Islamic civilization can address global problems created by Western secularism: Academics

ISLAMABAD, Dec 05 (NNI): The secular paradigm of the West has largely transformed the epistemological foundations of the Muslims’ beliefs, which demands a revival of a universally applicable Islamic civilization.
This was the crux of a dialogue held with Prof Dr. Anis Ahmad, vice chancellor, Riphah International University (RIU), to discuss ‘Civilization and Politics: Islam’s Engagement with the West’ in the context of the recent IPS Press publication ‘Islam aur Maghrib ki Tehzeebi o Siyasi Kashmakash,’ authored by Professor Khurshid Ahmad, patron-in-chief, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), at Riphah International University (RIU), Islamabad.
The event, organized through the collaboration of IPS and RIU, was joined as discussants by Soumia Aziz, assistant professor, International Islamic University (IIU), Islamabad, Dr. Ghulam Hussain, IPS’ research fellow and assistant professor, Bahria University, Islamabad, Dr. Hamid Farooq, assistant professor, RIU, Ahmad Hamidi, lecturer, RIU, and Ahmad bin Qasim, a young researcher and activist, whereas it was concluded by Chairman IPS Khalid Rahman.
Prof Khurshid Ahmad’s book, as discussed by the panelists, serves as an asset of information and insights on Islam’s political and civilizational outlook vis-à-vis the Western civilization. As indicated by several anecdotes from the book, the West is facing a crisis of human development and civilization, causing cultural conflicts and raising social, political, and moral issues like economic inequality, social injustice, and blasphemy in the name of freedom of speech vis-à-vis Islam.
The book emphasizes that the solution to these problems lies in Islamic civilization, providing guidance and set of actions to the Muslim and non-Muslim world alike. Thus, a revival of Islamic civilization is the need of the hour.
Prof Anis Ahmad applauded the contributions of Prof Khurshid Ahmad in extending the efforts of Muslim philosophers and scholars like Iqbal and Maududi, who presented a different approach and outlook to interpret Islam .NNI