Reform of Education in Muslim Societies

Abstract

The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), in partnership with Istanbul University’s Faculty of Theology, organized the Reform of Education in Muslim Societies conference on March 18-19, 2016, in Istanbul, Turkey. The conference opened with memorial lectures by Hisham Altalib (vice president, IIIT) and Fathi Malkawi (regional director, Arab World) for Jamal Barzinji (d. 2015) and Shaykh Taha Jabir Al-Alwani (d. 2016), respectively. This session was moderated by Yaqub Mirza (president and CEO, Sterling Management Group, Inc.). Session I: Contemporary Ethics of Islam Ziauddin Sardar (chair, Muslim Institute, London) began his “Education Reform: From Islamisation of Knowledge to Integration of Knowledge” by relaying three remarks from the imprisoned Anwar Ibrahim, a main force behind the education reform project: (1) the crisis of education is universal, (2) Muslims should confidently engage with the West on equal terms, and (3) the discussion of reforming education needs to involve all of society. The crux of his paper was the shift from the “Islamization of Knowledge” to the “Integration of Knowledge.” Contending that western disciplines are inherently biased toward western values and cultures because they are socially constructed and reflect their originators’ worldview, he said that the best way to progress is to launch “a multigenerational project” to integrate the best of both cultures. Abdelwahab El-Affendi (head, Political Science Department, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar) spoke on the “Obstacles Facing Education Reform.” He pointed out that Muslims send their children to very expensive international schools that conduct their classes in English and teach western values. We cannot teach “our children texts in English and French and hope [that] someday they will produce material in Arabic,” he proclaimed. Jeremy Henzell-Thomas (Centre of Islamic Studies, Cambridge University) discussed his “Towards an Expanded Glossary of Key Terms.” Citing the need for a common understanding of modern terms and concepts, he remarked that our recognition of various types of intelligences and ways of ...