2ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION Forging Islamic Authority: Navigating Text and Context in the Modern World The Muslim world is in crisis, and the crisis is multi-layered. In many ways, the crisis revolves around the issue of Islamic authority. If international law recognizes nation states, what role is there for solidarity on the basis of a trans-national ummah? With national boundaries, to what extent can Muslims have solidarity with non- Muslims, whether as minorities in non-Muslim lands or in countries with a Muslim majority? Are there limits to a believer’s allegiance to a secular state? What texts are to be considered authoritative when approaching these questions? And is there one locus or multiple loci for legitimate interpretive authority? While the focus of the public discourse remains on the headlines, a much deeper epistemic debate is at hand centering on re-constituting Islamic authority in the post- Ottoman, nationalist and post-colonial periods. The complexity of this debate is muddled by a set of external circumstances that impinge into a scholar’s inner sanctum: globalization, neoliberal economics, corporatization, and commodification of knowledge, all of which challenge traditional frameworks for analysis and modes of transmission. Attempts at re-constituting Islamic authority have taken many forms but questions still remain. Indeed, we have arrived at a point where Islamic authority is limited, non-existent, sidelined, or mocked due to engagement in tangential and inconsequential debates. Where are we? Who are “we?” And where are we going? Registration Required Conference Schedule Registration 8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Opening and Welcome 8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Welcome to Zaytuna College: Dr. Hatem Bazian, Conference Chair, Co-founder and Faculty member, Zaytuna College Panel 1: An Authoritative Representation of Islam 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Chair Dr. Colleen Keyes, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Zaytuna College Presenters Dr. Henry Millstein and Maha Elgenadi, Islamic Networks Group (ING) "Speaking for Islam: Who Defines "Islam" in Public Presentations?" Dr. Steven Fink, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire "Dribbling for Dawah: Sports Among Muslim Americans" Maurice Hines, North Carolina Central University, Durham "Resolving the Crisis of Authority through Information Literacy" Basit Kareem Iqbal, University of California, Berkeley "Tradition and the NonJustification of the World" Break 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Panel 2: Academic vs. traditional authority 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Chair Dr. Cindy Ausec, Faculty member, Zaytuna College Presenters Tayyab Zaidi, University of Wisconsin, Madison "Traditional Islamic Education and the Politics of Religious Authority in American" Daanish Faruqi, Duke University "Maqasid in the Moroccan Academy: The Modern Moroccan Intelligensia Rereads Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi" Reem Elghonimi, University of Texas at Austin "The Science of Muslim Citizenship in the West: Building Consensus, Constituting Authority, and Negotiating Allegiance within the Modern State" Samaneh Oladi, University of California, Santa Barbara "Women’s Religious and Interpretive Authority" Lunch Break 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Panel 3: Geopolitics, power, and economic interests 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Chair Dr. Munir Jiwa, Director and Associate Professor, Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union Presenters Meriem El Haitami, University of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, Fez Morocco "El Haitami: Women and State Religious Politics in Contemporary Morocco" Dr. Ermin Sinanovic, International Institute of Islamic Thought "Islam, Authority, and Global Hegemonic Capitalism: A Critique of some Approaches in the study of Islam in Southeast Asia" Arafat Abdur Razzaque, Harvard University "Hypertextual Muslims between Past and Present: Religious Authority and Disembodied Discourses of Islam on the Internet" Ahmet Tekelioglu, Boston University "Living Islam, Teaching International Politics: An Examination of AmericanMuslim Futures Based on Area Studies Disciplines Debate" Break for Dhuhr 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Panel 4: Presenting Authoritative Islam to New Muslims in a Globalized World 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Chair Dr. Nidal Al Altenaiji, Director, Zayed House of Islamic Culture, UAE Presenters Dr. Amir Islam, Zayed University and New York University, Abu Dhabi "Reflecting on American Converts Stories: Personal and Societal Perspectives" Madin Academy, Kerala, India "Narrating Prophet Stories in India: Practical Guidance from Authentic Islam" Dr. Shaojin Chai, Islamic Civilization Academy, MCYCD, UAE & Guangdong Foreign Studies University, China "A Western Sage, an Eastern Prophet: Connecting Traditional Chinese Morality to Islam" Dr. Julkipli M. Adduk, Institute of Islamic Studies, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Philippines "Addressing Socioeconomic Conditions in Philippines: Interpreting Islamic Resources" Break 4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Panel 5: Interpretive authority and an authentic Islamic canon 5:45 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Presenters Dr. Mahan Mirza, Zaytuna College "Modern Academics vs. Traditional Islamic Authority in Qu’ran Interpretation" Munes Tomeh, Zaytuna College "Contextualizing Sacred Texts by Rearticulating a Canon: Authority and the Role of an Islamic Canon in Sustaining and Nourishing an Interpretive Community" Safia Latif, University of Texas at Austin "Piety and Power: Piety, Authority, and Muslim Feminist Exegesis" Abdullah Ali, Zaytuna College "The Homosexual Challenge to Muslim Ethics" Closing Remarks Dr. Hatem Bazian, Co-founder and Faculty Member, Zaytuna College Zaid Shakir, Co-founder and Faculty Member, Zaytuna College Asr 6:30 p.m. Copyright Notice All videos are strictly copyrighted under Zaytuna College. 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