CFP: Discourse on the Search for a Renewed Identity of Muhammadiyah for its Post-Centennial Era

International Conference on Muhammadiyah (ICM) 2012

Date: 29 November – 2 December   2012.
Place: University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Malang, East Java, Indonesia.
Language: English only for written and oral presentation and discussion.
 
Description

Over the past 100 years, the progressive Muslim social movement Muhammadiyah has made significant contributions to the nation building of the Republic of Indonesia, mainly in the field of education, philanthropy, and social welfare. More than that, its contributions to the enhancement of the people’s sovereignty, national unity, social justice, and the uplifting of public morality for the nation have been countless. In spite of all this, some people have perceived that Muhammadiyah’s presence in the Indonesian public seems to be somewhat waning recently. Many factors seemed to have caused this. 

Muhammadiyah has been contested externally by the emergence of a number of Islamist movements since the fall of the New Order — many of them with trans-national connections. Even more directly, Muhammadiyah has faced with the threat of infiltration by some Islamist forces, among others, by the PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, Prosperous Justice Party). Internally, too, Muhammadiyah has experienced unprecedented conflicts because of the development of three contrasting orientations: The revival of ‘Salafist’ trend, the well-established mainstream, taking a moderate centralist position, and a more recent trend of ‘liberals’.
 
All in all, an image of Muhammadiyah in recent years has been less dynamic, less innovative, and less progressive compared to its fresh forward looking stance shown decades before. Thus, Muhammadiyah at the entrance of its second century is facing a number of serious challenges. The most essential among them seems to be the “rediscovery” or “reformulation” of its own identity.  Recent rapid, global grand-scale changes are demanding Muhammadiyah to seriously re-examine the meanings of its modernity, progressiveness and reformism in the post-modern contexts.
 
The ICM intends to survey and discuss the Muhammadiyah movement in search of new identity and direction. Can and will Muhammadiyah continue and even advance to be an organization of progressive Islamic social and religious movement well into its post-centennial era? How is it revitalizing the élan vital of the movement? These questions seem to require serious inquiries not only by Muhammadiyah activists themselves but also by those scholars who have been observing Muhammadiyah for many years.
 
Themes to Consider:
  1. History: Modern History of Islam in Indonesia with Emphasis on the Early Period of Muhammadiyah Development
  2. Ethnography: Realities of the Muhammadiyah Movement in Local Context
  3. Education: Challenges of Globalization, Multi-Culturalism and Universalism
  4. Philanthropy/Social Welfare/Social Business:  The working of LAZISMU, PKU, BMT, etc.
  5. Reformism Revisited: The Working of Majelis Tarjih/Tajdid and Interpretation/ Application of Syari’ah
  6. Women and Gender Equality
  7. Youth and Radicalism
  8. Domestic and International Politics: Democratization, the Challenge of Islamism, and World-wide Cooperation of Moderate Muslims
  9. Conflict Resolution and the Enhancement of Intra/Inter-Faith Solidarity
  10. The State of Art in Muhammadiyah Studies
 
Submission Details
If you want to give a presentation, please submit your proposal (around 250-300 words) and curriculum vitae to Mitsuo Nakamura (mitsuon@za.tnc.ne.jp) and Azyumardi Azra (azyumardiazra1@gmail.com) by 15 June 2012. Papers that have been selected will be notified by 15 July 2012. If accepted, the full paper must be submitted by 15 September 2012.
 
If you are planning to attend, please send an email to Soeparto (partoumm@yahoo.com) for preliminary registration at your earliest convenience.

International Initiative for Islamic Integral Professorial Chairs

Announcing the Integral Chairs Initiative
انقر هنا لقراءة المادة باللغة العربية

Accepting Applications for the Initial Two Integral Chairs

Learn about the International Initiative for Islamic Integral Professorial Chairs and the first two Integral Chairs

The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (Amman, Jordan – website) invites applications for the following two endowed Chairs:
  1. The King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein Waqf for the Integral Chair for the Study of Imam Al-Ghazali’s Work
  2. The King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein Waqf for the Integral Chair for the Study of Imam Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi’s Work

Below you’ll find out more about this monumental project, requirements for application, and links to further information.

