Podcasts and Videos
We attempt to record as many of our events as possible so they can be enjoyed by anyone, anytime.
Our growing list of podcasts and videos provides a record of our many seminars, lectures and special events.
We try to add at least one podcast or video-cast every week so make sure you check this page regularly.
The podcasts and video-casts listed below are in chronological order, starting with the most recent and working back.
Podcasts and Videos
Identity and Inspiration: Chinese Muslims in the Arab Gulf’s Cosmopolitan Landscape
An engaging talk exploring the strengthening ties between China and the Arab world, particularly the Arab Gulf states, where the visibility and significance of Hui Muslims in Sino-Arab affairs has elevated in previous years.
Studying Global Muslim Mobilities: Approaches and Experiences
Academics of the Alwaleed Center gather in a riveting conversation analysing transnationalism, migration, and global inter-connectivity of the Globalised Muslim World. They explore the intersection of issues such as authorities, orthodoxies, identities, nationalities, gender, and social class.
Online Book Launch: Understanding Islam by Byran S. Turner
Understanding Islam examines the historical development of the debate between science and religion through a sociological lens whilst also questioning how positionality affects the understanding of religion.
Islam in Indonesia's Contemporary Foreign Policy and Global Diplomacy
This webinar discusses how and why Islam and Muslim organizations influence the country’s foreign policy aspirations and strategies; how Indonesia responds to global Muslim solidarity; and the various roles Indonesian Muslim diaspora communities play in their global public diplomacy.
Decolonising Human Rights: Theories and Practices
Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim discuss his recent book, Decolonizing Human Rights (2021), which criticises the liberal relativism of the universal human rights paradigm and the pretensions of legal enforcement of the current human rights regime.
Myanmar's Rohingya Genocide: Identity, History and Hate Speech
A special online conversation between Dr Ronan Lee (Loughborough University) and Dr Anita Schug (co-founder of Rohingya Medics Organisation) as they reflect on Dr Lee's recently-published book Myanmar's Rohingya Genocide: Identity, History and Hate Speech.
Practices and Technologies of Repression in Contemporary Egypt
A diverse panel of academics explore the practices and technologies of repression mobilized within the contemporary Egyptian state, be they legal, physical, spatial or psychological.
Secular Power Europe and Islam: Identity and Foreign Policy
Dr Sarah Wolff (QMUL) and Professor Jose Casanova (Georgetown University) take audiences on a discovery of secularism as one belief system that influences international politics. Through an exploration of Europe’s secular identity, an identity that is seen erroneously as normative, Dr Wolff shows how Islam confronts the EU’s existential anxieties about its security and its secular identity.
Salafism and the State
The Alwaleed Centre welcomes Dr Chris Chaplin to discuss his new book Salafism and the State: Islamic Activism and National Identity in Contemporary Indonesia. The talk explores the range of propagational activities and products Salafi's use in their public outreach, including literature, mosque sermons, social media ventures, and even fashion, and describes how these activities are tailored to a young Indonesian audience.
Rethinking Social and Political Dynamics in the Contemporary Mediterranean Region
The Journal of Mediterranean Politics, The Institute for Advanced Studies of Aix-Marseille University (IMéRA), and the Alwaleed Centre at the University of Edinburgh and the Mediterranean Politics and Society Research Network welcome viewers to two roundtables on the present and future of social and political research in the contemporary Mediterranean region.
Rivals in the Gulf
Dr David H. Warren, discusses his new book Rivals in the Gulf: Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Abdullah Bin Bayyah, and the Qatar-UAE Contest Over the Arab Spring and the Gulf Crisis. The book details the relationships between the Egyptian Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and the Al Thani royal family in Qatar, and between the Mauritanian Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah and the Al Nahyans, the rulers of Abu Dhabi and senior royal family in the United Arab Emirates.
Islam and Inter-Religious Relations in Southeast Asia
A special half-day workshop on Islam and Inter-religious relations in Southeast Asia compromising an opening plenary lecture on the history of Islam in the region, by Professor Michael Feener of Kyoto University. Then followed by a panel event showcasing some of the interesting and creative Islamic thought in the region on the themes of The Study of Religion, Gender, and the Environment.
Transnational and Global Religious Authority in the Muslim World
Four leading scholars from Europe and the USA engage with the topic of transnational and global religious authority before the floor is opened for questions and comments from our audience.
Roundtable: Muslim Female Religious Authority
This round table brings together practitioners and researchers from across the globe to reflect on the following questions: what questions should we ask in our research on female religious leadership and why? What theories, concepts and frameworks do we engage with and what do they tell us about female authorities? How do we ensure that our research matters and is relevant to female religious authorities?
