Islam is clearly a growing source of suspicion and hostility in many societies today. This situation is partly due to the numerous clichés and misunderstandings of the teachings of the faith in the media, and partly due to the various acts of terrorists who use the name of Islam in order to justify their ideology of violence and intolerance.  Very often the media'’s problematic treatment of Islam in its global and political contexts at large and of the concept of “Jihad” in particular does not address the pervasive misunderstanding of the faith, nor does it do justice to its fundamental teachings of peace, tolerance, and forgiveness.  In order to shed light on the central social and spiritual teachings of Islam and to emphasize the dominant understanding of the meaning of Jihad as self-improvement, it is pivotal to examine the legacies of Muslim leaders around the world who have promoted enduring traditions of nonviolence, tolerance, diversity, and respect of all cultures and religions.

In view of the growing violent extremism and the stigmatizations of millions of innocent Muslims, the need to understand and learn from the legacies and teachings of nonviolent Muslim leaders is urgent today, more than ever before. Thus, this conference invites students of religion and Islam around the world to engage in substantive ways the genesis, diffusion, and teachings of Islamic nonviolence traditions of Sufi leaders and their interpretation and operationalization of the concept of Jihad that unequivocally rejects extremism and intolerance in all their forms.

The conference seeks to create a dynamic space for continuing scholarly exchanges and interactive debates, along with creative processes that foster multiculturalism. Therefore the conference will be open to the general public, the media, and community-based organizations. We hope that it will generate peer-reviewed scholarly papers to be published in edited volumes exclusively focused on Muslim Nonviolence Traditions. We envision these books to feature diverse Islamic nonviolent movements in order to lay the foundation for enduring mutual understanding, peace, and tolerance among all the children of Adam, regardless of their geographical location or religious persuasion.

Registration is appreciated, but not required.  Register now at this link.

Sponsored by Majalis (Scientific Initiative for African Muslim Heritage; the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University (IAS); and the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life at Columbia University (IRCPL).

The conference announcement in French is available here.