CILE to host its first international conference

This is the first such event to be organised by CILE, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

The one-day conference will take place at Qatar Foundation's Student Center, and aims to bring together scholars of Islamic jurisprudence, artists and politicians to discuss and tackle critical issues pertinent to today's cultural and political spheres.

A number of well-regarded experts will partake in the seminar. Participants in the first session, 'Islamic Ethics', will include Sheikh Dr Yusuf Al Qaradawi, Chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars; Sheikh Dr Ali Al-Qaradaghi, Secretary General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars; Sheikh Dr Ahmed Raissouni, Chairman of the League of Sunni Scholars; and Professor Muhammad Kamal Hassan, Rector of the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

The second session will discuss 'Ethics and Arts'. Participants will include the British singer/songwriter Dr Yusuf Islam, Egyptian singer and guitarist Hamza Namira, Moroccan singer and composer Saloua Chaoudry, and Egyptian researcher and Islamic calligrapher Dr Ahmed Moustafa.

The third and final panel, 'Politics and Ethics', will include Dr Abdel Moneim Abul Futuh, former Egyptian presidential candidate, prominent Turkish sociologist Prof Nilufer Gole, and Prof Norman Finkelstein, the American political scientist, activist and author.

CILE, a member of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, specialises in Islamic legislation and ethical thought, with a main focus on applied principles. The centre has a vision of reform that is guided by the fundamental tenets of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah (teachings of Prophet Mohammed), and the Maqasid (objectives) of Islamic Jurisprudence.

CILE aims to bring about a more just and moral world through a methodological and theoretical framework that can lead to practical applications and tangible contributions.