Machine summary:
The Fiqh of Citizenship Saturday’s first speaker, Tariq Ramadan (professor of contemporary Islamic studies, Oxford University), presented fiqh al-muwāṭanah (citizenship) and contended that “we need to go back to the main meaning of fiqh, which is the deep understanding and not the legal framework.
” Jasser Auda (Al-Shabtibi Chair of Maqasid Studies, International Peace College, South Africa; executive director, Maqasid Institute) linked the maqāṣid al- Sharī‘ah to the rights of minorities in Muslim-majority countries, thereby stressing that we need to look at the rights of all people: “Why do we single out certain communities based on religious lines in a secular state?
Islam and Democracy: Roots and Realities Abdulaziz Sachedina (professor and IIIT Chair in Islamic Studies, George Mason University) presented his The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism (2000), which critically analyzes Islamic teachings on pluralism, civil society, war and peace, violence, and other issues.
Sachedina tackled the most significant issues facing Muslims today: those dealing with reopening the doors of ijtihād in order to correct false interpretations, replace outdated laws, and formulate new doctrines: “What I am searching for is actual Qur’anic foundations, Islamic foundation, for democratic thinking, for pluralistic thinking ...
Jihad Turk (founder and president, Bayan Claremont) discussed his personal story and experiences in the field of Islamic studies.
” Feryal Salem (assistant professor of Islamic scriptures and law, the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations), spoke about her experience with the joint IIIT and Hartford Seminary program.