The Major Challenge

The sciences of traditional Islamic knowledge are very poorly understood in the Islamic World, and taught only in selective, abbreviated versions. Ignorance has spread in the mosques while secular academic methodologies rule the institutes of learning in the Islamic World. Even in the West, though Muslims have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to create professorial chairs and academic centres in leading western universities, these chairs and centres are invariably run or occupied by non-Muslims (or secular Muslims), and so the centres and chairs – funded by Muslims! – wind up being hostile, or at least unhelpful, to traditional Islam. This situation is leading to intellectual and spiritual impoverishment in the Islamic World, a rise in fundamentalism, and ironically, at the same time, a rise in secularism.

Purpose and Goal

The purpose of this initiative is to restore knowledge and teaching of traditional Islamic orthodox high culture and scholarship in philosophy, theology, mysticism, jurisprudence, Qur’anic exegesis, sociology, history and Arabic language and grammar in the Islamic World in combination with traditional Islamic teaching and preaching methods.
The goal of this initiative is to set up around 50 Integral Chairs in the Islamic World each as a waqf (religious endowment) in mosques and universities combined, occupied by practicing Muslim scholars, and dedicated to the intellectual and spiritual legacy of the greatest Muslim scholars and sages. Thereafter, an international institute to connect and support their activities will be established.
Brochure: Learn more by downloading the brochure about this initiative.

The First Two Chairs

The first two Chairs have been created with complete funding and a waqfestablished for each. We are now accepting applications for both.

Imam Al-Ghazali Chair

Named After: Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad Al-Ghazali (450–505 AH / 1058–1111 CE)
Primary Book: Ihya Ulum ad-Din
Chair based in: Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem and Al-Quds University.
Waqf Status: Waqf and complete funding established on 30 January 2012; professor to be appointed.
Summary: The King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein Waqf for the Integral Chair for the Study of Imam Al-Ghazali’s Work was established in Jerusalem at the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s three holiest sites, and Al-Quds University. The Chair enjoys full independent administration and is the sole party in charge of selecting students, offering scholarships and awarding the King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein Prize for the Study of Imam Al-Ghazali’s Scholarly Legacy.
Brochure: Learn more by downloading the brochure.

Imam Al-Razi Chair

Named After: Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi (543–606 AH / 1149–1209 CE)
Primary Book: Al-Tafsir Al-Kabir
Chair based in: King Hussein bin Talal State Mosque, Amman, Jordan, and Jordan University and the World Islamic Sciences and Education (W.I.S.E.) University, Amman, Jordan.
Waqf Status: Waqf and complete funding established on 30 January 2012; professor to be appointed.
Summary: The King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein Waqf for the Integral Chair for the Study of Imam Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi’s Work was established at the King Hussein bin Talal Mosque, the University of Jordan and W.I.S.E. University. The Chair enjoys full independent administration and is the sole party in charge of selecting students, offering scholarships and awarding the King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein Prize for the Study of Imam Al-Razi’s Scholarly Legacy.
Brochure: Learn more by downloading the brochure.

Requirements

The professor for each chair has to meet the following conditions:

  • That he be Muslim of the Ahl al-Sunnah (Ash’arite, Maturidi) and committed to following one of the four Madhabs (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali).
  • That he observe prayers and be of fair and reputable character.
  • That he be a hafiz of the Holy Qur’an.
  • That he be specialized and highly qualified in Islamic Sciences with in-depth knowledge of the great scholar that his particular chair focuses on, his work and scholarly legacy.
  • That he be fluent in both Arabic and English; reading, writing, and speaking.
  • That he be a PhD holder and a professor or associate professor at an accredited university or universities.
  • Priority of appointment will be for a local scholar, then those hailing from Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
  • If applicants for the Integral Chairs are found to be of equal qualifications, priority will be given to those who are members of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.
  • The Board may reduce the condition of the professor being a hafiz of the Holy Qur’an to being a hafiz of six parts (ajza’) of the Qur’an.
  • The Board must recommend to the Board of Trustees to dismiss the professor if he breaches a critical condition of the professorship.

Rights and Privileges of the Professor

  • A monthly stipend of 5,000 Jordanian Dinars (approximately $7,000 US).
  • Suitable accommodation and health insurance for the professor and his/her family.
  • Administrative support and secretarial work.
  • If the professor is not a citizen of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, he will be granted diplomatic status.