The Study of Islam and Muslims in the shadow of the “War on Terror”: Complexity, Reflexivity and Decolonising Methodologies
Vidoe recordings of a major online conference delivered by the Alwaleed Centre in partnership with Moray House School of Education and Sport, Centre for Education for Racial Equality Scotland & RACE.Ed.
'Women as natural guides': A new generation of female Islamic authorities
A presentation by Alwaleed Centre Lecturer in Muslims in Europe, Dr Giulia Liberatore, delivered as part of a conference on ‘Leadership, Authority and Representation in British Muslim Communities’ organised by Cardiff University’s Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK.
Spatial Contestations and Conversions
Alwaleed Visiting Fellow, Dr Daan Beekers, discusses spatial contestations and conversions, particularly looking at (former) church buildings in the Dutch context. Daan discusses some of the research projects he has been involved in, before looking at two particular case studies – the Fatih Mosque, and the Chassé Dance Studios – where Church ‘conversions’ have taken place. He explores some of the various discursive entanglements surrounding these buildings, and the contested notions of heritage that come from different constituencies who are invested in their presence. Finally, he asks if there is anything necessarily ‘religious’ going on here… (Unsurprisingly, the answer is, ‘it’s complicated… but there’s nothing sui generis).
Interviewed by Dr Chris Cotter (School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh) as part of the Religious Studies Project.
Listen to the podcast HERE.
Scottish Muslims in Numbers
'Scottish Muslims in Numbers: Understanding Scotland’s Muslims through the 2011 Census' is a major report written by Dr Khadijah Elshayyal Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh). This short animated infographic provides an accessible overview of some of the report's key findings.
If you would like to read the full report click HERE.
Professor Kecia Ali: Sexual Ethics and Islam
Kecia Ali is Professor of Religion at Boston University and a leading scholar of law, gender, ethics and biography in Islam. In this very special public lecture marking International Women's Day, Professor Ali discusses her hugely influential monograph 'Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur’an, Hadith, and Jurisprudence' (2006, expanded ed. 2016).
Islamic Studies in Scotland: Retrospect and Prospect
A special event marking the 50th anniversary of William Montgomery Watt's Inaugural Lecture as the first Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Scotland.
Based at the University of Edinburgh's Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies until his retirement in 1979, Watt was a towering figure in Islamic Studies scholarship. Yet much has changed since Watt's day, and this special event therefore sought to both reflect back on Watt's contribution but also assess developments in Islamic Studies scholarship since Watt's seminal contributions.
Professor Carole Hillenbrand, Professor Fred Donner and Dr Richard Holloway were invited by the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and the Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary Word to deliver public lectures on Watt as a man and a scholar, as well as the development of Islamic Studies over the last half century.
Below you will find video recordings of Professor Hillenbrand's, Professor Donner's and Dr Holloway's public lectures along with written transcripts of each. Simply click on the relevant links to access the resources.
Welcome and Introduction
Uiversity of Edinburgh Senior Vice Principal Charlie Jeffery and Head of the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Tony Gorman, welcome everyone to this special event marking the 50th anniversary of Professor Montgomery Watt's Inaugural Lecture as the first Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Scotland.
'Montgomery Watt: The Man and the Scholar'
Professor Carole Hillenbrand, Professor Emerita of Islamic History, University of Edinburgh.
Prof Hillenbrand reflects on Prof Watt’s role in the development of Islamic Studies in Edinburgh during his time in the Department until his retirement in 1979, and his later writings, both published and unpublished, before developing an overall assessment of his scholarly achievements, not just about early Islam but including his more popular writings on a range of topics about Islam, both medieval and modern, and those interfaith issues which preoccupied him both personally and academically.
Carole Hillenbrand is an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies in the University of Edinburgh, where she taught for many years. Educated in the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh, she was awarded the King Faisal Prize for Islamic Studies, for her book The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives in 2005, and has served as Islamic Advisory Editor for Edinburgh University Press since 1999. She was awarded an OBE for her services to Higher Education in 2009.
'The Study of Islam’s Origins since W. Montgomery Watt's Publications'
Professor Fred M. Donner, Professor of Near Eastern History, University of Chicago.
Prof Donner, author of Muhammad and the Believers (Harvard University Press, 2010), discusses Prof Watt's work and the assumptions underlying it before discussing what might be called the ‘revisionist wave’ that arrived in the 1970s and the challenges this revisionism raised. He then moves on to discuss the discovery of new evidence and how that has changed the picture, concluding with a review of the current situation with regard to the study of Islam's origins, including some words on recent research on the Qur'an text.
