Description
This segment from the Istanbul Forum Live 2024 features a discussion between between Professor Ovamir Anjum, professor and endowed chair of Islamic studies in the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Toledo, and founder of the Ummatics Institute, and Professor Cemil Aydฤฑn of the University of North Carolina. The discussion centers on the historical and contemporary significance of Muslim authority in the Islamic world.
Professor Anjum initiates the debate by arguing that the caliphate is a long-standing obligation by consensus within Muslim tradition and a potential necessity for addressing the challenges faced by Muslims today. He emphasizes the need to reclaim the concept from extremist interpretations and to envision a future unity grounded in the broader concept of the Umma.
Professor Aydฤฑn highlights the diverse and evolving nature of the caliphate throughout Islamic history and argues that the era of seeking unity through a singular caliphate is over. He suggests focusing on alternative means of achieving Muslim solidarity and cooperation to address contemporary issues, drawing attention to the historical context of the late Ottoman caliphate and its symbolic importance during the age of colonialism.
Recording
Ovamir Anjum
Ovamir Anjum is Chief Research Officer at the Ummatics Institute. Heย is the author of the article โWho Wants the Caliphate?โ published in 2019 at Yaqeen Institute which serves as the provocation for this project. He is professor and endowed chair of Islamic studies in the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Toledo, co-editor of the American Journal of Islam and Society (previously known as the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences), and recently appointed editor-in-chief for the review board the Yaqeen Institute. His areas of research include Islamic history, theology, political thought, and history broadly. His publications includeย Politics, Law, and Community in Islamic Thought: The Taymiyyan Momentย (Cambridge University Press, 2012), andย Ranks of Divine Seekers: Translation of Ibn al-Qayyimโsย Madarij al-Salikin(Brill, 2020), first two of four volumes. His selected publications can be accessed atย https://utoledo.academia.edu/OvamirAnjum