Applications should be submitted along with a resume, a recent photograph and a copy of the applicant’s passport. Applicants should also include photocopies of cover pages of any published works, including research papers. The names of three references should also be included and sent to the following address no later than 6th June, 2012:
The World Islamic Sciences and Education University
Amman, Jordan.
Learn more about the Chairs and download application forms by visiting the following pages on W.I.S.E. University’s website:

فتح باب طلبات التوظيف للكراسي الأستاذية المكتملة

اعرف المزيد عن المبادرة الدولية للكراسي الأستاذية المكتملة وكرسي الإمام الغزالي وكرسي الإمام الرازي

تدعوكم مؤسسة آل البيت الملكية للفكر الإسلامي في عَمّان، الأردن (الموقع الإلكتروني) لتقديم طلبات التوظيف للكرسيين الموقوفَين التاليين
  1. ‎وقفية الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام الغزالي ومنهجه
  2. ‎وقفية الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام فخر الدين الرازي ومنهجه

فيما يلي شرح لهذا المشروع الضخم ومتطلبات تقديم الطلبات وروابط للمزيد من المعلومات.

تحليل:

تعاني علوم المعرفة الإسلامية التقليدية من افتقار شديد في الفهم في العالم الإسلامي، ويقتصر تعليمها على صيغ منتقاة ومختصرة. وتسيطر الأصولية على نحو متزايد على المساجد وتهيمن المنهجيات الأكاديمية العلمانية على معاهد التحصيل العلمي في العالم الإسلامي. وحتى في الغرب، على الرغم من قيام المسلمين بالتبرع بمئات الملايين من الدولارات لإنشاء كراسي أستاذية ومراكز أكاديمية في كبرى الجامعات الغربية، فإن هذه الكراسي والمراكز لا تفتأ يديرها أو يتولى أمرها غير مسلمين (أو مسلمون علمانيون)؛ ولذلك ينتهي الأمر بهذه المراكز والكراسي – التي يمولها مسلمون – إلى أن تكون عدائية أو على الأقل غير مساندة للإسلام الأصيل الموروث. وهذا الوضع يفضي إلى إفقار فكري وروحي في العالم الإسلامي، وإلى صعود الأصولية، وفي الوقت ذاته – على نحو يثير السخرية – إلى صعود العلمانية.

الغاية والهدف:

الغاية من هذه المبادرة إحياء العلم والتعليم للحضارة الإسلامية السامية القويمة الأصيلة ومنهجها الفكري في البحث العلمي في ميادين الفلسفة وعلم الكلام والتصوف والفقه والتفسير وعلم الاجتماع والتاريخ وعلوم اللغة العربية والنحو والصرف في العالم الإسلامي بالترافق مع المناهج الموروثة للتدريس الإسلامي والوعظ الإرشاد. والهدف من هذه المبادرة إنشاء حوالي ٥٠ كرسي أستاذي مكتمل كأوقاف في مساجد وجامعات في العالم الإسلامي يشغلها علماء عاملون مسلمون، ومخصصة لخدمة الإرث الفكري والروحي لأكابر علماء الإسلام. وبعد ذلك سيتم تأسيس معهد دولي لربط أنشطتهم ودعمها.
كتيّب: تعلم المزيد من خلال تحميل الكتيّب عن هذه المبادرة.

الكرسييَن الحالييَن:

لقد تمّ تأسيس ‎وقفية الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام الغزالي ومنهجه و‎وقفية الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام فخر الدين الرازي ومنهجه مع كامل التمويل، والمؤسسة مستعدة لتقبل طلبات التوظيف الآن.

الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام الغزالي ومنهجه:

سمي على اسم: أبو حامد محمد بن محمد الغزالي ٥٠٥ – ٤٥٠ هـ / ١١١١ – ١٠٥٨م.
الكتاب الرئيسي: إحياء علوم الدين.
مكان الكرسي: المسجد الأقصى في القدس وفي جامعة القدس.
حالة الوقف: ‎أقيم الوقف وكامل التمويل في ٣٠ ‫/‬ ١ ‫/‬٢٠١٢؛ ومزمع تعيين الأستاذ.
ملخص: تم تأسيس الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام الغزالي ومنهجه في القدس في المسجد الأقصى الشريف وجامعة القدس. ويتمتع الكرسي باستقلالية تامة وهو الطرف الوحيد الذي سيتولى أمر اختيار الطلبة وتقديم المِنَح ومَنْح جائزة الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين لدراسات التراث العلمي للإمام الغزالي.
كتيّب: تعلم المزيد من خلال تحميل الكتيّب.

الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام الرازي ومنهجه

سمي على اسم: فخر الدين الرازي ٦٠٦ – ٥٤٣ هـ / ١٢٠٩- ١١٤٩م.
الكتاب الرئيسي: التفسير الكبير.
مكان الكرسي: مسجد الملك حسين بن طلال في عَمّان وفي الجامعة الأردنية وجامعة العلوم الإسلامية العالمية، في عمّان بالأردن.
حالة الوقف: ‎أقيم الوقف وكامل التمويل في ٣٠ ‫/‬ ١ ‫/‬٢٠١٢؛ ومزمع تعيين الأستاذ.
ملخص: تم تأسيس وقفية الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين الكرسي المكتمل لدراسة فكر الإمام فخر الدين الرازي في مسجد الملك الحسين بن طلال طيّب الله ثراه والجامعة الأردنية وجامعة العلوم الإسلامية العالمية. ويتمتع الكرسي باستقلالية تامة وهو الطرف الوحيد الذي سيتولى أمر اختيار الطلبة وتقديم المِنَح ومَنْح جائزة الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين لدراسات التراث العلمي للإمام الرازي.
كتيّب: تعلم المزيد من خلال تحميل الكتيّب.

شروط أستاذ الكرسي:

يشترط فيمن يتولى كرسي الأستاذية:

  1. أن يكون مسلماً من أهل السنة والجماعة (الأشاعرة/الماثريدية) وأن يلتزم باتباع المذاهب الأربعة (الحنفي والمالكي والشافعي والحنبلي).
  2. أن يكون مقيماً للصلاة، عدلاً، حسن السيرة.
  3. أن يكون من حفاظ القرآن الكريم.
  4. أن يكون متخصصاً ذا كفاءة عالية في العلوم الإسلامية وله عناية كبيرة بفكر الإمام المعني ومنهجه وآثاره العلمية والدعوية والفكرية.
  5. أن يتقن اللغة العربية والانجليزية قراءة وكتابة ومحادثة.
  6. أن يكون حاصلاً على درجة الدكتوراة وأستاذاً أو أستاذاً مشاركاً من جامعة أو جامعات معترف بها.
  7. تكون الأولوية في التعيين لأبناء المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية ثم لأبناء فلسطين وسورية ولبنان والعراق.
  8. إذا تساوى المتقدمون لشغل الكرسي في الشروط السابقة ذكرها تكون الأولوية للمنتسبين لمؤسسة آل البيت الملكية للفكر الإسلامي.
  9. لمجلس الكرسي أن يخفض شرط حفظ القرآن إلى ستة أجزاء.
  10. على المجلس التوصية لمجلس الأمناء بإقالة أستاذ الكرسي إذا أخل بشرط جوهري من شروط أستاذ الكرسي.

حقوق وامتيازات أستاذ الكرسي:

  • الراتب الشهري لأستاذ ‎الكرسي ( 5000 ) خمسة آلاف دينار أردني (حوالي 7000 دولار).
  • سكن وتأمين صحي للأستاذ ولعائلته.
  • تقديم الدعم الإداري وأعمال السكرتارية.
  • إذا لم يكن الأستاذ من أبناء المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية يمنح الصفة الدبلوماسية.

تقدم الطلبات مشفوعة بالسيرة الذاتية وصورة حديثة مع صورة من جواز السفر مع صورة غلاف المؤلفات والأبحاث للمتقدم لشغل الكرسي مع ثلاثة أسماء معرفين وترسل إلى العنوان الآتي، وذلك في موعد اقصاه 6/6/2012.
لمعرفة المزيد عن الكراسي المكتملة قم بتحميل طلب التوظيف من خلال زيارة الصفحات الإلكترونية التالية في موقع جامعة العلوم الإسلامية العالمية:

 
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Society for Qur’anic Studies

SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE SUPPORTS EXPLORATION 
OF  QUR’AN SCHOLAR NETWORK 
ATLANTA, May 29, 2012 – The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) has been awarded a $140,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support a three-year consultation that will explore the formation of an independent network of Qur’anic scholars. This international consultation will meet to evaluate and frame a vision and mission for a professional organization, namely, a Society for Qur’anic Studies. 
“Considering the enormous cultural importance and global influence of the Qur’an, a pressing need exists for an independent and self-defined association of scholars of the Qur’an to do collaborative research and to enrich and inform courses at colleges and universities,” says John F. Kutsko, executive director of SBL and director of the initiative.  
The goal of the consultation is to give the academic study of the Qur’an the attention it 
deserves, says Kutsko, who is also affiliate professor of biblical studies at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University. “By providing more opportunity for research and by bringing more conversation into the classroom, such an organization will also foster mutual understanding and appreciation in the public square.” 
“The level of interest in the Qur’an and Islam in the West today is unprecedented. Questions surrounding the Qur’an and its teaching on religious, social and political issues are increasingly raised in educational institutions and popular literature,” says Emran El-Badawi, Assistant Professor of Arab Studies at the University of Houston and co-director of the consultation. “A vast and ever-growing number of websites and online forums are devoted to discussions on the meaning and interpretation of the Qur’an, but no learned society dedicated to the study of the Qur’an exists.” 
A Society for Qur’anic Studies (SQS) would play an important role as a meeting place where scholars and students of the Qur’an might present their particular contributions to the study of the Qur’an, while learning from others, says El-Badawi.  
At the same time, an SQS would foster the study of the text for its own sake. “The Qur’an is a work of extraordinary importance, both for its witness to the rise of Islam, and for its central place in Islamic societies through the centuries and still today,” says Gabriel Said Reynolds, Tisch Family Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology at the University of Notre Dame and co-director of the consultation. 
The network will be an academic forum in which scholars from around the world discuss and publish scholarship on the Qur’an. “Participants will be encouraged to share diverse perspectives and cutting edge research on the Qur’an’s language, its dialogue with other scriptures, and the context in which the text arose,” notes Reynolds. “By approaching the Qur’an as an historical, literary and religious text, SQS will demonstrate the extraordinary and wide-ranging scholarly value of the Qur’an.” 
“It cannot be overstated that the agenda of the scholars in this consultation will not be 
determined or directed by SBL,” says Kutsko. He emphasizes that SBL will serve only to provide the logistical support for Qur’anic scholars to foster their work.  
“The guiding principle for the consultation is to ensure that scholars of Qur’anic Studies set their own research and publishing agendas, that our colleagues in this discipline have the resources to determine their own future, and that their impact transcends institutional and international lines,” Kutsko says. 
“The founding of a new society for the study of the Qur’an will provide an institutional forum for Qur’anic Studies equal to the study of other religious texts and traditions,” says Vincent Cornell, chair of the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies at Emory University. “This establishes a base for Qur’anic Studies that hasn’t existed before, and thereby makes an important intellectual claim.” 
The past two decades have witnessed tremendous growth in scholarship on the Qur’an, says Reynolds. “An annual academic forum on the Qur’an and related publications will allow scholars from a wide range of disciplines a context for collaboration and dialogue. It also will give students and informed members of the public access to a common forum where they will learn from and contribute to this rich discussion.”  
  
### 
The Society of Biblical Literature, founded in 1880, is the oldest and largest learned society devoted to the critical investigation of the Bible from a variety of academic disciplines. As an international organization, the Society offers its members opportunities for mutual support, intellectual growth and professional development and is a member of the American Council of Learned Societies.  
The Henry Luce Foundation, established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, seeks to bring important ideas to the center of American life, strengthen international understanding, and foster innovation and leadership in academic, policy, religious and art communities. 
Contact: Elise Addington | eaddington@quranconsultation.com | 404-727-3111 

International Islamic Accounting and Finance Conference

Theme : Steering Innovations And Competitiveness In A Dynamic Economy: New Frontiers, New Lessons

Date: 19-21 November 2012

Venue: Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur

Organized by:

IIAFC 2012 is organized by Accounting Research Institute (ARI), together with its co-organizes, the Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia; Indonesian Islamic University (IIU), Jogjakarta, Indonesia; Centre of Islamic Banking & Finance, Royal Docks Business School, University of East London, United Kingdom; and Elshaarani Centre for Islamic Business and Finance, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The conference will act as a platform in giving opportunities for participants to network and share experiences in a unique inter-disciplinary environment among Islamic Accounting and Finance practitioners, academicians and other professionals who interested in this area. This event will also invite paper presenters to publish their work in the selected journals.

