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 ...