WCMIR Open Forum – Past Event
Sunday, October 24, 2021
3 – 5 pm, Chicago (CDT) time
Challenges of Modern Education and Responses of the Muslim Ummah
Dr. Abdullah Ahsan
Muslims all over the world encountered challenges of modernity in the 19th century prompting reforms in various Muslim societies. The situation was most vulnerable in the area of education. Describing the situation in Pakistan, Fazlur Rahman observed, “If there are today practically, and indeed dangerously, two nations in Pakistan, it is not only because the religious leadership has little contact with the demands of a modern society, but even more so because of the cultural bastardy of Westernized classes.” In this lecture, we would like to examine this statement of Fazlur Rahman comparing conditions in other parts of the Muslim world. We will particularly emphasize efforts in the label of Islamization/ Islamicization of knowledge. We will also examine whether the challenge was different for other faith communities. We hope to make some recommendations in our concluding remarks.
