Summary
International Islam & Liberty Conference is the annual flagship event of Islam & Liberty Network (ILN) that is a two-day forum featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, academic lectures, and presentations. ILN is organizing 9th International Conference on 27-28 October 2022 in the historic South-eastern city of Mardin, Turkey hosted by Mardin Artuklu University. The main theme of this conference is “The Future of Democracy, Peace and Development in Muslim-majority nations” within the context of Muslim majority societies. The Conference will deliberate on the theoretical, historical, and contemporary challenges faced by these societies with a view to advance the ideas and institutions of a free society consistent with the contours of Islamic faith. The papers will be subsequently published and widely disseminated.
Themes
The Islam & Liberty Network strives for the revival and advancement of the values and principles of a free society that are firmly rooted in Islamic historical traditions. The Network invites public intellectuals who share our ambition to join us in exploring ideas that can help advance the ideals of liberty in today’s Muslim societies. ILN takes different schools and methodological approaches that have emerged within Islam as reference points. We welcome comparative studies of these approaches and an examination of the products of the various historical and geographical experiences. We also welcome investigations of the philosophical traditions and institutions that were common within the Muslim heritage.
Please note that attendance is free of cost and participants will have to sponsor their travel and stay. For those who wish to attend the conference online, ask questions and take part in the discussions, we will provide the link for the live streaming in the ILN website, Facebook and Twitter pages close to the conference date. Thank you for your interest in our conference!
9th International Islam and Liberty Conference
Pluralism, Democracy and Economic Development
in Muslim Majority Countries
27 - 28 October 2022, Mardin, Turkey
in cooperation with Mardin Artuklu University and Association for Liberal Thinking
Thanks to the contributions of
Atlas Network Acton Institute for Religion and Liberty Network for a Free Society
Program
27 October 2022, Thursday
09.00 – 09.30 Registration
09.30 – 10.15 Opening Speeches
Ali Salman, CEO, Islam and Liberty Network
Mohammed Amin, Chairman, Islam and Liberty Network
Prof. Dr. Feridun Bilgin, Vice Rector, Mardin Artuklu University
Rasit Sarıkaya, Lawyer, Board Member Association for Liberal Thinking
10.15 – 10.45 Keynote Speech:
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Uzun, Mediterranean University, Antalya
A Historical and Economical Analysis of Islamic Civilization,
10.45 – 11.00 Break
11.00 – 12.00 I. Session
Islam, Liberal Democracy and Individual Rights
Chair: Prof. Dr. Atilla Yayla, Medipol University
Speakers:
- Zeeshan Hashim, UK: “ Liberal Democracy in Retreat: Causes and Consequences”
- Mondher Youssfi, Tunisia: “The Impossible Muslim: A deconstruction of the dynamics between Islam and Freedom”
12.00 – 13.30 Lunch Break
13.30 – 15.00 II. Session
Islam, Pluralism and Modernity
Chair: Prof. Dr. Feridun Bilgin, Vice Rector, Mardin Artuklu University
Speakers:
- Mohammad-Taghi Ghezelsofla and Mohsen Abbaszadeh Marzbali, Iran:
“The Contending Hegemonies of Islamism: From Contextual Modernism to Reactionary Modernism?”
- Md. Thowhidul Islam, Bangladesh: “ Islamic Ethics towards Refugee: Reflections on the Responses of Muslim-majority countries”
15.00 – 15.30 Break
15.30 – 17.00 III. Session
Development & Economic Freedom
Chair: Ali Salman, Economist, CEO, Islam and Liberty Network
Speakers:
- Wardah Alkatiri, Indonesia: “Undoing Economic Progress, Unravelling Nation-States. Think about the Unthinkable in the Anthropocene”
- Dr. Sumayya Chughtai, Pakistan: “The Moderating Role of Cross-Cultural Variations in the Relationship between Economic Freedom and Macro-Performance: A Cross-Country Analysis”
- Prof. Dr. Mustafa Acar, Türkiye: “Freedom, the Muslim World and Turkish experience with Free Market Economy”
28 October 2022, Friday
09.30 – 10.15 IV. Session
Moderator: Ozlem Caglar Yilmaz, Board Member, Association for Liberal Thinking – Islam and Liberty Network
Speakers:
- Dr. Kelly James Clark, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul: “Liberty and Tolerance in Islam and Christianity”
10.15 – 10.30 Break
10.30 - 11.30 V. Session
Global Perspectives on Muslim Societies
Chair: Dr. Büsra Sonmez, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University
Speakers:
- Edo Omercevic, Bosnia: “Freedom and Governance in OIC Countries”
- Mohammad Amin, Chairman, ILN: "Introduction of Islam and Liberty Network Index"
11.30 – 12.30 Break for Friday Pray
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch
13.30 – 15.00 VI. Session
Democracy & Secularism
Chair: Prof. Dr. Alim Yılmaz, Istanbul Medeniyet University
Speakers:
- Saeed Khan, USA Fault lines and Fallacies of Western Secularism and Revisiting the Millet System: Solutions for Multifaith Societies from Islamicate History,
- Kazeem O. Olaniyan and Jaleelah F. Idris, Nigeria: “Secularism and Fundamentalism: An Examination of the Prospect of Implementation of Sharia in Southwest Nigeria”
- Azeemah Saleem and Mohammad Imtiyaz, India: “The Question of Democratic Values: Constitutional Secularism and the ‘Dignity’ of Indian Muslim Women”
- Prof. Dr. Mohammad Ramizpoor – Manizha Ramizy, Afghan Economic and Legal Studies, Afghanistan: “The Social and Economic Situation of Afghanistan”
15.15 – 15.30 Break
15.30 – 17.00 VII. Session
Peace & Moderation
Chair: Prof. Dr. Husnul Amin, National Defense University, Islamabad
Speakers:
- Pradana Boy Zulian, Indonesia: “The Movement of Religious Moderation: The Indonesian Experience of Non-Radical Approach to Deradicalization”
- Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, Malaysia: “The Traditionalist Pushback against the Salafi Drive in Malaysian Islam: The Role of Afifi al Akiti”
- Tabassum Majeed, Pakistan: "Middle Level Leaders in Peacebuilding: The Case of Post-Conflict Situation in Swat Valley in Pakistan"
17.00 Closing
29 October 2022, Saturday
09.30 – 13.30 Sightseeing Tour