif, philosopher and professor at the University of Algier (VIDEO)


23rd May 2007 (19:00 H)
SECOND SESSION: Feminism and Women Empowerment in the Muslim World

Dolors Bramon, professor of the Semitic Philology Department (Arab and Islamic studies) of the University of Barcelona

Ilhem Marzouki, professor of Sociology, Faculté de Sciences Juridiques, Politiques et Sociales de Tunis (Ms. Marzouki substitutes Nahda Shehada, Institute of Social Studies of The Hague) (AUDIO)

CHAIRPERSON: Mary Nash, professor of Contemporary History at the University of Barcelona and Director of the Research Group on Multiculturalism and Gender


30th May 2007 (19:00 H)
THIRD SESSION: New Media and Islam: Towards a Deconstruction of Frontiers, Stereotypes and New Debate Forums

Jean-Pierre Filiu, Institute of Political Studies of Paris (AUDIO)

Daoud Kuttab, Director of the Institute of Modern Medias, University of Al Quds (Jerusalem) (AUDIO)

CHAIRPERSON: Adela Ros, Internet interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Catalan Open University (UOC)


6th June 2007 (19:00)
FOURTH SESSION: Diasporas, Identities and Confessions: Muslim Communities and International Networks

Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Islamic Studies, Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford University (St Antony’s College). (VIDEO)

Felice Dassetto, Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World (CISMOC) of the Catholic University of Louvain.

CHAIRPERSON: Jordi Moreras, anthropologist, consultant on migration issues (Tr[à]nsits)


13th June 2007 (19:00 h)
FIFTH SESSION: Muslim World and Globalization

Olivier Roy, political scientist, research director of the National Centre of Scientific Research of Paris (CNRS).

Yadh Ben Achour, former Dean of the Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences at the University of Tunis.

CHAIRPERSON: Xavier Rubert de Ventós, philosopher, politician, essayist and professor (UOC)


20th June 2007 (19:00 h)
CLOSING SESSION: Din wa Dawla: Islam as a political actor

Mohamed Cherif Ferjani, professor at the University of Lyon2, Director of the Study and Research Group on Mediterranean and Middle East (GREMMO). (VIDEO)

Hassan Hanafi, Professor of Philosophy, Cairo University. Deputy President of the Arab Federation of Philosophy Societies. (VIDEO)

John L. Esposito, Founder and Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University. Member of the High-Level Group for the Alliance of Civilizations. (VIDEO)

Gema Martín Muñoz, General Director of Casa Arabe – International Institute of Arab and Muslim World Studies. (VIDEO)

CHAIRPERSON: Senén Florensa, General Director of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)

REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION CLOSED

A certificate of attendance will be given to all those who attend more than 80% of the sessions and who have requested this certificate at the time of registration.

UOC students can be awarded 1 elective credit if they participate in at least 80% of sessions and submit a summary/review. For more information please write to pdret@uoc.edu o phumanitats@uoc.edu.