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A leading proponent of intellectual reform within Islam, Professor Mohamed Charfi is an Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Tunis, former president of the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights, and former Minister of Education (Tunisia, 1989-1995). Most recently Professor Charfi has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan as one of 19 members of a High Level Group to guide the UN's initiative on an Alliance of Civilizations.
Professor Charfi addressed the dominant themes in his latest book, Islam and Liberty: the Historical Misunderstanding (London: Zed Books, 2005), vigorously arguing for a new reading of Islamic scripture and heritage that separates "divine Islam," the Islam of the Qur'an, from "human Islam," or those so-called "Islamic" traditions that have accumulated through historical legacy. He stressed the importance of educational reform as a necessary condition for promoting an "Islamic renaissance" that would lead to free and prosperous societies.
The audience included students and professors from NYU, Columbia, and Vassar College, and several senior UN diplomats representing Muslim and Western countries.
Read notes from Professor Charfi's Lecture here >
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Lecture by Dr. Tarek Masoud
New York University’s Silver Center — Jurow Hall
March 14, 2013
Co–sponsored with the Foreign Policy Association and the World Affairs Councils of America
Watch the videos of the event online >
International conference
University of Manouba, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Humanities
Tunis, Tunisia
February 21 — 22, 2013
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