The TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies is organising the fourth seminar entitled Colonial Racial Theories and the Shaping of Modern Islamic Ideologies.

The seminar will be presented by Dr. Kamal Soleimani, a professor-researcher at El Colegio de Mexico. Dr. Soleimani's work explores the complex interplay between nationalism, colonial racial theories, and modern Islamic thought.

In this engaging seminar, Dr. Soleimani will examine how modern Islamic thought, a transformative way of conceiving Islam that emerged in the late nineteenth century, bears significant imprints of Western colonial discourse, racial theories, and nationalist ideologies. He will argue that the evolution of contemporary Islamic thought reveals a profound internalization of colonial narratives surrounding religion, nation, and state.

Dr. Soleimani will provide a range of illustrative examples to demonstrate how these influences have shaped the trajectories of Islamic thought and practice. A focal point of the discussion will be the role of nationalism in shaping Islamism and the prevalent belief among Islamists that a “true” Islamic life necessitates the establishment of an Islamic state. However, as he will argue, modern nation-states, by their very nature, are constrained by national interests, which invariably dictate their domestic and international policies. Consequently, even an Islamic state would not be immune to these limitations, leading to tension between Islamic principles and the practicalities of state governance.

Through a comparative lens, Dr. Soleimani will explore the nationalist underpinnings of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and Turkey. By analyzing the policies of these states, he will reveal how their discourses and actions are primarily driven by nationalist interests, often diverging from Islamic ideals in practice.

The seminar will be moderated and led by Dr. Fateh Saeidi, the member of the Advisory Board of the TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies.

Scheduled for Sunday, December 1, 2024, at 6 PM (Berlin time), the seminar will be conducted in English. The session includes a 10-minute introduction, a 30-minute presentation, a 25-minute Q&A session, and a 10-minute panel discussion and conclusion. Participants can join via Zoom using the provided link.

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