Fred M Donner is Professor of Near Eastern History in the University of Chicago. Educated at Princeton, with periods of study in the Lebanon and Germany, he is the author of The Early Islamic Conquest (1981), and Narratives of Islamic Origins: the beginnings of Islamic historical writing (1998).
'Committed Openness: a Glance at William Montgomery Watt’s Religious Life'
Dr Richard Holloway FRSE
In concluding the evening, Dr Richard Holloway reflects on Prof Watt’s contribution to the discussion of wider religious questions in Scotland, through both his publications and his role as a priest of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Dr Richard Holloway, FRSE is a Scottish writer and broadcaster and was formerly Bishop of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church
Patriarchy and the Rights of Women in the Arab World: Dr Nawal El-Saadawi
Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, CASAW and the Alwaleed Centre were delighted to welcome Egyptian writer, feminist and activist, Dr Nawal al-Saadawi to Edinburgh in March 2015 to speak to an audience of around 300 people on 'Patriarchy and the Rights of Women in the Arab World'.
Muslim Literary Representations of Britain, 1780−Present
Claire Chambers is a lecturer at the University of York and an expert in contemporary South Asian literature written in English and in literary representations of British Muslims. Her book British Muslim Fictions: Interviews with Contemporary Writers was published in 2011. This year Claire published, with Caroline Herbert, Imagining Muslims in South Asia and the Diaspora: Secularism, Religion, Representations. She is currently completing her second book, Representations of Muslims in Britain, which traces the development of artistic depictions of UK-based Muslims from the eighteenth century to the present day.
The Romantic Dimension of the Jihadist Movement
A special seminar delivered by renowned Moroccan scholar Professor Mohamed Tozy exploring the more emotional elements of the jihadist movement. Chaired and translated by Dr Thomas Pierret, Lecturer in Contemporary Islam at the University of Edinburgh. Prof Tozy is the director of the School of Governance and Economy (EGE) at Université Mohammed VI in Rabat. Morocco's most renowned political scientist, Tozy was a member of the Consultative Committee on Constitutional Reform in 2011. His numerous publications on Islamism include the seminal Monarchy and Political Islam in Morocco (1999, in French).
Representing British Muslims in the noughties and beyond: Challenges, contentions and the future
The formalised representation of Britain’s Muslims to the government and other official channels reached a landmark in the late 1990s, with the establishment and public recognition of the Muslim Council of Britain. Since then, the questions of whether there is a need for such representation of Muslims, who should do it, how, and to what end, have been constant topics of debate. This seminar looks at how British Muslim representation has fared over the past two decades, and provides some perspectives on these debates, taking into account important factors such as the impact of securitisation in the wake of international and domestic events, multiculturalism policy, and developments within British Muslim communities themselves. Dr Khadijah Elshayyal joined the Alwaleed Centre in October 2014 as the centre's Postdoctoral Fellow on Muslims in Britain.
Telling Stories: Collecting Contemporary Middle Eastern Art at the British Museum
Venetia Porter is Curator of Islamic and Modern Middle East Art at the British Museum. She curated the British Museum exhibitions ‘Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East’ (2006) and ‘Hajj: Journey to the heart of Islam’ (2012). In this lecture, Venetia explores the process by which contemporary art from the Middle East is both acquired and displayed at the British Museum.
The Transfer of Science and Philosophy Across Religious Boundaries in the Middle Ages
Professor Charles Burnett of the Warburg Institute, University of London, one of the world's leading scholars working on the history of science in the Islamic World. In this special lecture, delivered in the stunning surroundings of the Royal College of Surgeons' King Khalid Building, Prof Burnett explores what happens when a scientific or philosophical work is translated from one religious culture to another, specifically from pagan Greece to Islamic Arabic and from Islamic Arabic to Christian Latin culture.
Celebrating the 700th Anniversary of Rashid al-Din's 'World History'
From August to October 2014, the University of Edinburgh's Main Library hosted a unique exhibition showcasing one of its most treasured manuscripts: the 'Jami‘ al-Tawarikh' or 'World History' of Rashid al-Din. Produced in 1314 and therefore celebrating its 700th anniversary, the Jami‘ al-Tawarikh represents a history of the world as it was known by the Monguls under whose auspices the manuscript was created. To celebrate the manuscript's 700th anniversary, the Alwaleed Centre hosted a unique event at the National Gallery of Scotland featuring lectures by the world's two leading experts on the manuscript: Professor Sheila Blair (Boston College) and Professor Robert Hillenbrand (University of Edinburgh). Both lectures were video recorded and can be viewed by clicking on the links below.
