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(Day 2) The Royal Conference - Seminar Theme 2
Session Four: Dr. Hiroko Kushimoto
Session Five: Prof. Dr. Hamid Fahmy Zarkasyi
Session Six: Prof. Dr. Mesut Idriz
Seminar Theme 2 Q&A Session
Al-Attas’ Philosophy and Issue of Justice in Global Higher Education
Dr. Hiroko Kushimoto
This paper discusses Professor al-Attas' ideas on the "Islamization of knowledge" in relation to the problem of global higher education, namely the system of reproduction of Western-centered knowledge. In the late 1970s, Professor al-Attas pointed out the problem of the non-neutrality of knowledge, that is, the problem of the production and distribution of knowledge in Muslim societies reflecting Western values without Muslims being aware of it. The late 1970s was also a time when the problem of colonialism embedded in academic knowledge, as represented by Edward Said's Orientalism, began to be discussed in Western academia. Nevertheless, 50 years later, Western-centrism in academia is still deeply rooted, and the problem of the global structure of higher education is further intensified by the trend towards a neoliberal view of education and the popularity of global university rankings. The problem of the non-neutrality of knowledge that arises in this context can be reformulated as a problem of justice in the production and distribution of knowledge and in people's perceptions of the world, and this is true not only for Muslim societies but also for other societies such as Japan. Professor al-Attas's theory of the Islamization of knowledge has the power to re-examine the question of justice in higher education in such an era.
Justice and Adab in Islamic Educational Philosophy
Prof. Dr. Hamid Fahmy Zarkasyi
The study of the relationship between justice, Adab and the philosophy of Islamic education resulted in a conclusion that Adab is a central term that significantly impacts education, knowledge, and morality. In Islam, education involves the cultivation of Adab in students, which encompasses knowledge, faith, and virtuous actions. The instillation of Adab can also be deemed as the inculcation of worldview, which contains belief, thought and action (‘ilm-īmān-‘amal). Therefore, the result of the instillation of Adab is a civilised human being who acts justly based on high moral quality, knowledge and wisdom; and has visions of reality and truth so that he recognises the proper place in the Qur'anic conceptual system as formulated into a worldview.
The Rights of Minorities under the Ottoman State
Prof. Dr. Mesut Idriz
The 1919 Paris Peace Conference has been attributed with coining the concept of minority rights and bringing prominence to it. The League of Nations Minorities Commission defined minority in 1919 as "nationals belonging to racial, religious, or linguistic minorities". Prior to this, in European context, the term "minority" primarily referred to political parties in national legislatures, not ethnic, national, linguistic, or religious groups. Such minority parties were powerless relative to the majority (or plurality) political group. In Islamic history and civilization, this concept per se has not been developed albeit some attempts during the last fifty years but any comprehensive definition has yet to be undertaken. In this regard, theories and practices that could somehow be derived from are the concepts of Umarā’ (Rulers) and Ra‘āyā/Ruled Subject as well as their relations. These relations are vividly found practiced in the states of the Saljukid and particularly during the Ottoman periods with reference to all issues be they religious, ethnic, languages, etc. This concise yet comprehensive study will be illustrating with the support of examples from the Ottoman history by referring to the archival documents preserved in the various parts of the Muslim world and the Ottoman court records in particular.