Date: 9th August 2017

Time: 3 – 530PM

Venue: Vistana Hotel, Bukit Jambul, Bayan Lepas, Penang

Speaker:

Dr Heba Raouf Ezzat

Jointly organized by:

Penang Islamic Council and Islamic Renaissance Front

No religion could remain relevant to the needs of modern societies without standing for several core virtues and principles; one of the most important is justice. This is unquestionably true in the case of Islam, as the Qur’an frequently highlighted the importance of Justice or ‘Adl, associated along with the notion of kindness, goodness and rights. Islam strictly calls for its adherents to stand firmly for justice against injustice; against what is wrong, corrupt and evil.

The significance of justice goes a step further in Islam beyond abstract ideas and concepts, as the manifestation of justice can be clearly traced through what was practiced and achieved during the time of Prophet Muhammad. The legal rights and freedom of all, including of the minorities were acknowledged and respected as in the case of the city-state of Madinah. On socio-economic matters, the poor and orphans were empowered, and family values were protected as a key foundation of the society. On politics, with patience and perseverance, the Islamic umma at the time triumphed against the corrupt authorities and practices of the jahiliyya. The practices of the umma led by the Prophet have shown us that justice is not just a word; instead it is a living idea to be actualized in order to revolutionize human society from corrupt injustices.

The time of the ideal umma led by the Prophet has long passed, but the principles of justice in Islam shall remain eternally. Still, an important question should be raised for the current time; despite our frequent loud calls to strengthen the Islamic authority and identity, how far do we actually understand and live by the principles of Justice in our Islamic life, in comparison to how it was modeled by the Prophet and emphasized in the Qur’an?

Reflecting on this question, and many others related to Justice and Islam, this public lecture and discussion on "Reading the Qur'anic Concept of Justice" shall serve as a platform to remind us on the importance of the principle of justice in facing the challenges of the current time.

Programs:

14.30-15.00: Registration

15.00-15.10: Opening speech by Chairperson, Elma Berisha

15.10-15.30: Speech by Datuk Mansor Othman, Chairman, Penang Islamic Council

15.30-16.30: Lecture on Reading the Qur'anic Concept of Justice by Dr Heba Raouf Ezzat

16.30-17.30: Discussion

17.30: Tea

Biography of Presenter:

Dr Heba Raouf Ezzat graduated from Cairo University and taught at the political science department three courses of political theory and history of political thought for almost thirty years. She also was an affiliate professor at the American University in Cairo 2006-2013 where she taught courses on political Islam, contemporary Arab thought and political thought and theory. She was a visiting researcher then a visiting fellow at many distinguished academic institutions including University of Westminster, Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, University of Maastricht, and University of California - Berkeley, and London School of Economics. She published widely on classic and contemporary Islamic thought, issues of Globalization, women and Islam, and urban politics. She has also been active in the public sphere in Egypt, was the coordinator of many youth initiatives and is a public speaker and commentator. She is also a translator and a poet. Her latest publications include two books in Arabic: Towards a New Civility and The Political Imagination of Islamists. Her translation of Ziauddin Sardar's book on Mecca into Arabic is due to appear in bookstores in September 2017.

Jointly organized by:

Penang Islamic Council and Islamic Renaissance Front