Understanding Islam for Australians
A new academic centre to increase Australian understanding of Islam, and draw together Islam-related programs and research, has been established at the University of Melbourne.
The Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam (CSCI) is a joint initiative of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts, through the Melbourne Institute of Asian Languages and Societies (MIALS).
“Given global events over the last few years, Islam and Islamic studies have received renewed attention,” explains Director of the Centre, Professor Abdullah Saeed (PhD Arts 1992, MA 1994), who is Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies and Head of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University.
“There is no doubt that a sophisticated understanding of Islamic societies and cultures will continue to be politically and strategically important for many years to come.
“The Centre aims to facilitate and support Islam-related research and education projects across the University, particularly those related to contemporary Islamic thought. But it also has the wider ambition of bringing new understanding of and access to Islam to the wider community.”
To achieve this, the CSCI will organise regular activities, including an annual conference and public seminars, and will regularly host visits by high-profile experts in the field.
Professor Saeed says the Islam-related programs available at Melbourne are already recognised nationally and internationally (especially those in MIALS and Law) and hopes their linkage under the auspices of a new Centre will enable the University to enhance its academic strengths in this area, and further develop them in a more systematic way.
Professor Tim Lindsey (BA, BLit (Hons) 1989, PhD Arts 1996), who is Director of the Asian Law Centre and who has particular expertise in Indonesian law and Islamic law, has been appointed Deputy Director of the CSCI . He is also Professor of Asian Law in the Faculty of Law at the University.
Militancy, Ideas of Jihad and Islam
The inaugural event at the Centre was a public forum exploring the meanings of ‘jihad’ and why it has been used to justify radical terrorist ideologies.
The forum looked at issues such as the different meanings of jihad, how they motivate groups like Jemaah Islamiyah and how regional states can respond to the use of jihad philosophies by radical groups to justify civil chaos.
”Muslim militant groups claim their attacks are ‘jihad’ against enemies of Islam,” Professor Lindsey said.
“However, many Muslims reject this interpretation of a complex religious idea. To them, jihad means much more than armed violence and is better understood as a reference to ‘spiritual struggle’ – an internal challenge for the devout, rather than the ideology of violence and intolerance.”
The Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam can be contacted at csci-info@unimelb.edu.au
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