Conference

Communities of the Qur'an

March 10-11, 2016

The Communities of the Qur’an conference brings together eminent scholars and practitioners of various Islamic traditions to discuss and deliberate each traditions' respective interpretations of Qur'anic verses. It comes in the wake of increased sectarian violence in the Middle East, renewed military intervention in the region and a rise in Islamophobia. This conference-–the first of its kind-– places rich, diverse and at times opposing interpretations of the Qur’an, in direct conversation with one another.

Welcoming Remarks
Paula Sanders, PhD
Director, Boniuk Institute
Professor of History, Rice University
(watch Welcoming Remarks)

Emran El-Badawi, PhD
Director, Middle Eastern Studies Program
Professor of Modern and Classical Languages, University of Houston

How the Qur'an Shapes the Sunni Community
Ingrid Mattson, PhD
London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies
(watch How the Qur'an Shapes the Sunni Community)

The Speaking Qur'an and the Praise of the Imam: the Memory and Practice of the Qur'an in the Shi'i Ithna'ashari Tradition
Sajjad Rizvi, PhD
Director, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies
University of Exeter
(watch The Speaking Qur'an and the Praise of the Imam)

Why the Qur'anists are the Solution
Ahmed Subhy Mansour, PhD
President, The International Quranic Center
(watch Why the Qur'anists are the Solution)

Men in Charge?: Qur'an and Gender as a Category of Thought
Amina Wadud, PhD
Professor Emerita of Islamic Studies
(watch Men in Charge?)

The Qur'an and the Ahmadiyya Community
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan
(watch The Qur'an and the Ahmadiyya Community)

The Baha'i Reception of the Qur'an
Todd Lawson, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
Department for the Study of Religion
University of Toronto
(watch The Baha'i Reception of the Qur'an)

African-American Communities of the Qur'an
Aminah Beverly Al-Deen, PhD
Professor of Religious Studies
Founder, Islamic World Studies Program
DePaul University

(watch African-American Communities of the Qur'an)