Istanbul to host int’l conference on ‘Muslim Ummah’

An Istanbul university will host the second edition of the "International Conference on the Muslim Ummah" between Oct. 14 and 16 that will bring together 20 international scholars.

The conference, to be organized by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU) at its Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), aims to discuss problems across the Muslim world.

The theme of the conference is "Fault lines and Perils Facing Muslim Societies: The Challenges of Sectarianism, Secularism, Nationalism, and Colonialism."

"These are some of the problems that exist in the Muslim societies that cause tension and upheaval, and we are trying to analyze and understand them and offer solutions," Sami Al-Arian, the director of CIGA, told Anadolu Agency.

Al-Arian, who also teaches courses on politics and Islamic civilization at the university, said nationalism in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, as well as nationalism within the context of the Arab world, will be discussed during the conference.

He said the conference will also discuss as to how colonialism affected the Middle East, and "settler colonialism in Israel/Palestine."