By Mas Aliza Abu
Photo Muhammad Izwan Azman

BANGI, 18 February 2020 – The 3^rd International Seminar on Islamic Civilization jointly organized by Institute of Islam Hadhari (Hadhari), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Department of Arabic Language and Culture, National ChengChi University (NCCU), Taiwan is the third collaborative activity between the two Universities.

The two-days seminar from 18 to 19 February 2020 which took place at the BItara Room, Faculty of Islamic Studies, UKM is among other activities that included under the MoU and MoA that was signed on 2017 whereby both Universities had agreed to jointly organized the international seminar in Malaysia and Taiwan alternately.

Director Hadhari, Prof Dr Fariza Md Sham who officiated the seminar has welcoming the presence of all local and foreign participants from Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Singapore in order to have further discussion on various themes regarding Islam, that includes civilization and pertinent current issues related to Islam.

“Islamic teaching on ‘civilized development’ is regarded as less important in comparison with purely ‘conventional/material development.’ The Nationwide policies are seen as treating these two areas separately and this does not help to create a healthy environment for Muslim.

“Thus, Islam Hadhari or Civilizational Islam is an approach to achieve human’s spiritual and material civilization that is to be civilized in thinking and conduct spiritually and materially,” she said.

The objectives of this seminar are to provide a forum for academicians to exchange ideas and advancement in the field of Islamic Civilization and also to provide a platform for the students to share their findings at an international level, besides to strengthen the collaboration between both Universities.

Associate Prof Dr Mahmoud Abdeldeen from NCCU in his welcoming speech said, the seminar is the best platform for NCCU and UKM to exchange opinions and intellectual developmental across disciplines.

“It is very important for Muslims to know each other and live in a healthy community that support each other,” he said.

With Peaceful Coexistence: Challenges and Hope as its theme, the seminar featured a keynote speaker from National University of Singapore (NUS) and gathered 33 paper presenters that is hoped to create a platform for future collaboration research.