IIUM Professor Mumtaz Ali Delivers Keynote Address
Srinagar, Aug 26: The two-day International Webinar conducted by Shah-i-Hamdhan Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Kashmir on the theme ‘Islamic Perspective on Contemporary Biomedical Issues’ concluded on Wednesday evening.
The Webinar, as per a media handout received by Kashmir Glory, on each of the occassions commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafiz Dr. Shahnawaz Ahmad Shah (Assistant Professor, Department of Persian KU), followed by the welcome address delivered by Director of the Webinar, Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Bhat (HOD, SHIIS).
The inaugural address, as per the handout, was delivered by the Vice Chancellor Kashmir University Prof. Talat Ahmad, during which the top academician highlighted “the importance of Bioethics viz-a-viz Islam.”
The keynote address delivered by Prof. Mohammad Mumtaz Ali from IIUM, as per the handout, “discussed the threadbare issues from classic age upto modern era and the eminence role of Islam in promoting science and scientific technology.”
On the ocassion, Prof. Naseem Ahmad Shah, former Dean School of Social Sciences and former HoD SHIIS, “deliberated upon the Muslims’ response to health issues both from civilizational and juristic aspects”.
The paper, as per the handout, was more like a case study and caught the attention of participants, including the participants of other faiths.
The last speaker on Day 1 was Saima Shafi (Research Scholar SHIIS) who, as per the handout, spoke on specific feminine related issues that have been and are still “mostly debated” in the Islamic Academia.
Pertinent to mention that International Webinar on Day 1 was attended by around 200 participants on Google Meet and rest of 800 participants were watching via live stream from other mediums, the handout reads.
On Day-2 of the Webinar, as per the handout, Prof Muhammad Mumtaz Ali of IIUM deliberated on some crucial biomedical issues focussing upon heterogeneity of birth control and associated things including the word ‘gender’.
The deliberation was followed by the presentation by Prof. Kunwar Muhammad Yusuf Amin from the Department of Pharmacology AK Tibiyyah College AMU who, as per the handout, spoke about the all inclusive Muslim philosophy that will address contemporary bioethics, as according to Amin, ethics has always been associated with Theo-philosophical discourses.
Prof. Amin to quoted the examples from the works of Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Arabi and modern Theo-philoshophers to make his contention stronger, the handout reads.
Prof. Abdul Rashid Bhat, former HoD SHIIS, deliberated upon the ‘Legal aspects of Bio-Medical Issues’.
The presentation, as per the handout, focussed upon some selected themes like family planning, surrogacy, test tube cases among other issues.
Dr. Abdul Majid Khan, part of the Webinar, from AMU in his presentation “impressed upon that Muslims need to master the technology as they claim to master the Religious Sciences. Once this is done balanced and competent persons who will be deeply rooted both in Shari’ah and Science will explore the possibilities that will help humanity at a large within Islamic paradigm and subsequently challenges will be tackled”, Khan observed.
The last paper on Day-2 was presented by Iqra Fatima Research Scholar, Department of Islamic Studies, JMI, who spoke on “Environmental and Religious Aspects of Assisted Reproduction”
The presentation, as per the handout, was comprehensive and comparative in nature – comparing and contrasting in what is being said and done in Major World Religions about the subject in focus.
The last presentation was followed by Question/Answer session in which participants interacted live with the available Resource Persons.
The Valedictory Address was delivered by Prof. Iqtidar Mohammad Khan, Director Dr. Zakir Hussain Institute of Islamic Studies, JMI.
Prof. Khan, as per the handout, winded up the whole two days session in his beautifully well crafted speech while quoting live examples of the current scenario in which we are living amid the prevailing pandemic of COVID19, and referred to Islam as a viable alternative.
In his address Prof. Khan strongly recommended that “this is the high time that Muslims of the subcontinent in particular should wake up and take up the responsibility for which they have been choosen as a balanced nation”.
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Bhat Director of the Webinar and HoD SHIIS, in his concluding remarks gave a brief overview of SHIIS and its activities of the last 3 decades and those who have rendered their services in making it where it is today.
In his Vote of Thanks address, Bhat assure that the scholarly papers presented will be published either in our annual (Peer Reviewed, Referred & Indexed) Journal or as Webinar proceedings by the SHIIS.
The sessions of the Webinar, as per the handout, were coordinated by Dr. Nasir Nabi (AP, SHIIS) and the technical support was provided by Dr. Bilal Ahmad Wani (Guest Faculty, SHIIS).