NUMBER 64 WINTER 2014 OCIS NEWS OXFORD CENTRE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES OCIS – ECSSR Joint Conference on Security in the Arabian Gulf at the Banqueting House. The dinner was hosted by ECSSR founder and Director General, HE Dr Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the foundation of ECSSR. Discussions continued through the weekend in the secluded surroundings of Ditchley Park. Participants included senior academics and public figures from the Gulf region, the US, UK and Europe as well as from India, Pakistan and China. Participants discussed the strategic importance of the Gulf, its military and economic security, the complex political and military developments in the wider region, and the continuing effort to resolve The Conference in session various conflicts. Particular focus was given to From 31 October – 2 November the Centre hosted an Syria and Iraq and the need to find ways to defeat extremist international colloquium on ‘Security in the Arabian trends not just militarily, but by rebutting their political Gulf’, the second in an annual series organised in and ideological narratives. This was a key global challenge, cooperation with the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and one in which the states of the region would need to and Research. Conference participants and invited play a leadership role, requiring a coordinated approach guests gathered in London on 30 October, for a dinner and a sophisticated campaign at many levels. Knowledge Exchange Conference on The Study of Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies On 18 and 19 October, the Centre hosted a conference on the ‘Study of Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies’, in partnership with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Director of the Centre, Dr Farhan Nizami, welcomed the guests. Dr Abdullah Lheedan delivered the inaugural speech on behalf of HE Shaikh Saleh bin Abdulaziz Al-Alsheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs. Sir Alan Munro, former British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia responded to the opening remarks. Leading scholars from across the world participated in a weekend of discussion on the Dr Abdullah Lheedan addressing the conference, Dr Farhan Nizami history of scholarship on Islam, its current state and (centre) and Sir Alan Munro (left) future direction. The conference examined the different Martin, Emory; Dr Adel Al-Sheddi, MWL; Professor disciplinary approaches to the study of Islam and stressed Reinhard Schulze; Professor Alison Scott-Baumann; the need to preserve institutional space and funding for Dr Zaid Al-Dakkan, Riyadh; Professor Rashid Naim, this important academic endeavour. Georgia, and Professor Abdel Haleem, SOAS. Also in attendance were representatives from international Islamic Participants included, amongst others, Professor Richard organisations and political and civic bodies. WINTER 2014 / OCIS NEWS / Page 1 New Visiting Fellows New Centre Scholars at Oxford A number of Launched in 2009, the OCIS–Oxford St Hilda’s College, Saif Al-Nahayyan appointments were Scholarships and the OCIS–Khazanah Scholar; Ms Amina Khatun Ali (MChem in made at the Centre Scholarships support over 30 students from Chemistry) Trinity College, Kasim Darwesh during Michaelmas Britain and countries in Africa and Asia Term: Scholar; Mr Eu Gin Ng (Masters in Business reading for a variety of Oxford University Administration) St Hugh’s College, Merdeka Dr Adam Ng, LLB degrees. Scholars enjoy Centre activities and Scholar; Ms June Mary Rubis (DPhil in (IIUM), BCL (Oxon), are mentored by Centre fellows throughout Geography and Environment), Oriel College, PhD (INCEIF) Scholar their studies. The Centre is pleased to Merdeka Scholar; Ms Najiah Mohd Sadali in Residence in Islamic announce the appointment of the following (DPhil in Plant Sciences), Wolfson College, Finance; Dr Ahmad new Scholars: Ms Farheen Ahmed (BA in Sukkar, MRes (London), Merdeka Scholar; Ms Hande Yalnizoglu Imam Bukhari Visiting Law), Pembroke College, Kasim Darwesh (MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies), Research Fellow; Dr Scholar; Ms Rumana Ali (BA in History) St Antony’s College. Khaled Al-Suwaidi, BA (Texas), MA Encouraging Future Leaders (Westminster), PhD (London), Visiting YMLP and Alumni Reunion Research Fellow. lectures, discussions, workshops and team- Library building exercises. The programme aims to Relocation provide participants with the opportunities The initial stages of to explore diverse ways of making a positive the Centre’s Library contribution to British society. relocation to the Marston Road site To celebrate the success of the Programme were undertaken this and inaugurate the Alumni Association, summer. The OCIS the Centre held a reunion at the House of Library collection Lord Stevenson of Coddenham comprises some 14,000 