Fez - Said Ahmad al-Abadi, the Secretary General of the Muhammadiyah Association of Scholars in Morocco, has stated that the biggest challenge for the Islamic world in light of increasing globalization is reading Islam’s religious heritage through the prism of contemporary circumstances to renew religious discourse.
In a presentation delivered at a seminar entitled "The Renewal of Religious Thought in the Era of Globalization,” held on Sunday at the Cairo International Book Fair, Mr. Abadi said that loyalty to the early scholars of Islam requires a new reading of religious intellectual work while taking into account the contemporary context of the present day.
He added that some of the factors and the requirements of this renewed reading of religious thought are taking into consideration increasing globalization, which is marked by the flow of intensive information, language pluralism, international humanitarian issues, growing communications technology, and the digital revolution, which contributes to the rapid formation of public opinion.
New technologies also change the concept of “belonging” from narrow concepts that are based on tribal or ethnic affiliation to “digital affiliation” through social media and other factors related to social and economic development.
Abadi said that a renewal of religious discourse in the current global context requires scientific abilities and competencies, at scholarly institutions such as Al-Azhar in Egypt and the University of Karaouiun in Fez.
Abadi further noted that these ancient and powerful religious institutions are supposed to lead the renewal of religious thought, an endeavor that will require the effort of people with different specializations for different contexts.
Abadi talked about the challenges and problems that hinder the process of the renewal of religious thought in the Muslim world, such as the reading and interpretation of religious texts, the techniques used to analyze the discourse, and the training of specialized scientists who should be aware of new scientific fields just as much as they are knowledgeable of ancient Islamic sciences.
Abadi concluded that the renewal of religious thought is a task for religious institutions that requires the participation of the scientific institutions and the presence of competent bodies to oversee and coordinate their work.
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