Topics for this conference include, but are not limited to:

Islamic Accounting
Shariah Auditing
Ethical Issues in Islamic Financial
Institutions and Financial Markets
Islamic Finance and Banking
Strategic Management from the Islamic Perspective
Accounting for Takaful
Comparative Study of Islamic & Conventional Accounting
Taxation and Zakat Accounting
Intellectual Capital in Islamic Organizations
Waqaf and Sadaqah
Islamic Microfinance
Reporting issues in Islamic Organizations
Corporate Social Responsibility from the Islamic perspective
Corporate Governance
Human Governance
Assurance in Halal Product Producers
Cost & Management Accounting
Islamic Accounting Theory
Accounting Education
Internal Audit in Islamic-based entities
External Audit in Islamic-based entities
Forensic Accounting from the Islamic perspective
Lead Media Partner

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Important Dates

Full Paper Deadline: 30 June 2012
Acceptance Notification: 31 August 2012
Camera-ready Paper Deadline: 30 September 2012
Early Bird Deadline: 7 September 2012
Participant Registration Deadline: 30 September 2012

Map to Conference Venue Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur, City Centre

73, Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
T :  +603.2141.9988      
F : +603.2144.0111
E : general@hotelistana.com.my

Islamic Renaissance

In the name of Allah the most Beneficent, the most Merciful

THE ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL (IRFI),

Is soliciting individuals and Organizations to become joint sponsors or Cosponsors of  The Second International Conference On

Islamic Renaissance

The Objectives of the Conference are to find practical solutions (a Road Map) or Strategies to solve  the problems facing the Muslim Community in the 21st Century.

Preamble:  There is no DOUBT that Muslims are backward in all facets of life. This conference seeks practical solutions for the upliftment of Muslim Ummah and how to Revive the Golden Age of Islam in this 21st century. The areas of interest are: 1. Education 2. Economics and Finance 3. Science and Technology 4. Religion  5. Medicine and Health

1.     Submit Abstracts (300 words Max). Deadline: June 30, 2012
2.     Notification of acceptance and invitation to submit full paper-July 15, 2012
3.     Full Paper due: December 15, 2012

 Please submit the Abstract and Full written paper in Microsoft word document and lecture presentation will be only in Microsoft PowerPoint Format.

The following 20  TOPICS are suggested  FOR THE  INTERNATIOANL CONFERENCE ON ISLAMIC RENAISSANCE TO BE HELD IN LOUISVILLE, KY.  MAY 24-26, 2013

1. Critical Thinking -Education, career, personal life and religion

2, Opposing points of view are needed for the advancement of Muslims

3. Role of Ijtihad in Islamic Renaissance

4. Freedom of expression and thought are a necessity for the upliftment of Muslims

5. Reviving the status of women (50 % of Muslim Ummah) to the early Islamic period when they excelled in every field.

6. Misconceptions and Misinterpretation of Islam by Muslims are some of the reasons for the backwardness of Muslims.

7. How to build Riba Free World Bank and IMF as alternates to the present Riba based Institutions

8. How to understand the Qur’an in the 21st Century so that Muslims can Excel in Duniya and Aakhirah.

9. How to handle Fabricated Ahadeeth that are hindering the advancement of Muslims.

10. How to Revive the Golden Age of Islam in the 21st Century.

11. How to revive Education in Muslim countries in Curricula, Instruction, Incentives, IT so that the graduates become Second to None.

12. Practical steps to eradicate disease and improve health in Muslim countries

13. Practical steps to eradicate poverty and bring prosperity in the lives of Muslims

14. How to make Muslim Youth to excel in the Academics and sports so that they can achieve    their highest potential (becoming Nobel Laureates and Gold Medalists in Olympics).

15.  Why teaching of the Islamic Theory of Evolution is a necessity?

16.  Are Commandments of Qur’an and Hadith eternally binding?

17.   Antidote to Islamophobia – practical steps and strategies

18.  The Interpretation of Shariah Laws in the 21st Century,  so that Muslims living anywhere in the world can prosper and advance in their lives

19.  How to revive Muslim’s input to Scientific Discoveries and Knowledge

20.  Practical Solutions  for  Muslim Women to advance  in STEM (Science, Technology, Engg., and Med) sciences

If your paper is selected for presentation, IRFI will provide the boarding, lodging, and   Return  Travel Expenses  to Louisville, KY, USA.

