EVENT - SECULAR STATE, RELIGIOUS SOCIETY: THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN A PLURAL COUNTRY

You Are Cordially Invited to a www.WauBebas.org seminar

SECULAR STATE, RELIGIOUS SOCIETY: THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN A PLURAL COUNTRY

Speakers:
1. Mr Mustafa Akyol
2. YB Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad

Date/Day: 5th May 2009/Tuesday

Time: 7.45pm - 9.45pm

Venue: Seminar Room Buyong Adli, 2nd Floor, Wisma Sejarah, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur (in between Hospital PUSRAWI and the National Library)

Description
Learning from the experiences in Turkey and Malaysia, this special discussion will explore the role of religion in a plural society and how can we ensure religion remains a force for unity. We will share the lessons from Turkey, a country with rich Islamic heritage. We will explore how religion can play a positive role in the context of an Islamist political party. And we will analyse how we could move forward to ensure religions in Malaysia do not split the country. How can we ensure Malaysians are free to express their beliefs in the context of a free and plural society?

Speakers
Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad MP is Member of Parliament for Kuala Selangor. He is a central committee member of the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), and heads PAS’ Research Centre. He is also a member of PAS Political Bureau. Dr Dzulkifli received his PhD from Imperial College, London, and Masters from the University of Surrey. He was previously a lecturer at the Universiti Sains Malaysia. In 2008, he published a book entitled ‘Blind Sport’, analysing the political developments in Malaysia.

Mr Mustafa Akyol is a Turkish Muslim writer and columnist based in Istanbul. He graduated from Istanbul Nisantasi British High School and from the International Relations Department of the Bosphorus University. He had his master thesis on the Kurdish question at the History Department of the same university. He has given seminars in several universities in the U.S. and the U.K. on issues relating to Islam and modernity. Since 2002, he has been working as a columnist and editor in the Turkish press. He is currently the opinion editor and a columnist for Turkish Daily News, Turkey's foremost English-language daily. He is currently working on a book in English on the future of Islam and the Islamic world.

Attendance is free.

Important: To ensure we can accommodate you, please confirm your attendance to Adam Ismail (adam@malaysiathinktank.org) or call 016 679 5277.