Illustrating History: Rashid al-Din and his Compendium of Chronicles
In the first of the two lectures, Professor Sheila Blair guides us expertly through the history of the manuscript and explores the artistic tropes and techniques employed by the artists who borrowed extensively from the artistic traditions of China.
Stories of the Prophets in the Edinburgh 'World History' of Rashid al-Din - Professor Robert Hillenbrand
In the second of our two lectures celebrating the 700th anniversary of Rashid al-Din's masterpiece, the Jami‘ al-Tawarikh or 'World History', Professor Robert Hillenbrand delivers a masterful account the manuscript's accounts of some important Abrahamic prophets, including Moses, Jonah and Sampson. Click the link below to watch the video which is complete with integrated powerpoint slides.
God and Jesus in Christian and Muslim perspectives
A discussion between Prof. Miroslav Volf (Yale Divinity School) and Prof. Mona Siddiqui (University of Edinburgh) on their books 'Allah: a Christian response', and 'Christians, Muslims, and Jesus’. There can hardly be a more fundamental question for Christians and Muslims than whether or not they believe in the same God. And what about Jesus: both Christians and Muslims have a profound respect for Jesus, but they appear to have radically different views of his status. Over the centuries there has been much antagonism and polemic about these questions, but in recent decades a much more positive dialogue has begun about them, and in this recording two of the major contributors to this dialogue discuss their recent publications devoted to these topics. Chaired by Prof Hugh Goddard, the Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh. With apologies for variable sound quality.
The Qur'an as a Text of Late Antiquity: Professor Angelika Neuwirth
Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in Norway
A special lecture delivered by visiting scholar Professor Oddbjorn Leirvik, University of Oslo. This public lecture was organised in partnership with the Northern Scholars Scheme and and was part of a larger programme of engagements undertaken by Prof Leirvik during his visit to Edinburgh. We do not have a recordning of this lecture but Prof Leirvik has kindly allowed us to provide a transcription of his lecture which can be downloaded via the link below.
An Interview with Fazlun Khalid (Founding Director, Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environment
An interview with Fazlun Khalid, Founding Director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, ahead of his appearance at a conversation event at the Edinburgh International Science Festival reflecting on 'Cosmologies, Faith and the Environmental Crisis'. Professor Hugh Goddard asks the questions.
Rethinking Muslim Cosmopolitanism: Civilizational Moorings/Cosmopolitan Options
Delivered by Professor Bruce Lawrence of Duke University, this far reaching lecture was the opening plenary of the Inaugural Conference of the British Association for Islamic Studies. The conference took place in Edinburgh on the 10th and 11th April 2014 and attracted over 150 people. Introduced by Professor Hugh Goddard, Director of the Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World at the University of Edinburgh. You can download the accompanying Powerpoint slides for this lecture as well as a text version of the lecture by clicking on the links below.
Aaqil Ahmed: Why We Need Religious Programming: VIDEO
A special lecture delivered by Aaqil Ahmed, Head of Religion and Ethics at the BBC. In an age where some say religion is the root of all evil and others the answer to everything, how does religion in the broadcast media play into this debate? Everyone seems to have an opinion on Muslims and Islam but a lack of religious literacy means the public have very little knowledge of the faith. Has TV a duty to ease social cohesion or expose the issues at the core of what is often referred to as a clash of civilisations? Professor Aaqil Ahmed has had over a decade at Channel 4 and the BBC deciding what people watch when it comes to Religion on the box including the acclaimed series 'The Life of Muhammad' (2011), and 'The Ottomans: Europe's Muslim Emperors' (2013). In this lecture, he sets out why he feels religion on TV is more important today than it ever has been. Part of the Inaugural Conference of the British Association for Islamic Studies which took place on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th April 2014 at the University of Edinburgh.
The Roman Catholic - Shi'i Dialogue
Over the past few years a series of high-profile dialogues have been held between Roman Catholic Christians and Shi i Muslims, on topics such as 'Theology and Spirituality', 'Faith and Reason', and 'Ethics' (including Environmental Ethics, Bioethics, and Business Ethics). These conversations were arranged by significant institutions in Iran and the UK, and were held at different academic and monastic institutions. In this special event we hear from two of the architects of this dialogue, Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali and Dr Anthony O'Mahony, who are also the editors of the publications which emerged from them, about how the conversations progressed, and also about their assessment of the future of Catholic- dialogue. Organised in partnership with the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy and part of UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.
