EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

March 12, 2019

CMENAS Organizes the Second Annual Islamic Peace Studies Conference: “The Abode of Peace: Spirituality and Harmony in Islam,” March 21-23, 2019

The Islamic tradition has been an important part of world history since late antiquity and is diverse and broad, straddling the globe. Today Muslims account for about a fifth of humankind. Launched in 2017 by Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History and former director of CMENAS, the Islamic Peace Studies Initiative seeks to promote academic research in the fields of Islam and peace studies.

This year’s conference explores the spiritual dimension of peace in Islam. Negative peace has been defined as the absence of violent conflict and concerns security arrangements. Positive peace has been defined as actions, policies, and attitudes that promote peace. Our concern here is with positive peace, and with its inner manifestations, in affect, attitude and personal behavior. Sufism has been a major site of such peace-related themes, but they appear in other arenas of Islamic practice as well. 

Program: 

Thursday, March 21, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Michigan Room, Michigan League 
Evening Keynote, “Reframing Peace: Muslim Peacemaking for the 21st Century,” with Dr. Irfan Omar (Marquette University. Dinner starts at 6:00 p.m.; keynote begins at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, March 22, 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 1010 Weiser Hall 
All-day conference with presentations by Professors Juan Cole (University of Michigan), Valerie Hoffman (University of Illinois), Alexander Knysh (University of Michigan), Jennifer Nourse (University of Richmond). Breakfast served at 9:00 a.m.; conference begins at 10:00 a.m.

Saturday, March 23, 6:00-8:30 p.m., Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church 
Islamic Peace Studies Presentations and Community Dinner 
Presentations by Professors Juan Cole (University of Michigan), Valerie Hoffman (University of Illinois), Alexander Knysh (University of Michigan), and Jennifer Nourse (University of Richmond). Dinner starts at 6:00 p.m.; presentations start at 6:30 p.m. 

This initiative has been funded by the International Institute Enterprise Fund. Special thanks to our cosponsors: African Studies Center, Global Islamic Studies Center, Center for South Asian Studies, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum, Department of Middle East Studies, Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies Seminar, Michigan State University's Muslim Studies Program, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, and the Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church.

Free and open to the public. To learn more about this initiative and our conference, visit: ii.umich.edu/cmenas/islamic-peace-studies.


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