For further Information, Please contact us by E- Mail:
islamicresearch@yahoo.com  or  IRFI.1988@YAHOO.COM

Visit our Website: http://www.irfi.org

Mailing Address:     7102 W. Shefford Lane, Louisville, KY 40242, USA

NO   PHONE   CALLS     OR     FAXES      PLEASE

Instructions to Authors on Preparation of Manuscript

The paper should be formatted in one column format with the figures at the end.  A maximum of eight keywords should be indicated below the abstract to describe the contents of the manuscript.  Leave a blank line between each paragraph and between each entry in the list of bibliographic references.  Tables should preferably be placed in the same electronic file as the text. There is no need to spend time formatting your article so that the printout is visually attractive (e.g. by making headings bold or creating a page layout with figures), as most formatting instructions will be removed upon processing.

Authors are advised to use Times New Roman 12-point font.  Be especially careful when you are inserting special characters, as those inserted in different fonts may be replaced by different characters when converted to PDF files.  It is well known that ‘�’ will be replaced by other characters when fonts such as ‘Symbol’ or ‘Mincho’ are used.

We recommend that authors prepare the text as a Microsoft Word file.

1.  Manuscripts in general should be organised in the following order:

Page 1: Running title.  (Not to exceed 60 characters, counting letters and spaces).

This page should only contain your running title / full title of your paper. In addition, the Subject areas most relevant to the study must be indicated on this page.  Select one or two subject areas from.
A list of number of black and white / color figures and tables should also be indicated on this page.

Page 2: Author(s) and Corresponding author information.

This page should repeat the title of your paper with name(s) of all the authors, institutions and corresponding author’s name, institution and full address (Street address, telephone number (including extension), hand phone number, fax number and e-mail address) for Program Committee  correspondence.

Author’s addresses. Multiple authors with different addresses must indicate their respective addresses separately by superscript numbers:

George Swan1 and Nayan Kanwal2
1Department of Management, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA.
2Research Management Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.

 Page 3: This page should repeat the title of your paper with only the Abstract (the abstract should be less than 350 words for a Regular Paper . Keywords must also be provided on this page (Not more than eight keywords in alphabetical order).

Page 4 and subsequent pages:

This page should begin with the Introduction of your article and the rest of your paper should follow from page 5 onwards.

Text.  Regular Papers should be prepared with the headings Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions in this order.

The introduction should state the purpose of the article and that it complies with the
Theme of the Conference.

Tables.  All tables should be prepared in a form consistent with recent issues of a journal and should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals.  Explanatory material should be given in the table legends and footnotes.  Each table should be prepared on a separate page.  (Note that when a manuscript is accepted for presentation, tables must be submitted as data – .doc, .rtf, Excel or PowerPoint file- because tables submitted as image data cannot be edited for publication.)

Equations and Formulae.  These must be set up clearly and should be typed triple spaced.  Numbers identifying equations should be in square brackets and placed on the right margin of the text.

Figures & Photographs.  Submit an original figure or photograph.  Line drawings must be clear, with high black and white contrast.  Each figure or photograph should be prepared on a separate sheet and numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals.  Appropriate sized numbers, letters and symbols should be used, no smaller than 2 mm in size after reduction to single column width (85 mm), 1.5-column width (120 mm) or full 2-column width (175 mm).

For electronic figures, create your figures using applications that are capable of preparing high resolution TIFF files acceptable for publication.  In general, we require 300 dpi or higher resolution for colored and half-tone artwork and 1200 dpi or higher for line drawings.  For review, you may attach low-resolution figures, which are still clear enough for reviewing, to keep the file of the manuscript under 5 MB.

Results: Provide a detailed report on the data obtained during the study. All data in the text must be consistent throughout the manuscript, including any illustrations, legends, or tables.

Discussion: Be succinct. What does your study show? Discuss the importance of your paper with regard to the relevant world literature; a complete literature review is unnecessary. Analyze your data and discuss their strengths, their weaknesses, and the limitations of the study.

Legends must be included for all illustrations and listed in order. Explain what each illustration shows. Give the magnification of all photomicrographs. Define all arrows and other such indicators appearing on the illustration.

All references must be cited in the text.

Model Abstract