Muslims in Sri Lanka: Post-War Dilemmas
A special talk delivered by Professor Jonathan Spencer, Department of Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh concerning Sri Lanka's significant Muslim population. Organised in partnership with the Centre for South Asian Studies.
Ibrahim Mogra: Healing Communities After Woolwich
A special lecture by Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Imam, Scholar and Assistant General of the Muslim Council of Britain. After the tragic murder of Lee Rigby there has been an unfortunate rise in attacks on innocent Muslims. Ibrahim Mogra addresses the question of how to bring communities together after events such as Woolwich, and how to deal with its many consequences. In partnership with the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association and part of Scottish Inter-Faith Week 2013.
Leila Aboulela: Muslim Logic in Fictional Narratives
A talk by renowned Aberdeen-based Sudanese author Leila Aboulela in partnership with the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World and the Encyclopaedia of Women in Islamic Cultures. Introduced by Professor Marilyn Booth, University of Edinburgh.
"‘Babylon by Bus?': Racial (de)segregation in London and Bradford schools in the 1960s and 1970s"
Delivered by Dr Olivier Esteves, Université-Lille-3 and part of the Muslims in Britain Seminar Series.
Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain: Female Perspectives
The launch in Scotland of a new report produced by the Alwaleed Centre at the University of Cambridge exploring female conversion to Islam in the UK. Featuring Project Leader Professor Yasir Suleiman, Laura Winterton (University of Edinburgh) and members of the project’s focus groups.
“The sense of the original”: Translating the Qur’an in the West
In the preface to his English version of the Qur’an published in 1734 George Sale wrote that the translations aimed to represent “the sense of the original”. The means of doing this, as well as the decision as to what the “sense” really was, however, differed greatly through the ages. The translators depended on the sources available - the Muslim interpretations or tafsir, and personal informants, Muslim or otherwise - but they were also conditioned by current attitudes to Islam, current tastes, and what they thought their readers would want to read. The lecture will survey European translations of the Qur’an from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century with particular emphasis on developments and changes in Germany (as well as in the rest of Europe) between 1600 and 1850. These developments would affect all modern versions of the Qur’an. A special lecture delivered by Professor Alastair Hamilton (the Warburg Institute, London) in the spectacular surroundings of the University of Edinburgh's Playfair Library. Part of the Islamic Civilisation Lecture Series 2013.
Garden and Landscape Design in Safavid Iran and Mughal India
Delivered by Professor Attilio Petruccioli (University of Qatar) this lecture examines some landscapes of gardens in Iran, such as Isfahan and Kashan, Herat in Afghanistan and Agra, Mandu and the basin of Srinagar in India emphasizing the role of the Safavid dynasty, Timurid and Mogul in garden design and landscaping, the mutual influences and permanence or variation of compositional schemes. Hosted in the wonderful surroundings of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. Part of the Islamic Civilisation Lecture Series 2013.
A Musical Journey Through the world of Islam
A unique and unforgettable evening of music from Turkey, Iran, the Arab World and Andalucia. With special performances from Edinburgh-based acts Dunya Ensemble and Duo Hyperdorea and featuring short introduction to music in the Islamic world by Professor Hugh Goddard, Director of the Edinburgh Alwaleed Centre. Part of the Islamic Civilisation Lecture Series 2013.
False Attribution or Creative Imitation? The Tradition of Women's Poetry in Early Qajar Iran
In an environment in which writing by women was considered less valuable than that of men, it is unsurprising that poetry penned by women in early Qajar Iran (circa 1797-1848) has, for the most part, survived only in fragmented form. In this special lecture, Dr Dominic Brookshaw (University of Oxford) examines in detail three short lyric poems penned by three women poets. To date these poems have been treated as instances of sloppy misattribution. Dr Brookshaw will argue that these poems (and many others like them) should instead be read as evidence of an active culture of creative imitation within the world of women poets in the Qajar period; one that did not always include men. Part of the Islamic Civilisation Lecture Series 2013.
Less Christian, More Secular, and More Multi-Faith?...
... Contestation & Interpretation Around the Census. A seminar led by Professor Paul Weller (Education, Health and Sciences faculty, University of Derby). Prof Weller is adviser to the census planning group in London and was joined for this special seminar by Amy Wilson, Head of Census Statistics in Scotland. Professor Weller's Powerpoint can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.
The Three Ages of Islam in France
In the first of two special lectures delivered at the University of Edinburgh in April 2013, Professor Gilles Kepel (Science Po, Paris) provides a compelling and enlightening overview of Islam in France, beginning with the first arrivals and ending with an indigenous, third generation French Islam.
