Journey into Europe

BEYOND ISLAMOPHOBIA

Muslims, Trust and Cultural Dialogue are delighted to announce that

 Professor Akbar Ahmed of American University, Washington

 will introduce his Journey Into Europe: Islam, Immigration and Empire

12:15pm on Saturday 7th June in Khalili Lecture Theatre at the Beyond Islamophobia conference.

Please register to attend:www.soas.ac.uk/csp/muslimstrustdialogue/07jun2014-beyond-islamophobia.html

On the 31st May 2014, Prof Akbar Ahmed and his team of Researchers visited the Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland to interview the Imam and students of the Islamic School for the research project :“Journey into Europe; Islam, Immigration& Empire”.

Professor Akbar Ahmed is probably the world’s best known scholar on contemporary Islam. He is the former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain, and has advised Prince Charles and met with PresidentGeorge W. Bush on Islam. He is now Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of International Relations at American University in Washington, DC.

Professor Ahmed is the author of many books on contemporary Islam, including Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society, which was the basis of the BBC six-part TV series called Living Islam. His Postmodernism and Islam: Predicament and Promise was nominated for the Amalfi Award, and his “Jinnah Quartet,” a four-part project on Pakistan’s founding father, M.A. Jinnah, has won numerous international awards. He is currently the chair of Islamic Studies in American University of Washington.

The Imam & Ameer of the Islamic Centre (Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Umar Al-Qadri), Brother Muibideen, Brother Arif, Ustaza Shahida, Ustaza Aisha and students of Al-Mustafa Islamic School welcomed Prof. Akbar S. Ahmed and his team to the Islamic Centre.

Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Umar Al-Qadri thanked the esteemed Professor for his visit and the offer of interviews for the purpose of the significant research. Shaykh said…

To continue reading, click here.

BBC Northern Ireland, June 1, 2014 – “The rosy glow of world-wide attention received from millions of people watching the Giro d’Italia here has faded to accusations of an ugly stain of religious intolerance and racial bigotry. The world’s foremost expert on global contemporary Islam visited Belfast this week amongst the furore to deliver a major lecture at Queen’s university. Professor Akbar Ahmed talks to @williamcrawley about the myths and misunderstandings that follow Muslims living in the Western world and about the controversy that has engulfed the First Minister.”

To listen, click here.

On May 29, 2014, Professor Akbar Ahmed delivered the 2nd Annual Harri Holkeri Lecture, hosted by the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice and the Institute’s director, Professor Hastings Donnan, at Queen’s University Belfast.

Professor Akbar Ahmed Lecture – with introduction from Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor James McElnay

Q & A Session following the Lecture with Professor Akbar Ahmed and Dr. William Crawley, Broadcaster for BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Northern Ireland’s “Good Morning Ulster”, May 29, 2014 – “Ambassador Akbar Ahmed is a former Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK and has been described as the world’s leading authority on Islam. He’s here as part of his Journey into Europe tour, in which he is studying the complex relationship between the West and the Muslim world. He’s in Belfast to give a lecture at Queen’s University entitled ‌‌’Islam, Peace-building and Conflict Transformation. We aksed what he thought of Pastor McConnell and Peter Robinson’s comments.”

https://audioboo.fm/boos/2205937-ambassador-akbar-ahmed-on-islamic-comments-row

By Robin Marsh

Renowned scholar Professor Akbar Ahmed is on a tour around Europe on a research project to write a book on, ‘Journey into Europe: Islam, Immigration, and Empire’. Last night UPF-UK had the honour to host one of the programmes on the tour. The tour is being supported by ‘Muslims, Trust and Cultural Dialogue’ represented by Prof. Peter Morey and others last night. One of Prof. Ahmed’s team, Asmaa Soliman, who is also a core team member of YouthUPF, was the MC and one of the main organisers of the event.

Professor Ahmed explains, ‘The lessons of a society in which different religions and cultures can live together, create art together, and worship freely while respecting each other, is a desperately needed model to guide us today.’ He highlights several eras in European history, like Cordoba’s ‘La Convivencia’ when this occurred. Please see below for the written explanation of the Tour.

I had the opportunity to introduce Universal Peace Federation and mention Father Moon’s response to 9/11 was to sponsor three intra-Muslim dialogue conferences in Jakarta, London and Washington DC at which the then President of Indonesia (Gus Dur) Wahid and his wife participated along with many other dignitaries from across the Islamic world.

Last night was an opportunity for Prof Akbar’s team to feature the artists in his documentary and to interview them. They think that the sphere of arts and culture is relevant and want to shed light on Muslims’ involvement in creative arts that is unfortunately often ignored in mainstream media. This was organised in collaborationEntertainment with ‘Rumi’s Cave’ including comedy, poetry, song, art and rap.

Professor Ahmed introduced Commander Mak Chishty of the Metropolitan Police explaining that he is the highest ranking Police Office from a Pakistan community background. He is currently the Commander for West London with pan London responsibility for Anti-Social Behaviour, Drugs & Alcohol, Hate Crime and Children & Young People. He is the national lead for the sensitive area of honour killings on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers, helping to formulate policy on a national level. Commander Chishty emphasised the need to counter alienation among young people that leads them to fight in Syria or similar conflicts.

To continue reading at the Universal Peace Federation website, click here…