Al-Maktoum Institute For Arabic and Islamic Studies, Research Culture, Conferences, 2004 Islamicjerusalem Conference

2004 Islamicjerusalem Conference

A major international Academic Conference on Islamic Jerusalem Studies was held for one and a half days at Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies on Monday 31 May and the 1 June 2004. The conference was entitled “The New Field of Inquiry of Islamic Jerusalem Studies: Background, Achievements and Future”.

The Conference was attended by various individual from different countries such as Malaysia, Palestine, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the UK.

Sir Cyril Townsend, the Honorary President of the Islamic Research Academy (ISRA) said in his opening remarks that he is happy and privileged to be associated with this great project. He was involved in the project from its early days when it was still in its initial stages.

During the conference different areas on Islamic Jerusalem Studies were discussed: Knowledge and Power; Building Knowledge as well as the Future of Islamic Jerusalem Studies. Leading scholars such as Dr. Ahmad Hidayat Buang from Malasyia and Dr. Haithem al-Ratrout from Palestine presented some interesting papers during the conference. In addition some of the postgraduate students at the Al-Maktoum Institute also presented papers during the conference.

Professor El-Awaisi concluded by highlighting the success of the establishment of this new filed of inquiry of Islamic Jerusalem Studies. He stated that “ISRA has quickly become recognized as a unique international platform for research and debate on Islamic Jerusalem, set within ‘a new academic frame of reference’ and a new branch of knowledge on the international scene, known as ‘Islamic Jerusalem Studies’”.