The Arab Revolutions at Stake - an eyewitness account
A wide-ranging and incisive lecture by Professor Gilles Kepel (Science Po, Paris), one of the most important political scientists working today. Professor Kepel assesses the many factors which led to the uprisings across the Arab World and discusses future possibilities in the region.
The Multi-religious Landscape of Modern Bosnia
A special seminar delivered by Dr Stephen Goodwin (Istanbul) and organised by the Centre for the Study of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh.
Religious Symbolism and Conscientious Objection in the Workplace - an evaluation of Strasbourg's judgment in Eweida and others vs United Kingdom
A special seminar my Mark Hill QC, expert on the law of religious liberty and the country's leading practitioner in ecclesiastical law. Mr Hill reflects on four recent employment cases involving religious belief and expression in the workplace which were taken to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Organised by the Edinburgh Alwaleed Centre and the the Centre for Law and Society, University of Edinburgh.
The Principles and Aims of Islamic Finance
A special seminar led by Iqbal Khan, CEO of of leading international Islamic investment firm Fajr Capital. This joint seminar was organised by the Alwaleed Centre and the Sustainable Business Initiative and the Corporate Responsibility and Governance Network (University of Edinburgh Business School). Mr Khan's illuminating Powerpoint presentation can also be downloaded by clicking on the link below.
Minority religious communities in the legal system of Iran
A seminar delivered by Professor Houchang Chehabi (International Relations, Boston University) exploring the often precarious status of religious minorities in Iran's legal system.
A Muslim philosopher reads Paul's Letter to the Galatians - Dr Shabbir Akhtar
In the battle of the baptised versus the circumcised, Paul is the first and greatest knight. Imagine a Petrine or Jamesian Christianity triumphing instead of the Pauline version. Would it have survived the onslaught and intellectual appeal of a confident imperial Islam? The Pauline elements in Christianity truly distinguished it from its parent faith and it is these distinctive features that safeguarded it against Islam. This is a commentary on what is probably Paul's earliest and certainly most seminal letter, the epistle to the Galatian churches, an epistle that initiated the complete and irreversible rupture of the nascent Jesus movement from its established parent Jewish faith. Dr Akhtar's commentary contributes to inter-faith theological commentary while maintaining a rigorous scholarly interest in the purely exegetical dimension.
The Abrahamic religions - the prospects for their inter relations
A special lecture by Dr Ed Kessler MBE as part of UN Inter-Faith Harmony Week. Dr Kessler is Executive Director of the Woolfe Institute, the UK's leading centre for the study of relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Reference - Religion and the Qur'an
It is often said that Jews, Christians and Muslims pray to the same God. The religious texts of the three religions appear to refer in many cases to the same prophets and other leading characters, and there is a tendency to think that these are all references to the same people. On the other hand, there is reason to think that the references to biblical and Qur'anic characters are so distinct from each other that they are not in fact references to the same people at all. An absorbing public lecture delivered by Professor Oliver Leaman, University of Kentucky.
Islam's Influence on Judaism
A fascinating and timely talk delivered by Rabbi Mark Solomon as part of Scottish Inter-Faith Week 2012.
Rabbi Solomon is Rabbi of the Edinburgh and Manchester Liberal Jewish Communities, Associate Chair of the Rabbinic Board of Liberal Judaism and Interfaith Consultant for Liberal Judaism.
With responses from Shaykh Ruzwan Mohammed (Solas Foundation) and Professor David Fergusson (Principal of New College).
Chaired Professor Hugh Goddard.
Islamic carpets - connoisseurs, dealers and the formation of Islamic taste
A lecture by Dr Yuka Kadoi, Alwaleed CEntre Post Doctoral Fellow. For the last 1300 years, Muslim craftsmen have worked in a variety of media, skilfully transforming ordinary objects into elaborate works of art. In particular, carpets have played a central role in the socio-economic and material life of the Islamic world. This lecture explores some key protagonists who helped cultivate the appreciation of Islamic carpets as works of art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries including collectors, scholars and dealers. Part of the Islamic Civilisation Lecture Series 2012.
Islamic Astronomy - Perspectives on Science and Religion
Delivered by Dr Bruno Abdul Al-Haq Guiderdoni, Director of the Lyon Observatory.
Copernicus, Galileo, Newton - names we all recognise as historic giants of astronomy But how many people have heard of Ibn al-Haytham, al-Khwarizmi or Ulugh Beg? We don't learn about them at school, but their influence is no less significant than their western counterparts.
