This is the second in the York-Noor Lecture Series 2012-2013:

The Humanist Islam & The Cordoba Paradigm
by Professor Ramin Jahanbegloo

This lecture discusses the Andalusian experience – an example of an intercultural alliance which created an atmosphere of tolerance as a philosophical and political pillar for dialogue between different peoples. That the Andalusian convivencia, whichmarks a truly remarkable period in the history of Islam and the West, did not play a constructive role in the Christian perceptions of Islam is indicative of the deep-rooted religious misconceptions of Islam and Muslims in the Western memory. The history of the Andalusian experience, or what more precisely can be referred to as the “Cordoba paradigm”, cannot be divorced from that of Islamic civilization.  The Andalusian experience is a high point of Islamic humanism that is worth benchmarking, where many of the principles of inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue could be fully realized. The cultural legacy of Cordoba is impressive in its scale and splendour, and remains a successful model of associative reconciliation in which Europeans of different religious communities contributed to advising and, more importantly to encouraging, cross-cultural learning.

Prof. Ramin Jahanbegloo, PhD, is an Iranian-Canadian philosopher, academic and activist.  He is an Associate Professor of Political Science at York University and the author of numerous books and articles.   In October 2009, Professor Jahanbegloo was awarded the Peace Prize from the United Nations Association in Spain for his extensive academic works in promoting dialogue between cultures and his advocacy for non-violence.  He currently serves as the 2012-2013 Noor Chair in Islamic Studies at York University.

Date: Thursday January 17, 2013
Times: 6 – 8 pm
Location: Auditorium, Noor Cultural Centre
Admission: Free

Please see the remaining titles in the York-Noor Lecture Series 2012-2013.

For previous York-Noor lectures, please click here.