Lords on Thursday 23 October. The Alumni items, mainly in print From 31 August – 13 September 2014, Association has over 200 members and more format, and also some the Centre ran its annual Young Muslim than 120 of them attended the reunion. digitised copies of Leadership Programme at Christ Church, The event was hosted by Lord Stevenson of Arabic manuscripts. It Oxford. The programme is supported by the Coddenham. It was an opportunity to reflect caters for a wide range of academic disciplines Prince’s Charities, the Amanah Foundation, on the impact of the programme and its from Classical ISESCO, and Barclays. Now in its ninth year, future. Speakers included a YMLP alumnus Islamic Sciences to the programme brought together 25 young who works in the Royal Household and the contemporary men and women from across Britain for an presented greetings to the alumni on behalf of study of all aspects intensive residential course which included HRH The Prince of Wales. of the Muslim world, Graduate Colloquium Muslims in the West, The Joy of Research and modern Muslim thinkers. The main Graduate Colloquium languages represented A Graduate Colloquium was held on (St Antony’s College), ‘Reflections on in the collection Tuesday 18 November, with postgraduate Mother–Child relation in a Muslim are English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Malay students presenting their research to community of Margilan (Uzbekistan)’; and Turkish. Students Centre Fellows and other scholars. The Farania Rangkuti (St John’s College), and academics have following presentations were made: Selma ‘Learning from Monkeys’; Soufia Siddiqi (St been enjoying the new Harb (St Hilda’s College), ‘Al-Razi and Anne’s College), ‘Silent Girls, Talkative Boys: facilities for the first Islamic Medicine in the Ninth Century’; A Civic Puzzle from Two Schools in Lahore, time this term. Other Riccardo Jaede (St Antony’s College), Pakistan’; Shireen Walton (St Antony’s activities are scheduled to move during the ‘New Atheism and its Muslim Other: College), ‘Picturing Culture Online: Iranian course of the coming Integrating Universalist Inclusion and Photoblogs and the Enchantments of Digital year. Orientalist Exclusion’; Mukaddam Khaitova Technologies’. WINTER 2014 / OCIS NEWS / Page 2 Journal of Centre Seminar Series Islamic Studies Islamic Finance Islamic Cities Volume 25 Number 3 The Centre organised a seminar series on In Michaelmas Term, the Centre hosted The latest issue of the ‘Islamic Finance’ in Michaelmas term. It a seminar series on ‘Islamic Cities’. It JIS contains articles by was convened by Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar, was convened by the Centre’s Research Sara Yıldız, on “From Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Fellow, and Fellow in Medieval Islamic History, Dr Cairo to Ayasuluk: Hacı supported by Fajr Capital. The following George Malagaris, and focused on the art, Paşa’s participation in interregional Muslim presentation were made: architechture and historical perspectives textual communities of a selection of significant Islamic cities. and the transmission Mr Iqbal Khan, CEO Fajr Capital, The of Islamic learning to History and Evolution of Islamic Finance; A number of distinguished social and western Anatolia in Mr Iqbal Asaria, Adviser to Secretary art historian presented papers. These the late 14th century”; General of MCB, Introduction to Islamic included: Ismail Fajrie Alatas on “Pilgrimage and Finance: Concepts, Products and Structures; Professor Ebba Koch, University of Vienna, Network Formation in Dr Ann Pettifor, Director, Policy Research Mughal Agra; Professor Sheila Blair, Boston two Contemporary Bā in Macroeconomics, How Keynesian College, Shiraz; Professor James Allan, ‘Alawī ‘awl in Central Monetary Theory and Policy Could Embed University of Oxford, Isfahan; Professor Java”; and Muhammad a Koranic Model of Finance; Lord Green of Shirine Hamadeh, Rice University, Istanbul; Zubair Abbasi on Hurstpierpoint, Former Minister of State Professor Amira Bennison, University of “Islamic Law and Social Change: An Insight into for Trade and Investment, The Role of Public Cambridge, Fes; Professor Hugh Kennedy, the Making of Anglo– Policy in Enabling Islamic Finance; and SOAS and University of London, Baghdad; Muhammadan Law”. Dr Alberto Brugnoni, Managing Partner and Professor Bakhrom Abdukhalimov, The issue also contains ASSAIF, Islamic Finance: Its Purpose, Current Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies, 20 book reviews of some Challenges and Future Opportunities. Bukhara. of the more important recent publications about Islam and the Distinguished Visitors at the Centre Muslim world. HH Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Oxford Open Doors HE Mr Abdullah Gül 2014 Centre Trustee and On Monday 27 October, HH Sayyid Haitham On the weekend Former President of bin Tariq, Minister of Heritage