What dropve Muslims to make such extraordinary progress in the field of astronomy and what is it about Islam that encouraged these visionaries to look up to the starts?
Chaired by Professor Andy Lawrence, Regius Professor of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh.
Christian Muslim dialogue - what are the prospects?
A lecture delivered by Professor Hugh Goddard, Director of the Alwaleed Centre, to a large audience in St Aloysius Church, Glasgow.
Muslims and Political Participation in Britain Conference 2012
In April 2012, the Alwaleed Centre hosted a major conference exploring Muslim political participation on both a grassroots and governmental level. Eighteen of the twenty papers presented at the conference are available to listen to as podcasts. Just follow the link below.
Muslims and the Political Process in Scotland
In April 2012, the Alwaleed Centre hosted a unique panel discussion at the Scottish Parliamnet involving Muslim representatives of the four largest political parties in Scotland. The discussion was chaired by Professor Mona Siddiqui and attended by more than 130 people.
Jesus - Bridge or gulf between Christianity and Islam?
Jesus is a central figure in both the Christian and Muslim traditions. In this fascinating lecture, celebrated Muslim scholar Professor Mona Siddiqui OBE explores the figure of Jesus in the Bible and the Qur'an. This lecture took place in St Cuthbert's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh and we thank them for allowing us make this recording available.
Sharia Seminar
In March 2012, Dr Rana Alsoufi (Ph.D University of Edinburgh 2011) and Mrs Azizat Amoloye-Adebayo (Ph.D candidate, University of Nottingham), presented their doctoral research on two different aspects of Shari'ah law.
Dr Alsoufi explored the theme ‘Power of Law: Problems in the contemporary application of Islamic Criminal Law of Hudud in relation to women’.
Mrs Amoloye-Adebayo asked the question ‘Islamic Law for Men? Or for Everyone? The dilemmatic question of a Muslim woman’.
Unfortunately our recording equipment let us down and a podcast is not available. However, Professor Hugh Goddard has prepared a two page summary of the presentations which can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking on the link below.
Migration between Pakistan and the UK - An interview with Dr Parveen Akhtar
In February 2012, the Alwaleed Centre was delighted to welcome Dr Parveen Akhtar (University of Bristol) to Edinburgh. Dr Akhtar delivered a fascinating seminar exploring her research into patterns of migration between Pakistan and the UK, focussing particularly on class distinctions and the impact of migration on both countries. Here, Dr Akhtar discusses her research with Dr Timothy Peace, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alwaleed Centre.
Global events - national concerns, everyday issues - Muslims in Scotland
The first in our series of seminars exploring the experiences of Muslims in contemporary Britain. Dr Peter Hopkins reflects on his doctoral research into the lived experiences of young Scottish Muslims.
Muslim Christian relations in Egypt before and after the election
A seminar delivered by Cornelis Hulsman, Editor-in-Chief of the Arab-West Report, exploring the contemporary relationships between Muslim and Christian communities in a rapidly changing Egypt.
Moroccan Islam
A lecture delivered by Professor Hassan Rachik (University of Hassan II, Casablanca) exploring the distinctive qualities of Islam in Morocco.
A short ten-minute interview with Professor Rachik is also available to hear online. In this interview, Professor Rachik explores the key themes of his lecture with Professor Hugh Goddard, Director of the alwaleed Centre.
Teaching Islamic Studies in Scotland
On 21st October 2011, the Alwaleed Centre hosted the second "Teaching Islamic Studies in Scotland" workshop bringing together lectures and PhD students working in the field of Islamic Studies (broadly defined).
The workshop feature contributions from a number of experts including:
Dr John Canning (Academic Coordinator of the Islamic Studies Network: "An Introduction to the Islamic Studies Network"
Dr Anicee Van-Engeland (University of Exeter): "Teaching Islamic law in a law school"
Dr Carool Kersten (King's College London): "Resources for Islamic Studies: teaching in Contemporary Islamic thinking"
Listen to Dr Canning's presentation
Scripture and Islam - The Holy Qur'an
The ideal introduction to the Qur'an from Professor Hugh Goddard, Director of the Alwaleed Centre. This fifty-minute presentation is perfect for anyone wanting to learn the basics about the Qur'an. No previous knowledge required!
Justice, Peace and Islam
Part of a study day delivered at Stewarton Academy, East Ayrshire, this podcast features Glasgow-based scholar Shaykh Ruzwan Mohammed and Edinburgh solicitor Safeena Rashid discussing Justice and Peace in Islam with Professor Hugh Goddard.
