Islamic Life and Culture

Indicative seminar topics, to take place through the academic year 20112012, include: Islamic Art and Architecture Social and Cultural Shifts in The Arabian Peninsula: Tradition versus Modernization Shared Christian and Muslim Heritage: Christian Communities in the Middle East The Changing Face of Islamic Culture in a Digital World

Seminar Series

Islamic Life and Culture

Saudi Arabian Initiatives in Promoting Religious and Cultural Understanding: Aims and Aspirations

Seminars are open to all and are free. No booking is required. For further details contact: Dr. Abdulrahman Alzaagy, Lecturer in Islamic Studies r.alzaagy@tsd.ac.uk [tel: 01570 424552] or Dr. Martin OKane, Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies m.okane@tsd.ac.uk [tel: 01570 424866] University of Wales Trinity Saint David Lampeter SA48 7ED [website in progress]

May 2011 May 2012

Trawsnewid Addysg, Trawsnewid Bywydau Transforming Education, Transforming Lives

Seminar Series

Islamic Life and Culture

Aims The seminar series seeks to highlight the variety and diversity of Islamic life and culture. Its focus is not on the study or interpretation of religious texts as such, but rather on the experience of Islam, as it is lived out on a daily basis in multicultural societies and as it engages with a wide range of other cultural traditions, some shaped by religious belief but others that are entirely secular. The series aims to address some of the urgent questions relating to the promotion of cultural harmony and mutual understanding in contemporary society, as it becomes increasingly fragmented and polarized. The seminar series focuses on the word culture and sees culture as a process rather than as a product, something that is forever changing. The cultural processes and practices of Islam are addressed as complex dynamic systems, the focus being specifically on the way in which cultural exchanges and dynamics cross between social strata, between countries, and between media. Thus the seminars in the series address some of the constantly evolving aspects of culture, such as how Islam contributes to, and changes, traditional aspects of European culture and society. Over the course of the series, a number of specific representative topics will explore different aspects of Islamic life and culture within a multicultural context. These will focus on the processes of cultural self-reflection in Islam; on forms of cultural identification (in terms of religion, gender, race, class, age-group); on the role that notions (self-images, stereotypes) of national identity or specificity play in the conceptualization and international spread of Islamic culture; on how traditional art and architecture, as well as the rise of new media, from television to internet to computer games, affect cultural themes, forms and tastes within Islamic life. Seminars Seminars will take place on a regular basis between May 2011 and May 2012 at The University of Wales: Trinity Saint David (Carmarthen campus), except where stated otherwise. Speakers are drawn from throughout the UK and internationally, and there will be a special emphasis on the cultural expression of Islam within contemporary Welsh society.

The Oppression of Women in Islam: Myth or Reality?

Wednesday 18th May 2011 Venue: Halliwell Centre (Carmarthen Campus), University of Wales Trinity Saint David Programme: 10.45: Arrive 11.00: Islamic Life and Culture: Aims and Aspirations of the Seminar Series [panel of speakers] 11.30: Between Victimization and Justification: the Dynamic Role of Muslim Women and the Phenomenon of Islamophobia. Dr Chris Allen. Dr. Allen is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Applied Social Studies, School of Social Policy at The University of Birmingham. He has published widely (most recently, Islamophobia, Ashgate, 2010) on several key issues facing Muslim communities in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland as well as in the UK. He maintains a strong policy element in his research which has led him to work with a number of different organisations and institutions, including The British Council, The House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences, The Centre for European Policy Studies, The Equality & Human Rights Commission, The European Commission on Security Issues in Europe, The European Parliament, and The Greater London Authority. 12.45: Lunch break 1.30: Islamic Feminism: A Contradiction in Terms? Dr Laura Zahra McDonald. Having studied Social Anthropology with Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at The University of St Andrews, Dr. McDonald completed her PhD on Islamic Feminism and the experience of Muslim converts, at The Centre for Womens Studies at The University of York. She is currently a Research Fellow in Communities, Securities and Justice at The University of Birmingham. 2.45 3.15: Panel discussion and information on future seminars in the series