18 September 2006
Monash University will host two public lectures on the influence of Islamic cultures on nation-building in the Asia-Pacific region, on Friday 22 September.
The lectures are part of a two-day workshop Islamic Culture(s), Nation-building and the Media: Contemporary Issues, being conducted in Melbourne on 22-23 September, by the Monash Asia Institute and the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies.
The first lecture 'The santri view of the Indonesia state', will be given by one of Indonesia's leading public intellectuals - Abdul Munir Mulkhan, Professor of the Philosophy of Education, State Islamic University of Yogyakarta, Central Java. Professor Mulkhan is one of Indonesia's best-loved authors and has written some 43 books.
In his lecture, Mulkhan will discuss how one of Indonesia's most influential Islamic constituencies -- santri - views the Indonesian state. This group has displayed an ever-increasing need to implement specifically Islamic positions in relation to religious, social and political issues in Indonesian society, leading to an increased emphasis on displays of Islamic piety in the public sphere. Muhammadiyah, the organisation in which Professor Mulkhan is an office-bearer, has played an influential role in the santrification of Indonesian society.
Dr Munir Mulkhan will speak in his native Indonesian language. A simultaneous translation will make his arguments accessible to an English-speaking audience.
The second lecture, 'Islam and the Divine Nature of Man', will be given by Professor Hossein Elahi Ghomshei, formerly of Tehran University. Professor Ghomshei is an expert on Persian literature, Islamic mysticism and English literature, and has published widely.
Lecture 1 notes
What: 'The santri view of the Indonesian state', by Professor Abdul Munir Mulkhan, Sunan Kalijaga National Islamic University, Indonesia.
When: Friday, 22 September, 10.05 am-10.45 am
Where: The Windsor Hotel, 103 Spring Street, Melbourne
Lecture 2 notes
What: 'Islam and the Divine Nature of Man', by Professor Hossein Elahi Ghomshei, formerly of Tehran University
When: Friday, 22 September, 11.05 am-11.50 am
Where: The Windsor Hotel, 103 Spring Street, Melbourne
Tickets for the two public lectures are $20. To book, telephone 9905 2124. Email: monash.asia.institute@adm. monash.edu.au. For information visit the Monash Asia Institute website.
For interviews or further information contact Dr Julian Millie on +61 3 9905 2925, or Ms Karen Stichtenoth, Media Communications, on +61 3 9905 1253 or mobile 0408 812 301.
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