KARACHI, Oct 19: The Aga Khan University and its Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations will organize a seminar on the theme of “Approaches to pluralism in Muslim contexts” on Oct 25, says a press release.

The press release adds that the seminar will be the first AKU- ISMC event to be held in Karachi. “Established in London in 2002, the goal of the AKU-ISMC is to strengthen research and teaching on the heritage of Muslim societies in all their historic diversity, in moral and ethnic thought, structures of governance and public life, as well as in artistic and creative expression in all forms. In addition, the Institute seeks to create contexts for the interactions of academics, traditionally trained scholars and professionals in furthering the understanding of pressing issues of public life.”

It says: “The seminar is the third in a series which aims at exploring the concept of pluralism and issues related to it, particularly in the context of Muslim societies.

Speakers at the first two seminars included: Professor Adel Daher, Roy Mottahedeh, Jonathan Ree and Ridwan Al-Sayyid. These speakers approached pluralism in Muslim contexts from philosophical, historical and contemporary perspectives. They explored issues, such as the compatibility of political ideologies of Islamist movements and the concept of pluralism, harbingers of pluralistic attitudes in the history of Muslims and intellectual genealogy of the term pluralism.”

According to the press release, the Oct 25 seminar will include Dr Elizabeth Frazer of Oxford University, Prof Aziz Al- Azmeh of the Central European University, Budapest, and Professor Tariq Rahman of Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.