Science and Islam: an educational approach

This project aims at educating young future Muslim scholars, teachers, opinion makers, religious personalities, and more widely the public at large, about reasonable and coherent ways of relating Islam and Science, fully integrating and upholding modern scientific knowledge. It is an essential step in developing a rational, scientifically consistent Humility Theology in the Muslim world, as the literalistic reading of sacred texts and the rejection of essential parts of the methodology and knowledge of modern science are still very widespread in the Muslim world. In order to do so, we will organize eight workshops of three days in at least six different countries, with 20 to 25 participants (per workshop), with a methodology that has already been tested with great success during a previous pilot project. The workshops will be organized in partnership with important institutions and personalities of the Muslim world in Jordan, the United Emirates, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and France, which will constitute a guaranty that this project will have an important impact in the Muslim world. The workshop participants will be invited to disseminate the knowledge and ideas they will have learned during the workshops, by organizing small activities themselves in their communities. The best candidates will later be chosen among the participants to be further trained in the teaching of Science and Islam topics. Videos and booklets, each focusing on big/essential questions (in the Muslim context) will be produced and distributed by way of partnerships with influential Muslim media and website portals. In the end, a new group or even school of thought will be able to emerge, capable of changing the perception that Muslims currently have of the Science-Religion relationship, while playing a role in the social evolutions currently taking place, by providing an attractive alternative to the fundamentalist discourse.

Grant Amount:

$840,199

Start Date:

November 2011

End Date:

October 2014

Grant ID:

23528