Where Cultures Meet: Christians and Muslims in the Medieval Mediterranean (video)
As part of a study day exploring various aspects of Islamic history and culture at Stewarton Academy, East Ayrshire, Dr Alex Metcalfe (University of Lancaster) delivered this absorbing presentation reflecting on the meeting of religion and culture in the medieval Mediterranean, with particular reference to Sicily. (Apologies for varying sound quality).
Reflecting on police Muslim relations within the legacy of Stephen Lawrence & ongoing police reform
A panel discussion with Dr Robert Lambert (Co-Director, European Muslim Research Centre, University of Exeter), Dr Anna Souhami (Lecturer in Criminology, University of Edinburgh Law School) and Inspector Tom Galbraith (Lothian and Borders Police). Organised in association with the University of Edinburgh Law School and followed by a reception and book signing by Dr Lambert of his new book "Countering Al-Qaeda in London: Police and Muslims in Partnership".
RIP UBL: The impact of the death of Usama Bin Laden
A panel discussion with Professor Hugh Goddard (Director of the Alwaleed Centre), Dr Talat Ahmed (Department of History), Dr Ewan Stein (Politics and International Relations), and Dr Thomas Pierret (Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies). Exploring the impact of Bin Laden's death in the a Middle Eastern and South Asian context.
From immigrants to Muslims
In his first seminar as an Alwaleed Centre Post Doctoral Fellow, Dr Tim Peace discusses political activism and identity amongst first and second generation Muslims in Britain and France. This is a video-cast which includes the slides used during the presentation.
An interview with comedian Jeff Mirza
Described by Timeout as "The sharpest Asian stand up on the alternative comedy circuit" Jeff Mirza has become one of the UK's leading Asian comedians. In this interview with the Alwaleed Centre's Rosie Mellor, Jeff discusses his most recent show "Jihad: Heresy of Hearsay" which he brought to the 2011 Edinburgh Festival.
English Speaking Union Scottish schools public speaking competition final: The Arab Spring (video)
In June 2011, the Alwaleed Centre was delighted to host the English Speaking Union Scotland Schools Public Speaking Competition final. Eight young people from across Scotland spoke with insight and passion about recent event in the Arab World.
Islamic contributions to medicine (video)
A far-reaching presentation delivered by Dr Andrew Newman, Reader in the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department at the University of Edinburgh. Dr Newman explores the extraordinary contributions of Islamic physicians to the development of medical knowledge. Introduced by Professor Hugh Goddard and part of a study day at George Heriot's School, Edinburgh.
Being a Muslim in Scotland today (video)
A fascinating panel discussion involving Shaykh Amer Jamil (SOLAS Foundation), Nasim Azad and Tasnim Rafiq (Beyond the Veil Muslim Women's Group), Muhammad Sadiq (Crown Office) and Farkhanda Chaurdhry MBE (East Renfrewshire Council). Panellists explored the relaities of living a Muslims in 21st Century Scotland with pupils from George Heriot's School, Edinburgh.
The World of Islam and the West: the view from Beirut, Cairo, the UK and the USA (video)
This very special event was organised as part of the annual meeting of all six Alwaleed Centre in the UK, the US and the Middle East which was hosted by the Edinburgh Alwaleed Centre in March 2011.
Introduced by the Principal, Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea, a panel discussion with: Dr Robert Myers (American University of Beirut) Prof. Roy Mottahedeh (Harvard University), Dr Jerry Leach (American University in Cairo), Prof. Yasir Suleiman (University of Cambridge), Prof. Hugh Goddard (University of Edinburgh), and Prof. John Esposito (Georgetown University).
Freedom and Liberty in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
A conversation event involving representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in Scotland. Dr George Wilkes, Sr Isabel Smyth and Shaykh Ruzwan Mohammed discuss freedom and liberty from their own perspectives and from the perspectives of their faith traditions.
Building Bridges: An initiative of the Archbishop of Canterbury
A seminar jointly hosted by the Alwaleed Centre and the School of Divinity. Presented by Dr. David Marshall.
The Muslim organisations of the UK
PhD candidate Ms. Abida Malik (University of Nottingham) discusses her research into the many Muslim organisations found throughout the UK.
The Legacy of Ayatollah Hussein Fadlallah
A far-reaching conversation between Dr Adham Saouli (Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh) and Professor Hugh Goddard, Director of the Edinburgh Alwaleed Centre.
The 9/11 anniversary events in New York and Florida
A panel discussion reflecting on the events surrounding the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Featuring Prof Marilyn Booth, Prof Michael Northcott, Prof Hugh Goddard and PhD candidate Iqbal Akhtar.