3 DAYS OF DEBATE AND DIALOGUE 5th RAMADAN-7TH RAMADAN

BROADCAST LIVE ON AL JAZEERA MUBASHAR

ON 22, 23, AND 24 JUNE 2015

AT 4:00 PM MECCA TIME.

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After its resounding success last year, Ramadan Dialogue is back for a 2nd year running. The dialogue was launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Doha, Qatar. This year it will be centred around three days of discussion sessions inviting leading Islamic scholars aiming to debate current problems and issues of concern for the Muslim world, and the future of its overall cultural security.

Amongst these include: the 21st century Muslim perception of time, shifting attitudes in the context of evolving concepts and ideas that define our modern world, and the salient societal challenges that are a corollary of this, including crises of identity and the diffusion and entrenchment of fear towards Islam. In developing an effective response, participants will discuss the role of scholars in the renewal of religious discourse and in the review of Islams rich body of jurisprudence, and the function of religious institutions as pillars of community peace.

Taking place during the holy month of deep introspection, these sessions are a prime opportunity to augment moderate voices from across the Muslim world, and contest misconceptions of Islam and of Muslims. A group of reputed Islamic scholars and thinkers will present their intellectual diagnoses, innovative proposals and vision for the advancement of Muslims around the world.

5th Ramadan, 1436 AH Monday, 22nd June, 2015

Participants

Sheikh Dr. Khalid Al-Bakr

Sheikh Dr Issam Al-Bashir

Sheikh Dr. Abdulmohsen Almutairi

Sheikh Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Fawzan

The Muslim in Ramadan

6th Ramadan, 1436 AH Tuesday, 23rd June, 2015

Scholars are the Inheritors of the Prophet

Participants

Sheikh Osama Al-Refaee

Sheikh Dr. Abdul Wahhab Al- Turayri

Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Yusri Ibrahim

Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Kareem

7th Ramadan, 1436 AH Wednesday, 24th June, 2015

Young Muslims and the Issue of Identity

Participants

Sheikh Dr. Abdul Majeed Al-Najjar

Sheikh Dr. Saleh Habib Allah

Dr. Rabee Al-Hafidh

Sheikh Rashid al-Ghannushi

This session will focus on the concept of time and highlight the value of forward planning in Muslim daily life, whilst taking stock of the contemporary Muslim in juxtaposition to those of previous generations, and the next. It will examine modern Muslim attitudes towards justice, equality, freedom and societal progress, and the threat these principles encounter in their struggle to grow under adverse conditions of injustice, tyranny, racism and socio-economic underdevelopment. It will also explore the role that Muslims can play in countering the often flawed and divisive narrative generated by some in the media, misrepresenting mainstream Islamic thought and practice, and demonising Muslims.

Scholars are the Inheritors of the Prophets

One challenge facing Muslims today is the corrosion of established religious institutions after centuries of active work, confining the role of Muslim scholars, and hence the decline of their impact on communities. These institutions have transformed into vehicles of veneration, in collusion with various political agendas, neglecting the reality on the ground and contemporary intellectual thought and trends. Consequently, with multiple points of theological reference, divergent and overlapping loyalties that often conflict, the Islamic world faces a crisis of unity, a perilous failure to achieve comprehensive cultural security. In the last twenty years, a number of institutions have been founded to rehabilitate the role and position of scholars, and bridge the gap between Islamic discourse and present day realities to reconnect with contemporary Muslims. They have successfully appealed to disaffected Muslims through their advancement of the concept of Ijtihad: the idea that Sharia can be reinterpreted in a manner that reconciles Islamic law with the ever evolving demands of modern times. Rapid and sophisticated developments in media and communications mean that these institutions can now disseminate their ideas and visions in an unprecedented way. However, some scholars have thrown themselves into the fire of political expediency, discriminatingly delegitimising traditional institutions and in turn blemishing their own reputation as trusted sources of guidance. The second session of the dialogue will aim to appraise the current state of these religious institutions and the role they can play in promoting community harmony in an increasingly sectarian landscape. Scholars will discuss their perspectives on the conflict between the various loci of religious reference in the Muslim world, and offer their prescriptions for the renewal of religious discourse.

The contentious issue of Muslim youth identity is deeply pressing and deserves serious scholarly attention. A Muslim identity rests on three commonalities: the Islamic faith which is the most important aspect of Muslim identity and personality; history as a record of civilisation that reflects Islamic heritage in various fields; and culture including language, literature, art and values. It means belief and pride in and respect for the civilised and cultural values of Islam, preserving and upholding Islamic rituals, being peaceful, resourceful and independent as an individual and a community. Todays Muslim youths feel misrepresented and their values are often challenged, nurturing a sense of inferiority to the other, cultural subordination, and alienation. Profound and careful reflection is required from parents, teachers and scholars so they can better respond to these worrying trends with a thoughtful and moderating appeal. This session will aim to correct some misconceptions about Muslims and their relationship with other civilisations. Scholars will debate issues of identity crisis faced by some Muslims in the West, the relationship between different identities within a national environment, and will suggest ways to restore confidence amongst Muslims, renewing the cultural discourse, and fostering a greater sense of harmony between Muslim values and the modern world. Several measures will also be proposed to monitor the phenomenon of identity abandonment, to study the causes behind young peoples evasion of their Islamic identity, to detect the challenges faced by young people that lead them to this, and to develop strategies to sustain the identity of Muslim youths in light of contemporary global conditions.