The First Annual Conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (UK)

Abstract

The first annual conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists of the United Kingdom took place on October 30-31, 1999, at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England. The attendees came from various British and continental European universities. There were also a few participants from outside the European continent. This conference was a follow-up to the December 1996 seminar at the Oxford Academy for Advanced Studies that led to the creation of the AMSS(UK) for the specific purpose of promoting Islamic perspectives in various academic disciplines. According to the conference program, the planners of the conference chose an "open theme," inviting presenters to write on topics in their own field of expertise. Because of this open invitation to the participants, papers on philosophy, sociology, political science, economics, law, education, religious studies, literature, art, media, and ecology were presented at the conference. On the opening day, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham ( one of four Muslims sitting in the House of Lords) delivered the keynote address. He encouraged the Muslim scholars to study the Muslim experience in the British Isles and to contribute to the better understanding of the Muslim minority in British society. He underscored the persistence of racism and anti-Islamic sentiments in the country and urged his fellow believers to keep the faith and to maintain their vigilance against the detractors of Islam in the West. He argued for greater Muslim involvement in the political process in British society and urged the younger generation to do everything within their power to assert their rights as citizens and to maintain their Islamic identity. Professor Sulayman S. Nyang, a former President of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists of the United States and Canada, addressed the meeting after Lord Ahmed's keynote address. Invited purposely to share the experiences of the American AMSS with members of the British AMSS, ...