24th - 30th June 2005

Programme  
Day 1 Fri. 24th June 2005  
10.00 am – 11.00 am Registration & Welcome  
11.00 am – 11.45 am Preliminary Remarks & Introductions  
11.45 am – 12.00 pm Welcome
by Professor Azim Nanji
Director, IIS
 
12.00 pm – 1.15 pm Lecture: Encountering Islam
by Dr Alnoor Dhanani
Head, Department of Graduate Studies, IIS
 
1.15 pm – 2.00 pm Lunch  
2.15 pm – 3.30 pm Discussion/Q & A: Encountering Islam  
3.45 pm – 4.00 pm Health Break  
4.00 pm – 5.15 pm Lecture: Introduction to the Study of Religion
by Dr Paul-Francois Tremlett
Post Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Religions, SOAS
 
5.15 pm – 5.30 pm Health Break  
5.30 pm – 6.30 pm Group Work/Discussion: Introduction to the Study of Religion  
8.00 pm – 10.30 pm

(at Centre Space, The Ismaili Centre)

Lecture and Discussion/Q&A: Understanding the Holy Qur’an
by Professor Hanna Kassis
Professor Emeritus, Classical, Near Eastern, and Religious Studies, University of British Columbia
 
Day 2 Sat. 25th June 2005  
9.00 am – 10.15 am Lecture: Islam, Democracy and Civil Society
by Dr Amyn Sajoo
Visiting Fellow, Cambridge University and Lecturer, Simon Fraser University
 
10.15 am – 10.30 am Health Break  
10.30 am – 11.30 am Discussion/Q&A: Islam, Democracy and Civil Society  
11.45 am – 12.00 pm Health Break  
12.00 pm – 1.00 pm Lecture: Muslims and the Media
by Dr Karim H Karim
Visiting Research Fellow, IIS
 
1.00 pm – 1.45 pm Lunch (at the IIS)  
2.00 pm – 3.00 pm Discussion/Q&A: Muslims and the Media  
3.15 pm – 3.30 pm Health Break  
3.30 pm – 4.45 pm Lecture: Art & Architecture in Muslim Societies
by Professor Gulzar Haider
Dean, School of Architecture and Design, Beaconhouse National University
 
4.45 pm – 5.00 pm Health Break  
5.00 pm – 6.30 pm Discussion/Q & A: Art and Architecture in Muslim Societies  
8.00 pm – 10.00 pm

(at the IIS)

Evening Programme / Presentation:
Cairo’s al-Azhar Park
by Alykhan Allidina
EO, Council for the UAE
 
Day 3 Sun. 26th June 2005  
9.00 am – 10.00 am Lecture:
Imamat in Muslim Discourse
by Dr Arzina Lalani
Research Associate, IIS
 
10.00 am – 10.15 am Health Break  
10.15 am – 11.30 pm Discussion/Q & A: Imamat in Muslim discourse  
11.45 pm - 12.00 pm Health Break  
12.00 pm – 1.15 pm Lecture: Authority & Community
by Farouk Mitha
Lecturer, University of Victoria
 
1.15 pm – 2.00 pm Lunch  
2.15 pm – 3.15 pm Discussion / Q&A: Authority & Community  
3.30 pm – 3.45 pm Health Break  
3.45 pm – 5.00 pm Lecture: Al-Ghazali and the Ismailis: Re-reading the Debate
by Farouk Mitha
 
5.00 pm – 5.15 pm Health Break  
5.15 pm – 6.30 pm Discussion/Q&A: Al-Ghazali and the Ismailis: Re-reading the Debate  
Day 4 Mon. 27th June 2005  
9.00 am – 10.30am Lecture: The Use of the Qur’an by the Ikhwan al-Safa’
by Dr Omar Ali de Unzaga
Academic Coordinator, Qur’anic Studies Project and Research Associate, DARP, IIS
 
10.30 am – 10.45 am Health Break  
10.45 am – 12.15 pm Group Work/Discussion: The Use of the Qur’an by the Ikhwan al-Safa’  
12.30 pm – 1.15 pm Lunch  
1.30 pm – 2.30 pm Lecture: Muslim Religious Education: Prospects and Challenges
by Dr Shiraz Thobani
Research Associate, IIS
 
2.30 pm – 2.45 pm Health Break  
2.45 pm – 3.45 pm Discussion / Q&A: Muslim Religious Education: Prospects and Challenges  
4.00 pm – 4.15 pm Health Break  
4.15 pm – 6.15 pm Lecture and Discussion/Q&A: Ethics in Islam: Conceptual Developments and Contemporary Issues
by Professor Azim Nanji
Director, IIS
 
6.30 pm – 6. 45 pm Group Photograph  
Day 5 Tue. 28th June 2005  
9.00 am – 10.45 am Lecture and Discussion/Q&A: Interpreting Ismaili History
by Dr Farhad Daftary
Associate Director, and Head, DARP, IIS
 
10.45 am – 11.00 am Health Break  
11.00 am – 12.30 pm Lecture: Exploring the Role and Diversity of Devotional Literature in Islam: Satpanth Ismailism
Dr Tazim Kassam
Associate Professor of Religion and Islamic Studies, Syracuse University
 
12.45 pm – 1.45 pm Lunch  
1.45 pm – 3.00 pm Discussion/Q&A: Exploring the Role and Diversity of Devotional Literature in Islam  
3.00 pm – 3.15 pm Health Break  
3.15 pm – 4.45 pm Lecture: Modern Muslim Thought
by Dr Naeem Khalid
Course Convenor, Development Studies Dept, SOAS and Course Convenor, Islam Media and Conflict Analysis and Politics, Birkbeck College
 
4.45 pm – 5.00 pm Health Break  
5.00 pm – 6.30 pm Discussion/Q & A: Modern Muslim Thought  
Day 6 Wed. 29th June 2005  
9.00 am – 10.30 am Lecture: From Manhattan to Baghdad: The Metamorphoses of Reason
by Professor Mohammed Arkoun
Senior Research Fellow and Governor, IIS
 
10.30 am – 10.45 am Health Break  
10.45 am – 12.15 pm Discussion/Q&A: From Manhattan to Baghdad: The Metamorphoses of Reason  
12.30 pm – 1.15 pm Lunch  
1.30 pm – 3.15 pm Lecture and Discussion/Q&A: Women & Islam
by Dr Tazim Kassam
 
3.15 pm – 3.30 pm Health Break  
3.30 pm - 5.00 pm Lecture and Discussion/Q&A: Muslims as Minorities
by Professor Azim Nanji
 
5.15 pm – 6.15 pm Presentation and Q & A:
An Introduction to the IIS Library and its Collections
by Alnoor Merchant
Acting Head, IIS Library and Keeper, Ismaili Collections, IIS
 
6.30 pm – 8.00 pm Farewell Dinner  
Day 7 Thu. 30th June 2005  
10.30 am – 12.00 pm Alumni Relations at the IIS
by Selina Kassam Ramji
Communications and Alumni Relations Officer, IIS
 
12.15 pm – 1.15 pm Lunch  
1.30 pm – 2.30 pm Keynote Address
by Dr Aziz Esmail
Governor, IIS
 
2.30 pm – 2.45 pm Health Break  
2.45 pm – 3.45 pm Q&A (Open Forum) with Dr Aziz Esmail  
3.45 pm – 4.00 pm Health Break  
4.00 pm – 4.30 pm (cont.) Q&A (Open Forum) with Dr Aziz Esmail  
4.30 pm – 6.00 pm Evaluation & Closing Remarks