Lehigh University's Center for Global Islamic Studies will be hosting an international conference, April 18-20, 2016 entitled, "Expressions of Adab in Southeast Asian Islam." The event will spotlight the incredible diversity and dynamism of Islam in Southeast Asia—both past and present—with a particular focus on Malaysia and Indonesia. Over three days, twelve scholars from multiple academic disciplines (Anthropology, Ethnomusicology, History, Political Science, Religious Studies, Islamic Studies) will present their research and engage in public conversations. Participants include ten US-based scholars and two colleagues from Malaysia. The conference will begin with a public keynote address by Professor Omid Safi (Director of the Duke Islamic Studies Center, Duke University), followed by two days of thematic panels and open discussions.
Adab is an important term in Islamic piety and practice, with multiple meanings and implications. In the context of Islamic ethics, it refers to etiquette: good manners, morals, beautiful behavior, humaneness. In Muslim societies across the globe, the rules of adab shape every dimension of social life—from family relations, to politics, religious practices and everyday interpersonal interactions. The conference will explore the meanings and applications of adab for Muslims in Southeast Asia from multiple perspectives.
In an expanding partnership with the Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Lehigh's Center for Global Islamic Studies promotes interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship designed to take comparative Islamic Studies into and beyond the classroom. Through its sponsored courses, academic forums, and public events, the Center offers students, faculty and the broader community a variety of platforms for dialogue, debate and experiential learning. This conference is free and open to everyone.
Conference Participants:
M. Shobhana Xavier (Franklin and Marshall College, Department of Religious Studies)