Habib University's 6th Postcolonial Higher Education Conference, held on November 24-25, 2023, brought together distinguished speakers and postcolonial thinkers to explore vital links between the ethical and spiritual dimensions in Islamic traditions across time and promote decolonization in education. As a decade-long tradition at Habib University, the conference aligns with the institution's mission of shaping reparative futures and contributing to scholarly conversations and academic research on decolonization.
Dr. Najeeb Jan, Associate Professor of Comparative Humanities, welcomed guests, highlighting the ontological nature of reality and the interplay between visibility and light withdrawal. Dr. Nauman Naqvi, Conference Chair, introduced the theme, "The Ethical and the Spiritual in Islam: Pasts, Presents and Futures," emphasizing the historical, philosophical, and socio-political examination of the division between conceptual and practical aspects in religion, ethics, and spirituality.
The conference began with a keynote on 'Bridging faith and world: Examining the Reparative Possibilities of Ordinary Ethics.' Dr. Shenila Khoja-Moolji advocated for connectedness and plurality in Islam. The second half featured a panel on "Spiritual Ethics Inside & Outside," including discussions on the ethics of Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq and generosity in 10th-century Iraq.
The second day started with a keynote by Dr. Oludamini Ogunnaike, addressing the perils and imperatives of decoloniality in Islamic temporalities. Dr. Ogunnaike emphasized the potential impact of Habib University's work on healing the ruptures of coloniality for Pakistan and beyond.
A panel on "The Politics of Spiritual Ethicality" featured Dr. Aaron Eldridge and Dr. Arsalan Khan, exploring topics like an a-secular theory of Dār al-Islām and Islamic piety in the Tablighi Jamaat. The second panel, "Ethico-Spiritual Reorientations in an Age of Extreme Nihilism," discussed the profound connection between mental illness and the modern self and reorienting Islamic studies toward love, beauty, light, and limit.
The day concluded with Dr. Nauman Naqvi's presentation on "Hikma: Reorienting Islamic Studies Towards Love, Beauty, Light & Limit," exploring the malleability of time in our existence. Panelists engaged with the audience, elaborating on key aspects of their work.
In summary, the conference delved into the intricate connections between the spiritual and ethical aspects of Islamic traditions, spanning from historical configurations to contemporary and future possibilities. It offered a platform for scholarly exploration and envisioning reparative opportunities for theory and practice.
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